MS boss Ballmer confirms "new Xbox"

By Robert Purchese Published 19 June, 2009

With built-in camera for 2010.

Microsoft big boss Steve Ballmer has told a bunch of rich people that a new Xbox 360 will hit store shelves in 2010.

Speaking at the Executive's Club of Chicago, Ballmer said the console will have a "natural interface" and a built-in camera with the ability to recognise movement and voice, according to TG Daily. That will be Project Natal, then - but built-in? That's the first we've heard.

Xbox Live bigwig Larry Hryb - more commonly known as Major Nelson - was quick to react.

"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," he wrote on his blog.

"Project Natal will be an important part of this platform, but we have not confirmed a launch date at this time."

Rumours of new Xbox 360 hardware related to Project Natal seeped onto the internet last weekend. Microsoft has left them unchecked all week, offering only timid and ambiguous comment on the matter.

Eurogamer's Digital Foundry blog was more committal, providing a host of reasons why new Xbox 360 hardware is unlikely - although concluding that an existing 360 with a new form factor is possible.

A "yes" or a "no" would be nice.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (37) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • MeBrains #1 3 years ago

    wow. coming from Balmer, that might say something...

    it appears to me that MS is a loose cannon these days. they got new tech, want to market it asap (by lack of good games in the coming future or at least not covering a lot of genres?), so they think of launching an - arguably - new console with built in motion.

    this might as well stall current sales because a new version is on its way. hence the quick blog update... tststs.

  • Vordred #2 3 years ago

    this was no real suprise, it would make sence they would have natal built into future consoles. i mean i would rather have it built in than something extra pluged into my console, but on the other hand thats what it will be as i already have one

  • woodnotes #3 3 years ago

    This is late.

    Since then, comment was retracted. New 360 SKU, not completely new console.

  • jaguarwong #4 3 years ago

    You know how with Freeview you can either buy a digital reciever or buy a TV one with one built in already - is it not obvious that MS are planning the same kind of thing for Natal.

    I'm sure the gaming specs will remain unchanged.

  • Xerx3s #5 3 years ago

    Build in? I highly doubt that. Way too many practical problems and costs. He probably meant included in the package.

  • Les #6 3 years ago

    "wow. coming from Balmer, that might say something..."

    Given that he learned how to vapourize from the master, it's probably reasonable to assume that a 360-Natal is at least 2 years off if it actually will ever see the light of day... ;)

  • Negotiator #7 3 years ago

    This should read Ballmer freaks out on stage, Teamxbox.com have got a vid of him doing just that.

  • drumbaby #8 3 years ago

    Having it built in severely limits where you can place the console...totally daft idea. Put it in the bottom of the entertainment cabinet and it's rendered useless, just as one example. Mental.

  • woodnotes #9 3 years ago

    It's not going to be built in to the actual console, just included in the packaging. Like the Wii.

  • login_name #10 3 years ago

    i would rather have it built in than something extra pluged into my console

    Having the camera built into the machine would be poo. It would severely limit your placement options.
    I suspect that the "built-in camera" is more of a packed-in camera.

    *Edit* I guess everyone thought the same thing as I was drinking my coffee :)
    Edited by 1 at 19/06/09 @ 08:59

  • superted1974 #11 3 years ago

    Come on guys - he must mean this....

    The Natal camera shown at E3 does the processing on board and sends the results via USB.

    The "built in" Natal will have a wireless camera is a sexy small form that can be stuck anywhere and send the prictures to the new xbox to be processes on board.

    Do I win?

  • Domovoi #12 3 years ago

    How many more Digital Foundry product placements are we going to have in these newsposts?

  • Bigglesworth #13 3 years ago

    "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,"

    Cue much coughing and spluttering from those who usually laugh at Sony's frequent '10-year lifecycle' statements.

  • Beano #14 3 years ago

    "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"

    A non-denial denial :)

    Besides a 10 year lifecycle does not mean a new Xbox can't be launched 5-6 after the 360 - just look at PS1 and PS2.

  • asphaltcowboy #15 3 years ago

    Of course Ballmer meant a new Xbox SKU... not an entirely new Xbox! 8)

  • Skooch #16 3 years ago

    This is much more of a console iteration than a "new" console. Apple do this all the time, new shapes, colours and memory for iPods and it works because they can push the price back up to what it was originally before (what it started at) because it is a new iteration and is seen to be a new "offering".

    So, I guess now there will be the Arcade sku, the 20Gb HD Premium version, the 120Gb Elite and then the Natal sku.

    EDIT: No-one called the slim PS2 a "new console" did they? This is the same scenario.
    Edited by 1 at 19/06/09 @ 09:58

  • knocker #17 3 years ago

    I would certainly be in favour of new iterations of the existing consoles rather than entirely new versions.

    All three could do with tweaking in several areas - and you would have to be slightly fearful of investing gazzilions of quids into launching a new console at around £300 at the moment.

  • Widge #18 3 years ago

    I'm all for things being built into one box, but a camera is a bit strange. Its got to be properly flexible!

  • penhalion #19 3 years ago

    @Ashen-Shugar

    Someone with common sense at last. The way the camera works (and yes I have seen an actual dev Natal) there is no practical way to build it into an SKU. I'm fairly certain that Balmer was talking about the built-in processor within the Natal unit and not about a new XBox 360 unless a new slimline version counts as a whole new console these days.

    It's not unlikely that a new slim 360 with bundled Natal could completely replace the existing SKU some time next year. However, if that is the case, then the first place you'd hear about it would be retail, where sticks of existing 360 SKUs would begin to dry up after the new year.

    From a dev perspective, the changes would make zero difference to new or existing 360 projects.

  • Domovoi #20 3 years ago

    another version of the xbox 360! how many versions of the flawed console are floating around now, 5,6?!

    One.

  • miiiguel #21 3 years ago

    jigdudes posting history is a disgrace. EG's report system is broken.

  • Les #22 3 years ago

    "i hope that Natal nonsene flops big time, especially after all those fake target videos they showed off at E3."

    Why? I personally have no problem with MS showing that stuff (like I have no problem with target renders). They have a product (concept is probably more accurate) to sell and as long as it's not finished, this is the only way to present it. Though it does of course put MS snipes at Sony showing stuff prematurely into the proper perspective: Irrelevance.

    What does upset me is the total lack of critical thought within the video game press with regards to these kind of presentations. In part it is of course the fault of us gamers as well as we're always looking for the next thing to be hyped.

  • toa_boa #23 3 years ago

    *sigh* you too eurogamer?...How far you have fallen from grace ;-)

  • laudy #24 3 years ago

    Domovoi

    are 360 (component cables) and 360 elite (hdmi cable) the same console?

  • laudy #25 3 years ago


    or do you pay your money and whatever's in the box you get stuck with?

  • Kerome #26 3 years ago

    This will be a new form factor only, with the Natal camera built in. You can count on it.

    Now if it's silent and visually a bit toned down, I might even consider it a worthwhile update.

  • Zaltan #27 3 years ago

    How will a console with a built in motion sensing camera be any good... My consoles aren't really any where near my monitor.

  • laudy #28 3 years ago

    Domovoi

    My mistake...I've just found this from the ShopTo guy:

    "Having three consoles on the market is enough without adding a fourth," ShopTo's Igor 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."

    so the answer is actually...

    Three.

  • miiiguel #29 3 years ago

    "are 360 (component cables) and 360 elite (hdmi cable) the same console? "
    All 360's have now hdmi component, however if you want to be sure just check for it's symbol in the (outside) letering whithin the box, it goes along with Live; Dolby; and logo's like that.

  • wellzy4eva #30 3 years ago

    I wonder if this means they'll fade out the pro (Or whatever they call it these days) or the Elite, I hope they repackage pro and have a new Elite with a much bigger Hard Drive and the fabled wireless technology everyone wants.

    Btw, does anyone else think that a new Xbox SKU could mean they could have wireless webcam facility? (Exclusive to the new SKU)

  • CHAZBIGPOTATO #31 3 years ago

    What a twat for saying that. As if there wasn't enough confusion already.

    Edit. Balmer, that is
    Edited by 1 at 19/06/09 @ 14:55

  • wellzy4eva #32 3 years ago

    Probably marketed as something like the "Xbox360 Vision"

    [edit] You heard it here first...
    Edited by 1 at 19/06/09 @ 15:08

  • penhalion #33 3 years ago

    Seriously. The Natal system doesn't just have a camera. It has a number of other sensors too. There is no way to build that into a console and have it work as intended. The CD noise that close to the unit alone would kill it's mic pick-up unless they expect you to wear a portable mic like TV presenters do.

    Balmer has the wrong end of the stick from somewhere. You'd even need to position your 360 so that it could see directly ahead and you wouldn't be able to put it on it's side etc. etc. The unit only works as an add on. If integrated into the console you'd be inviting trouble.

    I know people love to speculate but, alot of this speculation goes against any practicality what so ever.

  • drewman5150 #34 3 years ago

    "With built-in camera for 2010"

    At that price, assuming it's dollars, I think they might just price themselves out of the market...

  • davisorle #35 3 years ago

    J1GSAW quit crying already :)

  • ObiChrisKenobi #36 3 years ago

    Built in camera? Hmm, unless it has a pully out range there's going to be a lot of strangely balanced Xbox's ontop of flatscreen HD TVs...

  • konnsky #37 3 years ago

    Steve Ballmer?

    DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS! DEVELOPERS!