Microsoft ramping up Natal hires

Microsoft officially announced its camera-based motion controller currently known as Project Natal in June, during the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo. However, even before then, the publisher had begun ramping up its development teams to accommodate the innovative new device, revealing through a job listing that it was in the process of building out a new internal studio devoted, ostensibly, to Project Natal development.

Hiring for said development house kicked into high gear this week, when Microsoft Game Studios posted job reqs for 14 positions related to software development for Project Natal, many of which are for senior-level roles. In total, the game developer has put out the call to fill 18 positions on the Project Natal job since late August. "We are developing a studio from the ground up, made up of some of the industry's most creative, innovative, and technical minds," many listings noted.

While the job reqs offered few details on what MGS's in-development game may entail, they did provide some scope of what the developer is up to. "Our publishing organization, responsible for launching titles such as Gears of Wars, Mass Effect, Crackdown, Lips, and many others, is working on the next great MGS franchises for Natal, which will shape the future of interactive entertainment," reads one listing for an executive producer role on the project.

"Microsoft Game Studios is looking for a creative director to help develop a new gaming category for the Xbox 360 Natal program," reads a similarly elusive statement in a second job listing. "This is a phenomenal and rare opportunity to help start a new and innovative gaming product and service while using your creativity to shape it from the very beginning!"

Microsoft has yet to provide a hard timeline for when it expects to release its camera-based motion controller. However, many industry watchers believe that the publisher will launch Project Natal as part of an Xbox 360 bundle in 2010.