Ok everyone, prepare yourselves for something incredible…a new rumor about the next generation of consoles! Take a moment to regain your composure.
There have been a whole lot of rumors regarding the debut of the next Xbox (lovingly referred to as the Xbox 720 by everyone but Microsoft), as well as the PlayStation 4. It makes sense, and even if there weren’t any reports to back up those rumors the speculation would be running wild because of the time table alone–not to mention the coming of the Wii U.
A new report coming out of Develop claims that a date has been tentatively planned by Microsoft. If the report is accurate, the next Xbox will be unveiled at E3 2013, with a planned launch window of that holiday season, or early 2014.
The news would be the first confirmation of a release window, but it isn’t surprising. The Xbox 360 debuted in November 2005, and Microsoft has said that it has a ten year plan for their console. A 2013 release would make for an eight year gap, plus, a new console release doesn’t mean that support for the Xbox 360 will immediately stop.
If the console is released in late 2013, it will likely be at least two years before the Xbox 360 comes close to ending its support, probably more. The release date also fits with some of the rumors we have been hearing regarding several Xbox-exclusive developers. Recently an Alan Wake sequel was said to be in development, but it will be for the next generation of console. Lionshead, developer of the Fable franchise and Turn 10, developer of the Forza series, are also said to be developing their next titles for the next-gen.
And if the Xbox 720 is coming in 2013, the PlayStation 4 can’t be far behind. The year lead that Sony gave to Microsoft has proven to be a massive advantage—at least in America, where the 360 has a huge lead in terms of sales. Sony is killing it in Japan, but can’t afford to give any more ground to its competitor.
Originally most assumed that the next Xbox would be released in 2015, but evidence has been mounting that the console will be revealed much sooner than that. The next batch of rumors put both the next Xbox and the PS4 in 2014, then the reports seemed to suggest that both the next Xbox and the PS4 would hit in 2012. A new series of job placement ads on LinkedIn seem to confirm that work is moving ahead at full steam, but 2013 seems like a more realistic target.
The likely reasoning behind the faster development cycle is the Wii U, which is due sometime in 2012. The Wii U will not be as powerful as what most are expecting with the next Xbox and the PS4, but it will be a significant increase over the Xbox 360 and PS3, not to mention the current Wii. The question is, are fans willing to upgrade?
Sales on the Wii have been dropping steadily for a while now, and an update to at least include HD graphics is a must. But the 360 and PS3 both just seem to be hitting their strides. In general, graphics can always be improved, but the systems are both continuing to introduce new features and expand their online footprints. Neither system seems to be close to reaching its maximum potential. With game sales already slumping, and the economy not exactly awesome, will people be willing to shell out several hundred dollars for another new system? Not to mention the games, which, if they follow the pattern of the previous generations, will raise in price, possibly to $70 a title.
The fear of losing a head start and surrendering too much of a lead to Nintendo will likely push both Microsoft and Sony to release their next consoles sooner than they had originally intended. Whether that’s a good thing though, remains to be seen.
So it might b as good as the ps3 buy then Haha eggbox 720 more like
Next gen is here, now…
Its not being named the 720. Microsoft isn’t that dumb.
xbox 1080 sounds a lot better anyway =P
Yes they are…
So it might b as good as the ps3 buy then Haha eggbox 720 more like
The move to put out a new console is driven by technolog what people dont realize is its not graphic technology that is pushing this new console its the move to cloud gaming, and a seemless OS that is pushing this new console. What better way for MS to push and sell their cloud service then to start with the gaming community. And if this goes off without a hitch think how many more services would want to use cloud tech as another method to fight piracy.
I seriously hope that this rumour is false. Most of the games out there still do not take full advantage of what the PS3 can do. They should wait to put out new consoles when technology has surpassed what the current systems can do. So far that has not happened.
Sorry…same with the Xbox 360.
Sadly, Xbox is a bit easier to code for… Being that it’s architecture is more simplistic. So when it comes to designing a game, they basically design it for the Xbox, and then modify it for the PS3. So devs never really take full advantage of the PS3′s complex hardware. I have been following the PS3 for quite a while. Mainly because I used to work in an IBM plant that was part of the CELL development. We manufactured old versions of the CELL back in the 90′s. It was then, and is today, well beyond the competition. It’s just a shame that that companies don’t take advantage of it… The PS3 could go on for another 10 years… Though the RSX (GPU) would have to be upgraded…
You hit the nail on the head. Most cross platform games are developed on the Xbox first. IMO, games made specifically for the PS3 look wayyy better than games on the Xbox 360. Unfortunately they are far and few between.
So no one is talking about how this author is expecting game to be $70 a title?
If you read the articel, the author of the sory stated “If they follow the pattern of previous (game) generations”. He is making an educated guess about it.
Correct… And it is really a rather accurate guess… I can remember when CD’s were $20-30 a game. Heck, when the Playstation first came out, one of it’s major bragging point was that it was cheaper to manufacture discs than cartridges. But they still sold the games for $40-50. The price of games has increased exponentially with each new console releases. SP2 games were $50. PS1 games were $40. Nintendo 64 games were around $30-40. So an and so fourth. It is not out of the realm of possibility to assume there will be another increase in prices, just because the company can. Though, I think they will suffer for it.
Next gen is here, now…