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IndustryGamers - Your Games Are Our Business
James Brightman, Editor-in-Chief & Co-Founder
David Radd, Senior Editor
Have news tips, comments or questions? E-mail us.
Music game peripherals (guitars, drum kits, dance mats, etc.) and the Wii Fit balance board have proven that some expensive peripherals/accesories can indeed be profitable. What price points do you see Microsoft and Sony setting for the Natal camera and PlayStation motion controller next year? Will the price of one ultimately impact the other?
Sony and Microsoft appear to me to be approaching the peripheral market differently. In my opinion (and it is only an opinion--I know nothing about their real motives), Sony is trying to create an answer to the success of the Wii, and is hopeful that by offering the EyeWand (no idea what it will be called), any remaining undecided console purchasers may be influenced by the new controller and may choose a PS3 over a Wii. To some extent, I think that this strategy will work. Microsoft, on the other hand, appears to me to be focused upon expanding its reach within existing Xbox 360 households by introducing Natal. Games for Natal could be relatively simple if offered on XBLA for $10, and many old arcade-style games could be retrofitted to work with Natal. Most important to Microsoft is to convert non-gamers into users of the Xbox 360, whether that is through simpler games, access to Netflix, Facebook, Twitter or Last.fm, or some other non-gaming access. Natal is structured much like the iPhone interface, but instead of physically touching the screen, a user makes a motion at the screen. I think that this will be intuitive to many, and will expand Xbox 360 household usage beyond the core gamer and to others within the household.
As for pricing, each has to keep the consumer's cost relatively low in order to achieve broad penetration. I think that Natal will cost $50, as it only really involves a camera (a three-lensed camera, but a camera nonetheless). The EyeWand, on the other hand, involves a camera and two controllers, so it may be slightly more expensive. I would be surprised if the EyeWand retails for more than $100. Neither impacts the other, as neither is intended to compete with the other.
20 Comments
11 months ago
I'm sorry, where did you get the info about three-lensed camera?
And why don't you mention multi-array microphone and depth sensor?
Are they really so cheap?
Anyway, don't you think Natal seems to be to revolutionary to sell it at a price of a simple cheap accessory? )
Best regards,
PrNatal
http://prnatal.com
11 months ago
Pacther makes sound and rational predictions... but a $50 Natal? seriously. I do agree though with everything else he said, especially the acquisitions/mergers part.
11 months ago
Telling people that because a product's a camera, Microsoft's price will reflect industry standards...Is kinda like saying a 512 MB MU only should cost $5
Oh wait...Doesn't Microsoft's 512 MU cost $40? Thought so.
What a ridiculous conclusion on one of the industry's leaders in price-gouging on accessories.
11 months ago
Sony's motion wand is a grad school CS project they trotted out just to have something to compete with Natal. It was obviously not ready for prime time. I'll be surprised if it is actually released in Spring 2010.
11 months ago
"There is very little overlap between Walmart customers and GameStop customers."
Actually there is tons of overlap because 95% of America shops at Walmart. The only people who don't shop at Walmart are anti-consumerism types, and gamers are super-consumers who eat up everything the market throws at them.
6 months ago
The only people who don't shop at Walmart are anti-consumerism types, and gamers are super-consumers who eat up everything the market throws at them.
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5 months ago
I do not think that sony can compete with microsoft. I think they are doing a great job but can cannot compete. Sony will definitely have to come up with a better game.
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5 months ago
I've never heard of Natal. Is this a new gaming system in the works? Of course, I've been in Pantanal Brazil, so maybe I'm just out of the loop.
5 months ago
Generation consoles will feature some sort of gesture-based control mechanism - Microsoft with Project Natal, Sony with their motion wands(codenamed Arc), and Nintendo with the Wilmette Business Lawyer Colorado
5 months ago
Sony has just announced that the still-unnamed PlayStation Motion Controller won't hit its targeted spring 2010 release date -- it's now slated for a worldwide release this fall. In a press release, SCEI president Kaz Hirai cited a desire to "offer an exciting and varied line-up of software titles that will deliver the new entertainment experience to PS3 users" as the reason for the delay, and indicated that Sony will be revealing the launch software lineup soon, including first-party games and games from other companies, "whom we have been working closely with."
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4 months ago
well i really want to see them outselling PS, i believe it once i see it. And then it will also depend on the games!!
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4 months ago
Natal is very interesting. I like playing it over PS II. It makes me occupied for long.
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4 months ago
Pacther makes sound and rational predictions... but a $50 Natal? seriously. I do agree though with everything else he said, especially the acquisitions/mergers part.
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3 months ago
This technology rocks. I like to read about latest achievements in electronics and these type of latest advancements. Last time me and my friend make a tracker with the help of our electronics teacher then we put Sony digital hidden camera and now its working great. Now I plan to make any gadgets for men which run these type of play station games also.
3 months ago
Germany will allow the game with modifications." Love it how Pachter is pulling facts out . He doesn't work for the USK and has clearly no insight into the rating (refusal of a rating?) process there. Yet he already knows the outcome. quantum swing trader
3 months ago
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3 months ago
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3 months ago
Hell yes I love that game! Kind of like Area 51
2 months ago
Games for Natal could be relatively simple if offered on XBLA for $10, and many old arcade-style games could be retrofitted to work with Natal. Thanks Credit Cards
2 months ago
It will definitely out sell a lot of games. This game is so fun to play. There is nothing better out there on the market.
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