back to article No 'Xbox 720' in 2012, says MS exec

World+Dog wasn't expecting the 'Xbox 720' - or whatever Microsoft's next console will be called - to go on sale this year, but a company executive has confirmed it anyway. And Microsoft France's Cedrick Delmas also hinted that we might not even see the new machine at June's E3 games industry show. There has been many a rumour …

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  1. Semaj
    Unhappy

    Gah, I was hoping they were finally going to put the good old 360 to rest and make something new that can actually handle decent physics, graphics and larger games without lagging horribly.

    I am worried about the next gen of consoles though. Mainly my worry is that all games will be download only ...

    Also I bet that you won't be able to get achievements etc unless you have a paid live subscription.

  2. Alan Bourke

    With the recent Dash update

    ... since they let the fargin' marketing dept design it, it's clear they're going to try to thrash another couple of years out of it by trying to push Kinect and set-top-box functionality in your face, relentlessly.

    It's looking decidely creaky these days - Skyrim is gorgeous but has murderous lag and pop-up.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      I've heard the PS3 version of Skyrim is just as bad (if not worse) so I think you're blaming the wrong people there!

    2. jason 7
      FAIL

      Yeah new dash is terrible.

      Easily the worst one its had so far. Just trying to find stuff is hard enough. Up down up down, left right up down. Jeez.

      I still think the first or second dashboard the 360 had was the best.

      I was hoping too for some new hardware this year.

      1. Robbie

        Metro dashboard is awful

        I've got an Xbox 360 and a PS3 and really don't like the XBMC on the PS3. I recently persuaded a friend to get an Xbox (in addition to his PS3). As an Xbox selling point, I reminded him: "the dashboard is an excellent interface".

        And then Microsoft "updated" to the Metro dashboard. Words cannot describe the loathing of it among my circle of friends.

        I'm quite happy with the hardware on both consoles though and reckon they've got a couple of years left in them.

  3. MJI Silver badge

    Is there an agreement?

    Between Sony and MS not to release, they both need to earn more money and are both selling well

  4. Andy Jones

    They are having lots of meetings to discuss what colour the ring of death will be on this console.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hmm, is this a ploy?

    MS say they aren't doing one.

    Sony decide not to either as there is no competition and therefore no hyped up marked.

    Suddenly MS announce they have one and its in shops in a few weeks time after secretly manufacturing them catching Sony with pants down.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Hmm, is this a ploy?

      Ummm, no. You need to seek some medical advice though. Oh, be sure to bring your foil hat with you.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Tinfoil hat you say?

        Yes, the whole world is in on it except for me. *rolls eyes*

        The likes of Apple like to keep things quiet till just before product launch and keep their dates quiet to stop others stealing their thunder. There has been misdirection (iphone 4s instead of 5)

        You are saying its not possible someone else might be playing with the same tricks?

  6. calagan
    Thumb Up

    Good news

    We saw that Moore's law showed its limits when Intel gave up frantically raising its CPUs' clock speed as it has been doing in the last decade and, instead, multiplying the number of cores.

    This slowdown is now also affecting video game consoles. I consider this a rather good news for three reasons:

    - Xbox 360 and PS3 owner will be happy that their favorite toy gets extended lifespan

    - If there was any XBox 720 or PS4 in the pipeline, MS and Sony wouldn't bother coming up with Kinect or Move

    - Maybe this could motivate developers to come up with new game concepts, as opposed to just increased specs (FPS, resolution,...)

  7. squilookle

    This is a good thing. I know that it has been out for a while and recent graphics technology has left it behind, but I think the 360 has a couple more years left in it yet. I'm certainly not ready to upgrade.

    Personally, I think late next year possibly the year after will be about right.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Hmmm

    Heres my punt...

    MS have a basic archtecture in place.

    Sony """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

    Ms wait for sony to release a new console, that then gives them 6 months to up the ante by modifying and improving. PS3, 50 tera pixels or whatever, gives MS 6 months to make a 60 Tera pixels GPU.

    Or Sony do the same....Its all about POWWWWWWWER these days.

    Fantastic graphics do not a good game make!!!!!

    Replace "GPU" with whatever new fangled piece of twattery comes along in the next 18 months...

    1. jason 7

      I dont think its about the GPU anymore.

      After all it only has to push say 60fps at 1080p. A modded/optimised 6770 could probably manage that. The standard is now set very low. Back in 2005 that would have been a tough point to reach with average hardware.

      I think the secret is to bump up the CPU side and do more interesting effects in software. That and bump up the cache/ram side of things. But as MS will probably utilise a modded DX11/12 platform it could make it difficult for developers to go off-piste so to speak.

      1. Giles Jones Gold badge

        It's all about the API. If it requires too much work by the developers then it won't get used. It's all very well Sony's cell having 8 or 9 DSP/FPU style engines, but if nobody can be bothered to rewrite huge chunks of code to utilise them then the game will be sub-optimal. Sony has the most thinking to do for the next generation.

        This is not a new phenomenon, the Amiga suffered it too, games ported across from the ST with minimal changes. The main 68k code often taken from the arcade machine too. So the power of the custom graphics hardware was barely used in some cases.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        I think

        RAM and bandwidth are the biggest limitations on a console, i think your correct in terms of graphics power although improved CPU would be welcome for better physics an AI, but all of this is mute unless they can give a console the same kind of bandwidth and addresable memory (system/graphics) space as a computer.

        This is the reason consoles are limited in texture quality, you sometimes seem to hit impassible objects that should be passible, level size is comparitively poor, your led through a maze more than aloud to roam and a whole bunch of other issues.

        Improve this one area and perhaps then we shall start to see ports to the PC that are actually quite good and then perhaps we'd be getting something great.

    2. BrownishMonstr

      I think the right balance between pricing and hardware is a factor as well. At launch the PS3 had costed more than the 360 but not a lot of people were prepared to pay for it and would rather settle for the 360. Though the PS3 has better hardware and capabilities why would a developer, unless developing for just the PS3, create a game that's hugely different between two consoles, it's much more work and users probably won't be too happy.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    yay!

    Life in the old dog yet.... my MK1 360 can soldier on with no RROD, running like a noisy wee dream.

    I think 360 and PS3 have years left in them yet, what we'll see next is a surge in mobile gaming. Nintendo took first stab with 3DS (typical Nintendo didn't take it far enough but they'll survive thanks to their franchised games). Sony bring out the PS Vita, most powerful, loads of ways to play, lets see what happens with games.

    But what about Microsoft, mobile gaming device? And I'm not talking touchscreen phone/tablet gaming (its good but not the best).

  10. W.O.Frobozz

    Oh, good

    Can't wait to see the Cutlerized X-box. Given what happened to the Courier tablet, I'm guessing we will finally see Office for the X-Box, just what everyone doesn't need.

  11. Lord Midas
    Childcatcher

    Current Xbox ftw

    Having seen the lastest screens for Hitman Absolution it's astonishing what the Devs are eeking out of the 360. Only now are the devs finally able to truly get the best out of the console. Good that they can continue with this generation for a while, and continue to utilise the game engines they've spent years developing.

    Yes, I'd like bluray built in, and Dx11/12 quality GFX and a 'SMOOTH' experience. But I think Microsoft should spend more of their efforts making a "GOOD" dashboard, that doesn't seem to punish gamers, or the Indie developers. And isn't slow as fuck.

    e.g. After booting Xbox, I go to my Friends screen. It's still loading the friends avatars for 20-30 seconds. Never used to be this shit. And to go 4 screens deep just to join a party?! Bah.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Blu ray

      id be supprised if MS gave Sony the time of day let along upfront money to licence BD, but who knows! :)

      1. MJI Silver badge

        Blu Ray & DVD

        Well they did with DVD - Sony are only ONE of a number of companies involved

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Mushroom

    Death to PCs?

    How long before the Xbox comes with the ability to run desktop apps?

    Growing numbers of people - look at facebook, send a few emails, watch a few movies and do little else, while having a massive screen in the living room. For many of them a PC or even a tablet is superfluous and could be replaced by a games console with a wireless keyboard with trackpad and a proper browser.

    Even in the world of corporate, next gen consoles (with an admin option to prohibit game playing) instead of desktops, that can be "repaired" by simply power cycling with cloud based / centrally held data storage would sound attractive to many a PHB interested in culling IT staff and contracting out perhaps to a microsoft support service, meaning the company pays for delivery, installation (plug in cables etc, activate network connection and done) and support (phone this number in case of any issues), In case of unit failure,a swap in swap out service could be arranged with Tesco or something (24 hour availability for one), phone a number, get a code, walk in, give them the code and the broken box, walk out with a new unit and simply plug in the new unit, tesco or whoever gets credited and a replacement unit supplied direct to them.

    Many bad points, but a plus point could be an increase in home working, log into live and get secure access to your work profile through direct access or similar.

    I'll be surprised if something like doesn't appear in the next couple of years tbh.

    fire as it will likely be a bonfire of the IT sector if that happens.

    1. Alan Bourke

      I doubt it.

      "Even in the world of corporate, next gen consoles (with an admin option to prohibit game playing) instead of desktops, that can be "repaired" by simply power cycling with cloud based / centrally held data storage would sound attractive to many a PHB interested in culling IT staff "

      If you're going to go completely thin-client and cloud-based in the corporate world, why would you spend money on the audio-visual grunt of a console? All you need is a really dumb Linux terminal. And if you plug a mouse and keyboard into a console, how is it different from a PC anyway?

      And the corporate desktop isn't going to forego mouse and keyboard for Kinect and touch screens - good luck typing up a 20 page letter or doing the payroll like that.

      There'll be cross-over in terms of Windows 8, but the desktop version of that will just be an evolution of the traditional UI , it's the tablets and phones that will be Metro city.

    2. BrownishMonstr

      I'd be surprised

      Consoles don't run more than one app--except from maybe basic apps like music player or messaging-- and most people in business would probably rather have a multi-tasking PC. If you're then suggesting that people should have the capability to multi-task then that console is kinda creeping into the desktop category.

      For cloud stuff, Alan Bourke's right, you might as well have a thin client and connect. In my opinion, windows desktop connection is kinda okay for connecting to remote PCs. I say kinda because it's what I use to connect to my university profile though I only do basic stuff like moving files. But there's better RDP software out there, why not just use one those. End of the day businesses will have to pay for the cloud, it's not gonna be free. Whether they use third-party servers or their own.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    BS

    Of course they will release a new console this year.

  14. mark l 2 Silver badge
    Joke

    MS is probably working out a way they can get you to have to by a Windows 7/8 phone to get their next gen console to work properly before releasing it

  15. jason 7
    Meh

    Evolution rather than revolution

    I don't think the next gen from MS and Sony will be as big a leap as the current gen were.

    The bar is now set at 1080p and both companies will have done their market research and probably found that folks dont want to pay that much this time round and also they will not want to make such a large loss per box as they did back in 2005/6+.

    Anyone expecting 6970 GPUs and 12 core CPUs with 16GB of ram are going to be disappointed not to mention a little delusional.

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