Microsoft frags rumors of new Xbox console

The announcement of Project Natal—Microsoft's code name for its upcoming, motion-detecting camera for the Xbox 360—seems to have sparked sparked a series of rumors about an all-new Xbox console, possibly arriving as early as this fall. However, the party poopers at Microsoft are flatly denying it.

The latest rumor came courtesy of TG Daily, which claims that during a speech in Chicago Thursday, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer "stated openly" that "a new Xbox 360 will hit the store shelves in 2010."

The TG Daily story doesn't directly quote Ballmer's supposed announcement of a new Xbox, although it does note that the "new device" will feature a "natural interface" and "a built-in camera with the ability to recognize movement and voice"—a description that sounds an awful lot like the just-announced Natal project.

Anyway, gaming blog Kotaku followed up with Xbox Live's Aaron Greenberg, who bluntly quashed the rumor. "We're not going to be launching a new console any time soon," Greenberg told Kotaku, adding, "I really believe [Ballmer] was speaking about Project Natal." (Indeed, as CNET's David Carnoy writes, Microsoft has requested a transcript of Ballmer's speech to find out what, exactly, he did say.)

In any case, this isn't the first rumor about a new Xbox that's sprung from the Natal announcement. 1UP.com ran a post just last week claiming: "Yes, there will be a new Xbox console next fall" that will "come standard" with the Natal camera. But as Eurogamer reported, Microsoft's Greenberg "downplayed" the story, noting that "Natal will run on [any] Xbox 360 so no new console investment will be necessary."

So that appears to be the story (or lack thereof) for now, although naturally, I wouldn't rule out an Xbox 360 "Natal" bundle once the much-vaunted camera actually arrives in stores.

Then again, were Microsoft to change its mind and announce a new, quieter Xbox 360, you wouldn't hear any arguments from me.

Related:
Microsoft: There Will Be "No New Console"