New Xbox In 2013 PS4 A Possibility

By: Pat Prescott
10/22/2011 08:32 AM ET

There have been several rumors of late that a new Xbox gaming console will be coming in 2013. There are 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. Originally, most gamers 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.

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 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.

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.

Sales on the Wii have been dropping steadily for a while now, and an update to include HD graphics is a must. However, 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.

Source: New Xbox 2013