Microsoft will ban all filming at Natal conference, possibly due to lag issues

Hiding Natal from scrutiny will only make things worse for the system as it nears release:

Sony 'not camera-shy' as MS bans Natal snaps

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With motion control needing faith from the masses, Sony is keen to show there's no smoke and mirrors

Sony has told Develop that it is actively allowing the press and public to take pictures and video of its upcoming motion controller, Move.

In fact, the platform holder recently allowed various members of the press to take snaps of the device at a recent showcase in London, which Develop attended.

Today news siteVG247 reports that Microsoft will not be allowing video or photography at its "technology-free" pre-E3 Project Natal showcase.

It is almost certain that the newest and nearest rival to that technology – Sony's PlayStation Move – will be seen at E3 with no restrictions on taking pictures and filming footage.

"We're very hands-on with Move, we're not camera-shy" a Sony rep told Develop. "We are showcasing a range of games that showcase Move's broad range of experiences, and so we have no issue with allowing people to see Move and record what they like."

The developments come as both Sony and Microsoft try to allure audiences to new technologies in which consumer confidence is vital. Motion control remains a relatively uncharted technology in the last three decades of game development.

Microsoft's proposed ban on cameras will likely fail to encourage those who have already expressed doubts about its controllerless peripheral.

Traveller's Tales company director Jon Burton recently told Develop that his own experience with the hands-free controller raised concern.

"I was actually more impressed with Sony's motion capture solution than Microsoft's Natal," he said.

"[Natal is] exceedingly clever," he said, "but the lag on the input and lack of physical buttons is really going to restrict the kind of games that can be done with it."

Develop

That's too bad. Wish I could go to the conference.

"[Natal is] exceedingly clever," he said, "but the lag on the input and lack of physical buttons is really going to restrict the kind of games that can be done with it."

This is quite a good point IMO

The lag is 100ms, 1/10 a second. If you play online you likely play above that from time to time. I really fail to understand why this is such a big deal.

If the product isn't ready OR at 100%, why present it? I mean sure no pics or vids but I'm sure someone who attended there is gonna blog it or post their experience online eventually. You can't stop that...... Wait, can you? (Serious question)

I think Lag is what coudl really kill this thing. It could have all the great games in the owrld, but if it lags too much, its going to be terrible.

There's no way a camera that can track every part of your body, face, read emotion, understand all types of verbal, non-verbal, and body language gestures ect plus have zero lag and cost under 50 000 000 to create

expect natal to have the worse lag, move to have they 2nd most and wii to have the least when all is said and done.

"[Natal is] exceedingly clever," he said, "but the lag on the input and lack of physical buttons is really going to restrict the kind of games that can be done with it."

This is quite a good point IMO

NielsNL

I bet there will be a leak of some sorts.Heil68

There's no way a camera that can track every part of your body, face, read emotion, understand all types of verbal, non-verbal, and body language gestures ect plus have zero lag and cost under 50 000 000 to create

expect natal to have the worse lag, move to have they 2nd most and wii to have the least when all is said and done.

Respawn-d

The Move has been pretty much universally praised at being far more accurate than the Wii. What did your conclusion come from?

[QUOTE="Respawn-d"]

There's no way a camera that can track every part of your body, face, read emotion, understand all types of verbal, non-verbal, and body language gestures ect plus have zero lag and cost under 50 000 000 to create

expect natal to have the worse lag, move to have they 2nd most and wii to have the least when all is said and done.

larshaun

The Move has been pretty much universally praised at being far more accurate than the Wii. What did your conclusion come from?

This has flop written all over it. Only reason a company would do this is when their system won't look good.

The lag is 100ms, 1/10 a second. If you play online you likely play above that from time to time. I really fail to understand why this is such a big deal.

Cali3350

maybe they have something new that the camera will do that they don't want sony to steal? heheOntain

Im more intreasted in MOVE then Natal, trust me Natal is gonna flop hard.

wait... so they won't even broadcast the event? what's the point of even having that extra conference?

maybe they have something new that the camera will do that they don't want sony to steal? heheOntain

You ever heard of PSEye ? PS toy ?

[QUOTE="Ontain"]maybe they have something new that the camera will do that they don't want sony to steal? heheRespawn-d

Im with this guy.

Another overhyped failure flopfest?

Im hoping Natal turns out good but Im still very skeptical. I just cant see myself gaming without a controller. Casual gaming or hardcore. I have to have some type of physical input device in my hands. But thats just me I guess.:?

Because of camera flashes that should be expected no?

Wow that does not instill a lot of confidence about Natal to me. I've remained very skeptical about Natal but this doesn't seem to bode well for it. I fully expect delays and would be surprised if it did indeed launch this year.

And if it does launch I'd take 70% odds that its going to be a flop. Might be too ambitious for its own good.

Pfft, nice try Sony/Nintendo camp but that silly reverse psychology umm stuff is best Left to the ummm, Leftest and just fails the test of time.

For the record. the SP thinks Natal will deliver the goods though me like always wants my Options at all times to use the control method of My choice.

Lets see what's what after all the cards hit the table shall we ? :P

[QUOTE="Ontain"]maybe they have something new that the camera will do that they don't want sony to steal? hehetelefanatic

You ever heard of PSEye ? PS toy ?

Im hoping Natal turns out good but Im still very skeptical. I just cant see myself gaming without a controller. Casual gaming or hardcore. I have to have some type of physical input device in my hands. But thats just me I guess.:?

coltsfan4ever

i don't really care about Move, but it already works

Sony probably won't have anything to lulz over, Nintendo is gonna spend the whole time with Metroid/Zelda/etc. so nothing as bad as 2008

so i wouldn't mind if Natal failed hardcore, we need more E3 lulz every year, hopefully somebody sneaks in a camera

lol @ Natal

I think both suck tho

The lag is 100ms, 1/10 a second. If you play online you likely play above that from time to time. I really fail to understand why this is such a big deal.

Cali3350

This concept of lag for natal is funny though considering the horribly noticable lag when Move was unveiled. I doubt Sony has fixed that yet.

"[Natal is] exceedingly clever," he said, "but the lag on the input and lack of physical buttons is really going to restrict the kind of games that can be done with it."

This is quite a good point IMO

NielsNL

iven been saying the samething about natal since i saw it
without a controller natal is doomed to games that came out on the eye toy and nothing else

too bad lemming fanboys refused to accept this
playstation move is clearly better because it can do anything natal can do + everything the wii can do(but better)

Ms has ZERO interest in not showing Project Natal to as many people as possible, hence I think this possibility is very unlikely. They showed it last year and not this year? it's an epic contradiction.

as much as i like my 360, i think Natal is the most stupidest idea since the power glove. I'm sorry but there is no way this can work with any game that requires complex controls. I guarantee you the only games that will be made from this are racing games and a lot of mini games similar to games using the PSEye. You need a hybrid of buttons and motions to get it to work with nearly all types of gamesCrystal-Rush

So did Microsoft promise more than it can handle?

what were you all expecting , natal to be wii like and succeed in the masses-i dont think so you cant get that when you add it on ,

it has to be there day one or you can justforget it

looks at eye toy and pseye xboxvision all these , additional so called game changing accessories arent selling to the masses

and natal is just an upgraded vision cam move is just a wii mote 2.0 rip off

So did Microsoft promise more than it can handle?

Hexagon_777

Woow.. Every one was so quick jumping into conclusion! The reason for not allowing videos or pics is because they want to show off Natal at their MAIN EVENT which will be hold on Monday.

[QUOTE="NielsNL"]

"[Natal is] exceedingly clever," he said, "but the lag on the input and lack of physical buttons is really going to restrict the kind of games that can be done with it."

This is quite a good point IMO

Respawn-d

The comments from Jon Burton are from December last year (thats like 5 months ago). Quote from Geek.com

"It should be noted that Burton has only used a prototype, and that the finished Natal device could (and probably will) be much more responsive"
People have already come out and said they have used one of the later builds… and have said it is very responsive, and that most of the lag has been removed (there is still lag in multilayer though)".

So, it's a good practice for journalists to use quotes from months ago in an industry such as this?

This has flop written all over it. Only reason a company would do this is when their system won't look good.

KristoffBrujah

And this is what they spent lots of money on, when that money could've been put into more better use such as more exclusives, making XBox Live even more better, & to try to make their exclusive games look on par with the PS3's exclusives.

A shame indeed.

The lag is 100ms, 1/10 a second. If you play online you likely play above that from time to time. I really fail to understand why this is such a big deal.

Cali3350

lol ok PC gamers try to point out the player that doesn't own one:P

alright i play on the pc alot with TF2 and my range is usually 40-60 anything above that and i start resetting the router

I don't like that, considering it's E3. I'd understand if it was another expo or something but isn't this supposed to launch this year? It doesn't exactly warm over consumer's confidence in a product that's fairly experimental compared to the other motion technology that exists. I am not trying to say that to be a fanboy or anything because I do think Natal is interesting, to say the least. It's just that I had been really looking forward to actually seeing what's coming this E3 for Natal live, so I hope this isn't true.

I don't like that, considering it's E3. I'd understand if it was another expo or something but isn't this supposed to launch this year? It doesn't exactly warm over consumer's confidence in a product that's fairly experimental compared to the other motion technology that exists. I am not trying to say that to be a fanboy or anything because I do think Natal is interesting, to say the least. It's just that I had been really looking forward to actually seeing what's coming this E3 for Natal live, so I hope this isn't true.

Xire_XII

Don't worry. They will show off Natal at their MAIN EVENT on Monday 6/14/10 which is the next day.

wait... so they won't even broadcast the event? what's the point of even having that extra conference?

88mphSlayer

[QUOTE="Ontain"]maybe they have something new that the camera will do that they don't want sony to steal? heheRespawn-d

It's funny that on one has ever mentioned that Sony copied the Eyetoy from Sega's DreamEye.The Dreameye was only released in Japan in 2000. It came with the Divers 2000 Dreamcast and was also sold separately.

http://uk.dreamcast.ign.com/articles/076/076137p1.html