Project Natal in 2010 - not new Xbox 360

by Stevie Smith - Jun 19 2009, 15:15

Initial gasps of amazement following news that Microsoft will be releasing a new Xbox 360 in 2010 have now subsided considerably after Aaron Greenberg, director of product management for Xbox, rushed to qualify statements made by company CEO Steve Ballmer.

Speaking at The Executive’s Club of Chicago yesterday, Ballmer appeared to confirm the 2010 arrival of a new Xbox 360 console when he said newly designed technology related to the platform was “really, really close” to completion and would offer up a “natural interface” along with a 3D motion and voice-sensing camera.

However, while many industry watchers immediately suggested Ballmer’s speech pointed to a 2010 release for an overhauled Xbox 360 boasting enhanced hardware performance, comments made by Aaron Greenberg shift focus onto Microsoft’s recently unveiled Project Natal control interaction system.

“There will be no new console,” insisted Greenberg while speaking with videogame blog Kotaku. “We’re not going to be launching a new console any time soon… I really believe [Steve Ballmer] was speaking about Project Natal.”

According to Greenberg, Microsoft is more than happy with the Xbox 360 console as is, and there will be “no changes from that standpoint.” He was also keen to point out that the software giant is barely halfway through the projected timeline for this generation of gaming hardware.

“We want to make sure people know that we’re excited about Project Natal,” added Greenberg. “For the time being, we’re really just showing a whole new category of gaming.”

Project Natal, which was given its debut at the recent E3 Expo in Los Angeles, is a potentially groundbreaking 3D control interface that scans and follows players, integrating their movements directly into the on-screen game world without any need for physical controllers.

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