MS: Natal launch to be as big as 360's

via Computer and Video Games


The launch of Microsoft's Xbox 360 motion peripheral, Project Natal will be as big as that of the Xbox 360 itself.

That's according to Xbox 360 strategy boss Shane Kim, who told Kotaku that the motion came has "got to have a great launch line-up" before Microsoft's introduces it to the shops.

"Conceptually, the launch of Natal will be like the launch of Xbox 360," he said. "It's going to be that big. We're not just going to ship it when the hardware and software are ready.

"We have to make sure that there are enough content experiences that are really good. That's similar to how you would think of the launch of a new console. It's got to have a great launch line-up. That's the same thing here." That's probably why it's put Rare to work on Natal games.

On the audience MS hopes to capture with the add-on, Kim said: "We're not focused on this generation's casual gamers or even PS2 people who haven't upgraded. This is about the 60% of households were a video game console doesn't exist... the problem is that the controller is a barrier for some people and now with Project Natal we completely eliminate that."

The chances of us seeing the Xbox 720 within the next three years could literally depend on how the Natal launch goes. When will it happen? "2010 at the earliest," we're told...