Microsoft announced their new Xbox controller, Project Natal, at E3 earlier this month.  I was incredibly impressed to read about this…and I don’t say that about Microsoft projects often. It’s deliciously ambitious: get rid of the controller, and eliminate the step in between the game and the gamer.  It’s a move designed to not only catch up to Nintendo, but surpass them by miles.  It’s bold, and I like it.

I have a few concerns for Microsoft, however.  The first is simply the same challenge that the Wii faces – how many developers are going to want to go to the effort to create games that really take advantage of this technology?  Sure, a few will be inspired and create some amazing games, but will the rest largely ignore it or feature it as an afterthought during special sections of their games?

There’s also the issue of laziness – I’m all for America becoming more active and love moving around while playing Wii Sports, but I also use my gaming system for relaxation. I don’t want to move around after a long day of work, I want to sit on the couch with a beer and press buttons.  The Wii allows both, generally – will Natal?

The biggest issue, in my opinion, is simply that Microsoft has miscalculated what “could-be gamers” will engage with.

Mario Kart Wii shipped with a wheel that has no electronic functions.  It is simply a piece of plastic to put your Wii controller in.  Why?  Because it’s more compelling to grip a wheel while you’re driving something. Isn’t it going to be weird to pretend to hold a car wheel with Natal?

Nintendo understands that what intimidates “could-be gamers” is not holding something, but rather pressing buttons and moving joysticks.  Yes, movement is more natural.  But movement without anything to hold onto seems like it could backfire.

The problem comes in that there will probably never be a full, real motion controller.  Natal is a hugely impressive innovation, but it’s not full movement.  To move forward I’m not going to run towards my TV…I’ll probably walk in place, or maybe use my hand to do this somehow.  The illusion is broken.

Until Natal is actually full movement, there is going to be a disconnect for older generations.  Watching even a tech-savvy 40-year-old use a computer, it’s clear to me that they don’t fully follow the spatial dynamics of a computer.  I, meanwhile, alt-tab my way back and fourth throughout my computer like it’s a physical object.  Even more impressive, my little brother skips through Xbox screens that I find confusing at light speed.

The Wii didn’t aim to change this…folks who didn’t grow up with 3d interfaces still take some time to adjust.  What the Wii did was to (potentially – not all games have done this) simplify the control scheme so these adults can concentrate on grasping the spatial dynamics – not on what combo of buttons to press.

I don’t mean to rip on Natal.  I’m extremely excited to try it and I give Microsoft significant kudos for truly innovating, instead of just playing catch-up (*cough*sony*cough*).  I’m simply unconvinced that this will inspire the “could-be gamers” the same way the Wii did.  And I can’t wait to see how this plays out.