Microsoft expected to reveal its Xbox 720 for the first time in April

A growing number of developers and other industry professionals, some of which are Sony employees, have told CVG that Microsoft will reveal its next generation Xbox for the first time in April.

[ShugaCane]

Makes sense. A few months after the PS4 presentation so Microsoft can think of the ways to give a proper response, and a few months before the E3, so that devs have some time to refine what they're going to show.

[Gazondaily]

The PS4 reveal has no doubt out pressure on Microsoft to make their reveal.

Revealing after Sony gives them a tactical advantage so they should make good of it before E3 and Sony's second showing.

[aCasualGamer]

@cherry_olsen

Not entirely true though. Microsoft can make minor changes now that they've seen what Sony has in store. For example, now that Sony has exclusive deal with Bungie for Destiny Microsoft can do the same. These deals happen can happen any day.

[Bathyj]

They might buy some DLC or something like that, but I dont see them changing anything to major in the hardware. Not unless theyre releasing next year.

[Gazondaily]

"'tactical advantage'??

Are people this unbelievably clueless? "

A tactical advantage doesn't necessarily mean changing the specs of the console. It can be something like presenting the show in a certain manner.

"The embarrassingly bad specs everyone has already seen for the next Xbox are it."

Ah okay, this sentence right here sums up your mentality.

[EDIT] Looking at your join date- another troll account I see. Grow up.

[GodGinrai]

@cherry olsen

Unless YOU know the finalized spec of the nextbox, shut your pie hole.

there are currently two refference designs that have been rumoured for nextbox....one is based on a custom powerPC design the other based around the same jaguar APU as the PS4. seeing as nobody has spilled the beans on the final reference design..it would be wise to just pipe down,mate.

[TheSurg]

@ Cherry_olsen

to remind you. Xbox 360 was supposed to have 256mb RAM which they doubled in the last moment on request of Epic Games for their unreal engine to work well.

[fluffydelusions]

Not sure why people are talking about we know the finalized specs. Sony just very recently added that extra 4gb of ddr5 ram to PS4. Also as above poster stated the 360 was only going to ship with 256 until last minute. Simply put, we don't know anything.

[Philoctetes]

"Tactical advantage?" Come on. Nobody cares about who announced first or who had the slicker presentation. All that matters is what the console does and what games you can play on it.

[nukeitall]

All of this is specs and announcements are nothing more than to get the hardcore gamers excited. Fact is, none of this is likely to really have a big bearing on the console race.

It is more in the long term execution. A good example of this is the 3DS, whom started off very slowly, but with Nintendo's swift management managed to turn it around. On the flip side, the PS Vita whom was almost universally praised at announcement is quickly turning into a flop.

So what have we learned? Execution over claims regardless of who it is, MS, Sony, Nintendo or anyone else.

[nveenio]

Sony's reveal shows that Microsoft really CAN'T improve its hardware to beat the PS4 specs unless they're interested in costing more or losing more money. This is for the simple fact that the PS4 is as good as it can be while remaining affordable for a home console. Any advantage Microsoft wants to make will have to be software based. This means more publisher exclusivity and a stronger Xbox Live (because the next-gen PS4 makes grand promises, which, if delivered upon, will make PSN a total behemoth).

Microsoft won't focus on hardware, only software. If they don't bring the hardcore, they're going to have a rough time beating Sony's offerings.

[Gildarts]

@inveni0
Microsoft has the money to pull that off last minute unlike Sony. It happened to the 360 and i don't see why it couldn't happen again now that they have made even more money from the 360

For those who don't know 360 was gonna have 256mb of ram then they upgraded it to 512 when epic said it won't. be Able to run unreal engine very well and showed them the graphics on 256mb and 512

[ABizzel1]

@The realness

Not to be on his side, but the rumored specs. for the Nextbox are likely true. The rumors in the PS4 were spot on besides having 8GB of GDDR5 instead of 4GB.

The Nextbox rumors were given by the same sources, so it's likely they're stuck with what they have besides upping their RAM from 8GB.

[admiralvic]

@ Cherry_Olsen

M$ definitely has a tactical advantage, but it comes at the cost of living up to expectations. Now they don't have to just be good, but be on par or better than what we've seen from the PS4. Even if the specs are in fact final (some people seem to think that better specs = better games), they could have a stronger showing of games or more interesting features to beat Sony. A lot of what you will see is them announcing comparable features to the PS4 and announce things that might make them look better than Sony. For instance being backwards compatible.

@ Nukeitall

The 3DS was actually praised / viewed highly after its initial showing. So much so (or at least logically so) that it ended up with the absurd $250 dollar launch price. The 3DS also followed the Vita in terms of lack of games, sales and support at the start. The only difference is that Nintendo had to drop the price and is a little more established. Give it some time and the Vita will come back.

[Deputydon]

Microsoft will almost certainly show the actual Console. A lot of people will consider MS to actually be the first to reveal considering they will actually show what the console looks like.

Either way, I expect Sony to have the best console, yet again.

[Jockamo]

The reason why MS thought it strange to not show the actual console is because visual aesthetics are just as important as brand recognition. This has been a cornerstone to MS's marketing of the 360. Always show the console. Always show the console. Definitely less so w/ the PS3. But marketing research goes hand in hand w/ the research of the technology. It's almost as if Sony didn't finish deciding what the thing would look like, so they couldn't even show a prototype of the actual device. That's why it was weird and, quite honestly, I'm glad MS called them out on it.

[greenpowerz]

We have no idea what an motivated company can do with cash to changed things at the last minute.

We are also assuming when these new consoles are actually going to be out vs what is rumored or said.

360 specs were changed late because a developer wanted more RAM for GEARS (((LOOKS LIKE SURGE ALREADY SAID THIS)

The mistake is assuming the PS4 is or was the most powerful console based on old leaked info and rumors that are false or outdated.

-What matters is that the 360 was wildly successful

-MSFT made alot of cash

-360 price was never dropped much due to demand

-MSFT has so much revenue coming in they can take a massive hit from the 720 launch price.

-MSFT wants to use the xbox as a platform for all their products insuring the 720 has to be basically a Home theater PC(very powerful)

-MSFT purchased lots of studios and had them all focus on the 720.

-xbox 720 will be something very different from anything we have ever seen.

} This is why Sony changed the specs in the PS4 to slightly out do the old outdated specs that were leaked from MSFT.

There was an article on N4G about a month ago that had supposed PS4 devs saying Sony had 4 gigs of memory at first but changed the specs to match the leaked specs of the 720 that had 8 gigs. Clearly Sony thinks they one uped MSFT not considering those where old internal plans.

For all we KNow the 720 is more PC with 10 gigs of ram and has a subsidized payment plans(MSFT already testing that with 360) for a more PC-sh SKU like what was rumoured

[GraveLord]

Not really. Revealing after Sony is a disadvantage. Like it or not, Microsoft is reacting to Sony. Sony made the first move, PS4 is the first next-gen console revealed and developers love what Sony is doing with the system. Expect PS4 to be the lead platform next-gen.

[greenpowerz]

So is Sony reacting to Nintendo then? As if being first to reveal something can't be an recation to others that have not revealed yet LOL

You do know going first is the ultimate recation right? MSFT went first this gen reacting to Sony's dominance of the past.

Nintendo and Sony are reacting to MSFT's dominance this gen. MSFT has forced them to move on.

You really think a company only gets concerned when somebody goes first? A company that forces others hands also knows they are a force to be reconed with as well as needing to be ready to defend that dominance.

Anyway I'm not buying the statemnt from the Sony devs saying the PS4 reveal caused mayham at MSFT.

MSFT probably already considered they would force Sony to jump the gun getting the first hype going.
Sony doesn't even have a console, not just cosmetically either but it's basically in concept on PC.

[Ju]

MS did not show the 360 at E3 2005. In fact those were all locked away boxes and supposed to be souped up PowerPC (Macs) at the time. Google it. MS has a history to fake their way through press events (Kinect "choreographic" anyone?), but yet this is always OK with them and their fans. I don't really care, tbh. I made up my mind already, won't get both and what I saw is sufficient to say, I made a decision already. Go figure (no surprise there, I guess). Call me a fanboy, doesn't really bother me (you people have made up your mind a long time ago anyway, so what does it matter).

MS can't change the specs, either. Not much headroom for what they did. Not sure if they will have the muscles to add more CUs to the GPU; this is probably in range of possibilities. But adding RAM is one thing, re-engineering a chip when you should actually be working on that BOM to kick start production by mid of the year to fulfill supply and demand for the holidays is another. Especially because MS went the complicated route with their chipset design. This is locked down and done, they can't just pop in another GPU - if they really want to release this year. And they can't change the way the memory works without throwing the whole concept over board.

MS has a new Kinect. And this is just the wrong focus. It's a nice add on, but not the core (at least for me, who knows what the majority wants). They invest almost as much into this thing as into the console itself; not sure if that's so smart; and eventually it is nothing new.

Gaikai integration in PSN is the biggy here; maybe not really visible for some, but this will make a whole online experience, you'll see. (I'm not talking about a Gaikai client, but how this works with Vita, tablets, phones, and the instant feature in PSN - maybe they stole that from MS. Who knows).

UE4 debut on PS4, so that is also some for of guarantee that those "cheap" ports will do just fine now.

And Green, sure MS forced Sony to do what they are doing - but I guarantee you they were shocked they actually pulled that off.

And about the showing...I can just tell you that there are actually devboxes for the PS4 - not boards in a PC case;) Just saying.

Hey, and speaking of "forcing". If MS shows us something in April, I am sure that they were "forced" by Sony to not let them sail away with all the buzz they are getting right now. I'm sure this wasn't planned.

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

Foe all I know sony could of made up the specs! Maybe it's 10gb ram.. Who knows sony showed nothing and they might be waiting for MS to show the box so they can try to make a better looking design.

Sony seems to be trying to throw MS off..

[That-Guy]

So all that Sony needs to do now is keep its hype going. And around Microsoft's event pitch in extra info to steal some of their thunder.

[Mikeyy]

I would like to leave some food for thought that brings some validity to cherry_olsen's statement.

Think way back when the Xbox 360 released, and the PS3 wasnt released for another year afterwards. You would naturally think to yourself that they can look at the Xbox 360s hardware, and spend the extra year beefing it up and making sure they out do it, but something happened, they didnt. Not even a RAM upgrade. WHY? Because you can't make last minite changes to the architecture so close to release. Developers rely on the final specs and completely changing that would put them well behind and cause them to possibly miss launch.

What I'm getting at is the leaked specs are going to be accurate, and Microsoft doesnt have the time to change any major components. Thats what the last 7 years was for. You can't gut the whole damn system and upgrade it all in the last 7 months. You have to start production of the parts during that time.

So don't expect MS to announce 8gb of GDDR5 and the Titan GPU come april. It's too late, even if they wanted to spend the money, there is no time.

[MrMister]

Sony should have waited for M$ to go first. Like they said they would do. The only other reason for Sony to go first is if they also plan to have it in stores first. But who knows...

[Viper7]

Sure there's slight tactical advantage, but considering how SuperDaE leaked the Orbis details with most of the info being spot on, I think both of the manufacturers have pretty good idea what the other is after. (he leaked Durango info as well.)

It's like poker where suddenly the 3rd player picks the cards of the other two and throws em on the table for everyone to see.

but unlike in poker, you can't just quit the game and back your bags.

[ritsuka666]

April will be a awesome month for 360 owners indeed :)

Anyway, MS already say they are working in 4 new IPS for XBOX 720. Can't wait for see this news games...

http://www.trustedreviews.c...

[bicfitness]

From your article: "a core AAA shooter experience using Kinect." Nothing else is known about the rest, but I bet at least one more is Kinect based - they need to recoup their costs and are determined to shove the peripheral down everyone's throats.

Do you read what you post? Judging from how successful - read: not successful - Kinect has been with core gamers and for core games, I don't know why anyone is excited for more Kinect 2.0 shovelware.

Also, a significant portion of MS' "next-gen" development went into that massive television/ advertising/ cross-media studio that they opened. So if you're expecting a tsunami of awesome 1st party AAA games, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

[DARK WITNESS]

it could be, or it could be a very big disappointment depending on your expectations..

we will have to wait and see.

[hazardman]

Looks like Sony wants to make MOVE a big part of the way you game too. You just in denial..lol Sonybot these days!

[Gildarts]

This is from their wiki, i can see at least. 10 new ip's. of course they might not announce them at the same time but you be the judge.

343 Industries – Halo series
Connected Experiences – Untitled Project – Design Large scale multiplayer title and help other first party studios
Good Science Studio – Kinect Adventures, Kinect Fun Labs
Kids and Lifestyle Entertainment – Untitled Project
Microsoft Studios – Los Angeles – Untitled Project
Microsoft Studios – Mobile Gaming – ilomilo
Microsoft Studios – Redmond Publishing – Overseeing and co-developing multiple projects in conjunction with third party development studios
Platform Next Studios – Untitled Project
Playful Learning – Untitled Project
Skybox Sports – Untitled Project
Turn 10 Studios – Forza Motorsport series
Twisted Pixel Games – The Gunstringer, LocoCycle
Xbox Live Productions – South Park Let's Go Tower Defense Play!, South Park: Tenorman's Revenge, Avatar Kinect

Europe
Lionhead Studios – Fable series, Black & White series; Unannounced MMO-like New IP
Lift London – Multiple Cloud Based gaming projects
Rare Ltd. – Banjo-Kazooie series, Viva Piñata, Perfect Dark series, Kinect Sports series
Soho Productions – Kinect Sesame Street TV
Press Play – Untitled Project[24]

Canada
BigPark – Joy Ride series, Kinect Sports: Season Two
Black Tusk Studios – Untitled Project
Microsoft Studios Victoria – Untitled Project

[brave27heart]

"AAA shooter experience using kinect"

Im not going to state my opinion on this, I want ALL OF YOU to show your opinions.

Agree on this comment if you're happy with a AAA shooter experience using kinect.

Disagree if you'd rather it was just a AAA shooter experience.

[JackBNimble]

@ hazardman

how much of the ps move did sony showcase at the ps4 reveal?
That's right, next to none... besides the one segment.

I am willing to bet that 90% of MS 1st party studios will be nothing but kinect... just wait and see.
Looks like it's going to suck being an xbox fanboy next gen , especially if you're forced to be online to play anything!

[princejb134]

Awesome news
I hope ms releases a great console
But one thing that's gonna justify my purchase is free online gameplay
Common ms get with the trend Sony and Nintendo do it

[Cueil]

wouldn't mind basic free service... with all the extra being under a paid service

[AngelicIceDiamond]

Noooo that's so far!? Late March at least. I guess MS will stay diligent, focused, and finalize their hardware. Until then, keep the PS4 news rollin for the mean time.

[user3915800]

Keep the trolls guessing on what will be lol... Let sony and nintendo know whos got the football. Suspense its the mother load of all trolls, so keep them waiting until the final blow.

I know what you have, would you like to see mines? lol...

If the leak was correct from superdae, there will be hardly any diference at all, except for speed. Problem with that its on ram, but even high end pc all they need is 8gb of ram and a 6 core to run the most up to date pc game. Both sony and MS will be closed together more similar than ps3 and 360 cause of the same company providing same cpu anf similar gpu. At the end of the day both will be PC ports to each other.

I think MS will have the most innovation this gen, sony showed nothing besides high harware spec and outdated remote thats been around 15 years and now add another 8 years to ps4 remote ugh...

[Plasticgearsolid]

if they announce their console its not going to be at an event likes Sony's its going to be just a statement since its so close to E3

[WiiUsauce]

I hope so!!! I can't wait for Microsoft to put all these Sony fanboys in check.

[Jaces]

It is going to be interesting to see what Xbox has in store and how they plan to respond in kind. The jump into next gen gaming always gets me excited. Can't wait!

[StrongMan]

I don't believe this. If MS responds now then what will they have to show at E3?

[BLAKHOODe]

Sony pulled it off and still has plenty to show at E3. So, I don't see why Microsoft couldn't do the same.

[ZeroX9876]

they got 4 New IP to show, so I'm hoping to see maybe 1-2 of them and some third party games. Maybe even BF4? And we all know that even with 4 new IP, microsoft won't abandon their old franchises, so maybe a sequel from one of them?

[hazardman]

I like your amazing streak.. I never seen a more lopsided vote. I like it, 31 in a row.

[maddfoxx]

Pretty sure both Sony and Microsoft are saving things for E3. Sony can announce the price point and any bundles that they may be looking to sell. They will probably show the final design of the console along with demos of the games that were shown at the ps4 announcement. SE even said something about the next Final Fantasy being at E3 (I hope its FF: Versus). I dont own a 360 this gen, but I'm still excited to see what Microsoft will show. I'm still amazed the Microsoft managed to rack up more JRPG's this gen.

[UnholyLight]

Sony showed even more than I expected but there's still LOTS left on the table to show.

[brave27heart]

E3 will be the place final specs, release dates and prices are nailed down. They can show the console off and still have plenty for E3.

[SDF Repellent]

Dude StrongMan, do you even think before you type?

How about Sony, what will they show at E3 since they already reveal the PS4 already. Your PS3 defense force mates can't even give you an "Agree" because of how silly that comment is.

[Hicken]

You were on the right track... for about three seconds.

There's still PLENTY surrounding the PS4 that can be revealed. Launch games, entry price, the actual design of the system, details surrounding the online, and more.

Yes, Microsoft obviously has EVERYTHING they can show at this point. But Sony's not out of cards to play.

[Hands Up For Games]

Ding Ding. Round 2!

[UnholyLight]

Everyone get your popcorn ready, this is gonna be awesome

[ApolloTheBoss]

I knew they'd do this. They can't let Sony get the upper hand. But if they don't show the console that just means they were taking notes from Sony.

[Just_The_Truth]

I don't get why the shell of a machine matters so much to people....

[ApolloTheBoss]

I don't either.

[Jaces]

It's like buying a new car knowing all of it's specs but you don't have a clue what it looks like.

It's mainly for us geeks who quiver at the thought of the design.

[R_aVe_N]

IGn stated this on Podcast Beyond this week. I think they were giving people hints as to when Microsoft were going to announce XD

[talisker]

This will be interesting. And probably even more enjoyable than white ponchos and a circus.

[Wizziokid]

They will show it before E3 no doubt, it's going to be interesting to say the least.

[RTheRebel]

Love my 360 but, plz ms show new ip's :) and a strong machine

[g-nome]

I'd go back to the drawing board if I was them.

[sak500]

Like Sony went back to nvidia for ps3 when cell failed to do much on graphics side

[Knight_Crawler]

Man sad to see that the CELL did not work out for Sony...I think even Samsung stopped using them in their TV's.

Also the only thing that MS can do to outshine Sony'S SHOWING on the 20th is match Sony and release a handheld.

I think MS would steal the show if they announce and handheld.

[GodGinrai]

@nightcrawler

I dont see them releasing a handheld....maybe XBLA for windows phone. lets be honest. handheld consoles are losing ground to tablets and smartphones when it comes to games. would be a bad move.

[Just_The_Truth]

Wow....trolling bad bro. Anyways they ditched the cell because it was expensive and harder to develope on.

[urwifeminder]

Day one for me looking forward to it.

[Britainz-Fin3st]

They will probably do exactly what sony have just done. Officially announce the specs, some games a few trailers and tease a few new ips.

I imagine both consoles will be leaked before e3, but officially announced at e3

[FrigidDARKNESS]

They were to show it off in March At the GDC now they have
subsided in April.....if true damn they cant go into GDC talking about seven year old hardware and how great its to develope game for xbox live.
MS is tripping over there own feet Sony will be talking about new next gen hardware at GDC.

[Ju]

That's actually weird, if true. I'd have thought MS should show something before GDC or at GDC or else at E3. This seems rushed.

There will be info leaking from the conference, and Sony has the advantage that they can even use that event to show more and talk to developers. Devs are under NDA, so who knows if MS will do the same - without releasing too much.

[g-nome]

Deleted , stupid idea. Just though a next gen version of GTA5 would be nice in addition to the other versions and if anyone would go for it.

[Britainz-Fin3st]

Dont think so, i thought i read somewhere that for GTA5 to make even a slight bit of profit it would have to sell a ridiculous amount of games over all platforms. Something like 50 million copies i thought.

[1nsaint]

Yeah right, you're saying its gotta bring up 3 billion for it to make even a slight profit? XD

the two most expansive games ever made are GTA4 and Read Dead Redemtion, both costing around 100 million to develop, not counting marketing.

I'd be suprised if its gonna be over 150 mill this time

[seanpitt23]

There thinking how in the hell can we make it more powerfull without it costing to much.......
They cannot unless they take a huge hit

[clintagious650]

If they show alot more kinect bs then new core games, im not buying a nextbox until it is cheaper.

[J_Cob]

Judging by the disagrees I guess people like the Kinect lol.

[jay2]

Oh dear, so what about GDC? A few more New IP's, and some old faves VS Mario Vs???????????????

[FinalomegaS]

Show us less Kinect
-system with features
-more IPs
-reliable system that won't go belly up after...a few months.
QC that shyt please
- PLEASE GIVE US LIVE ONLINE FREE MULTIPLAYER AT LEAST!!!

[FinalomegaS]

So the people that disagree would rather:

- for MS to use More Kinect?
-A system with less features?
-Same old 1 to 3 core IPs?
-Loved those RRODs?
-Still want to pay for MP online?

just wow!

You know I have to be realistic when I come to this site, but come on this is getting bad...

[IcicleTrepan]

I dunno, the problem is you've listed 5 things so if anyone disagrees with even one of them they're going to disagree with your post most likely.

I personally don't mind paying for xbox live. I know I'm getting good service for my money.

[etownone]

Like everyone else, I'm really looking forward to next Xbox.

I'd have to admit, I'm really impressed by the Ps4 specs, seems like a console Ms would have put out since Sony has always gone there own route making their consoles custom built and non developer friendly.

The one thing that really has me worried about the next Xbox is the rumor that it has to be connected to Kinect 2.0.....
Really hoping this isn't true. I like having the added Kinect, and look forward to see what it can do in the future, but only for my living room. I own 3 Xbox 360's right not, and I really don't want Kinect for all for Xbox's.

[maddfoxx]

*I'd have to admit, I'm really impressed by the Ps4 specs . . .*

Sony took a big hit from the whole "PS3 is hard to develop for" debacle. Because of that, PS3 got some terrible ports at the start of the generation. Sony learned from this mistake, realizing that developers and consumers aren't going to run to a particular system just because of the brand name. They are really determined to start next gen the right way.

[Cueil]

the PS2 was also a pain in the rear to develop for... but they dominated the generation and thought they could get away with that again

[madpuppy]

MS is like an entitled spoilsport, they feel that they should win the console war and hate that anyone would dare compete with them. On that note though, They will do just about anything to beat the competition, which, depending how they do it, either really good for the consumer or really bad.

So, I could see them radically change their "locked in" next gen console specs to "one-up" Sony. that may sound good but, what they will have is another slapped together, untested piece of hardware that everyone will have problems with.

After the 360 though, I'm not sure that they would do that. Their next gen console is really going to need to be rock solid reliable.

I hope that they follow the path of reliability, I wouldn't mind grabbing one down the line when the price drops and if they have some real unique games on it.

[madpuppy]

so...you xbox people DON'T want a reliable console from MS????

and you're NOT interested in lots of unique, interesting and fun titles???!?!

[maniacmayhem]

I think most of your disagrees comes from this statement you made:

"MS is like an entitled spoilsport, they feel that they should win the console war and hate that anyone would dare compete with them."

Which makes no sense since they entered late into the video game arena when Sony (was dominate), Nintendo and Sega were the main big players. I would think that statement would apply mostly to Sony since they dominated for two generations long.

[madpuppy]

You must not know MS history too well then. forget consoles, MS has been an illegal monopoly for many many years, and every market they enter they have used unfair business tactics to dominate, their first taste of failure was losing to Linux based Operating systems in the server space, where they have to compete on performance and reliability, they could not buy out Linux so that was one of the first times they had to compete on technical merits...and because of that, they do not dominate the server market. and all this talk about how they are a software company so "they know what they are doing" is laughable, Direct X was bought from another company, MS Office....bought and re-branded from another company, MS-Dos Bought and re-branded from another company. MS is great....great at marketing themselves. they have the best business men running MS and have no problem playing games with federal and international laws to stay dominant and crush a competitor. as for proof...go google it....better yet bing it. only and idiot or a blind fanboy wouldn't know what MS has done and the trouble they were in and continue to be in by the US federal and various European governments for illegal business tactics.

[colonel179]

madpuppy: I agree. There was an interview some time ago with Peter Moore stating all the details about building the first Xbox and the 360. He said that the one and only objective that MS had was to bring down Sony and that led to pretty dirty business moves.

He accepted that MS paid money to people to get games to their console and that his boss told him that it didn't matter what, they needed to screw Sony.

I wish I had the link, but if I find it, I will post it.

[maniacmayhem]

So what does any of that have to do with the what you said of them being a spoilsport and thinking they own the console business like you mentioned. And i see you threw that right out the door when you said "forget consoles"

Everything you said below is business tactics (which i'm sure every company has had a little dirt on their hands)that have little to do with your statement about consoles. The fact that MS has been so public and not other companies is the only reason you think that MS is this big bad evil empire.

This is why people may be disagreeing with you.

[isyourhouseonfire]

Unlike Sony, MS will unveil an actual CONSOLE, not a wishlist of what should be in a console.

[MasterCornholio]

"not a wishlist of what should be in a console."

I agree with you that its Microsoft's wish list for their console. But that isn't going to happen because most of the 720s hardware has been finalized just like the PS4 which BTW will contain that wishlist of specs.

[Jek_Porkins]

Actually while I agree a lot of things are in place, the final specs for the PS4 and the next Xbox probably aren't finalized.

Here is what Jack Tretton said yesterday about the PS4's specs.

“(PS4) is still in development in terms of final specs and design.”

Microsoft could easily swap out the memory they have if they wanted to match what the PS4 has, they could just about do anything aside from change chip sets.

I was happy as a Microsoft fan that Sony went first and hope that the next PlayStation plays used games, because Microsoft wont want Sony and Nintendo being the only ones with used games at the store, they will not risk chasing potential owners off.

Knowing Sony's specs also gives them ample time to lay out something similar if they have to.

[Ju]

"Still in development" at this time of the game doesn't give you a lot of room.

Production will most likely have to start in June. Which means the BOM would almost needed to be done now. Most suppliers have lead times of a couple of months. I can imagine, most of the components must be known by now; the shopping list is mostly done. Some adjustments here and there can be made. But that's about it. Boards could probably be rerouted for minor adjustments (more likely some fixes, but no major reworks). Add more RAM is already tricky; Sony might have had prepared this to some extend but not implemented in the first design. Otherwise even this is a challenge, especially with GDDR5 because - as Eurogamer reported - those chips come in fixed packaging.

So, what that actually means, is a little tuning here and there, some streamlining, optimizations, more testing and fixing. But that's that. No room for big changes. Otherwise they'll be in big troubles of meeting the holiday deadline.

Also, for devs, the last 2 month are only used to run tests and do bug fixes. But they will need final HW in the 3rd quater. And that is, if you have at least some prototyping HW to actually develop the engines on now. Sure, maybe it's easier to port to the XBox, given you have a windows OS with DirectX to begin with. But still.

[NYC_Gamer]

I hope they live stream the 720 event

[hazardman]

They probably will remember they have their LIVE Events app and there will probably be reminders on XBL.

[XboxInnovation]

One event (E3) is not big enough for two major companies to show their new console. Staging your own event prior to E3 is the smart way to go. E3 should just be about games.

[Jek_Porkins]

People will try and claim and Microsoft is scared or responding to Sony, but did anyone actually think Microsoft would wait all the way to E3?

Look back at Microsoft's history, they have never waited for E3 to unveil a console, and when I say unveil, I mean unveil. They will actually show the console and give specs that will be on par with the PS4.

I'd expect 3rd parties to show off some things and maybe a new core IP or so.Honestly if they go out, show some games actually running on the next Xbox then it'll be a huge win for Microsoft.

If they come out and say the next Xbox played used games, is backwards compatible and isn't always online, who could argue with it?

The truth of the matter is that E3 isn't long enough to show off everything, believe it or not Microsoft will be counting on Xbox 360 sales even when the new Xbox launches. So I wouldn't doubt if some of E3 is dedicated to the Xbox 360, and the rest to the next Xbox showing off games...Alan Wake 2, Project Gotham Racing 5, new IP's ect..

And even though the Sony fans here hate it, I think people will want to see how much the improved Kinect 2.0 is going to be. The fact that Sony busted out Move and their own camera for their unveiling of the PS4 means Microsoft will get some leeway with their own casual focus too.

[-IronMan-]

4 new ips all kinect games lol. no thanks.

[Tzuno]

All in All i have high hopes for MS my 360 never let me down i have chosen 360 for this gen and i am happy with it. Sony died on me when they released ps3(arrogance in therms of policy), ps2 was and is an amazing console with many good games, i still love ps2.

[SDF Repellent]

My wish is for a Allan Wake 2 sighting, Lionhead studio MMO RPG, Call of Duty Next Gen Revealing, Mass Effect 4, Ryse, GtAV with exclusive eposodic contents like the previous version, a next gen racers (either Forza 5 or PGR5), Black Tusk new core game, Epic games to reveal Unreal engine 4 with possibly a early look at GOW 4, Rare showing either a next gen Perfect Dark, Killer Instinct, or Cameo, and Microsoft last minute decision to add 8gb of DDR5 ram. That is my wish list for the show.

[Jockamo]

I just want something NEW.

[2pacalypsenow]

Unreal engine 4 was already revealed in the Ps4 announcement. And also The DLC for GTA iv was not exclusive its on Pc ps3 and xbox 360

[Npugz7]

I can see Microsoft switching the ram to GDDR5 ram after seeing what Sony has done. There not gonna want to announce something inferior to Sony!

[Martywren]

MS need too buy the rights too jade empire, phantom dust ,sudeki, or get some mmorpgs broaden there library. MS could ask SE make them and exclusive ff game sense ps3 getting ffvs13.

[slimpickens]

I only wish MS would listen to your amazing list!

[DarkBlood]

thats all good except an exclusive ff game, that will cause an uproar and we all know it

[Saryk]

April 1st?

I want to see if they stick to the banning of used games. Hardware is going to be very similar to PS4. However the other aspects will be what everyone is watching for!

[urwifeminder]

16 gb ddr3 ms bring it lol.

[TheTwelve]

I don't know how Microsoft will respond to this, but it WILL be interesting. In my limited wisdom, I don't know how Microsoft will top Sony's presentation but that's why I'm a gamer and not a maker of games.

I do see Microsoft topping Sony in terms of social innovation. Again, I don't know how this will work. But that's the only area in which Microsoft is arguably ahead as we speak, and so I expect them to maintain that.

Crazy part is that Sony did reveal much but they also didn't reveal much. They will be able to counter what Microsoft does as the year carries on to counter hype with hype.

Ah, I love competition. I'm rooting for Sony this gen as always, but I want Microsoft to keep them on their toes.

12

[Relientk77]

I bet you if Sony didn't have their conference, it would still be E3 for the Xbox 720 reveal

[alousow]

ms dont have nothing to show but some kinect stuff

[extermin8or]

Hmmm thing is although I consider the leaked specs of the nextbox to be pretty much known (multiple sites have seen the documentation, the guy that leaked it was raided and had all his tech confiscated under court order-I'm assuming from MS?) So most of that will be finalized if they aim for a pre xmas launch-the peogple talking about last min RAM changes to 360- well that's very different to redesigning your GPU etc. At this point I don't think MS can realistically even switch to GDDR5 RAM because it'd probably need a fair bit of reconfiguring of the rest of the architecture. However we will all know by the end of E3 so let's just wait and see :p

[sak500]

sony delayed ps3 for 6 months to add nvidia gpu for graphics processing which is much much more complicated then just switching ram so why can't MS do it?

[extermin8or]

they'd have to delay it is what I'm saying so they could but I can't see them delaying their consoles release date especially when you consider that outside of the usa the Ps3 has outsold the 360 time and time again- it'd be a big risk that statistically would be unlikely to give them any major benefit fo their TV apps etc hmm?:p

[sak500]

My point was that for just changing ram it would not be such a big deal as adding a gpu so there might not be any delay. Unless the contacted and already started getting the ddr3 chips in factories for production. However they could just pay the penalty to ddr3 manufacturer and get ddr5 which would be much better for them in long run and they can afford to pay the initial cost rather then start the next gen with already a weaker ram in comparison with their main rival.

[strigoi814]

Hoping i wont pay xbox live to see their new console lolz..

[GravelerMagnitude9]

I won't support anything by Microsoft again because they are greedy and only care about money. I had 3 different 360s and all got red ring of death. Red ring of death was so common, it could of became a trending topic on twitter. They rush a system to beat Sony to the punch, but the system had flaws. It may be successful now but the company itself is rotten. Ps3 had a few yellow lights of death but not as common. Even if Microsoft next system is neat, I can't overlook the nice features Sony announced for ps4, plus I'm loyal to the playstation brand.

[steve30x]

Ur will be revealed on the 1st of april lol

[SpadeX]

Microsoft releases the sexiest consoles, I have to admit.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

Nope.

[Danja]

Lol at the silly arguments taking place in this thread I see N4G hasn't changed much throughout the years & M$ will not change anything specs wise, both Sony & M$ already know what each other were doing specs wise both consoles will ship with the same amount of RAM , next gen comes down to the software ecosystem & social aspects.

[Silly gameAr]

Well, good luck MS. Hope the next xbox is a beast.

[KaBaW]

I sure hope that they do; I just wonder if they will show off the actual console or not?
And, I'd expect either a Halo, Gears of War, or a Forza. But, I highly hope for new IP's.

[Triggytrolls]

I want to see good games, I'm not interested in Kinect or anything to do with watching TV! GIVE ME GAMES.

[busytoad]

Gonna be Funny if ms uses dvd's to put their games on lol.

If they use blu ray they gonna be paying Sony royalties for using their technology :)

[QuantumWake]

They're going to go with Blu-Ray next-gen. There is really no excuse to use anything else honestly.

As far as royalties go, every company pays other companies to license their tech/software. You may know for example Sony's VAIO computers; they use Microsoft's Windows 8. Blu-Ray/PS3 also support VC-1 codecs which is also made by MS. It's just a lot cheaper than completely investing in new tech when you can just license them from a company who has already made it.

[Legendary-Status]

I think MS is in trouble..cause sony didnt have to do what they did...now Ms HAS TO COME OUT THE HOLE..Sony has yet to reveal pretty much nothing..but they are itching to do so..cause they have the PS4 tablet etc. and all their other hardware that comes with the PS4..that their is going to steel all wii u's market..haha.. http://www.gamechup.com/new...

[Jag-T1000]

Et tu Microsoft?

[devilhunterx]

April Fool?

[AnnaDea]

Considering that Major Nelson updated his site with a countdown to E3. Microsoft has had a change of heart because of Sony's surprise reveal.

And no.

You can't revise your hardware components in this stage. There was a earlier rumor that the chip-sets couldn't be made in time so the next Xbox was delayed unto 2014. You don't just make a call and change things on the go. Microsoft and Sony have already set a date for the mass production, because that's what you need to do. Asian mass-production facilities needs a scheme to follow, or else it will be booked by some other.

Sad, but true!

[PS4isKing_82]

I'm very curious to see if Microsoft will finally go with Blu ray for their games or will instead go with a proprietary format like Nintendo did for the wiiU.

Cause lets face it, DVDs for games simply won't cut it his gen. Unless Microsoft wants their games coming on 10 disc collection sets lol

Halo 5 back of box art specs:
# of players: 1 to 2.
8 to 15 online.
Xbl dlc.
#of discs: 8 :)

[ajax17]

I am a fan of Sony myself, but I can't wait to see their presentation.

[Ngai]

Why is it a competition? I don't understand- why are these companies (and i think Microsoft more than Sony) so hostile?

[Perjoss]

Its a shame that Sony fans are so immature, if you read through any of the Sony conference news articles' comments you might find 1 or 2 idiots trolling, but generally 360 fans stay out.

Sadly it's always been like this on N4G, all you ever see is trolling in the 360 articles, and some of the blatant troll comments don't even get modded.

[ajax17]

I guess you missed my comment above.

[leogets]

hardware wise they will be similar. software wise Sony always have better exclusives and more choices. Sony will always win when it comes to superior games.

[isyourhouseonfire]

If MS reveals in April, what an epic month it will be.