Microsoft names companies working on Natal games

Microsoft has released a list of third-party developers and publishers that are currently "actively working" on Natal games, while several of them have voiced their praise for the upcoming motion detecting hardware.

Among the 12 companies named by Microsoft are Activision Blizzard, Capcom, Konami and Sega.

Together, said Microsoft, these companies account for more than 70 per cent of third-party software sales for this generation of consoles, and for most of the world's most recognised game franchises.

"Project Natal gives the industry's creators and storytellers the freedom to dream of new experiences and to tell stories never before possible," said Don Mattrick, Microsoft senior VP of interactive entertainment. "The support of these creative partners testifies to the excitement that Project Natal is generating among the most innovative minds in the industry, and is proof that Xbox 360 not only offers the best games and entertainment today, but will lead with innovation and new ways to have fun in the future."

Underlining this sentiment was EA Sports president Peter Moore who commented: "Project Natal could fundamentally change the way players experience sports games. At EA, some of our top development teams are experimenting with these tools with the goal of delivering a completely fresh take on genres like sports and racing."

"Ubisoft sees enormous opportunities with Project Natal," added the publisher's CEO Yves Guillemot. "With the 3D camera, your body can become the interface. Any barrier related to the use of pad controllers that may have existed for potential gamers is now abolished. Ubisoft is already taking advantage of this major evolution to design new types of gaming experiences and attract more people to play video games."

Natal was first announced three months ago at E3. Development kits were sent to companies in early June.

Further details of these companies' projects will be released at a later date, said Microsoft, also taking the opportunity to reiterate its support for its own control system, saying a "diverse slate of experiences" are currently being worked on internally.

"Project Natal is enabling our team of developers to create experiences we couldn’t have accomplished before," said Phil Spencer, corporate VP of Microsoft. "Microsoft Game Studios will help lead the way in bringing Project Natal to life."

The full list of companies announced by Microsoft as working on Natal titles are:

• Activision Blizzard
• Bethesda Softworks
• Capcom
• Disney Interactive
• Electronic Arts
• Konami
• MTV Games
• Namco Bandai
• Sega
• Square Enix
• THQ
• Ubisoft