Project Natal: Something For Everyone?

Excited about Project Natal? I’m not, but I want to be, especially with drones of online fanboys gushing over the device like it’s some kind of sparkly vampire with a $20 Supercuts hairstyle. Natal seemed very gimmicky when it was first announced, though my biased towards accessories and peripherals borders on illegal. I don’t play Guitar Hero or Rock Band and I’ve never purchased a special controller in my life aside from old-school hotness like the NES Advantage. However, a few key words from the Microsoft camp may be pushing me in the other direction.

My biggest concern with Natal is that is comes off as an add-on designed for the casual gamer, the same breed that are content with Wii Sports for hours on end. However during a internal financial meeting, Microsoft’s President of Entertainment and Devices Division Robbie Bach was ask to identify what the core targeted demographic for Natal is going to be, to which he gave a unique answer. Everyone.

“Take your hardcore gamer, they’re going to love Natal,” said Bach. “Now, they’ll play a different style of game on that when they’re doing it. When they play Halo: Reach, they might be back with their controller doing some very, you know, targeted things. But the style of game they will play will be different.”

“But they will absolutely love Natal,” he added.

The thought that Natal could find a way to implement itself into games with technical mechanics like Assassins Creed, Borderlands and Mass Effect, instead of just budget titles from the LIVE Arcade, is interesting. Bach claims that 70 percent of all current Xbox 360 developers have begun work on developing titles for Project Natal, a list that includes Capcom, Ubisoft and Konami.

Still, I wish Microsoft would throw us at least a little bait to nibble on as to how Natal can be use in future games like Halo: Reach. Will I be able to use my hands to give signals to my squadmates or give the finger to my enemies? This way I can combine the acute control accuracy that only a controller can provide with some physical elements made possible by Natal.

As for games that will be designed with 100% Natal/no controller in mind, I still think I may have to pass. Then again I did once spend four hours swatting ninjas when the Eye Toy was first released for the PS2.