Microsoft’s Ballmer ‘Sorry’ for New Xbox Comment

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has now issued his own statement to clarify his recent comments suggesting that a new Xbox add-on would be coming in 2010.

During a recent conference, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer sent the gaming world into a frenzy when he said that a “new Xbox 360 will hit the store shelves in 2010″ with a “natural interface.” Most of us assumed this meant that new hardware (possibly slightly upgraded) would be bundled with Natal for next year.

The next day, however, Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg immediately clarified that there would be no new Xbox in 2010, adding that “we’re barely halfway through this generation.”

As if that were not enough, Ballmer has now decided to issue his own statement on the matter. “I confused the issue with my poorly chosen words. There is no news in my comments. Things are as reported after E3. Sorry,” he told consumer gaming site IGN.

We still think there’s something fishy about all of this. Did the head of one of the most powerful companies in the world really choose his words that poorly? For now we’ll have to take Ballmer’s clarification at face value, but it’s not that uncommon for companies to repeatedly deny news up until they’re actually ready for an official announcement.