(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});Rumors have been growing more and more with Microsoft making an "announcement" on their newest console. They haven't "nailed" down a name for it yet, so it's been called widely the XBOX 720.
When the company began advertising for several key hardware development positions on their own website back in February. However, there is significant reason to not get overly excited just yet, as Microsoft has already announced it plans to keep running with the Xbox 360 until 2015.
After taking major financial losses after releasing the 360, they will want to ensure that any new console launch is planned meticulously.
Even with the seldom information they have released about their newest console, this doesn’t rule anything out either. It is entirely possible that Microsoft could launch the "XBOX 720" during the life cycle of their current console, just as Sony did with relative success when they carried on selling PlayStation 2 units well after the release of the PlayStation 3.
The company is being very quiet on the idea of this new console, and while the Senior Dev's for Microsoft are discussing many new innovations and they have also included the possibility of new hardwares. Microsoft is attempting to stay very low key on the project, due to the fact that they are trying to keep the Kinect the newest and hottest thing for them.
Originally posted by another user
After all this is Microsoft, who spent a rumored $500m to advertise Kinect during the launch period and sales are doing well with well over 10m units sold so far worldwide. For Microsoft, Kinect IS the next generation of gaming hardware and for the time being. They seem content to push the product with that strap line and any announcement about a new console could well damage the current marketing push for the Kinect by shifting interest from one piece of hardware to another.
It is almost certain that Nintendo will announce the development of a Wii 2 to the world at E3 later this year in Los Angeles. With Microsoft’s main rival, Sony publicly stating that they have no concrete plans for a PlayStation 4, it seems that Microsoft is happy to keep us gamers guessing for the time being.
But, what do we know about the Xbox 720? Well here are the latest rumours about the spec for the console;
- It is widely reported that any new Xbox console will have the Kinect intergrated to alleviate the need for consumers to buy two pieces of expensive hardware and to ensure that there is no dip in the sales of Kinect games.
- Rumors are also circulating that Microsoft is looking at including a Blu-ray drive on any new console that they start to develop.
An overhaul of the Xbox Live system has also been discussed after many gamers admitted that they would be keen to see Microsoft replicate Sony’s Internet browsing feature currently available on the PlayStation 3.
- Very, very feint mutterings of 3D gaming also being introduced in some way on the next Microsoft console.
- It is unlikely that there will be any annoucement made by Microsoft officially on a new console until 2013 at the earliest, due largely to the facts that the Xbox 360 is still selling and the Kinect was only launched last year.
Originally posted by another user
Speculation on this subject is rife. At the moment, that’s all it is with nothing yet confirmed by the people that matter at Microsoft. It will be interesting to see what happens at E3 in June though. With Nintendo set to make a big annoucement, you would have to think that maybe, just maybe both Microsoft and Sony might have something up their sleeves.