A recent post on gaming blog Kotaku suggested that Microsoft may have ceased production of the original Xbox. The post cited an anonymous "retail source" claiming that this week marked the cut-off point for manufacturing Xbox consoles.

However, a report on GameDaily BIZ quotes Microsoft denying the rumor and reiterating its support for its first console "well into 2006."

"Our plans for the original Xbox platform remain unchanged from what we discussed last year at E3. We expect to continue to sell Xbox consoles well into 2006," a Microsoft spokesperson told the news site.

"We have more than 800 Xbox games in the portfolio today with many more being added in the coming years. Xbox is a great value for consumers and we expect to continue to see good demand for the platform in 2006."

With the Xbox 360 now stealing stage time, it's understandable some would worry that Microsoft will abandon its first baby -- especially given the cost of production. Cutting the first Xbox now would be a particularly sharp sting, given the scarcity of X360 systems. For now, however, it looks like Microsoft will keep the big black boxes rolling into stores.

News-Story: http://xbox360.ign.com