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Denver, 8:28 PM
Thu Nov 12
56 posts in the last 24 hours
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06/04/09
06/04/09
06/04/09
If they decided to show a "work in progress", they deserve to be called out on it.
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06/04/09
Speech and face recognition are nothing new, but never been implemented well in a mass available product, so in that regard it's great.
The technology behind Natal is just software and a smart camera (difference is that it detects depth as well right?). It has been done before so it didn't wow me to a new level. Nor did Sony in that regard to an extend that I was blown away but I did enjoy it a lot more, especially the potential it had.
Maybe it has something to do with Molyneux demonstrating Milo which at first, seems great but unless Microsoft has somehow made some groundbreaking breakthrough in the Artificial Intelligence area it is just a very scripted, very "fake" tech demo that will never see the day of light in the way that people may think it will; an interactive virtual "friend" that will respond correctly to whatever you say or do.
The thing that stood out for me the most was, perhaps a simple example but it works, the painting difference between Sony and Microsoft.
There's just no chance that Natal will be able to detect finger movement (unless it comes with like some piece of bright colored tape you have to put on your fingertop) so it will lack the precision completely. Result; throwing BUCKETS of paint at a canvas. With smart software it compensates and appears fun, for a while.
Sony though showed like milimeter drawing and painting which just.. did it a lot more for me then Natal. I can see so much application (FPS, RTS, etc) in Soný's magic sticks for ACTUAL deep games. Just put some analogue controllers on those Decepticon dildo's and you'r good to go..
That's why, for me, Sony's motion controller with motion tracking > Natal. Pure based on the (serious) gaming application).
/blog
06/04/09
I think at this point it's a difference in approach between sony and microsoft. MS is clearly positioning natal to be a market expanding experience, the same way the wii gets people who aren't into hardcore gaming playing games. They show the kid stomping like a monster, the girl trying on clothes, the older dad, etc etc. Milo certainly doesn't seem to be going for the Gears of War / Halo crowd.
Sony, at least from their tech demo went straight for the hardcore, precision angle, showing swords and shields. I think it's too early to know what the hell each device is capable of. We're only seeing little snippets and reveals.
06/04/09
So we're supposed to believe, and yet the thing glitched out (avatar shoes, anyone?) during what was surely a heavily rehearsed demo under very controlled lighting conditions. Now Brian is casting doubts over its accuracy even in a controlled demo on the showroom floor. Perhaps this is why MS avoided any mention of the "1:1 precision" being claimed by Nintendo and Sony.
I've no doubt that this will be better when it's actually released, but I'll be reserving judgement for now.
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