Microsoft: Natal Does Work in Small Living Rooms

[JMcEntegart]

No need to move the coffee table, couch, television and potted plants back against the walls.

Microsoft: Natal Does Work in Small Living Rooms : Read more

 

[dribblesbarbax]

Still gonna play it out in the rain.

 

[hennnry]

If you are too close to the camera, then just like the picture showed, the camera can only capture a small part of your body (like the hands).

So if a game (such as a fighting game) that tries to capture your whole body movement, then you do need a rather big space. Taller people needs to stand further than smaller people too.

 

[HavoCnMe]

This article was unneeded. Everybody figured out that this damn contraption needed a bunch of space yesterday.

 

[blue shift]

I think what they're trying to say is... "You don't actually need 4 meters of space to play, but anything else that moves within 4 meters in front of the device is going to be perceived as a player." At least, that's what I hope they're saying.

 

[dreamphantom_1977]

Cool, now I don't need to move my yacht out of the garage.

 

[rhino13]

I think they are saying that any nonplayer in the 13' range needs to keep a close watch on the player's flailing hands.

 

[zak_mckraken]

the camera can only capture a small part of your body

That's what she said.

 

[ikefu]

As cool and technologically advanced as Natal and PS3 Move are, I can't help but think that these are just going to be gimmicky sideline items that don't really move product out the door.

At the end of the day I usually just want to sit down on the couch and pick up a controller to start playing. Exaggerated motions for the sake of "high tech" game control seems very inefficient when the old tried and true controller method is more precise and easier to work with.

 

[silverblue]

[citation][nom]Jane McEntegart[/nom]So the Irish, British, Japanese, college kids in dorm rooms and folks living in apartments will be able to play. What a relief![/citation]

What evidence is there that we British (and Irish, for that matter) have smaller living spaces than Americans? *confused*

 

[climber]

[citation][nom]Silverblue[/nom]What evidence is there that we British (and Irish, for that matter) have smaller living spaces than Americans? *confused*[/citation]
Read the for rent or for sale adds in US cities of all sizes and UK cities, do the metric and British Pound conversions and you'll how little your money gets you real estate wise in the UK or Japan or wherever else.

 

[Regulas]

ZZZZZzzzzz, still runs on a Crapbox 360

 

[silverblue]

[citation][nom]climber[/nom]Read the for rent or for sale adds in US cities of all sizes and UK cities, do the metric and British Pound conversions and you'll how little your money gets you real estate wise in the UK or Japan or wherever else.[/citation]

Perhaps, but everyone in my family (myself included) plus all my friends live somewhere easily big enough to take advantage of Natal. We don't all live in shoeboxes.

 

[Manos]

I seriously cant wait for this thing. Cause if they even show any demos etc in this coming E3 on Natal ill be even more hyped and i know ill have to have this piece of hardware. I mean even if it wouldnt last in time till the next Natal is out there like already mentioned from MS themselves, i'll have to experience some new kind of stuff with this thing just for the f*** of it even

Ofc that's just me. Eitherway from the sounds of it so far it will be cheaper for a whole 4 users than Move-pack(basic part of the Move+cam etc) for half user on my PS3. So Natal will be my first purchase for sure. If i couldn't wait for somethign as simple as Move i wouldnt wait for that on my PS3 and id have already a Wii which costs almost as much as Move here in Greece lol

 

[cscott_it]

[citation][nom]Silverblue[/nom]Perhaps, but everyone in my family (myself included) plus all my friends live somewhere easily big enough to take advantage of Natal. We don't all live in shoeboxes.[/citation]

The flip side to this is that I'm a US citizen, don't live in a city, and yet have myself, my son, and my wife crammed into a duplex. Of course, it could be because ALL properties near where I work are rip-offs.

 

[silverblue]

I've never lived anywhere particularly affluent or expensive, so space is much cheaper as a result.

Anyway... I don't even own a 360, PS3 or Wii, so I'm unlikely to encounter any issues with using motion controllers. 😉

 

[EABlair03]

"...jump off the couch and into the fun..."

 

[guitarpeggio]

[citation][nom]Silverblue[/nom]What evidence is there that we British (and Irish, for that matter) have smaller living spaces than Americans? *confused*[/citation]

Read the previous article on this topic and that comment will make more sense.

 

[JMcEntegart]

[citation][nom]Silverblue[/nom]What evidence is there that we British (and Irish, for that matter) have smaller living spaces than Americans? *confused*[/citation]

It was something we were discussing in yesterday's article. Typically, houses in North America are a lot roomier. From my own experience (have lived in Ireland, the UK, and Canada and spent time in the US also), living rooms in the US are just plain bigger.

 

[silverblue]

One of the guys in our office pointed out that most homes in Asia don't have that kind of space in their living rooms and though I can't speak for all of Europe, most British and Irish living rooms don't have the space to snugly fit a BMW 3-series (nearly 15 feet long) in front of the telly. In fact, a lot of people living in apartments would be in the same boat.

To be honest, it's all relative. You could have a big room, yet have a hefty sofa right in the way.

I occasionally play games at a friend's house; they use an HD projector, and the room's layout should make using Natal effortless assuming they wanted to. Plenty of room for four player Wii madness.