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Back-Engineering Could Lead to Natal Failure

- By - Source : Tom's Guide US

Back-engineering games for Project Natal could actually kill the device.

Codemasters Studios VP Gavin Cheshire is warning developers not to jump on the Project Natal bandwagon too quick. He points out that integrating motion control into existing projects--or rather back-engineering-- isn't sufficient, and could possibly lead to commercial failure of Microsoft's prized motion sensing device.

James Cameron recently made a similar statement in regards to 3D in the film industry. In a recent interview with USA Today, Cameron said that studios have to create a 3D film from scratch, to "natively author" a 3D movie and not throw in the 3D effects in an eight-week post-production 3D conversion. Poorly constructed 3D films could put the genre back on ice.

The same viewpoint could be used on Protect Natal (or Sony's PlayStation Move for that matter).

Cheshire admitted that the company isn't working on titles compatible with the motion sensing device. "I’m sure there’ll be games attuned to Natal and that’ll be great, but what you can’t do is back-engineer it into something you’re currently doing," he told Edge Online. "And that’s where it’ll fail. There are a lot of companies saying they’ve got Natal stuff coming, but it’ll be bolted on to something they already had in development, probably."

He added that Codemasters isn't refusing the possibility of developing titles for the technology. However the company seems focused on other priorities, and as it stands, Codemasters isn't at the point where it can experiment with Natal. “We’re certainly looking, and we’ve got some great ideas, but it’s how you implement them," he added.

Cheshire seemed to lean more towards Sony's motion controller in the interview, saying that he prefers to hold something physical rather than waving hands around in the air.

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matt87_50 03/17/2010 1:33 AM
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-17+

don't shoehorn the tech in there just for the novelty? when it would add nothing to the game?

wow, Nintendo, are you listening? or are you too busy swimming in your pool of money?

idisarmu 03/17/2010 1:33 AM
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XD_dued 03/17/2010 1:59 AM
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Quote :He points out that integrating motion control into existing projects--or rather back-engineering-- isn't sufficient, and could possibly lead to commercial failure of Microsoft's prized motion sensing device.


Reminds me of a lot of whats on the wii and nintendo ds. Many games didn't need the features, but just threw them in anyways, often times making the games just more difficult and annoying to play.

one-shot 03/17/2010 2:05 AM
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matt87_50 :
don't shoehorn the tech in there just for the novelty? when it would add nothing to the game?wow, Nintendo, are you listening? or are you too busy swimming in your pool of money?



Nintendo can't hear when it's swimming.

matthew_nicho2 03/17/2010 2:22 AM
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Valid comment... Or is this a cover for the fact that adding Natal will add 10-15% processor usage to a title that already runs at 100% processor usage?

Running at 115% will not end well lol

acecombat 03/17/2010 2:25 AM
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idisarmu :
....and why is that, Mr. Cameron? I don't think you should be talking, considering your movie's plot sucked.


$2.6bn+ seems to say otherwise!

haze4peace 03/17/2010 2:37 AM
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Nintendo did a pretty good job at making games work with their tech... It's the third parties that tried to do the shoehorning of motion controls into their games.

Hatecrime69 03/17/2010 3:11 AM
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haze4peace :
Nintendo did a pretty good job at making games work with their tech... It's the third parties that tried to do the shoehorning of motion controls into their games.



pretty much, even the first year ds games had this issue, though some third-parties eventually learned how to make good games on that..

JOSHSKORN 03/17/2010 3:26 AM
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Oh quick! Lets MOVE on the technology just because we have it. Who cares how it works or how it looks. Heck, Star Wars 1 did it!

Anonymous 03/17/2010 3:36 AM
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erm isn't mr Cameron re-releasing titanic in 3D......
OMG that could only classified as torture

alextheblue 03/17/2010 3:53 AM
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haze4peace :
Nintendo did a pretty good job at making games work with their tech... It's the third parties that tried to do the shoehorning of motion controls into their games.

You mean the same third party developers the article is talking about? :/

amabhy 03/17/2010 4:22 AM
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idisarmu :
"Cameron said that studios have to create a 3D film from scratch, to "natively author" a 3D movie and not throw in the 3D effects in an eight-week post-production 3D conversion." ....and why is that, Mr. Cameron? I don't think you should be talking, considering your movie's plot sucked. I don't care how good the 3D effects were. You took Pocahontas and replaced all the natives with aliens. Congratulations, you are apparently a genius movie producer.



Looks like this d-bag is jealous he didnt think of the idea first :P

requiemsallure 03/17/2010 5:10 AM
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i can see more RROD in my minds eye (yes im psychic (yes im kidding)) but seriously dont add things to a system that is already so prone to failure... it just adds more points of failure.

JohnnyLucky 03/17/2010 5:47 AM
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This doesn't sound good at all.

otacon72 03/17/2010 6:01 AM
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"James Cameron recently made a similar statement in regards to 3D in the film industry. In a recent interview with USA Today, Cameron said that studios have to create a 3D film from scratch, to "natively author" a 3D movie and not throw in the 3D effects in an eight-week post-production 3D conversion. Poorly constructed 3D films could put the genre back on ice."

....yet posted today

"Filmmaker James Cameron has confirmed he will bring Titanic back to the big screen in 3D."

....gotta love it

http://www.hollywood.com/news/Came [...] 3D/6833469

sicundercover 03/17/2010 6:49 AM
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acecombat :
$2.6bn+ seems to say otherwise!



First off I actually liked Avatar but just because something makes a lot of money it doesnt mean its any good. McDonalds makes billions but that doesnt make it gourmet.

BTW, Codemasters makes horrible games and most of their games are poorly done ports.

technogiant 03/17/2010 8:11 AM
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The thing that will kill natal is the 0.1 sec average lag....if they can't reduce that considerably it will be usless for any intense gaming

anamaniac 03/17/2010 9:45 AM
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Whille everyone has legitimate comments, I only care about one thing.
Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic 3.
Maybe one of those fancy smancy brain wave thingies for using the force too. =D

JonnyDough 03/17/2010 10:35 AM
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I hate the motion sensing on the Wii. I don't know if its because I'm too tall, or because I can't hit anything I'm pointing at when I'm hunting on it. There is a definite lag between when I move the controller and when the cursor on the screen moves, and I won't be blaming the tv anytime soon - although I would think that it too increases the lag time. Add in internet latency and there goes multi-player games with motion sensor support. No thanks. PC gaming FTW! Still.

djab 03/17/2010 11:23 AM
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haze4peace :
Nintendo did a pretty good job at making games work with their tech... It's the third parties that tried to do the shoehorning of motion controls into their games.



Exactly.
I think what Cheshire wanted to say is: "Don't be a bird-man!"

"Bird-men" can kill any new tech.
Here is a good article about "bird-men" in the video game "industry":

http://malstrom.50webs.com/birdman.html

Montezuma 03/17/2010 7:01 PM
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matthew_nicho2 :
Valid comment... Or is this a cover for the fact that adding Natal will add 10-15% processor usage to a title that already runs at 100% processor usage?Running at 115% will not end well lol



It will end well for Microsoft and Sony when people have to purchase new consoles after either a RRoD or when the PS3 just melts. Oh wait, Sony already cannot meet supply demands...

Camikazi 03/17/2010 8:27 PM
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acecombat :
$2.6bn+ seems to say otherwise!


$2.6bn+ just means people liked the pretty colors and the "3D" not that it was a good movie.

FenrirXIII 03/17/2010 10:14 PM
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3dme :
erm isn't mr Cameron re-releasing titanic in 3D......OMG that could only classified as torture



Idk 3d kate winslet nude scene(s) could be worth the rest of the movie o.o (if they can use the original film when she was younger and not have to re-shoot things from her current age)

Anonymous 03/18/2010 2:09 AM
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3 hours of drivel for 5 mins of nudity....... even if it's 3D nudity i think the 3 hours of 3D drivel would drive me brain to mutiny

amnotanoobie 03/19/2010 11:54 AM
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sicundercover :
BTW, Codemasters makes horrible games and most of their games are poorly done ports.



I beg to differ! (Well only for racing games, as for their other stuff I have no idea).

Their racing games are more simulation than arcadish Need-For-Speed type, which is what I like. Some people just want a fast car, but I want the nitty-gritty detail of things.