Another key point for both short-term and long-term longevity as well is that it’s still a video game system. It’s not a home gym or exercise machine. I’m not pointing fingers at the stereotypes that all gamers are fat and lazy, but for many of us gaming is a way to unwind after work. If you’ve been busting your hump all week, sitting on the couch and playing a game for a few minutes on Friday night sounds much more appealing than jumping around and flapping your arms frantically.
4. Put the emphasis on subtle movements; don’t make all the games a workout.
That’s not to say they can’t have some games that require faster paced, reaction-based gameplay. Anything that ends up with you jerking around spastically is great fun when you’ve got a few friends involved. Party games often don’t work as well solo. A major issue with the Wii was that many of the initial games were simply a compilation of various mini-games. Simplicity can work very well. The collective hours humankind has invested in Tetris since its inception would be staggering. A perfect example of just how good mini-games can be is in Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlord. Bejeweled style match-three gaming was combined with an interesting story and RPG gameplay was welded atop the whole thing for an incredibly enjoyable experience, which leads me to my next point.
5. If you’re going to make mini-games, make them part of a whole, greater game.
Ultimately I have to express a simultaneously overwhelming excitement to get my hands on Project Natal for the Xbox 360 (Holiday 2010 release date) and take it for a spin. I also have this deep, engulfing fear that its potential will go untapped and in five or ten years it will be the laughing stock of a ‘worst peripherals’ list on multiple websites/magazines, but I’m holding out hope. I have to think that if Microsoft implements the five things I have listed in this feature they will have no problem outdoing Sony's magic wand and helping the Xbox 360 continue to stay on top. Stay tuned for more on Project Natal right here at PlanetXbox360.com and head over to this forum thread (click here) to sound off your opinion on the motion accessory, letting us know if you agree or disagree with the points in this article.
