E3: Peter Moore: Do We Need a Controller?

In an interview this morning, after the announcement of Project Natal, the Sony motion controller, and EA Sports’ continued commitment to the exercise space, Peter Moore has shared with Gamasutra his thoughts on what will make a successful Natal product. “We’ve seen both Natal and the motion controller from Sony several months ago,” Moore began, “so we’re already looking at opportunities to bring both our licensed product and our fitness product to these new controller mechanisms.” Hinting at things to come, we asked whether it would be simple to bring the exercise experience to Natal, when people are used to device or object-based exercising in America. “The challenge with gesture control is yes, do you need “something?” he asked. “That’s always the thing, we’ve looked at these things for many years." "Do you need something to counter-balance your movement, as we do in a golf game, you typically need a club, or a racket or a baseball bat. Do you need that?” Moore postulates that perhaps you may in some instances need a device, but suggests that a game like Fight Night would adapt well to first person boxing without needing to hold “something.” “We’re constantly evaluating,” he says, “and I think what you’ve got to do with Natal in particular is you’ve got to come up with new experiences that feel natural without something being held or something on your body. And that’s going to be the key to successful software for Natal.”