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MS: Natal can help revive Japanese industry

Company says new motion sensing tech will let Japanese devs "leverage their creativity"
Japanese developers hoping to revive the domestic industry should be embracing Project Natal instead of looking to create the next Call Of Duty or Halo, according to Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg.

"Japan is a very important market for the gaming industry and home to some of the video game industry's leading innovators," the Xbox director of product management told Destructoid. "I have spent a lot of time in Japan in the ten years I have been on the Xbox business and I love the country, the people and their ability to create new experiences that could only come from Japan.

"The reality of the Japanese gaming market is that it is not the size it once was and at the same time we have seen gaming become the largest form of entertainment around the world. However," he added, "I don't think this means that Japanese creators should be trying to come up with the next Halo or Call Of Duty. I think there are ways to leverage their creativity with new tools like Project Natal."

Japanese games revenues fell 6.9 per cent last year and Capcom's Keiji Inafune said at the Tokyo Game Show that "Japan is over". Not so, according to Greenberg.

"... All of the leading Japanese publishers have announced that they are actively working on games for Project Natal and I can't wait to see these come to life. I truly believe the future is bright for Japanese creators and publishers."

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Read all 22 commentsPost a Comment
I would be quite interested in seeing what those crazy Japanese Devs have in mind for Project Natal.

If this doesnt push 360 sales in the Land of the Rising Sun, nothing will.
StonecoldMC on 18 Jan '10
Japan seems to hate everything at the moment
Fever on 18 Jan '10
I would be quite interested in seeing what those crazy Japanese Devs have in mind for Project Natal.

If this doesnt push 360 sales in the Land of the Rising Sun, nothing will.

Maybe a current gen version of Seaman! Very Happy
Black Mantis on 18 Jan '10
Wow. I love these MS PR releases, it seems that Natal can do everything. Revolutionise the way we watch TV, revive the Japanese games industry, end poverty and bring about world peace.

Still seems to me that MS is busy throwing every possible use at the Natal and seeing what sticks. I'd love to know what the original design purpose for Natal was, because it looks like a technically very clever solution without a problem to me.
tmulford on 18 Jan '10
I would be quite interested in seeing what those crazy Japanese Devs have in mind for Project Natal.

If this doesnt push 360 sales in the Land of the Rising Sun, nothing will.

Sadly Stoney cold one it will take more than this to re-invigorate the X-Box brand over in Japan. Well thats my opinion anyways. Cool
lonewolf2002 on 18 Jan '10
Best MS quote yet.The tiny selling 360 is gonna be revived by a full body camera in a country with so little living space that even console size can have an effect.360 is dead in Japan and with Wii doing motion as standard and the PS3 system offering a precision alternative that can be used in very small areas/movements.Dumb.
strickers on 18 Jan '10
Destructoid are just a funnel that Microsoft speaks into. The same old Microsoft crap comes out of Destructoid every day. Last Friday it was all about Jim Sterling repeating Aaron Greenberg's nonsense.

I'm going to tell you how it is. Now.

Natal is not going to do anything in Japan. It won't do sh!t. Stonecold MC, keep on dreaming that your mighty XBox 360 is going to somehow crack the Wii and break the PS3... PlayStation 3 sales are closing the gap on the XBox 360 worldwide and Natal isn't going to help Microsoft at all - anywhere.

In fact, in 2010, it's ALL going to be about SENSEI KAZUNORI YAMAUCHI. THE FATHER OF GOD.

NOTHING will stop Gran Turismo 5.

NOT Natal. NOT Halo Reach. NOT Heavy Rain. NOT God of War III. NOT Alan Wake. NOT Super bloody Mario! NOTHING! Smile
LordVonPS3 on 18 Jan '10
lord von a delay will stop it WinkLaughingLaughingLaughingLaughing
dorian2011 on 18 Jan '10
It's comforting to know that somebody knows what's actually going on. In this crazy, unfair world, full of evil people and ideas, full of events that seem undiscriminating over who they hurt and who them empower, a world full of anger, disappointment, greed and manipulation, there is one who can see beyond that - beyond even the present, into the future. I speak of course about LordVonPS3. Becuase he isn't a whiny Sony fanboy with the s**ttest screename ever. Oh no. He in an oracle, a prophet, a visionary.

Please tell me Lord, how will I die? As long as it isn't snakes, I can deal with it. I hate snakes. Is Project Natal going to kill me as well as the XBox's chances in Japan?
darry on 18 Jan '10
lord von a delay will stop it WinkLaughingLaughingLaughingLaughing

Gran Turismo 5 WILL launch in 2010.

I speak of course about LordVonPS3. He in an oracle, a prophet, a visionary.

You've got that right. I've long been saying the PS3 will recover lost ground in sales compared with the XBox 360. In fact I've been saying it on this very web site since 2007 against all the XBots and all the haters.

Please tell me Lord, how will I die? As long as it isn't snakes, I can deal with it. I hate snakes. Is Project Natal going to kill me as well as the XBox's chances in Japan?

I'm afraid it's going to be AIDS for you. Just don't come on here and tell us when you've got it, I wouldn't want to catch anything over the data stream.
LordVonPS3 on 18 Jan '10
Wow, that's a bit of a nasty reply. I'm not sure if I can take insults from a puerile idiot. Especially not one so popular that he has 5 followers on Twitter. One of which has never made a post. Oh God, I just don't think I can take it! And he understands how AIDS is contracted! All of this knowledge, and he's still so modest too!
darry on 18 Jan '10
Destructoid are just a funnel that Microsoft speaks into. The same old Microsoft crap comes out of Destructoid every day. Last Friday it was all about Jim Sterling repeating Aaron Greenberg's nonsense.

I'm going to tell you how it is. Now.

Natal is not going to do anything in Japan. It won't do sh!t. Stonecold MC, keep on dreaming that your mighty XBox 360 is going to somehow crack the Wii and break the PS3... PlayStation 3 sales are closing the gap on the XBox 360 worldwide and Natal isn't going to help Microsoft at all - anywhere.

In fact, in 2010, it's ALL going to be about SENSEI KAZUNORI YAMAUCHI. THE FATHER OF GOD.

NOTHING will stop Gran Turismo 5.

NOT Natal. NOT Halo Reach. NOT Heavy Rain. NOT God of War III. NOT Alan Wake. NOT Super bloody Mario! NOTHING!
Smile

LordvonpS3 = Mugatu!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx_ZU-qRD1Q
Black Mantis on 18 Jan '10
LordvonpS3 = Mugatu!

If Mugatu had only half the hair and was only half as good as I am, you would've had half a point!
LordVonPS3 on 18 Jan '10
I DON'T THINK JAPANESE DEVELOPERS SHOULD COPY THE WEST. That's what makes Japanese titles (like Bayonetta) better than western games, is their art/uniqueness/super stylization/& originality. I am also ANTI-MOTION CONTROL.
FAUNA on 18 Jan '10
NOTHING will stop Gran Turismo 5.

NOT Natal. NOT Halo Reach. NOT Heavy Rain. NOT God of War III. NOT Alan Wake. NOT Super bloody Mario! NOTHING!

LordvonpS3, you really need to get over yourself. who cares about another driving simulator.

I so hope your ps3 bricks when you insert the game. that would be frickin helarious.

P.S GET OVER YOURSELF
1589vaughan on 18 Jan '10
LordvonpS3, you really need to get over yourself. who cares about another driving simulator.
Well, well. I see XBots are actually quite upset they're missing out on GT5.

I so hope your ps3 bricks when you insert the game. that would be frickin helarious.

If it does, that's not a problem. I'll just get another. Wink
LordVonPS3 on 19 Jan '10
Greenberg's not small-talking; Microsoft has a small foothold in Japan, so there's a lot of work to be done for Japan to appreciate the company more, nevermind Natal.
Desaima on 19 Jan '10
Oh do me a favour!!

MS will never do well in Japan and if i remember correcty the 360 had two launch days in Japan to help promote it but still fell flat on its face lol.
benstevens on 19 Jan '10
I'm sure Lord PS3 is only having a 'laugh' but I really don't see GT outperforming the likes of Mario or Halo. Not on the PS3 anyway...

As for the article itself, not that I am sticking up for M$ but the Japanese can be a ral bunch of hypocrites when its comes to Western stuff....
JuiKuen on 19 Jan '10
What kind of drugs is this Greenburg on? Natal will be largely ignored in Japan.
Wozzakl on 19 Jan '10
Destructoid are just a funnel that Microsoft speaks into. The same old Microsoft crap comes out of Destructoid every day. Last Friday it was all about Jim Sterling repeating Aaron Greenberg's nonsense.

I'm going to tell you how it is. Now.

Natal is not going to do anything in Japan. It won't do sh!t. Stonecold MC, keep on dreaming that your mighty XBox 360 is going to somehow crack the Wii and break the PS3... PlayStation 3 sales are closing the gap on the XBox 360 worldwide and Natal isn't going to help Microsoft at all - anywhere.

In fact, in 2010, it's ALL going to be about SENSEI KAZUNORI YAMAUCHI. THE FATHER OF GOD.

NOTHING will stop Gran Turismo 5.

NOT Natal. NOT Halo Reach. NOT Heavy Rain. NOT God of War III. NOT Alan Wake. NOT Super bloody Mario! NOTHING! Smile

Where to start with all of this nonsesne Wink ?

The 360 is doing better than the original Xbox, fact. And was it not at TGS last year that MS had some sort of panel discussion with 4 of the top Japanese Devs, discussing Natal and what they think of it?

Lets just see what the developers can actually achieve with Natal, no point listening to someone rambling rubbish on an internet forum when there are actual Devs out there looking to use Natal in new ways. Lets wait and see, would be the logical approach totake, no?
StonecoldMC on 19 Jan '10
..I'm starting to think I might sack all the current gen systems and there inbound motion tech, and get back on my Master System and a bit of Alex the Kid...two buttons f**k yeah! Very Happy
fionn1 on 19 Jan '10
Read all 22 commentsPost a Comment
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