Ballmer sorry about confusing Natal 2010 statement

by Justin McElroy { Jun 22nd 2009 at 10:15AM }

It's not every day that the head of a multi-billion dollar corporation apologizes to you, so excuse us if we drink deeply of Steve Ballmer's statement to IGN, in which he apologized for referencing a new 360 console to launch in 2010 last week.

Specifically, he said "I confused the issue with my poorly chosen words. There is no news in my comments. Things are as reported after E3. Sorry." Tell you what, Steve, you give us one of your patented "World's Greatest Back Rubs," and all is forgiven. (Also, we're sure you meant a new Xbox 360 bundle, right?)

Tags: microsoft, project-natal, steve-ballmer, xbox-360, xbox-natal

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Levi @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:21AM

DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS

Geist @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:48AM

DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS

Anthology @ Jun 22nd 2009 11:41AM

I. LOVE. THIS. COMPANY.

Archon (PSN: Archonik, XBL: DarkARHN) @ Jun 22nd 2009 12:06PM

Malkovich, Malkovich, Malkovich?

BananaBoat @ Jun 22nd 2009 12:13PM

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, BEETLEJUICE!

MystileArmor @ Jun 22nd 2009 12:28PM

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUWWWWWWWWWWWWW

ohyeahcola @ Jun 22nd 2009 12:38PM

JACKASS JACKASS JACKASS

I am a machineee @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:21AM

I don't think I want any backrubs from him if he's going to be thrusting like pictured above.

Young_Nastyman @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:31AM

I thought that's why they were World's Greatest

CGamble20 @ Jun 23rd 2009 1:06AM

lol gentlemen... that was brilliant work there.

Frivolous @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:23AM

I am ready for some SCII beta info today!

Ghen @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:57AM

completely off topic, but I'm excited about Starcraft 2 as well... is that what you ment?

vidGuy @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:25AM

If Natal is really going to take off, it will need to be packaged with the next console. I think a cheap bundle would be good for the 360, but the next console shouldn't be too far off or else the thing could easily flop. Assuming Natal gets delayed until, say, Spring 2011, I could see a new console in Nov ember 2011.

GordoJones @ Jun 22nd 2009 3:11PM

Yes, Natal will be bundled with every new Xbox 360 sold as of November 2010, both the Arcade and Pro versions. It will be a new Xbox 360 redesigned for better reliability, cheaper manufacturing costs, and will be quieter. It will come with the current wireless controller and will use the same current hard drives available. Current Xbox 360 owners will offered an incentive to add a Natal to their existing setup. It will have a massive world-wide launch. It appears that the Xbox 720 is a few more years down the road.

vidGuy @ Jun 22nd 2009 4:03PM

That scenario sounds fine for new buyers but I really doubt Natal could get off the ground without the support of current owners. Unless they create a cheap bundle - say Natal camera with a Wii-Sports-esque game for $19.99 - this thing needs to be in the standard package for the console.

To put it in perspective, how do you think the Wii controller would have done if it was released as an add-on to the Gamecube at $40+? It would have been under-supported for sure.

Young_Nastyman @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:26AM

He's actually thinking "This is how you toast an invisible sandwich at Quiznos"

Storm Eagle @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:29AM

TORPEDOOOO!!!!!

yum yum yum yum yum......

ill trooper @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:34AM

Is Ballmer getting excited and blurting out inaccurate things so unusual, though? Anything he says requires a fact-check, it seems.

Storm Eagle @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:40AM

I don't think it's so much misinformation as misinterpretation. He doesn't have very good sentence structure and tends leave key words out of his sentences that can mean the difference in him saying one thing, or something completely different.

Donald @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:40AM

Hitting the Ballmer Peak is very difficult.

NoughtSoClever @ Jun 22nd 2009 10:59AM

I love when these CEO types give backtracking press statements. Sustinatively, he didn't actually say anything at all. He didn't confirm that there would or would not be a new console. He basically said: "I didn't say that there wouldn't NOT be a console."

Cody @ Jun 22nd 2009 11:13AM

You're not NOT gonna get Randy Jackson's autograph!

Ridgecity @ Jun 22nd 2009 1:52PM

Truth on not, now i's the best time not to buy an xbox360, or lat least just try to get it cheap since It's pretty much a given a NEW CONSOLE IS COMING as there was been a few comments during interviews that say this, not confirmations, just a few slips by management.

Not to mention they are holding on to Valhalla chipsets,

PedoJokerBear (aka Deeznuts) @ Jun 22nd 2009 11:05AM

oh come on guys you know hes just practicing his shot put for the olympic trial runs

Azariel_z @ Jun 22nd 2009 11:51AM

Thats a good pose for the new "Farting Paint Party Bundle"..yeah, you get the Corn edition too...

Zoot Suit Jedi @ Jun 22nd 2009 12:32PM

Balmer reveals that, on Lord of the Rings - Natal edition, Legolas is his absolute fave.

Enosoma @ Jun 22nd 2009 1:07PM

CAMMIE!

Seriously, though. I'm positive that half of all CEOs, COOs, and PR people in the games industry have no idea what they're talking about. So a minor syntax error like this would never have even registered on his radar.

Why do they get paid again?

CAMMIE!!!!