14 DAY TRIAL // The Xbox 360 is a very popular console, largely because it was the first next-generation platform to appear on the market and because Microsoft generated a lot of hype around it and really did a great job launching it into the world.
But the North American company isn't a one-trick pony, as the Microsoft's Head of Long-term Xbox 360 Strategy, Shane Kim, revealed that the launch of the motion-sensing platform Project Natal would be as big as the console for which it would appear, and that it would span a lot of types of media.
“Conceptually, the launch of Natal will be like the launch of Xbox 360,” Kim said. “It's going to be that big. We're not just going to ship it when the hardware and software are ready. We have to make sure that there are enough content experiences that are really good. That's similar to how you would think of the launch of a new console. It's got to have a great launch line-up. That's the same thing here.”
Kim is confident that the aggressive advertising campaign will appeal to those households that don't own a gaming console. “We're not focused on this generation's casual gamers or even PS2 people who haven't upgraded. This is about the 60% of households where a video game console doesn't exist. The problem is that the controller is a barrier for some people and now with Project Natal we completely eliminate that.”
Microsoft is seemingly pulling out all the stops to hype Natal and get it into the public spotlight, even though it has barely been launched. This campaign will certainly get even bigger as the technology is completed and as it will be ready for launch. Until then, the old controllers are still pretty good at doing Natal's job.