Rumor: Xbox Natal is Actually Microsoft's Next Console

[Altimus]

Quote: Originally Posted by Misfit

Confirmed....somewhat: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/996/996216p1.html

Yeah I read that on Joystiq earlier. No doubt it is Natal, he all but confirmed it.

[Flawless]

We don't know he confirmed anything. All these sites are running an article from TGdaily without checking the information. TGdaily's very own live blog doesn't mention Ballmer saying a word about Xbox or Natal. If he "confirmed a new Xbox for 2010" don't you think that would be live blogged? I'm not saying TGdaily is click baiting, but something isn't adding up here. Regardless, given all the rumors and the comments from Microsoft, it seems probable that there is going to be a new 360 SKU around Natal (repackaged, rebranded, and at most cosmetically redesigned, but no upgrades to the actual guts).

[Flawless]

Destructoid

Quote:

Early today when reports of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer confirming a new Xbox for 2010 started rolling in, we were a bit suspicious. As it turns out, we had every right to be. Speaking with Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg this evening on the phone, he reiterated the company’s stance, even in the face of recent rumors. “I can tell you that we are not launching a new console in 2010,” Greenberg said in no uncertain terms. When I half-jokingly asked him if Ballmer was privy to any hardware launch information he wasn’t, he easily laughed off the notion. As far as what the CEO was referring to like we did, Greenberg seems to think there was a mix-up in the message. It was likely that Ballmer was simply referring to Project Natal, and perhaps used some words that might have been misinterpreted. More after the jump. Speaking to the recent rumors of an entirely new console being launched next year, Greenberg clarifies that Microsoft doesn’t feel it’s necessary, as the Project Natal hardware will work with existing consoles. Like Microsoft changed how the Xbox 360 console works by using a software updated and introducing the New Xbox Experience, they believe this time they’ll be able to do it with hardware. “We’re not going to have to require customers to reinvest in an entirely new platform,” he says. “We’re able to add [Project Natal] on top of what’s already there.” In fact, Greenberg doesn’t even feel as if they’re halfway through the console’s life cycle, saying that they have “many, many years ahead” with the hardware currently on the market. He urges current and future Xbox 360 owners not to worry. “This will work with your Xbox 360 if you’re buying one today, a year from now, [or] if you bought one at launch,” he reiterates. When asked plans to create a new SKU that would bundle current Xbox 360 consoles with Project Natal hardware, Greenberg states they’re still working out the details of how their “go-to-market plan.” ”Thousands of people for well over ten years have been trying to crack the code with 3D depth camera technology,” he explains. “We’ve done that. It works. People played with it at E3. It delivers pretty amazing experiences, and now we’re getting those dev kits in the hands of all of our partners. They’re off making games, we’re making games for it. When all of that stuff comes together, we’ll get more specific about how we plan to bring this to market. But we definitely believe this will be a major part of the 360 and we expect that millions of consumers will eventually get to experience this whole new category of controller-free gaming.” So is there any chance we’ll see Project Natal at retail this year? “We haven’t given any specifics on time, so I hate to start playing that game,” he says with caution, “But I think that people can do the math and figure out that if we’re just starting to make games today, that this is not something that’s coming in the next few months, that’s for sure.”

[bkfount]

these rumors are going to cause people to hold off on buying a 360, just like people waiting around for ps3 slim or price drops.

[Flawless]

Eurogamer

Quote:

The confusion surrounding 'Xbox Natal' continues, as retailer ShopTo, analyst Michael Pachter and an industry-leading developer close to Microsoft all sound off on the suggestion that Microsoft will refresh the Xbox hardware line in autumn 2010. "I believe what they're going to do is bundle Natal with the existing Xbox 360 hardware," said our developer source. "Cosmetic changes: sure, that's possible, but I wouldn't get to married to that, because [Microsoft] have a lot of money invested and they've already gone through cost reductions on the existing Xbox. They fixed their Red Ring of Death problem, they're on their fourth or fifth motherboard now." "Colour schemes and stuff are more likely. Maybe they'll get the transformer inside the machine - I doubt they'll resize the machine, that seems unlikely. If they did that and people caught wind of it - they'd stop buying [existing Xbox 360s]." "I'd say it was 100 per cent likely they will be bundling the camera with the system," the source added. "When they said, 'It's the new launch', 'that's what they're telling developers." Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer put a spanner in the works overnight by announcing a new Xbox 360 with a built-in camera for a 2010 launch. He may simply have been referring to an Xbox 360-plus-Natal bundle, however, and used simple, engaging phrases to excite a room of non-videogame savvy execs. Igor Cipolletta, boss of retailer ShopTo, agrees that a meaningful change the Xbox 360 is unlikely, but thinks Microsoft may take the opportunity to tweak the hardware. "I don't think there will be any drastic changes to the hardware," Cipolletta told Eurogamer. "I think Microsoft will use this as a chance to release a bigger hard-drive, especially after all the new services announced at E3. The extra space would be a welcome addition." Michael Pachter, videogame analyst for Wedbush Morgan, echoes the point: "There may be a new Xbox 360 SKU with Natal, but no new CPU-GPU combination. The box will run the same software as before, and Natal games will have a different control scheme - nothing more sinister or deviant than that," he told us. "It would be a good time for Microsoft to add a DVR and an HDTV tuner, maybe roll out IPTV, but I don't think the brains of the box change much." "All of this would be sensible for Microsoft if it intends to further strengthen Xbox Live and to help give Wii owners a reason to 'upgrade' in the face of the launch of the Wii Plus (HD)," Pachter added. "Wii Plus is coming and Microsoft believes this as well, and they will do what they can to maintain market share." Rumours of a new Xbox 360 began last weekend, and have been allowed to run all week unchecked. Microsoft bigwigs have weighed in with non-committal comment, leaving the possibility of a new SKU alight. "Having three consoles on the market is enough without adding a fourth," ShopTo's Cipolletta explained. "Maybe this will replace the [Xbox 360] Elite, as that seems to be the only one without any recent upgrades; it makes sense to bundle Project Natal with it to creating the new top tier hardware package." "It doesn't make sense to launch a new console. Natal is the new console," said our developer source, adopting Shane Kim's "Xbox 360 relaunch" stance. "It wouldn't make sense to do new hardware because they've already put into that box. In other words, that camera has some chips in it, it's not just a dumb camera. That's why it can track your body, can track all your bones, do all the stuff that the other [cameras] can't do. "Natal will help them get so much more out of the console than they have now. That's really the truth of it." However it arrives, Project Natal will have repercussions for the entire videogame industry. Head over to our Project Natal gamepage for all related goings-on (and pictures and videos) so far.

[bkfount]

Quote: Originally Posted by Flawless

Eurogamer "Having three consoles on the market is enough without adding a fourth," ShopTo's Cipolletta explained. "Maybe this will replace the [Xbox 360] Elite, as that seems to be the only one without any recent upgrades; it makes sense to bundle Project Natal with it to creating the new top tier hardware package."

No it doesn't. How does releasing the Natal with an Elite level 360 for $400 possibly help them get the Wii crowd?

[luv_mist]

New XBOX in 2010 Confirmed?