Bleszinski: Don't expect Natal support in Gears of War

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jul 20th 2009 at 4:30PM }

Gears of War guru Cliff~~ord Harrington Openheimer~~ Bleszinski ~~III Esq~~. has dropped a bomb on us: Project Natal will not be implemented in the next installment of the steroid-infused series. Speaking with Major Nelson, Bleszinski notes that Natal isn't "the kind of thing you tag onto a game" like Gears of War.

Nooooo! There go our hopes and dreams of rolling around our living room, ducking behind furniture and springing up from other chest-high objects to snipe on-screen Locusts. Listen, Cliff -- if your game won't use that gimmick, we're sure some other developer will come along and take those sales.

[Via Eurogamer]

Tags: bleszinski, cliff-bleszinski, gears-of-war, project-natal

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

joeybeast @ Jul 20th 2009 4:36PM

I want split screen curb stomp. Dammit.

Arctrick @ Jul 20th 2009 4:39PM

I like Gears of War as it is.

Wiizer (Fix the Comment System) @ Jul 20th 2009 4:41PM

Tag onto a game?... TAG ONTO A GAME?

Does it sound like he thinks it's a gimmick?... Like all of us are thinking, but not saying out loud for fear of downvote?...

Paul @ Jul 20th 2009 5:53PM

I think he meant you don't tag it onto a game that wasn't designed with it in mind. cause then it will seem, well...tagged on.

JD @ Jul 20th 2009 7:19PM

Settle down there Wiizer. He was talking about the control scheme being applied to a game that has already been proven to work just fine the way it is. He's not saying the device is a gimmick or a flop. There are a number of ways Natal can be used in new IP's that haven't even been shown yet. Why don't you just wait to see it's offerings before you pass judgment.

Bradwart @ Jul 20th 2009 4:46PM

I'll say it right now.

Natal is a gimmick!

oh teh noez fanbois attack!

MetalBLACKFOX @ Jul 20th 2009 4:46PM

so whens the Jedi game coming?

Aurailious @ Jul 20th 2009 4:50PM

I don't think Natal will be a gimmick. It only depends on how much Microsoft wants to put into it. Like Gates just recently said, expanding it to the PC would make it much more than a Wii clone, but rather a new way to use computers.

Only depends on how much Microsoft wants to put into it.

shadowbender @ Jul 20th 2009 5:04PM

Exactly. It would be used as a better way for entertainment and a very useful tool for consoles and computers alike.

Michael Paul @ Jul 20th 2009 4:51PM

I sit maybe 18" from my HDTV playing games, so no rolling around the room for me. Hand gestures at most, and that's only if something about Natal forces me to get it...

Skatanick @ Jul 20th 2009 4:58PM

I would love to see the use of natal in some way in game like gears of war.

Example:

"hey you! ( pointing Dom on the screen ), go that way ( pointing left on the screen)."

or "Take cover!". I think it can be cool.

shadowbender @ Jul 20th 2009 5:01PM

Why is that picture of Blezinski so intimidating?

Anyway, it kind of sucks that Natal won't be used. Although, I think it was a really smart choice by Epic. So many "core" gamers would never want to have to--what's the word, waggle?--waggle to play Gears. Obviously, there would be lack of sales, resulting in an epic fail, consequentially, the name "Epic Games" would be appropriate.

devilsei @ Jul 20th 2009 7:20PM

Why is Cliffy B so intimidating?!
Because he's taking on a muthafrackin Brumak with no body armor and just a lancer rifle!
I wouldn't want to fight a guy that has the kind of cajones to do that...

RedSonRising @ Jul 20th 2009 5:07PM

i doubt gears would benefit from motion controls but i hope they at least looked into it.. i dont want crappy motion controls shoehorned into traditional 'hardcore' games but if they should do a little research before they write natal off..

LegendaryRedass @ Jul 20th 2009 5:44PM

Not interested in Natal, don't want it in my games.

Magic Whiskey @ Jul 20th 2009 6:07PM

Great PSD work, Xander. :) I can hear Cliff yelling, "Surrrge!"

murple1 @ Jul 20th 2009 9:27PM

I agree im not into NATAL at all. Im not into the Wii either. I played MANHUNT 2 on the wii & felt like an idiot. why to i want to "pretend to hit someone" im not 5 yrs old anymore. Im just not into swinging into the air. or pretending to hold a steering wheel to drive. PRETENDING is F*$&%*_ stupid. I thought the Wii was cool for about 30 mins. Sure its awesome for kids.. but me being 31 yr old hard core gammer, i am not at all into pretending. at least the controller im actually remotely controlling an object instead of pretending i have something in my hand or pretending there is someone in the room and im trying to kick their @$$. maybe its just me but im screming NO THANKS

Seraph @ Jul 21st 2009 8:32AM

If you hadn't told me you were 31, judging by your comment I'd have pegged you as a 12-year-old who thinks he's too mature to have fun anymore.

Char6296 @ Jul 21st 2009 3:58PM

You lack imagination, murple.

Ian @ Jul 22nd 2009 9:50AM

PRETENDING is F*$&%*_ stupid.

Wait so... pretending is stupid, but you like playing Call of Duty and PRETENDING TO BE IN THE ARMY?

megapenguinx @ Jul 20th 2009 6:41PM

That's good to know. I wouldn't want it there anyways

GazzaScotland @ Jul 20th 2009 7:13PM

Pretty much, like what has been said before. Some integration to some games would be cool, not everyone though.

Minecart @ Jul 20th 2009 7:35PM

Probably a good thing. Natal certainly is not for your hardcore shooters and FPS games, your Gears, Call of Duty, and Halo wouldn't be improved at all with Natal integration - unless you think it would be fun to duck/prone yourself, make grenade-throwing gestures, and shoot off-screen to reload. And they would likely be wildly imprecise compared to just control actions, making it an instant "no" for any competitive multiplayer title.

But that's not to say it doesn't have a place. I think it has great potential not just as a gimmick, but as a very useful control scheme for RTS, strategy, RPG games. Hand gestures, menu interaction, even things like "lockpicking minigames" could be innovative, fun and actually an improvement beyond traditional controllers.

All said, Natal in games can be simply a tired-gimmick or an innovation, but it is likely to depend mostly on the game developers choices. I think we'll see gimmicky-feeling games that are rip offs of Wii Sports, and we'll also see games that are good games in their own right, made better by using Natal to some degree.

JD @ Jul 20th 2009 7:32PM

It is WAY to early to pass judgment on this device based on a DEMO showed at E3. Natal is not the backbone of the 360 the way the wiimote is to Nintendo's console. We have yet to see ACTUAL games. I think some of the naysayers judging this early are just fanboys that want it to fail. I will wait to see some actual games demoed first. Maybe it will be everything MS is envisioning for the 360. But to call it a flop based on a demo or because you hate the Wii and think it's going to be the same thing... what else can you call that but a fanboy's point of view??

murple1 @ Jul 21st 2009 5:46PM

Yes ill agree i do lack imagination. Ive never been very good at it. Not much more i can say. After reading some other comments i can say maybe as a short inside of a game a "mini game" it might be cool. Like they said about picking locks. SO maybe in Bioshock how you have to hack everything using your hand to move the tiles instead of the cursur has appeal. But overall like i said swinging at the air or pretending to hold a steering wheel. no thanks.

Later