It’s getting to be that time a year again. E3 time! The world’s premier platform for unveiling everything new and exciting for console and PC games. Can we expect any big news on new consoles?
From June 5th -7th we will get to see if any of the rumors that have surfaced over the past year come true, namely any word on the world’s two favorite Gaming consoles coming out with sequels.
What’s 360 + 360? 720.
720 is what the rumormongers are dubbing the highly anticipated sequel of the Microsoft’s Xbox 360. These rumors certainly aren’t anything new and have been circulating for the past several years, but still it’s something to keep an eye out this summer.
After last year’s gaming showcase, the rumors were swirling that the Xbox 720 was going to be unveiled at the next one… well the next one is here, will the next Xbox?
The executives at Microsoft are of course are vehemently denying any plans on releasing a new console. Frank Shaw, Microsoft’s Spokesperson was quoted by AllThingsD as saying: “While we appreciate all the interest in our long-range plans for the future, we can confirm that there will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at [the Electronic Entertainment Expo] or anytime soon…For us, 2012 is all about Xbox 360.”
In addition, several years ago, Shane Kim, Microsoft’s corporate VP in charge of strategy and business, was quoted as believing the Xbox 360 has a life cycle of 10 years placing the gaming system as viable through 2015 (Xbox 360 was unveiled in 2005)… Not 2012.
With Halo 4 in the works and a world of new games coming for the Kinect platform, this suggests the company believes that there’s plenty of life in the Xbox 360 yet.
All around the Orbis
Not to be outdone, Sony’s successor to the PlayStation3 – Codename the PS Orbis is also expected to make its debut before the Xbox 720. VG247 has sources telling them that PlayStation is confident their next console will be released prior Microsoft’s, sometime in 2013.
A system by any other name…
But of course, the next-gen consoles need to offer something more. Better specs, the cost, but most importantly the games.
Those who really need to know what’s being released and when are the top gaming developers – Ubisoft, Take-Two Interactive, etc. are some that come to mind. Without a stellar lineup of top of the line games, in addition to new and exciting features, any new consoles will end up worse than the Virtual Boy.
References
- Image by David Fuchs (Own work) [CC-BY-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 )], via Wikimedia Commons
- 360 to match PS3’s 10-year lifecycle, says Kim: http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/360-to-match-ps3s-10-year-lifecycle-says-kim
