Project Natal will be available worldwide November 2010, launch with 14 games, and sell for less than £50, or about 80 US dollars, according to games biz site MCV. Expect 5 million units for global ship at release, with at least two purchase configurations: As a solo upgrade, or bundled with the Xbox 360 console itself.
MCV says its sources for the information had access to a secret tour Microsoft’s been conducting in the UK to demonstrate Natal’s technology to certain publishers and studios. Apparently the tour was designed to drum up developer support for the device.
If $80 sounds cheap, a publisher told MCV Microsoft’s trying to get it even lower, aiming for “impulse” territory that could drop the tag to as little as £30, or about 50 US dollars.
Microsoft unveiled Natal this summer at E3 in Los Angeles. The device uses various cameras and microphones to track player movement and audio, allowing for what the company calls a “controller-free” experience.
At the Tokyo Game Show last month, top-tier publishers and developers including Activision, Bethesda, Capcom, Disney, EA, Konami, MTV, Namco Bandai, Sega, Square Enix, THQ and Ubisoft committed to design games for the device.
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