During his speech at The Executive's Club of Chicago, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer stated explicitly that a new Xbox console is being prepared for launch in 2010.
Ballmer described the new console as having a "natural interface" and including a camera that can track movements and voices. The description leaves little doubt that the new console sports Project Natal.
Xbox Live's Larry Hyrb, however, was quick to play down the suggestions by Ballmer, writing on his blog: "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."
"Project Natal will be an important part of this platform, but we have not confirmed a launch date at this time."
Earlier this week, Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft director of product management, stated that "Natal will run on Xbox 360 so no new console investment will be necessary."
