Microsoft: New Xbox coming in 2010 – with Project Natal built in
Project Natal was THE big announcement made at E3 2009, of that there is no doubt. Motion sensing controls are one thing, but motion sensing sans a controller is quite another. But details were thin on the ground. When will it arrive? Will it form part of a new console or be sold separately? Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer may have just answered these questions.
According to TG Daily, Ballmer was speaking at The Executive’s Club of Chicago where he was due to discuss “the role of innovation in changing economic times.” In a speech littered with references to the recession, Ballmer threw in the news that a new Xbox 360 would be released in 2010.
This new iteration of the Microsoft console will apparently be equipped with technology that is “really, really, close” to real life. It will also have a “natural interface,” and will utilize a built-in camera able to recognize body movement and voice commands. Sound familiar?
This would clearly imply Project Natal is going to be bundled in with a new version of the Xbox 360 and released sometime during 2010. Which goes somewhat against Microsoft’s official pronouncements that the technology is a long way off being ready for public consumption. According to Engadget, Microsoft has now issued a statement concerning Ballmer’s comments:
As the Xbox team stated at E3 two weeks ago, we are not even halfway through the current console generation lifecycle and believe Xbox 360 will be the entertainment center in the home for long into the next decade. Project Natal will be an important part of this platform, but we have not confirmed a launch date at this time.
I think it’s too late for a blanket denial of that sort. The game is up, and we all now know the truth straight from the horse’s mouth. Although, Ballmer’s tease raises more questions: will the console be upgraded in any other way apart from having Natal at its core? Will it be redesigned to incorporate the new technology, and possibly even be renamed?
Whatever the truth, Mike called this a few days ago in light of all the speculation about a new Xbox console being on the horizon. He even stated this would be likely to happen sometime next year, which now looks set in stone with the big boss of the company saying as much.
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40 Responses to “Microsoft: New Xbox coming in 2010 – with Project Natal built in”
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June 19th, 2009
“Which goes somewhat against Microsoft’s official pronouncements that the technology is a long way off being ready for public consumption.”
When did they do that last ….. Oh yeah, when they originally rushed the released of the 360 and had massive hardware failures. If your smart, you will wait for the 2nd gen before getting Natal.
On a side note, Steve Ballmer is one dopey looking mofo. I’d be soooo proud to have him as my consoles mascot !!!! LOL
June 19th, 2009
Another epic mistake from Microsoft. They are gonna rush it and again do what they do best mistake and bad hardware. Project Natal is doom…
June 19th, 2009
Spidey – You could be right about waiting for the next gen of Natal, as lkike most things it will improve. But by the time Natal v2 is due there will the next big thing on the horizon. Its a bit like when to buy a PC. From the moment you dip into the pc market, your hardware is already out of day. Difference being with console the advancement curve jumps every 5 years as opposed to the pc one which is a constant smooth incline.
The only thing to maybe do is get it after the first price drop.
Ivan – Eyes closed, fingers in ears saying “la la la la la la la, I can’t hear you”
June 19th, 2009
Think I will wait at least 6-12 months. By then they may have the bugs worked out.
June 19th, 2009
Natal = waste of time.
June 19th, 2009
Spideydog:
That´s something that MS has teached us to do. No early adopting…
Let´s hope that the usual MS way of working things out won´t affect the people developing Natal.
June 19th, 2009
Show me the direct quote, in context, Dave.
Surely that’s only right if you’re going to base a whole thread on it?
Cos from what I’ve read he didn’t actually say any such thing.
What he said was in fact pretty ambiguous.
He merely talked about Natal and it could be just as easily inferred (and probably much more likely) that he was talking about a 360 with Natal bundled.
We know a new 45nm Xbox 360 is coming (the 45nm Valhalla), perhaps it will be optimised for Natal with a little new or different hardware.
Maybe it’ll launch with Natal bundled.
Who knows?
Certainly not anyone on this site, for sure.
June 19th, 2009
Smart move Spidey waiting.
But what are Microsoft thinking. I suppose the 360 is almost 5 years into its life cycle. Thats about the normal time that the next gen is mooted. But I hope MS don’t start splitting their console products. Its bad enough having 3 flavors of the 360. They are buggers for it. Look at how many versions of Windows 7 are due to come out.
People will see them as lacking direction if they do that. Which in turn will drive people else where. Thats one reason the Nintendo Wii is so successful. One product. All consoles the same. Motion + might be a spanner in the works but at least its not a whole new console.
Can I just as the group what they would like to see from their respective fav console manufacturers in the next gen? I get the impression that a particular group of fan boys (not mentioning any names here, trying to keep it neutral) only want to see more of the same, but with better graphics. Same controller for the 4th time round with a new number on the end of the name etc…
June 19th, 2009
Wow did you guys hear what Bobby Kotick from Activision said about they might have to stop supporting Sony.
“I’m getting concerned about Sony; the PlayStation 3 is losing a bit of momentum and they don’t make it easy for me to support the platform. It’s expensive to develop for the console, and the Wii and the Xbox are just selling better. Games generate a better return on invested capital on the Xbox than on the PlayStation,” he says.
It is not a very subtle hint, although Mr Kotick says his company paid $500 million to Sony in royalties and other goods last year, which “probably still worked out at 400 per cent of the profit they made”. Actually, Sony’s games division lost $597 million last year, and Mr Kotick seems to think it may have to risk more losses if the £299.99 PlayStation 3 is to develop.
“They have to cut the price, because if they don’t, the attach rates [the number of games each console owner buys] are likely to slow. If we are being realistic, we might have to stop supporting Sony.” Ask when and he says: “When we look at 2010 and 2011, we might want to consider if we support the console — and the PSP [portable] too.” Sounds like Sir Howard Stringer, Sony’s chief executive, is going to have to call Mr Kotick pretty fast
June 19th, 2009
(http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article6531367.ece)
June 19th, 2009
Geez, you guys really hate anything bad said about the 360 don’t yas ??!! The hackles are up big time….. lol
June 19th, 2009
Please re-arrange the following words to make a well known phrase :
sinking rats ship deserting a
And just for the Roca – Rats deserting a sinking ship.
June 19th, 2009
Every time I refresh this page and I see that numb nutts at the top, I just think…Whaazzzzzz upppppp!
June 19th, 2009
cad couldnt wait till Mike or dave posted it.
June 19th, 2009
Why should I wait till tomorrow what is going on today. The last couple of post have been like old news including this one and Mikes. But really this would be a major loss for Sony and a good Laugh for me. I’m all for it. Come on Activision drop the ake on Sony.
June 19th, 2009
Spideydog
You wish. Obviously.
Unfortunately there’s more than a few of us don’t just believe everything we read and we like to see the source a story is based on before getting carried away with an overblown load of BS.
Personally I am looking forward to a new game console catching back up to something a hell of a lot closer to where PCs are now
(both Xbox & PS3 have very old GPUs, the PS3’s Nvidia 7800gs dates back to 2005 and the Xboxes’ ATi 1900 is similarly ancient) so I’m certainly not ‘hostile’ to the idea at all.
But I want to see exactly what was said (and in context) before deciding to believe it or not.
June 19th, 2009
CAD… do me a favor please… go to VG Chartz and look at COD sales. Sure the 360 sold more, but 3.3 & 4.3 million are not failures. Actually the PS3 version of WaW on the Wii 3 to 1.
Now think for a moment… do you think they made money on the PS3 releases? Also factor in the DLC from PSN. They are mulitplatform games, so there are less expenses involved. Also the major releases of Guitar Queero sold over a million each.
The CEO who sells a game for $200 demands a price cut. He can kiss my ass. I don’t own a single game from Activision. I don’t need rebuy COD and Guitar hero ever few months. Maybe they should try releasing something good for a change.
This guy is blowing smoke out of ass. If they cut the PS3… they will loose on profit. A big time corporate douche like this will not do that.
June 19th, 2009
he doesnt know what he is talking about.
June 19th, 2009
Nintendo lost almost all third party support with the GameCube but they came back to dominate. I don’t think the PS3 is in anywhere near as bad shape.
If things go really bad for Sony (and I mean really bad) they may just have to release a PS4 a bit earlier and mend some bridges.
btw this was posted from Linux because Windows (and Microsoft) are evil.
June 19th, 2009
But me_
Nintendo had something to fall back on. Mario Zelda, Donkey Kong, Metroid and Kirby. Playstation does not have a mascot or a character that is associated with it that carries a brand like Nintendo or Microsoft for that matter. All they got is Kratos & Solid Snake and MGS is Multiplatform now. Microsoft at least has Master Chief and Marcus Fenix and the Gears guys and they together are bigger then anything Sony has to offer. Maybe Sony shoud adopt Sonic.
June 19th, 2009
Oh I forgot They have Sackboy. LOL
June 19th, 2009
They Have:
Kratos which would kick Master chief’s ass anyday
the also have:
Sweet Tooth
Nathan Drake
Ratchet and Clank
Sly Cooper
Sackboy
Clould , Aerith , Sephiroth and company.
Jack and Daxter
ICO
Shadow of the Collossus
Helghast
and new comers like
Eye Pet
ModNation Racers
Last Gardian
and more.
June 19th, 2009
Well of everything that you listed Nathan Drake is the only one I see that has cut a name out for himself. Everything else is whatever. Give me a mascot that is identified as a console seller and a name that when you think of Sony you automatically associate it with ?. Nintendo has got Mario and Microsoft has Master Chief. Sony has……….. Sackboy. At least that is the image that comes to mind. Really sackboy is a joke.
June 19th, 2009
How on earth did natal get to ‘MY VENDOR HAZ TEH MASCOTZ!!!’
June 19th, 2009
Kratos = Sony
June 19th, 2009
CAD you really dont know who’s Sweet Tooth?
June 19th, 2009
How is Sackboy a joke? At least, how is he any more of a joke than an Italian, drug-taking plumber and a faceless soldier with no personality?
-Arvis
June 19th, 2009
No I have never heard of Sweet Tooth. To me that is a phrase for people who like sweet things.
June 19th, 2009
Mario is a bigger celebrity then Sackboy anyday. If I went to a theme park and Mario was there and sackboy I would want my picture with Mario but I would take a pic with Sackboy to just for the hell of it. But Mario is bigger and that is undisputed.
June 19th, 2009
Mario also has at least 20 years on sackboy to have built that image.
June 21st, 2009
“Spideydog
You wish. Obviously.”
Ah have a look at the replies HH …. they speak for themselves ….. (Some of the die hard sony boys react the same m8, so don’t stress)
June 21st, 2009
Until Sackboy has a movie made about him starring Dennis Hopper then he will never reach the dizzying heights of Mario.
June 22nd, 2009
Let us not forget Bob Hoskins…
June 22nd, 2009
Bob Hoskins was in the Mario movie? I thought he was in Roger Rabbit.
June 22nd, 2009
Bob played Mario and was poking that girl from roger rabbit.
June 22nd, 2009
I don’t care if she was a cartoon, I’d try to splash my baby gravy in her hair also.
June 22nd, 2009
Tact is your strong point Harry …… LOL
June 22nd, 2009
LOL @ Harry. They hate it in the hair. Ha ha ha.
June 22nd, 2009
I didn’t think we were talking about which mascot was more famous. I was just asking what makes Sackboy more of “a joke” than Master Chief or Mario.
I mean, Mario’s last game even refers to him as “Mr. Gay” right on the cover.
-Arvis
June 22nd, 2009
I dunno, I’d find it hard to my pistol holstered around Luigi…