Don’t Expect To See New Xbox At E3
According to an article at Kotaku, Microsoft has announced that they are not planning on showcasing any new hardware. Instead, they’ll be using their space at E3 to “build on that Xbox 360 momentum”, where according to Microsoft the 360 outsold all TV-connected devices last year.
Rumors have been flying around that the next Xbox would have a 2013 release, but this statement by Microsoft seems to suggest that the company isn’t thinking about releasing the console code-named Durango anytime in the near future. “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.” It seems to me that if Microsoft wants to sell the next generation of the Xbox, they would want people to know about it well ahead of time to build up the hype, lest we have another Sega Saturn on our hands.
So, it’s a little disappointing to see that nothing will be revealed hardware-wise, but considering some of the rumors, it’s not too surprising that Microsoft might want to keep it under their hats for a little bit. The new console is rumored to not have any sort of disc drive available for it, and it will not play pre-owned games. If/when Microsoft announces those “features”, it’s likely to cause quite an uproar with consumers. Until they can’t do it any more, they’re going to milk the 360 money machine for all it’s worth.
