With just a few short weeks left till Microsoft officially launches Project Natal (including giving it a real name that Microsoft is apparently still analyzing market research to choose one) rumors are now flooding the Internet again that the price is going to be more than the originally expected sweet spot of between $75 and $100.

According to Edge, the price is likely going to be for $149 for the stand-alone unit for current Xbox owner, while the company will offer a $299 bundle for non-Xbox customers, which includes the Xbox 360 Arcade with two games and the Natal device. Of course, no hard drive is included with the Xbox Arcade Natal bundle, just as there isn’t one with the regular $199 Arcade bundle. It is unknown which two games would be included with the Natal bundle, but it is safe to assume that it will be games compatible with or for use with Natal.

What we still do not know is whether Microsoft will sweeten the deal by packing in a title or two with the stand-alone Natal package. Our sources indicate that this is a likely possibility because they missed the price target and they need more value to motivate buyers.

Microsoft is already cranking up the PR machine by suggesting that the $149 price tag is just “pure speculation,” even while the folks at Edge insist that this is from a very “trusted” and “reliable” source. Our sources tell us that they can’t confirm the $149 price tag, saying that they still think the target of between $75 and $100 is what Microsoft needs for Natal to be successful; of course, software developers want Natal to be successful, so there is a lot of pressure on Microsoft over the pricing of Natal.

We see that many are already commenting that $149 is just too much and that they will not be buying it at this price. This is exactly what Microsoft does not want to hear. Some we have spoken with are reserving judgment until they have better look at the titles that are coming specifically for Natal. We think at $149 it will be a tough sell and we think Microsoft knows this. Don’t be surprised if it slides in under $149; but rumors of the $149 price are consistent with the many reports that we have heard about Microsoft struggling to meet its pricing targets with Natal because it simply costs more to produce than they anticipated.