Two Very Different Versions of the Next-Gen Xbox Coming

More rumors about the next generation Xbox console have surfaced recently, this time in the form of how the gaming system will be marketed toward consumers. According to recent reports, the next generation Xbox console will come in two highly different models that are designed to appeal to two very different groups of gamers on the spectrum.

The first console model is the one that gamers have been waiting for and expecting. It will provide a true, next-gen gaming experience, allowing you to play all of the newest titles as well as any Xbox Live Arcade game. In addition to that, you will have access to all the latest and greatest apps that have recently taken the Xbox 360 by storm, allowing you to watch all of your favorite movies, listen to music, catch up on all the latest sports scores and more. 

The other version is targeted more toward the casual gamer. It will use Windows 8 as the basis for its operating system and will be unable to run any Triple-A titles, which means no playing the latest Halo, Gears of War or Call of Duty games. It will, however, be able to play downloadable games from the Xbox Live Arcade marketplace. In essence, this version will function like a set-top box and give you access to the growing variety of Xbox entertainment apps, like Netflix, Hulu Plus, ESPN, Vudu, etc... There are also reports of an "instant on" feature that will allow you to resume whatever you were doing with little downtime.

These new reports come from The Verge, which cites multiple sources that are "familiar with Redmond's (Microsoft's headquarters) plans."Moreover, The Verge also claims that this two-model approach is part of a larger strategy by Microsoft to ensure that its core Xbox software is scalable to run on a plethora of different devices. There are even rumors of having a Microsoft phone that delivers a full Xbox Live experience, though that is probably a long way away. 

This marketing strategy by Microsoft is actually quite brilliant. It allows the company's console to appeal to two completely different cores of consumers. On the one hand, hard core gamers longing for the good ol' days when a gaming console was strictly used for gaming will be drawn to the traditional model, while people who really just want an entertainment hub and something to play fun games with family or friends can have that too, presumably at a lower price point. Both models are expected to be announced sometime in 2013 and become available before the end of that year. 

Rumor: Xbox 720 to be 6x as Powerful as Xbox 360

The next Xbox console, which is being dubbed the Xbox 720 until an official name is announced, has been confirmed for a Fall (October/November) 2013 release date. It is being rumored by sources at IGN that the next model will have approximately six times the processing power of the current Xbox 360.

There have already been reports from SemiAccurate and Fudzilla, two tech blogs, that have confirmed that mass production of the next-gen console's GPU will begin by the end of this year. What was also confirmed was that this new GPU will not be the rumored AMD 7000 Series Southern Islands GPU but will instead be the current-gen AMD 6000 Series. To be more precise, the next-gen Xbox will contain a GPU similar to the Radeon HD 6670. That GPU offers support for DirectX11, multidisplay output, 3D and full 1080p HD.

To put all of this into a number, the new Xbox 720 will be at least six times as powerful as the current Xbox 360 console. In addition to that, the console will have 20% better performance than Nintendo's upcoming Wii U console. It has already been leaked that developers will be receiving development kits based on the console's final configuration in August of this year.

If all of this proves true, you can be sure that Microsoft will unveil the console at this year's E3, or Electronic Entertainment Expo, the biggest gaming convention in the United States. It has already been reported that Sony is definitely not announcing a new console at E3 and Nintendo has already unveiled its new Wii U, so if Microsoft wants to start building hype before the PlayStation 4, then this year's E3 will be the only place to do it.

Source: IGN - Xbox 720 Will Be Six Times as Powerful as Current Gen
SemiAccurate - Exclusive: XBox Next/Xbox 720 chips in production
Fudzilla - Oban initial product run is real: It is SoC strategy for Next Xbox

Short-throw projectors only require half the projection distance of traditional projectors. The projector can be placed just a foot or so from the screen. This is nice because it keeps the projector and screen near each other instead of having a long throw projector that people can accidentally block.

Kaz Hirai Squashes Rumors of a PlayStation 4 Reveal at E3 2012

E3, otherwise known as the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is the world's largest convention for video games, consoles and gaming technology and the 2012 event is right around the corner. Last year's E3 saw a few very nice announcements, like Halo 4 and the PS Vita, but the big thing everybody is going to be looking for this year is the next generation of consoles. It's been seven years since we've had a new console debut for any of the top names in the business and many people believe that E3 2012 will show us the "PlayStation 4", "Xbox 720" and whatever boring piece of motion-controlled crap Nintendo decides to pollute the industry with, or will it?

Gaming website MCV launched a story not too long ago rumoring that the PlayStation 4 would see its world premiere on the stage at E3 2012. However, ever since that story dropped, there have been an exorbitant amount of contradictory stories, including one from gaming analyst Michael Pachter, who stated, "there's zero chance of a tease from Sony for PlayStation 4 at E3." But if Pachter's thoughts weren't enough to convince you, maybe news from Sony itself will.

Sony has officially declared that the PlayStation 4 will not premiere at this year's E3 convention. Sony's Kaz Hirai spoke with a roundtable of reporters at CES this week, as the Wall Street Journal reports, and answered a question about the PlayStation 4 debuting at the show set to take place this summer. Hirai stated, "Andy [House] is absolutely right in that we are not making any announcement at E3. I've always said a 10-year life cycle for PS3, and there is no reason to go away with that."

If Hirai and Sony seriously commit to the 10-year life cycle, that means we won't see the PlayStation 4 for another four years in 2016. With this report it seems pretty official that the PS4 won't be popping up its head at E3 anytime soon. However, that still leaves a serious opening for Microsoft and Nintendo to debut new consoles. The only real threat to Sony would be if Microsoft unveiled the Xbox 720 (or whatever they decide to call it) at this year's E3. Getting that big of a jump on the competition could completely obliterate Sony while nobody is really threatened by anything Nintendo could release.

I, for one, am not too hip to the idea of a new console anytime soon. I am deeply in love with my Xbox 360 and I see no real reason to upgrade at the moment. I feel like both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 both have a lot left to offer the gaming community so waiting another four years for a new console is fine by me. What do you think? Are you disappointed in Kaz Hirai's announcement? Do you think it's time for another console war? Sound off in the comment section and tell me what you think.

Source: IGN - Sony Executive Says No PlayStation 4 at E3 2012

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