It has been confirmed: as much as avid gamers are chomping at the bit for next generation consoles, Microsoft will not be revealing its next gen Xbox – possibly to be named the 720, or Durango, or NextBox – at June's E3 conference or anytime in the near future thereafter.
Ryan James, Group PR Manager for Microsoft Studios, said in a statement sent to Game Informer:
"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 E3 or anytime soon.
"For us, 2012 is all about Xbox 360—and it’s the best year ever for Xbox 360. The console is coming off its biggest year ever—a year in which Xbox outsold all other consoles worldwide."
Though the Xbox 360 has clearly been a heavyweight pro gaming champ, the years have dragged on and retirement should be looming before an up and coming Nintendo Wii U grabs the title.
Undoubtedly the guru inventors at Microsoft and Sony’s gaming camps are slaving away at perfecting their respective next gen systems; and there seems to be no word on whether Nintendo is doing anything with the Wii U, though they better be preparing a massively redesigned processor to produce graphics that can compete with the rumored overhauls to the Xbox and PlayStation. Nintendo has been eerily quiet.
The questions remain: what will the next Xbox be called? The 720, the NextBox, or the Durango?
How powerful, how lethal, will Microsoft make the device?
Will Microsoft eliminate its disc drive all together in favor of digital streaming and downloading?
Microsoft’s Xbox product director Aaron Greenberg has already talked of a digital future:
“For us, our bet was on digital distribution, that was the future — the ability to [play] 1080p movies with no disc, no download required; we have the largest movie and TV library, the largest HD library of any console,” he said.
All that we know is that we will not be given any more information on the hardware, technical specifications, or the name of the next gen Xbox at E3.
