Rumor: Microsoft's Project Natal to launch November 2010 for $80 or less

[Matthew DeCarlo]

Details of Project Natal's launch have leaked, and anonymous sources have told MCV that the highly anticipated motion-control device will launch next November on 14 games, at a very reasonable price. The sources said that Microsoft plans to ship 5 million Natal units at launch, in both stand-alone packages as well as coupled with Xbox 360 consoles and other accessories. Redmond is reportedly aiming the hardware at impulse buyers, with the hardware to cost between $50 and $80 -- a steal compared to the pricing of other Xbox 360 accessories.

No information was given about the 14 games that will supposedly be ready for Natal's launch -- though, Microsoft announced in September that it had support from 12 major publishers, including Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, Capcom, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ, and Ubisoft. In addition, game designer Peter Molyneux confirmed previously that Fable 3 would feature support for Natal, and with a "late 2010" release date, it may be among the 14 titles.

While all of this seems plausible, none of it is set in stone, so take it with a grain of salt -- or two.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/36927-rumor-microsofts-project-natal-to-launch-november-2010-for-80-or-less.html

 

[Flannelwarrior]

I think the same thing goes for this as for all aftermarket accessories - with developer support, it'll fly, and without it, it'll tank. But how many people are really going to lay out $80 for a piece of hardware that's only compatible with one or two of their regular games?

 

[treeski]

If 14 games will support it right off the bat, I would imagine a lot of other games would follow suit.

 

[mattfrompa]

I'm personally more interested in the inevitable usage this device will have with PCs, but if they make some games that don't feel like a gimmick to play, that's good too.

 

[polidiotic]

flannelwarrior said:
I think the same thing goes for this as for all aftermarket accessories - with developer support, it'll fly, and without it, it'll tank. But how many people are really going to lay out $80 for a piece of hardware that's only compatible with one or two of their regular games?

Do people actually still play the games they hold onto in their library, after beating them? I thought that was a thing of the past. ;]

When I read $80, I said "wow, that's pretty damn cheap - we could only be so lucky," but that's just me. And with these kinds of developers rumored to back it? Well, sold... that's all I have to say. As long as the reviews of the games come back positive, I'll be willing to shell out the bucks for this sucker.

 

[Julio Franco]

Although this is just a rumor, I would have expected Natal to be much closer to release than a year from now. The price point seems to be hitting a sweet spot however, then it'd just be up to game support to make it a good buy.

 

[freedomthinker]

Im really interested in seeing this is could be revolutionary

 

[tengeta]

I hope the support stays low. Or am I seriously the only person who just likes sitting back to relax with a damn controller? I get plenty of exercise during the day so I don't need to hop around the room to make up for my sitting around.

 

[Puiu]

I was expecting a >100$ price for natal. Let's just hope that it works just as well as Microsoft says it will.
This is just my 2 cents on it, but i think that the lower price of Natal may be due to the fact that it will have a lot of things you'll need to pay afterward. MS isn't exactly an open-source/freeware company. Who knows how expensive the apps or services will be. (i hope i'm wrong about this)

 

[Julio Franco]

Or am I seriously the only person who just likes sitting back to relax with a damn controller? I get plenty of exercise during the day so I don't need to hop around the room to make up for my sitting around.

I agree this prevents me from playing many Wii games that require you to move around and do stuff just because. In other words, it's not a relaxing way to game which is desirable many times.

 

[Guest]

$80 bucks??? This price point will not....unfortunately happen. We are talking M$ here.

 

[Guest]

Some neighbors may want to call the local loony bin when they see a dude jumping and hopping around 8 hours everyday in front of their X-box playing Natal games.

 

[Guest]

Natal wont be as succesful because if people want motion activated they get wii. although 80 dollars sounds cheap the product will only support limited games, and most likely games we dont play.

 

[Guest]

i'd get this just for my son's who will be 1 1/2 and 3, that'd love just seeing their avatars moving around like they do, being able to control them, i'd pay more than $80 for this, but i think $80 is a steal.

 

[RealXboxMaster]

This device should retail for no more than $99