Rumors (mostly fueled from several reports out of gaming site 1UP.com) have grown since Microsoft showed the stunning Natal demonstration during their 2009 E3 show about how the company intends to launch the thing, and when. With the most interesting rumor swirling about that Microsoft was bent on unleashing not just a peripheral add-on, but a new Xbox console highly probable, it didn't take long for the company's most interesting personality to confirm the news.
TG Daily is reporting the news of the new Xbox console, slated to hit retail shelves in 2010, has been confirmed by the higest-of-highs, CEO Steve Ballmer during a speech on innovation at the Executives Club in Chicago. Although not much is known, look for the next console sometime before the 2010 holiday shopping season, with the juiciest quote from the presser being the console "really, really, close" to an actuality.
Descriptions of the new machine sound as if the Natal technology will be integrated within the current Xbox archetecture, leaving the company open to selling a separate (i.e. sensor-bar related) pack to let the 30 million current Xbox 360 owners in on the motion-sensing, interactive fun. Others have pegged the new system might ship with 'slight' technical bump, which would improve graphics for new users, but not limit the experience of original Xbox 360 users.
The possibilities are endless, and no doubt there will be many more before the final thing is released next year. Let's just hope the industry isn't headed back to the dark day of multi-format add-ons, upgrades, and fragmented userbases. Another Sega CD/32X situation, we don't need! Look for months of speculation to come.
More on this (un)startling development as it becomes available! Thanks to TG Daily for the heavy lifting.
blog comments powered by Disqus