Ex-Microsoft Exec doubts Natal's chances

[Gikoku]

Ex-Microsoft Exec doubts Natal's chances

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With not a whole lot of specifics out there regarding Microsoft's upcoming motion-based control peripheral, it's hard to make a guess at whether or not the device will succeed. Scot Bayless, former studio manager at Microsoft, however, has his mind made up and thinks Project Natal will fail.

"When I met with Microsoft in 2008 to look at Natal I asked: 'When will you integrate this into the 360?'" Bayless said. "Their response was: 'We're probably going to wait and see on that.' To which I said: 'Then you're going to fail.'"

In the past, Bayless has had executive roles at EA, Midway, and Capcom. He says producing the peripheral could divide Microsoft's consumer base and turn off developers.

"Plays like this always fragment and the disincentive to developers is powerful; when I'm spending tens of millions on a game, the last thing I want to do is lose 90 percent of my market."

To add onto this news, a rumor is going that during E3 Microsoft will follow the way of Sony and rename Natal to "Wave".

 

[Daemon300]

Re: Ex-Microsoft Exec doubts Natal's chances

Well, I hope it fails.

 

[Dark Drakan]

Re: Ex-Microsoft Exec doubts Natal's chances

Wish more companies would concentrate nailing down physics engines instead of jumping on the motion control bandwagon. Physics in a game are even more important than the graphics and can add to immersion. Euphoria is a great engine and if people can optimise it and expand on it to utilise it in more ways it would be a huge step forward in gaming.

 

[Gikoku]

Re: Ex-Microsoft Exec doubts Natal's chances

The Ex-Microsoft executive boss, Bayless, clarifies on his comments from yesterday.

We published a piece yesterday featuring quotes from the veteran games industry exec, which compared Project Natal to Sega's doomed console add-on, the 32X. Bayless contacted us to clarify his views on Natal.

He told us he departed Microsoft - on good terms - eight years ago. "I left MS in 2002 to join EA." he told NowGamer, "six years before that meeting in 2008. I did so under friendly circumstances, with good wishes from colleagues and my boss at the time, Ed Fries."

Bayless also told us that his comments back in 2008 were only meant to aid the company. "When I met with Microsoft in 2008 to get an early look at Natal, my comment was actually offered as constructive feedback."

"I was VERY impressed by the potential of Natal, but my experience at Sega taught me that splintering your target market with peripherals is an extremely risky proposition at best. Most console peripherals don't succeeed. A path to either bundling or integration for Natal technology, however, could be transformative."