According to a source for Edge.com, Natal (which will not be its final name) will have a price tag of $149 in the US. Pricing outside the US will be determined by other factors, including exchange rates. There will also be a hardware bundle with camera priced at $299. ‘Not-Natal’ will be released some time in October or early November.
Microsoft will be investing heavily in marketing and educational advertising for No-Longer-Natal, and expects to sell “millions and millions” of units in the first year. This tells me they have some tricks up their sleeve, so I’m curious to see what will be revealed in the coming months.
This opens the door for several discussions, not the least of which is: Is $149 too much? This question can’t be answered now, no matter what people may or may not think about motion control. Personally, I am not currently interested in this sort of device, but I can’t say if it will be worth it. Just think about the technology behind this device; this is a full body motion capture device you can use at home. This technology wasn’t even on the gaming industry’s radar five years ago, and it’s a reality today. We’ve come a long way since the Power Glove, and I am curious to see how it all plays out. Without software support and low lag, this may be doomed from the start, but until I see it in action, and see how companies utilize the technology NEXT YEAR (when most people are able to fully harness the advantages of new tech), I won’t know if $149 is worth it.
I just don’t think I will be shelling out my money right away. Not unless I see something amazing coming out of E3 next month.
What do you think? Are you planning on getting Natal? Are you interested in the technology? Is $149 too much? What do you think the new Natal name will be?
