TIME Names Natal in Top 50 Best Inventions
Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Time, Xbox, Project, Natal, Microsoft | Themes: Software, Digital Entertainment
Time says that Project Natal is the fifth best invention of the year, succeeded by tank-bred tuna.
Time Magazine was apparently impressed with Microsoft's Project Natal during the E3 2009 demonstration. So impressed, in fact, that the publication listed the upcoming motion-sensing technology as the fifth best invention of the year. NASA's Ares rockets (1), tank-bred tuna (2), the $10 million light bulb (3), and the smart thermostat (4) all topped Microsoft's Natal.
Interestingly enough, Natal doesn't appear on the list: it's simply named as "controller-free gaming." But click on the link, and Time loads up a separate page providing a brief description about Natal. "You move your hand, and the Master Chief (or whoever) moves his hand. It's that simple. And that cool."
It's surprising Project Natal even made the list considering that it's not a final, released product. Recently a leak revealed that Project Natal wouldn't even appear on the market until November 2010, and suggested that the pricetag for Project Natal alone--without the bundled console, that is--will likely cost around $83 USD.
For those interested in the other inventions that made Time's Top 50 of 2009, here are a few crazy gadgets: the robo-penguin, wooden bones, meat farms, the levitating mouse, the edible race car, and tons more. As for the five worst inventions in 2009, Time places "The Smile Police" in the #1 spot, followed by the Jane Austen Monster Mashup novel, Snuggies for dogs, the gas-mask bra, and our favorite, computer critics.
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Hehe. Computer critics ^^
I can't wait to try it and see if it actually is practical and useful.
It won't even be released for a full year yet it already is considered the "best" before people have even tried it yet... >_>
that itself probably just got microsoft around 200k sales for NATAL
^ I think that's exactly how much they paid Time Magazine to say
Great! No more throwing my Wii controller to the big screen TV. I don't want to keep replacing the TV every 6 months.
This is just stupid. Time magazine is just a worthless PR magazine. From politics, the economy, social values.... its just a waste of TIME.
Why happened to the Eyetoy for the PS2 anyway? It was the original , are they jsut going to shun that away?
Why happened to the Eyetoy for the PS2 anyway? It was the original , are they jsut going to shun that away?
Unfortunately, the writers of time are probably in there 40s who were probably listening to there 10-15 year old brats on the "latest greatest" things they heard about.
Things that were also probably suggested:
Halo 3 (reason for rejection: Hah [brat] that has a 3 in the name it must be a squeal)
XBox 360 Elite Edition (Reason for rejection: Didn't I buy you that for no reason last year?)
Nintendo DS (Reason for Rejection: Now I know you're pulling my leg. I buy you a new gamboy every 3 months!)
I can go on...
i wouldnt mind a pc version of the natal, just for body mechanics
Great, now all the tank bred tuna fanboys are gonna clog the forums.
Hold on right there. NASA Ares rockets? Best invention? More like giant waste of money that could've been put to much better use on other science missions.
Why happened to the Eyetoy for the PS2 anyway? It was the original , are they jsut going to shun that away?
Stop being so ignorant and check the differences of an EyEToy please... Natal is far from a Toy in total. Facial, voice, limb etc recognisions. Im a sucker when it comes to new tech. Im really hyped about Natal. As for EyEToy you will have to buy also the new gay addon , called Wand from Sony, and still you will only have tracking of the wand when you combine those two.. I see every noob thats is a console gamer and specially , PlayStation breed and only, that they keep compairing the EyeToy with Natal. Its like you compare Dial Up with ADSL and E.T. with Terminator and Angelina with my grandma who is about 90...
i wouldnt mind a pc version of the natal, just for body mechanics
Actually Gates himself said that Natal will also be used on PCs
Something is wrong in the world (or they must be sponsored by Microsoft) if on a top 50 list for inventions a video game controller comes in 3 spaces above THE AIDS VACCINE! WTF? Am I missing something? Was Time part of the conspiracy that invented AIDS? I think we need Scooby Doo's help for this one.
Must've been a really slow year for inventions. Or Microsoft paid TIME a lot of money. I'm not impressed with Natal at all and I think anyone who is must either be 10 years old and not know any better or video game illiterate. It's not even about Natal vs. Wii, it's about Natal vs. EyeToy. And the EyeToy already bombed because it's not fun, doesn't have a lot of game support, and it's not practical for games. 90% of genres will be impossible to play with Natal. You'll be able to play party games, apparently racing games, and any other game that requires you to be stationary. There's a rumor that Fable II will support Natal. If it's true, I bet a million dollars that it's support will involve "acting out" the stupid emotes and maybe a few other superfluous gestures. And who wants to do those instead of just pushing a button. At least with the Wii controls, it completely immerses you in motion control. Cameras are too limited for that. I think this is going to be an epic blunder or at least a huge disappointment. It sounds like Microsoft is already backing away from their claims because it's complete BS. I remember when it was announced, they said Natal would be compatible with the whole back catalog of 360 games. And now they say it won't be because it's too complicated coding Natal to work with older games. And developers that have checked it say that it's not practical and they don't see implementing it outside of letting users navigate a menu with their hands or something.
Great, now all the tank bred tuna fanboys are gonna clog the forums.
Hilarious!
Must've been a really slow year for inventions. Or Microsoft paid TIME a lot of money. I'm not impressed with Natal at all and I think anyone who is must either be 10 years old and not know any better or video game illiterate. It's not even about Natal vs. Wii, it's about Natal vs. EyeToy. And the EyeToy already bombed because it's not fun, doesn't have a lot of game support, and it's not practical for games. 90% of genres will be impossible to play with Natal. You'll be able to play party games, apparently racing games, and any other game that requires you to be stationary. There's a rumor that Fable II will support Natal. If it's true, I bet a million dollars that it's support will involve "acting out" the stupid emotes and maybe a few other superfluous gestures. And who wants to do those instead of just pushing a button. At least with the Wii controls, it completely immerses you in motion control. Cameras are too limited for that. I think this is going to be an epic blunder or at least a huge disappointment. It sounds like Microsoft is already backing away from their claims because it's complete BS. I remember when it was announced, they said Natal would be compatible with the whole back catalog of 360 games. And now they say it won't be because it's too complicated coding Natal to work with older games. And developers that have checked it say that it's not practical and they don't see implementing it outside of letting users navigate a menu with their hands or something.
Ill prove you wrong simply and fast with a couple of examples and you tell me what the developers themselves could come up with if I can instantly add a few features on each genre really quick...
1) FPS. Just throwing and aiming a grenade with pretending im actually holding it and throwing it with my hand will already be freaking awesome.
2) RPG. Replies through voice from even just the options you see onyour screen instead of using the controller adds some edge into taking part in a simple RPG by saying out loud the answers as the character. Or in a game like Fable you do and say the gestures. You can fart, whistle at the dogs or the chicks. bring s a whole new meaning into interactive gaming.
3) Driving. We saw the demos already. its possible even in the demo in an old game ( when for the fact they wont impliment for older games yet they did that much in the demo in an older game of driving, the Burnout.. ) Stearing, accel and breaking. Yeah it will be tiring. You can say "PAUSE" and go walk it out.. its healthy ffs.
4) RTS: Voice commands, purchasing and commanding unitsto move, attack, deffend possition.
5) Tactical action/FPS: Voice commands to your squads along flashbangs ( lol.. ) etc.
And the most valuable that i just thought about. Always MMOSs and RPGs have been a pain and whoever you sk thats been playing WoW or whatever MMO with more than a few skills per char needed, will tell yo that on a console you cant even select skills. Well if you put shortcut on the kayboard and say "heal" as if you would say to the priest over Vent etc to use one to save space from the controller keys for other skills.. Already makes some difference to me.
The reason why ppl have to stop compairing this with that stupid EyeToy is cause simply one is a tech worth getting in the top inventions of the year and the other is a dropped "Toy" with no support or use than a virtual pet or sensor for the gaywands.. Simple enough?