Is XBOX looking to shock E3 with a new console?

[JBHuskers]

http://www.develop-online.net/news/3...on-desks-at-EA

The successor to the Xbox 360 console is on desks at an unnamed Electronic Arts studio, Develop understands.

The new hardware, sent to EA last month, is a very early build with no casing – it is in fact being stored inside a PC shell.

EA developers are getting to grips with the tech to create first-generation software, Develop has been told.

“Quite often when new consoles come around they’re packaged into a PC shell, but actually what’s inside is an entirely new console,” a senior, trusted, well-placed source said.

Microsoft has declined to comment. EA has declined to comment. Develop’s source is not employed at either company.

The source believed, but did not have certain information, that the new Xbox would launch by the end of 2012. The individual expects an announcement will be made, at least in some form, at E3.

SHOW TIME
In March, new data revealed Microsoft was at the early stages in building the successor to the Xbox 360.

The platform owner had advertised new job vacancies such as Graphics Hardware Architect and Performance Engineer for the Xbox Console Architecture Group.

Microsoft’s new hires will be “responsible for defining and delivering next generation console architectures from conception through implementation,” the company said.

The language of the job vacancies suggested a reveal for the console is years away, but Develop’s source says a shock reveal could be weeks away.

“Why let Nintendo steal the thunder in June [At E3]? It doesn’t want to lose momentum. That’s why I think Microsoft is rushing to make an announcement at E3.”

It leads to suspicion that key next-gen projects are underway at Microsoft’s own internal studios. Some project names Develop has seen would suggest a change of guard.

NEXT GENERATION
Specifications for the device are not available, for now. Develop understands that the hardware will feature enhanced support for Kinect with just a couple of alterations.

Over 52 million Xbox consoles have been sold since the system’s launch in May 2005.

Microsoft’s innovative motion controller, Kinect, launched November last year and has buoyed the console’s appeal.

Ten million Kinect units were sold worldwide as of March this year.

“Kinect will keep the 360 going for a couple of years, but Microsoft knows that if it slows down now it will face trouble,” the source added.

[CLW]

DAMN Sony. Going to get beat to the punch again and I'll have to look forward to getting all the bugs when porting over the Crapbox 720 to PS4.

[I OU a Beatn]

It wont matter if they don't do something about their severe lacking of hardcore first party titles. If Epic Games decides to go multiplatform and take Gears with them, Microsoft would be completely f.u.c.k.e.d. They definitely need to ramp up their first party production and I don't mean these stupid Kinect games. I'll definitely be watching this closely, though.

[JBHuskers]

I know new dev kits were just developed for 360, part of me is wondering if the delivery of those spurned some rumor?

To me, a new console at the end of 2012 makes no sense to me with Kinect just launching. That would be a slap in the face of the millions that got the Kinect.

[CLW]

It wont matter if they don't do something about their severe lacking of hardcore first party titles. If Epic Games decides to go multiplatform and take Gears with them, Microsoft would be completely f.u.c.k.e.d. They definitely need to ramp up their first party production and I don't mean these stupid Kinect games. I'll definitely be watching this closely, though.

This is true. However, IMHO the biggest reason why the 360 has outsold the PS3 even with the rings of death is b/c they were first. Americans want the latest and "greatest" and will buy it up even if it is a pile of shit. IF MS beats Sony out with the next generation of console out by ANY significant amount of time the PS4 will once again be little brother in terms of market share and EA will focus on MS leaving likely issues with its ports of NCAA etc... to the PS4.

[CLW]

I know new dev kits were just developed for 360, part of me is wondering if the delivery of those spurned some rumor?

To me, a new console at the end of 2012 makes no sense to me with Kinect just launching. That would be a slap in the face of the millions that got the Kinect.

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't Kinect basically just a webcam that is attached to the back of the 360? If so there is nothing that would stop them from allowing Kinect to also be used on the 720.

[JBHuskers]

Correct me if I am wrong but isn't Kinect basically just a webcam that is attached to the back of the 360? If so there is nothing that would stop them from allowing Kinect to also be used on the 720.

...but that means all of those casual family gamers would have to buy another console.

[souljahbill]

Microsoft isn't doing this to beat Sony. They just don't want Nintendo eating all the "casual" pie again. Hopefully, they know not to rush their hardware launches anymore. People will already be skeptical after going through 4 or 5 360s. If they rush to get into it with Nintendo, Microsoft may not be able to withstand RRoD 2.

[I OU a Beatn]

This is true. However, IMHO the biggest reason why the 360 has outsold the PS3 even with the rings of death is b/c they were first. Americans want the latest and "greatest" and will buy it up even if it is a pile of shit. IF MS beats Sony out with the next generation of console out by ANY significant amount of time the PS4 will once again be little brother in terms of market share and EA will focus on MS leaving likely issues with its ports of NCAA etc... to the PS4.

I think that's partly why it sold so well, but it's a console that WAS geared towards Americans. It doesn't do shit outside of America for the most part. But anyway, the entire reason it sold so well early on is because of the exclusives it had. Within the first year or two, it had games like Forza 2, Halo 3, Gears of War, Lost Odyssey, Call of Duty 2, Perfect Dark, etc...It was just loaded with quality games. Add to that the seamless online connectivity with your friends and the addictiveness of the achievement system and you've got yourself a winner.

Flip on over to a year later with Sony and their PS3 launch. I couldn't tell you the launch games outside of Resistance: Fall of Man. That was literally the only worthwhile title picking up for months. Plus, when it shipped and for years afterwards, you couldn't even check your messages in the middle of the game. You'd have to quit as there was no such thing as in game XMB. There was no achievement system, and the general consensus was that it was garbage as an online console, which is what a lot of Americans want. The price tag didn't help, either. It was just a complete mess of a launch.

Fast forward 4 or 5 years later now. The 360 has Gears 3 and Forza 4 coming out, with a bunch of casual exclusives and a bunch of multiplatform games. People are pissed and they have the right to be. Microsoft has completely abandoned the "hardcore" gamer by putting 90% of it's eggs in the Kinect basket. On the opposite, Sony is about ready to explode(if they can manage to get their stupid online service up and running before Christmas). They have already released Killzone 3, SOCOM 4, The Show 11, LittleBigPlanet 2, Motorstorm Apocalypse, etc...In the next 6 months, they're going to be releasing inFAMOUS 2, Resistance 3, Uncharted 3, Twisted Metal, and other titles that I know I'm missing. If they can get cross game chat and a party system implemented this year and do a price drop, their sales are going to hit the roof.

It's kind of stupid. Microsoft is currently doing what Sony did at the beginning and Sony is doing what Microsoft did at the beginning. Like I said, if Epic ever decides to make Gears multiplatform, that may be the death blow. I'm pretty sure people are getting tired of Halo and aside from those 2, Microsoft doesn't have much in terms of hardcore exclusives.

[JBHuskers]

Microsoft isn't doing this to beat Sony. They just don't want Nintendo eating all the "casual" pie again. Hopefully, they know not to rush their hardware launches anymore. People will already be skeptical after going through 4 or 5 360s. If they rush to get into it with Nintendo, Microsoft may not be able to withstand RRoD 2.

You just said "eating all the casual pie"

[steelerfan]

You just said "eating all the casual pie"

Remind you of college?

[JBHuskers]

Remind you of college?

Yep.

[souljahbill]

You just said "eating all the casual pie"

Nintendo is to casual pie as The Rock is to poontang pie.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[morsdraconis]

If Microsoft does this, it's to attempt to steal Nintendo's thunder. Nintendo is definitely, without a doubt, announcing the "Wii 2" at E3 this year.

I think Microsoft would be VERY smart to get a new console out there now. It's been almost 6 years (6 years in November) since it was launched. They'd be nuts to sit on this current generation instead of pushing for the next best thing. With all the incredible video card technology out there right now, they could put a ATI Radeon HD 6950 in their consoles (compared to the shitty ATI Xenos that's in the 360 right now, it'd be like having two video cards in the 360 instead of one) and totally blow away anything else that's out right now when it comes to consoles.

Their biggest obstacle is the DVD medium. They're going to have to upgrade to Blu-ray (or just forgo the physical medium altogether - but they're nowhere close to that stage yet) which means increasing the initial price of the hardware by more than if they were still using the DVD medium. It won't be that much of an increase though because Blu-ray isn't brand spanking new now like it was when the PS3 launched.

Even with the chipset upgrade for the graphics card and the upgrade in medium from DVD to Blu-ray, I'd say they could still hit the $350 to $400 price point that they'll want to have starting out (include a 250 or 300 gig harddrive with it and all that) but they'll definitely have to worry about heat issues with the upgraded graphics cards. They definitely can't skimp on the cooling for it like they did with the 360.

[jaymo76]

Believe it when I see it. Last we heard Micrsoft was looking to possibly introduce a bluray drive support for 360. I don't expect to see a NEW sony/Microsoft product until 2014-15 at the earliest.

[I OU a Beatn]

You definitely wont see the bluray add on for 360. They just introduced a new DVD that can hold extra storage with their last beta(that I think is still going on).

I'd say 2012 E3 reveal with release later that year, but more than likely some time 2013.

[JeffHCross]

They just introduced a new DVD that can hold extra storage

Not really.

Report: New disc format for Xbox 360 adds 1GB of space
A “highly placed” development source close to Digital Foundry has said that the “updated Xbox 360 disc format,” being tested by Microsoft will add 1GB storage for the console’s game discs.

The maximum space for game data on 360-discs currently stands at 6.8GB with 1GB of the 7.95GB dual layer DVD alloted to anti-piracy and other security measures. Digital Foundry believes the video partition has “either been drastically reduced or omitted completely in the new format Microsoft is looking to roll-out.”

http://www.vg247.com/2011/03/30/repo...-1gb-of-space/

So, really, it just adds to the space available to the game makers from the existing size of a DVD. Nice, but still nothing like changing to Blu-Ray.

[I OU a Beatn]

True, but this late in the 360's life cycle, there's absolutely no way they're going to incorporate bluray in any way. I definitely see the next Xbox using bluray, though. It would be stupid of them not to.

[SmoothPancakes]

Yeah, I've been taking part in the beta. Got a copy of Halo: Reach with the new disc format, which while it may add to the space available for game makers, from the information I received with the copy of Reach, it's to test new anti-piracy protection for future games which would use the new disc format.

[UGA14]

That would be a mistake for Microsoft to take the same rushed path they took with the 360. Unless of course hardware failure isn't a concern.