So we’ve talked about Microsoft’s latest brain child announced in E3 2009 – Project Natal. If you have not heard of this new hands free gaming peripheral, then you can check the previous article here of our 3D animation studio Mediafreaks here. But the latest development around the video gaming stratosphere is that the new Halo game Halo: Reach may make use of Project Natal.
For the unitiated, Halo is signature video game from Microsoft for the Xbox 360. It was created by Bungie and centers on the adventures of Master Chief, a cybernetic super soldier, and his artificial intelligence companion Cortana. This is how Master Chief looks like:
The main format of the game is under the first person shooter game genre. The video game series has already released three sequels with the latest Halo 3 selling more than $170 million.
The newest game in the collection, Halo: Reach, was announced recently during the E3 2009 (June 1, 2009) gaming convention. The video game is planned to be a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved and is slated for a release during the year 2010 in Fall.
So what can we expect if the new Project Natal gaming peripheral is integrated unto Halo: Reach? Well, one should be excited because playing a first person shooter game has always been done using a controller. Imagine if you can venture into the gaming world with just your eye commands and your voice outputs.
As a hint that Project Natal may be integrated into Halo: Reach, there is a recent Microsoft job posting which reveals that the company is under production for a new Halo project which will make ful use of online social communities. Here is the job posting:
“We’re looking to blend console, web, and mobile to create an immersive Halo world that follows the dedicated Halo fan wherever they go. We need engineers that can build connected technology while working in a startup environment.” –Microsoft
Console, web, and mobile – these descriptions are very indicative indeed. If the game will have elements of virtual worlds, then a virtual immersion is more likely to happen in the game.
This will give a new dimension in the usual means of playing the Halo shooter games. The most likely possibility is that the game play will evolve into a type of World of Warcraft scale. Definitely not original but it can be interesting as a new twist thanks to Project Natal.
After all, World of Warcraft still makes use of keyboards. Imagine if Halo: Reach will use Project Natal, you’ll just sit there and play.
Here is one more interesting Easter Egg regarding this interesting gaming possibility. Bungie president Harold Ryan was quoted in the newspaper Seattle Times with the following thought: I absolutely think Reach could be enabled with it.”
Another hint is that the Project Natal gaming peripheral is expected to come out of production in the year 2010. That’s the same year as Project: Natal so that’s more of a coincidence. Moreover, Halo is the premier gaming brand of Microsoft so what better way to release Project Natal than with a bang?
Leave a Reply