Project Natal, Microsoft’s “revolutionary” new Xbox 360 controller system, is set to cost $150 and is due for release October 26th, according to leaked details.
The $150 unit will also be sold as a $300 bundle with the Xbox 360 Arcade. Early listings of the controller at a $200 price point have been repudiated, but the initial sub-$100 hype seems unlikely, lending credence to the $150 price.
The “Project Natal” label is also finally due to be scrapped at E3 in favour of a proper marketer friendly name, it is said.
Unurprisingly, casual and family players are to be the main target for the device, says the leaker:
“Microsoft expects to sell millions and millions of Natal units in its first year on the market so you can expect the software launch line-up to target non-traditional gamers.
A major marketing campaign will also play a key role in attracting and educating the expanded audience about Xbox 360’s controller-free revolution.”
Microsoft naturally declines to comment.
The leak is by way of an unspecified but “trusted” US publisher, and so can be considered comparatively reliable as leaks go.
“Microsoft’s ‘revolutionary’ new Xbox 360 controller system”
Why the quotation marks? The controller definitely IS revolutionary, there’s been nothing like it before, unlike the Wii’s remote controller, which is just an infrared pointer + accelerometer combo device (+ gyroscope if you add the MotionPlus scam).
The games, on the other hand, will be 100% demeaning crap, of course, but the controller itself is clearly (unless you are biased against Microsoft) revolutionary, indeed.
lol your comment fails big.
Natal is just a copy of something already done…
before the “revolutionary” natal, there was a little thingy called EyeToy for the PS2…
and even beffore the EyeToy, there were games for the PC that worked with a regular webcam…
get your facts straight before commenting something, because everybody hates fanboys and their trolling comments…
Yeah, and you can play them by using spoken commands and they also support object recognition for customizing in-game stuff, everything with just three components: a television set, the console and the single add-on peripheral…
Idiot.
moron, you dont know much about the entertainment industry do you? i smell butthurt 360 fag.
$150? I could buy Halo: Reach Legendary Edition or a bunch of anime paraphernalia. Sorry, M$, but this American isn’t buying, no matter what you put on the table to use with this thing.
For 150 buck I am going to casualy ignore this thing.
Casuals!?
CASUALS?!?!!
CAASSUUAALLSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GRAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
Do they have any software lined up for this thing? Right now my interest level is “ooh look at that *keeps walking*.”