Pixmania: Wiimote Tech Is "Endangered"

All tech is doomed eventually. I personally see DVDs dying late 2011 at earliest.

What a joke, all the above mentioned technologies will be around for a while yet, who are they trying to kid ???

Jumping the gun a bit there aren't they. Fax machines could be gone in a year or two, but the rest could be around for another 5 years, easily.

I bet they didn't mention that the printed press is in more danger than any of those items.

I guarantee you all that stuff is going to perdure several years.

I've heard from people within the industry about Natal who say it's unbelievable. Absolutely staggering. And these are people I trust. I wasn't too sure about Natal before, but now, I'm all over it. But I still think the Wii Remote will be fine.

Not everyone wants to have a no control to play video games besides that when i saw Mouse on the list, the list already fail cause i hate the laptop's touch pad, there no way i'l switch from PC to laptop.

Natal kills the Wiimote!? Natal is already killed by the WiiMote, imo.
BTW; Does NL have a WTF-tag? First the 'Oh-Snap'-tag and now this, when is the next crazy tag coming?

I can see the natal being really neat, but it won't kill the Wii remote very fast. Too many people have it already and it'll still be cheaper. Blu-Ray won a battle but lower price always wins the war.
Anyone old enough to remember can tell you how Betamax was actually a lot higher res/quality than VHS tape, but look what won for it's cheaper price.

Natal is flawed. I know the Wii Remote is in some cases too, but if you're gonna use your body to do stuff like play football or table tennis or whatever, you might as well actually DO it rather than simulate it.

I can see natal not going that far anyways, isnt natal supposed to be like a body suit that players wear to play video games? if so i can see this costing more than any game console, especially with the difference in sizes, and people with young children would have to buy a new suit every few months for how fast they grow. It seems like a waste in money to me. As Cipher said, just go outside and play rather than simulate it to this degree.

@zranoll: No, it's some kind of camera which recognizes your movements.

@zranoll: Natal doesn't require a suit to use.

Natal may be cool, but if I'm playing something that involves me holding something in a game (like gun, steering wheel, sword, etc...) I think it's more immersive to feel something in your hand too while you're playing.
By the way, i think Natal would be even better and more immersive if they had VR googles/glasses for it. That way you could see the screen at all times while physically looking down or behind you. They'd just have to worry about people bumping into things or tripping.

Natal.... ahahahahahaaaaahhhaaaahaaaahaaa, lol.

Natal's just hype. Even if it actually performs as well as in Microsoft's hype videos, it won't be suitable enough for good gaming. You need real feedback and buttons.

trying to drive using a wiimote as a steering wheel is hard (and dumb looking) enough, now try to drive with nothing at all.
Not to mention that using a single hand with a wiimote is dangerous enough for people or things around you...

@corbie: you and I must talk to very different people. (And no, I'm not referring to those that have a vested interest in bad-mouthing Natal.)

so it isnt a suit by what you say though does still seem like it will have its problems, and i will gladly stay away from this because I too like holding a controller to play a video game

The two people I've talked to are two people I hold with the utmost of respect in this industry, so I don't doubt them for one second. Not one. This thing is going to rock and rock big. And thankfully this topic will still be here so we can revisit it at that time.

They don't really believe this, do they? I mean, seriously, I don't really see any of this stuff dying off anytime within the next year...

Then again, what do I know? _{Not much, Feenie, not much...}

Dragon Master Spell Caster killed the Wiimote.

The wiimote will not die. The DVD will (eventually) but I don't think the adoption rate of Blu-ray is high enough that that'll be any time soon. Also, computer mouses>input devices if that is to be interpreted as those things on laptops. Those drive me nuts.

:Laughs: ...oh wait they're serious? :Laughs harder:

Natal means nothing to me, as I like to game in low light.

I could never go back to a mouse after having used the trackpad on this Macbook for so long. I'm way better with it than I ever was a mouse.

I love how everyone thinks Natal will kill the wii & seems to forget something that was just like it on the PS2 that failed miserably. Eye Toy anyone? ya that sold didn't it?

I don't think this will kill the Wii at all. But comparing Natal to the Eye Toy is like comparing the Wii Remote to the Power Glove.

@Corbie

"I could never go back to a mouse after having used the trackpad on this Macbook for so long. I'm way better with it than I ever was a mouse."

Now that I can agree with; unfortunately Apple still doesn't sell an external trackpad, which I badly want for my primary work computer (iMac). They have that new mouse that includes some multitouch capabilities, but it's still a mouse, and I just want the full Apple trackpad experience for my Apple desktop. I can't fathom why they wouldn't sell it; I'd gladly pay whatever exorbitant price. I believe it would also help with my carpal tunnel issues.

I know, my wife feels the same way. She has an iMac now and wants the trackpad experience. They really should put one out.

the mouse and DVD definitely aren't going anywhere any time soon. as for the Wiimote, it ain't gonna be killed by the Natal. It's always more comfortable to have a controller in hand instead of doing retarded full body movements. i can just do that stuff in real life. Even Sony thinks its safer to have a controller

I wouldn't be surprised if Natal turns out to be really awesome. I'm not going to write it off until I actually experience it for myself. I'm curious to see what Sony does with their Wand-thingy too. I don't think that Nintendo has anything to worry about but I just wish that they would do more with Wii Motion Plus because I believe that there is a lot of untapped potential there.

I've stopped buying dvds. Blu-ray ftw!

@invmat - NL does infact have a WTF tag (Remember the horseback riding controller?).

This list is crazy. I can't STAND touchpads, which is why there's a mouse plugged in at all times. And I highly doubt that the Wiimote is going to be superseded by Natal. Sometimes, buttons do the job better than motion control (maybe a lot of the time). The Wiimote is capable of achieving a middle ground. Natal is not.

The problem with natal is that it is technically a new console! Therefore ms are restricting themselves to people who already own 360s for a new console!

Sounds like a completely ridiculous list. First of all, although Natal is damn impressive technology it simply isn't very practical. I can only see it working in shallow sports games or racers (and maybe some on-rails shooters), where as the Wii Remote and Nunchuck combo can do pretty much anything. And have they not played with a Wii Motion+? That was thing proved that the Wii is still relevant!

And yeah DVD's will be dead by the end of next year [facepalm] if anything BluRay will be dead by the end of next year. People aren't going to shell out $40 for a DVD with slightly better quality in this economy for long.

When we mention trackpads, are we referring to those annoying little finger dragging things on laptops?

I hate 'em.

I always hated trackpads as well, but the ones made my Apple in the past couple of years are a completely different beast. I'd just about cut my own arm off if I had to deal with any other trackpad on the market (Dell makes horrible ones on every model I've tried, zum Beispiel), but using a modern Macbook for just a little while can convert you by the sheer comfort and efficiency of its multi-touch trackpad tech.

Off-topic, I know, but I'd rather debate that at the moment than deal with defending the Wii. I don't believe there's any cause for concern there.

Yeah, and Terminator 2: Judgement Day said there's gonna be a war of machines in 2000.

Ahh, Mac ones are multi touch. I'd imagine they're a bit better then.

No.

It seems to me that blueray is indeed gaining ground. Seemed to be alot at a local bestbuy. I hope blueray players can still play regular dvds.
As for Natal. I'd love to check it out....of course I don't own a 360 yet. It's an add-on right? (I thought it wasn't a new console.

@Corb: I tried a mouse for apple that scrolled with no wheel. Just had to run my finger down it. Cool mouse.

BluRay is Sony's way of saying that they want you to rebuy the films you already own on a different format. This happened with VHS and will continue to rehappen each time a new media format is released. The downside to this is that the BluRay can offer very little upgrade towards graphics compared to what the DVD already portrays. The only subtle difference may be in the big action films where it may look prettier, but you're still seeing the same film you saw on dvd, just slightly "crisper". Eventually, they're going to replace film reels in the cinema for BluRay? Never...

I dunno bout Natal myself and as most of the people who play on the other consoles always moan about wagglin and making gestures in games. So if they hold true to there beliefs an not all hypocrits Natal should be a dead duck really.

Okay, what percentage of people don't have a DVD Player? And what's the number of people with Blu-Ray? And who doesn't use a mouse? And who does use a mouse? Look at those numbers, they'll be wrong. Though I do see analog TV and faxing to be gone.

I don't completely trust the natal as a control interface. Is it going to penalize me if I reach over to drink a Diet Coke and delete my game? At least with the Wii Remote I'm not so constricted. The Wii Remote technology, even if it isn't the Wii Remote per say, will be around for a few years still, new system or not.

DVDs... I give it three years still.

i love lists like these. going back to them a year later to see which predictions came true and which ones didn't are always fun. :3

Natal is just a crappy Eye-toy knockoff, it isn't poised to kill anything.

lol the mouse really?Whats next glasses?

hey, the poloroiad is coming back, so any technology will survive

I am a Network Administrator and I still have a notebook and pen on my desk.

While I admit Natal looks impressive, the problem is the console it's designed to work with. I have my doubts that casual audiences will be willing to embrace a console with a high failure rate. Core gamers have put up with it because the Xbox 360 has a strong library that caters to them perfectly, but that same library would look pretty weak to a family-oriented audience. Is Microsoft going to be able to come up with a number of family-friendly, quality IPs to attract casual users to Natal?

At this point I'm having trouble seeing core gamers taking to the new technology. As much as I love my Wii, I'm very much over the novelty of motion control; I appreciate it when it is implemented well, and hate it when it is shoehorned in or forced upon me unnecessarily. For Natal to succeed, Microsoft must find a way to capture the imagination of a mainstream audience the way Nintendo did with Wii Sports.

Perhaps if they implement Milo the way IGN did in their version of the video...

Never heard of Pixmania -- who are they?

Saying Natal will make it and DVDs won't is kind of dumb, seeing as the 360 does use DVDs and all >_>

For large movements, the Natal will work just fine. However it won't do pinpoint control, it won't sense you "pulling a trigger" for example ... so the Natal will not be the "be all, end all" of cool technology.

@pinta_vodki Don't forget that Back to the Future 2 says that we'll have flying cars, personal hoverboards, portable fusion generators, and a World Series Championship for the Chicago Cubs in just 6 years from now.

That list is ridiculous. Maybe fax machines and analog TV (or sat navs and dongles, whatever they are) will be gone from store shelves by the end of next year, but not the other things on that list. The only thing on that list my family doesn't still use (other than those two things I haven't heard of) is analog TV, and even then we don't have widescreen nor HD. We also don't plan on "upgrading" from those things in the next year.

dvd will still keep going because of piracy anyway

Tsk. What?!

The DVD is far from dead! Blu-ray is far from mainstream.

The Mouse? Seriously? Are they High?!

How on earth the wiimore is going to be endangered if that vapoware thing named Natal hasn't been revealed yet AND the wii is still selling like crazy?

Who the heck write THOSE things?!

I just think it's funny that everyone needs to copy Nintendo to get more sales.

sat nav = satellite navigation

I can see a lot of these technologies "dying out," but it takes years, if not decades, for a new technology to usurp an older one just due to cost of replacement. I know my parents just a couple years ago pretty much finished converting our VHS to DVD. We still have some stuff only on VHS. Blu-Rays are also like 10 dollars more expensive for not that large an increase in quality.

What I actually think will happen with movies is we'll move to all digital distribution. Most DVD's/Blu-Rays come with a digital copy of the movie already. Eventually it will pretty much be a matter of downloading from itunes and hooking up your computer or ipod to the TV (actually, can't you already do this?). Blu-Rays I think came too late in the digital distribution game to really be successful. I think that's where the Xbox is really forward thinking...streaming Hi-Def Netflix.

The Wii has a while yet. I agree that most people who are interested in the types of games Natal will be good for will have a Wii, and the price of a 360 plus Natal will probably be prohibitive. People who have money to blow on a new console will probably also have the choice of Wii2 by then. Put me in the Natal is really freaking cool, but I think for most games I would prefer actually holding something category too. I find it easy to use the Wii remote as a wheel, gun, or standard controller just by holding it differently. I think driving like in the demo video would be tiring, because it would be difficult to keep your hands directly even and across from each other without holding onto something. Now if Wii doesn't step up it's online gaming with its successor, then Xbox will look much more attractive with Natal, HD, and Live.

Are they serious? Nintendo is still doing well in the market and with new releases such as New Super Mario Bros, Sin and Punishment, Metroid The Other M, etc I don't think the Wii is going anywhere. Also, Blue Ray costs more than regular DVD's and having a TV with HD in my opinion is just as good. Besides, the only thing I care about is watching my damn movie. I don't really care about all the extra's that are provided with Blue Ray. Finally, I would rather stick with my regular mouse than some fancy multitouch input. Natal is to me just an upgraded version of the Eye Toy and that Milo thing is a cheap parlor trick. There's only so much you can do with it before it runs out of responses, and I bet most people are going to scar that program for life by mistreating it.

No...shut up.

DVDs dead? Won't happen for a looong time.

Blu Ray have better picture, sound and space yes, but that can't compare with what DVD had over the VHS. Better picture and sound, extras, no need to rewind, smaller then VHS boxes, yeah. Till companies release exclusives to Blu Ray, DVD aint going anywhere...

Stuff the list...

Xbox 360: $199-$299
Natal: $200

Wii with WiiMote: $199
Motion Plus: $25

Also, the Wii has been dominating the market for about 3 years now. Who do you think will win, or lose for that matter?

Ok, I don't exactly think the DVD disappearing thing as that crazy, but if anything it will disappear at the same time that Blu ray does to be replaced by digital downloads and even that will take at least a few more years. Blu-Ray is not at all enough of an upgrade for most consumers to care at such a high price. I actually watch BluRays/DVDs on my Roommates player and I'm often suprised how little of a difference it is for some movies.
Also the poor selection doesn't help.
Natal might be cool but it's all about price and marketing. It's gotta be cheap before it dominates anything in a mass consumer market. It's gotta be pretty damn amazing, too, to pry the millions of us who already have a Wii and/or M+ and a bunch of fun games. I still want buttons for some functions, thats just what video games are; so the remote has been perfect that way. Until everyone has giant hi-def TV's or VR goggles to go with it, I think it's still too much of an uphill battle unless they practically give it away.

The Natal franchise still needs a good concept to make use of the technology; it needs a Wii Sport at the very least to start with. MS might just come up with that and blow the Wii out of the water, but they're gonna need to hire more designers for that.

And considering how all the more family-friendly the 360 has become, the demographic is right there. Still, it's a matter of cost issues and game design. The Wii was a revolution, though it still didn't need more than a standard television and didn't cost a lot, either. Couple that with some honestly great and really fun concepts to draw the potential out of the machine and you spell success. But there's no denying that Nintendo's made a lot of money from this, and it's time to go on. Especially with how Microsoft is catching up.

Analog TV + Fax I think are the most likely to go.
but since I bought a laptop from PixMania last year and they got the specs wrong so I had to send it back... I trust them even less

Saying Natal would kill the wiimote is like saying the wiimote would kill the standard controller off which it hasnt, just because a new controll system or even just an improvement over an older controll system such as the "Dreameye" that was on the Dreamcast was eventually copied by Sony and improved upon right up to the Microsoft "Natal".
The wii is so well established in everybodies homes now I find it hard to believe that the wiimote would die off so quickly... improved upon mabey such as having built in motion plus but at least some kind of wiimote will exsist for quite some time soon.

Since when a peripheral(Natal) for a console ever killed an entire based control system for another console?
This is bullcr*p!
Early advertisement of Natal for Pixmania...

You know what i see, arguments on what motion controls and what platforms are better. That will be the future arguments for Fans boy's alike.
But that's cool i need entertainment so have at it.You know what i say, damn all of them. I'll just stick with my controller thank you very much.

Natal a Wiimote killer? Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. I shall refrain from well-deserved laughter. The Wiimote, when used properly, has not replaced button-based gaming in the first place; merely enhanced it. If Natal relies solely on bodies moving around in front of it, the options for gaming remain severely limited. You're gonna' play a platformer by just standing in front of a camera? You're going to be able to rack up frags in an FPS by point your finger around in front of the TV and pulling your finger like a trigger? Give me a break. Given the hype, Natal has that particular "flash-in-the-pan" smell.

1. Natal is very flawed, and the Wiimote already sells well.
2. Fax machines will indeed die off pretty soon.
3. Computer mice () won't die off for some time. I use multitouch, because I use a laptop. (Or am I thinking of something else? )
4. DVD players will die soon, just not this year.
5. Apparently these guys never heard of MotionPlus.

Natal won't be good.
First, it chose the wrong gaming system.
Then, the developer forgot that gamers are always trying to find the least exhausting way of motion possible.
Just take Wii Sports as an instance.
At last, I think this technology will be bad; You'll have to calibrate the camera way too often, and I guess it won't be precise.
It will require perfect lighting and surrounding, like the EyeToy.

Why would mice die? Other than touch-screen, I consider them the most accurate control! And the new Magic Mouse proves that you can get the advantages of a touch pad into a mouse. Multi-touch pad at that.
And for the Wii remote... If it's just affordably bundled with WM+, then it will survive. But Nintendo haven't bundle Wiimotes and nuchuks though, so maybe they won't with WM+...

Jut like to make a quick point. Lee Baker a Microsoft exec dealing with their advertisaing and marketing, as of 9/23/09 is the now a director over at AOP (Association of Online Publishers, whose goals are to increase networks for revenue an advertising to online publishers) which acts with Telegraph Media Group. Baker's role appears to go directly to the Telegraph's online news publishing and advertising revenue. Just sayin... looks a little fishy.

@Link-Hero: you can't just slap a price on something that's still at rumor status. At E3, they'd said it wouldn't be all to expensive, and would even work with the XBox 360s that people already have.

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/36466/Natal-launch-details-leak-from-secret-Microsoft-tour
Now rumors and releases are suggesting that the Natal could retail for $80 or LESS. Wiimote + Nunchuck + Motionplus = $80. And that's not including a classic controller, balance board, zapper, or wheel, all of which this could mimic the functions of. Best not to speculate until we've got some fact.

I'm glad the nintendolife staff love it so much since they've played it. I'm sure it'll be really great, but it's going to be tough to capture the market the way the Wii has without the universal appeal of some kind of genius pack-in like wii sports.
The naked wii remote isn't even all that accurate, but it sure feels like it when you're playing brilliant software like wiisports with your own Mii and you have 50+ years old adults loving it with you. That kind of marketing is like a million perfect accidents in one with something that could have flopped as such a gimmick that it looked like. The Natal, however great, has a much bigger battle to fight with a "copycat" image it's likely to attract for an established system with an image as a gamers console. Just saying, remember how long it took for the first NES to go away? - the Wii has already made that kind of future for itself. (And the first NES still holds a big market now)

Listing the computer mouse as something that will be phased out by the end of next year writes the whole list off as garbage. The only thing's I think is remotely likely to be extinct by next year are anologue TVs (what with the digital switchover) and fax machines. Move along, nothing to see here.

Well, I've never heard of Pixmania, so I'm not sure what that says about the authority of their prediction.

Um. Yeah. The reason the Wiimote works is because it doesn't demand too much body-based input. A waggle here, an aiming point-and-click bit there. The majority of Wii games you can still play sat down without looking a bit of a loon to anyone nearby. Except if the game demands it, like Warioware. Whereas Natal, whilst a staggering piece of kit, requires you to move your entire body and thus becomes a little... embarrasing. I mean, even if they make games that just require occasional gestures, there's something about actually holding a controller.
I mean, think about playing Mario Kart with the Wii Wheel. It's no big deal, and you probably don't feel daft doing it infront of people. You're playing a game with a controller in your hand. It's normal. Now take the wheel away and imagine playing it with just your fists out infront of you. Suddenly you feel a bit... yeah. I'll play this when no-one's around.

I expect Natal will do well and give the industry a lot of fun new things to explore, but it certainly isn't going to kill the humble Wiimote.

That's about as absurd as the people who claimed that Radio was doomed when television came out.

FM radio is likewise technically superior to AM, but here some 50+ years later, AM stations still exist.

I did a portion of my masters dissertation on this topic. Most technology doesn't just die, it either stays with us if it's still useful, or is 'remediated' (a phrase coined by a couple authors can't remember their names). For instance (like StarDust just said) radio, was once the primary source for entertainment and news. Everybody thought TV would kill radio, at first glance it seems like an upgrade; radio with pictures. But radio wasn't replaced it's still used and has been 'remediated' to mainly deliver music among it original uses but to a lesser extent.
I still own VHS tapes and a player, and DVD is still my main movie medium. I haven't even gone HD and am yet to buy a Blueray disc. Also thanks to retro stuff being cool, I have a Super 8 camera and use it regularly... when I have enough money.
Anyway my point is natal looks crappy, it'll never be as accurate as wii motion plus, it's much easier to simply press a button most of the time than to wave your whole arm.

If they release Natal with the next Xbox then I see it having a much brighter future,
but the question is: will it get any use outside of party games?

I wonder how Natal's technology can compensate for the differing mobility of individuals...
Regarding this list - I dont know, the Wii mote didnt kill the Joysick did it, and why should it? I like digital controllers!
Motion controls are not my favorite thing about the Wii, just one aspect that can work well.

1.The Daily Telegraph sound a bit tabloidy there and they are certainly not a tabloid.
2. Who the frack are Pixmania and why is what they are saying so important? Neve heard of them.
3. By the end of 2010, that is very "ambitious" and very exaggerated.
4. Natal looks like it'll have a lot of casual party games. Why would the estalished hardcore xbox crowd go for that? Will it take into account the person's agility level? Are conventional gamers agile?!
5. The Wiimote and nuncuck hasn't killed the coventional ps3, xbox style joypad has it. Indeed a lot of wii games noe are also classic controller and GC controller enabled.
6. Hello Pixmania? Anyone home?

Anyone read the original list?
They praise the smart phones for killing off GPS systems, yet they say cellphone chargers are going out.
What... are they going to start making phones with magic batteries that never run out?

@KingMike: They're developing a phone that runs on the essence of their redundancy.
Thus far they keep overcharging and exploding.

Did anyone else realise the hypocrosy of xbox nd ps owners? most people i know slated the wii for its motion controllers, now they jump the bandwagon once sony nd ms have motion controllers in the works. My bro is real excited about this new sony motion wand, he forgets how identical it is to that wii controller hes always slated......

I guess I need to get my VHS player and tapes replace!
Please what a joke this list is.
Yes they are new technologies that will help springboard a movement but these things take time. Just look how long VHS held out against DVDs and the improvement was enormous over video-tape. I have a huge collection of DVD and I am already switched to digital video (Blue-Ray is 2008s version of the RCA laser disk (nice but too late). Natal's technology is way cool but it will not come close to zapping the Wii the Wii consoles power will be its death of Wii and replaced by a more powerful Wii2. Plus Natal's technology will not replace the controller and I bet you nearly all software that uses Natal's will also require a remote but it is the direction that the next motion controllers will take. Analog TV's already have a foot in the grave just try to find a store that still sells them. FAX is only alive because of legal documents outside of that it’s been dead.
What’s more funny is how mush of a response this joke of an article received.
By the way the Gasoline powered automobile will be gone next year too and my keyboard replaced by a microphone LOL

Now time to use my out dated wireless mouse to click send.

Well at least this means we can start calling wii controllers retro from the day onward there's new tech coming out. Well heck I still own old NES and it's still working piece of hardware so it's quite hilarious that this would make wii controllers just to disapper in thin air. Well it might make the producing of the controllers smaller but it won't disappear instantly, might consider not making em when they introduce new generation nintendo gamesystem or something..?

The Wiimote can't end, it's used on the Wii U as P2, P3, P4, and P5's controller.