Slashdot Mirror
Project Natal Release Details Emerge
scruffybr writes "Today the first information about the pricing and launch of Microsoft’s Project Natal has emerged. The pricing for the hardware will be much much lower than many had anticipated, coming in at around £50 when sold separately from the console. The idea being that it’s low enough that people will purchase on impulse."
For the confused: Project Natal (per Wikipedia).
*sigh* And I still recall when I thought having a plastic gun for Duck Hunt was cutting edge.
Reply to That ||
If its that low, Natal actually has a real chance of making a dent in their user base. Addon peripherals are always risky and usually end in less than stellar support but this sounds cheap enough to be bundled not only with the console but with hot titles much like Sony has done with Singstar and the Mics or Eyepets with the camera.
There are already 14 development studios confirmed to be working on natal titles, including Lionhead, Rare, Activision Blizzard, Bethesda Softworks, Capcom, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Konami, MTV Games, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ and Ubisoft. Not a bad lineup for a peripheral, sounds more like a console lauch than a peripheral introduction.
Yeah, 7 comments and nobody has mentioned that this is just speculation from some "tip" heard by mcvuk web page (which is down right now) and that pretty much all game news sites have been running?.
I'll believe it when I see it.
Ubuntu is an African word meaning 'I can't configure Debian'
Pfft. Real people use beans.
... coming in at around £50 when sold separately from the console. The idea being that it’s low enough that people will purchase on impulse.
Maybe I am just a cheapskate...but isn't 50 pounds a little above the 'impulse buy' margin? Usually impulse buys for me run in the arena of $20.00 or less. 50 pounds converts to, according to google, $83.27. That's approaching that dreaded $100.00 limit. When I am walking through wal-mart stocking up on whatever I need, I rarely, if ever, see an $80.00 item and say, "Ooooh I need that!" and throw it in the cart. That's a week and a half's worth of groceries... I don't know, maybe I am the exception to the rule, but I think 50 pounds is a little on the high side to term it an 'impulse buy.'
And yes, people can fill in all the snarky responses about, "Oh, well, since YOU wouldn't spend the money I guess NOONE would...its not like anyone else has DIFFERENT buying habits..." and so on. I am not trying to say that nobody will fork over eighty bucks for the Natal, but it just seems a little high to be deemed an impulse buy type item...I mean hell, I won't even impulse buy new release games that I am excited about and they retail for $60.00.
But like I said, maybe I am just a cheapskate.
Motorcycles, Robots, Space Gossip and More!
at that price it could be 3000 USD by the time it comes out...
Reminds me of the Wii that supposedly had plenty of developers on board to make new and exciting games for the then-revolutionary wiimote... we all know how that turned out.
one of the funny things in the natal tech demos i've seen on youtube is how one of the presenters takes cheap shots at the wii's "waggling" of the remote and how stupid and silly blah blah blah... and then watching them arm-waving and making awkward poses to "draw" an elephant (pretty silly IMO) i wonder how much different natal is going to be.
Not that much, judging by the demos i've seen so far. Hope i'm wrong, though.
You don't seem to know many women.
Kill all hipsters.
It's actually quite brilliant. The technology won't catch on if it costs too much- but if it becomes pretty much a standard, MS just opened a brand new venue for games, it's like the 360 is brand new again.. giving them a steady new influx of cash before the next system is unveiled.
For the first time, I feel like MS is making a move on future planning, not just on a quick dollar today. Great move MS. I've always been surprised how well they market the 360 in comparison with the rest of their failures. Zune, anyone?
Belief? Hope? Preference?The Existential Vortex
You can find more details from here. Plenty of other places are commenting on them but most sight mcvuk.com as their source. Google News Articles on Natal Details
Clothes are not really the "impulse" item, accessories are. That $80 handbag is a "must have" accessory when seen with the two $120 dresses, but the intended purchase was a $240 in dresses. The handbag is an impulse buy that, in the buyer's mind, adds perceived value to the purchase already made that is more than the money spent. So the dresses are not an "impulse" item, but the handbag sure is.
In the same vein, if you are going in to spend $240 on 4 new games, and you see a controller that could potentially make all four games more fun, $80 could be a "must have" accessory. If it makes all four games twice as much fun, or you think it might, then it's a no-brainer to add that to the cart, right?
That's impulse. The "hey, in the context of what I'm doing right now, this item seems really important to me in relation to its price".
"This post contains words, known to the State of California to cause thought. Wash brain thoroughly after reading."
Not so bad if you're in a house, but God help the guy on a penthouse balcony.
Free Software: Like love, it grows best when given away.