Despite rumors to the contrary, Microsoft will not release the next-generation Xbox 360 in 2012, according to Cedric Delmas, Microsoft France marketing director. In an interview translated by Eurogamer, he said nothing will be revealed for a new Xbox at this year's E3 show in June. Other claims have pointed to an E3 2013 reveal instead.
"We're in an industry that talks a lot, that likes telling stories. I am not convinced that things will happen this year," Delmas said. "The Xbox 360's cycle is not over at all. The proof is that we haven't price cut this year."
Nintendo will release a new console in time for this holiday season, the Wii U. Delmas pointed out that Nintendo is on its own release schedule, which is different from that of the other home console makers.
Two versions of the future Xbox are rumored to be in development, with one being as inexpensive as possible and meant to pair with the Kinect for simple, motion-based games, and the other meant for more hard-core traditional gamers and sporting an optical drive, hard disk and the ability to play legacy games. Kinect would be bundled with either system in this view.
