Microsoft Announcing The Next Xbox May 21st
The world has been waiting and it’s finally happening. Microsoft revealed yesterday that the future of Xbox will all be revealed next month.
On Tuesday May 21st, we’ll mark the beginning of a new generation of games, TV and entertainment. On that day, we’ll be holding a special press event on the Xbox campus and we invite you to join us via the live global stream that will be available on Xbox.com, Xbox LIVE and broadcast on Spike TV if you are in the US or Canada.
On that day, we’ll share our vision for Xbox, and give you a real taste of the future. Then, 19-days later at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, we’ll continue the conversation and showcase our full lineup of blockbuster games.
We are thrilled to pull back the curtain and reveal what we’ve been working on.
A New Generation Revealed
Xbox Campus, Redmond WA
Tuesday, May 21st @ 1p ET/10a PT/17:00 GMT
Let the speculations begin.
Charles Kheng
April 25, 2013 @ 6:55 pm
I’m calling it now. Kinect required and always online.
Daniel Flatt
May 4, 2013 @ 11:52 pm
Microsoft needs to come out swinging hard or they will utterly lose this generation of gaming. Sure the giant software company has deep pockets, but if it isn’t a viable money maker they just won’t bother with it. They don’t really HAVE to have a horse in the race to make money after all.
Even hardcore fanboys of Microsoft are absolutely declaring not to buy the system with always online required. If they make this blunder, or focus on Kinect, I fear we might be looking at the last console from Microsoft. With rumors of them being 6 months behind and a dismal launch display building, along with all the swirling confusion about always online, they are in a very poor position right now. PS3 has closed the gap and it doesn’t help that Microsoft simply sat on their laurels and kept pointing at their excellent online Live tool
At the end of the day gamers care about games, and the only exclusives they currently tout is Halo, Gears, Forza and Fable. They HAVE to put on an absolutely smashing presentation to even gain back ground they lost.
Good luck Microsoft. I really do wish you well, the industry needs the competition.
Christopher Deleanides
May 5, 2013 @ 11:35 am
You’re right. In the end Microsoft is not a video game company, it has a game division. If it benefited them to do so, they could just as easily axe it.
Charles Kheng
May 6, 2013 @ 7:00 am
Actually, if Microsoft announces backwards compatibility, they will win the next generation before it even starts.
Christopher Deleanides
May 6, 2013 @ 11:48 am
Why? It’s not like that’s never been done before.
Charles Kheng
May 6, 2013 @ 4:09 pm
Not in the traditional sense. PS3 and Xbox 360 backwards compatibility are using emulation which forces consumers to again purchase old games.
If Microsoft were to give consumers backwards compatibility, it will encourage early adopters to buy their console no matter the launch lineup. Also, about 6 months after the console release, we will probably see a slow down of new games and it will help Microsoft sell units as consumers are able to play their old games no problem.
Whereas compared to Sony, if the launch lineup does not satisfy consumers, they won’t even bother picking it up until the game they want comes along.
Christopher Deleanides
May 6, 2013 @ 6:37 pm
Nintendo’s done it with Wii, and Sony with the PS2.
Charles Kheng
May 6, 2013 @ 8:11 pm
Take a look at what games you will be losing without backwards compatibility.
Red Dead Redemption, GTA IV, Tomb Raider, Bioshock, Dragon’s Dogma and the list goes on and on. Sony would arguably lose more with The Last of Us, Beyond Two Souls, Heavy Rain and Journey.
We have seen plenty of great games this generation and I would not mind buying the next Xbox even with always online and Kinect if it means I still get to play these great games.
Christopher Deleanides
May 6, 2013 @ 8:46 pm
I would be missing them if I didn’t own a PS360 in the first place. Anyway, it’ll strengthen their launch for sure; but I’m not really going to put my money on them winning the entire generation due to backwards compatibility.
Daniel Flatt
May 7, 2013 @ 6:25 am
Definitely see your point, but I’ve always been perplexed by people crying for backwards compatibility. If the old system is so important, and you know you want to play the games on it, don’t trade it to GameStop for 5 dollars off the cost of your new system.
Charles Kheng
May 7, 2013 @ 7:29 am
A console costs significantly cheaper than a PC. If they supported backwards compatibility, I could trade in only my old console to help absorb some of the cost of the new one, making it even cheaper and I still get to keep my old games.
Without backwards compatibility, gamers won’t be able to enjoy current gen titles anymore. So many would probably question why should they get the next gen consoles on day one if it means giving up on great titles that they already know they enjoy.
And like most consoles, 6 months after the launch of a new one, there would be a dry spell of new games and gamers would have already played all the launch lineup which they would have wanted. The consoles essentially becomes an expensive paperweight. Backwards compatibility would also help remedy this issue.
Daniel Flatt
May 6, 2013 @ 7:39 pm
I think he’s talking more with the this generation of consoles, the backwards compatibility thing took a big hit. With them retaining backwards compatibility they could play Xbox games third party still releasing.
Still I don’t know if it would give them that huge a boost. At that point most of those games are going to be coming out on both systems, Xbox 360 and Xbox Next, for a while.
Charles Kheng
May 6, 2013 @ 8:13 pm
It’s true. We won’t know how many units they will sell with backwards compatibility. But it will definitely encourage early adopters and possibly help them pull ahead of the pack in the short run.
Daniel Flatt
May 7, 2013 @ 6:26 am
I agree that it will help them out some, it creates good will at the very least. Xbox needs every advantage it can get right now and Sony has already came out and said PS4 is not backwards.