THQ's Experimenting With Natal, Doesn't Have Sony Kits Yet, Making A Peripheral Game

84 Comments Posted June 26, 2009 - By Patrick Klepek

There's a lot for third parties to be thinking about right now. It's taken a few years for companies to wrap their head around the Wii but in the next year, we'll see most likely see a rollout of three new takes on motion: MotionPlus, Project Natal and Sony's wands. And that's to say nothing of the explosion in peripheral-based games like Rock Band, Guitar Hero and Wii Fit. THQ wants to take advantage of all of them, but to find out how, I spoke with THQ CEO Brian Farrell over the phone yesterday.

Microsoft wasn't lying when it said Project Natal kits were rolling out to its development partners. Farrell told me his company's been experimenting with the technology for a little while now.

"Oh yeah, we've had kits for some time," he said.

"I don't know how long [we've had them] -- 4 , 6 weeks, however long they've been available," he continued. "I'm not at liberty to talk about exactly what we're doing, but kind of like when we first got the Wii kits, some key development people are going 'okay, what can we do that's really cool here?' So, stay tuned."

There were a variety of Project Natal demos shown at E3, some ranging from casual (i.e. painting, smacking balls) to twists on hardcore favorites (Burnout Paradise). Farrell isn't sure where his company's strategy lies with Project Natal just yet. Project Natal is a different beast than Wii -- is it core or casual?

"It's maybe a mix and...it's just too early," said Farrell. "We're obviously looking at both. Our initial take is that it does seem to be more broad, the idea that you're getting new gamers or lapsed gamers away from very complex controls, but I don't want to rule out doing something for core because we've got some ideas along that line. But I think the emphasis there and I think the positioning from Microsoft -- [maybe it's a] better question for them -- but it feels more casual to us at this point."

What hasn't arrived in THQ's mailbox yet, however, are development kits for the motion technology Sony was showing at E3. Farrell said THQ has only "had discussions" with Sony about the rollout plans, and "don't have any of the actual, hands-on dev kits yet."

There's more coming from the company, too, something peripheral-based. Farrell was cagey about their plans, preempting his tease by acknowledging the profound influence games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band have had on the market the last few years.

"What we know is input devices matter now, whether it's new controllers, control mechanisms, things like Guitar Hero and Rock Band," he said. "We have a very interesting peripheral idea we'll be rolling out later, so I'm not prepared to talk about it now. Good input devices have resonated with gamers, so we're going to be in those market spaces."

Any guesses on what THQ is working on?

Tags: PlayStation 3, Videogames, Wii, Xbox 360

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FailStation3

Sony should just take their motion controls along with their "console" and throw it down a well somewhere.

Posted: June 26, 2009 11:31 AM | Reply | Report

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deathsdelivery

@FailStation3

Ha Ha, your funny(but not in the good way)

Posted: June 26, 2009 11:34 AM | Reply | Report

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ral1121

If sony wants to win the Motion war against the xbox, the gonna have to get busy now or it will fail.

Posted: June 26, 2009 11:46 AM | Reply | Report

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ProjektX13

@deahtsdelivery

i thought it was pretty funny.

Keyboard Hero anyone?

Posted: June 26, 2009 11:49 AM | Reply | Report

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deathsdelivery

@ProjektX13

AND!?!

Posted: June 26, 2009 11:55 AM | Reply | Report

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360_Mafia_Godfather

@ FailStation3

The Sony fanboys get sensitive when you make fun of the PS3 and its little "wand" controller so be careful you might drown in their tears.

Posted: June 26, 2009 11:55 AM | Reply | Report

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DreamingDarklyRobin

This is sorta what sony did with the PS3, release the dev kits later than the Xbox and ultimately I don't see these wands to be very successful considering core gamers don't want motion controls and thats mainly what Sony has is core gamers.

Posted: June 26, 2009 12:03 PM | Reply | Report

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snookgum123

I'm sorry there is now room in that well for sony's console. It's all occupy by Xbotx rrod and e73 console..

Posted: June 26, 2009 12:04 PM | Reply | Report

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snookgum123

I'm sorry but that well is occupy with Xbotx defective hardware... RROD and E73 Junk O.O

Posted: June 26, 2009 12:05 PM | Reply | Report

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blackleo81

Natal=Wii Fitt wait and see

Posted: June 26, 2009 12:11 PM | Reply | Report

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eelric64

I hope motion controls for MS and Sony both fail miserably.

Posted: June 26, 2009 12:11 PM | Reply | Report

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blackleo81

the

Posted: June 26, 2009 12:12 PM | Reply | Report

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deathsdelivery

@360_Mafia_Godfather

Whose crying,bitch!?!
If your insecurities cause you try and down the comp, so be it.
I am going to have a lotta fun playing NGS2 on line Co-op that the 360 didn't get, with characters that would have overloaded the video card.
And calling someone a fanboy,really!?!
look at your names, they scream "I'll take all the wallet raping MS can dish out, because my brain is in my ass, could someone kick it back into my skull,Phulease."

Posted: June 26, 2009 12:25 PM | Reply | Report

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Bookshelf

I find Natal to be more towards the "Wii Fit" crowd. While Sony's motion controller seem to be more made to work in real games.

Sure you can control Burnout Paradice with Natal. But is steering, braking, and accelerating the only thing you can do? how do you trigger all the other actions? Say them out loud like squad commands? "Engage Turbo!" you know what i mean...

Then again how would one control a whole game with just a Sony motion wand? Voice maybe? a secondary controller?

All this put aside tho. No arm, leg, or body is faster than a Core gamers' trigger fingers and thumbs. If you want the best, fastest, and best control of your game, Nothing beats a good pair of hands and a controller.

Posted: June 26, 2009 12:28 PM | Reply | Report

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blackleo81

do you see how retarded the girl looks playing the natal in the picture. Picture you and your freinds looking like a couple of flailing retarded fish out of water don't walk out of camera veiw the game will cut off. Handfree their are plenty of things you can do hands free playing games not one

Posted: June 26, 2009 12:30 PM | Reply | Report

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Bookshelf

Maybe THQ is working on "Natal Home Fitness 360"

Posted: June 26, 2009 12:39 PM | Reply | Report

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deathsdelivery

Colbert put it best, Natal will show what true idiots those who only want 360 related products look like.
I have a Wii as well and barely turn it on due to the fact I have to flail around like a #$@%ing fool, Sony's does not seem better, but we will see when they both flesh out.

Posted: June 26, 2009 12:51 PM | Reply | Report

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SourProphit

Wow, post 1 instigates the flame war. I'm disappointed..... (strains to keep strait face)

@blackleo81

That's exactly how just about everyone who uses a Wii looks, and since Wii users look retarded, it's a fair assumption that Wand users will look retarded as well. That's kinda the cost of motion control.

Posted: June 26, 2009 12:53 PM | Reply | Report

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nvserg

deathsdelivery
FailStation3 is funny in a good way. to me it sounds like Sony doesnt know were they are going with theire motion controler. if you guys disagree what do you think they are doing then?

Posted: June 26, 2009 1:01 PM | Reply | Report

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l33t360

Sony is trying to roll theirs out and hasn't even issued dev kits yet? This goes along with my theory that sony's wand was invented as a reaction to microsoft buying the new camera tech they have now.

Posted: June 26, 2009 1:08 PM | Reply | Report

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