Great news for all the Xbox fans out there. The heavily rumored next generation gaming console from Microsoft, Xbox 720 is, reportedly, being stuffed with a boatload of hardware and software upgrades. The new console is also set to arrive ahead of the 2013 holiday season.
According to a leaked document, called “XBox 720-9-24 Checkpoint Draft 1,” found on the document-sharing site Scribd, a host of details about the technology on the next-gen Xbox are set to arrive with a possible plunge that is to be taken by Microsoft to challenge the likes of Apple and Google.
The details have added that the Xbox 720 will be priced at $299 bundled with a second-generation Kinect sensor. Also, the product life cycle of the next-gen game console is said to be of approximately ten years.
Previously, Microsoft has been pretty confident that the company will not unveil a new Xbox until after 2012, and so it's not a big deal to learn that 2013 is the target for the Xbox 720. As expected, there will be something in store for Xbox 360 owners before the year is out, and, as per the document, Microsoft is planning to release XTV service and apps for the 360 in time for the holidays.
The document has also pointed out the limitations of the current generation Xbox (Xbox 360). These are as follows:
- No full fidelity AAA Games + Kinect V1 sensor
- Will not support full range of XTV platform scenarios (e.g. 1080p video + Video Chat +HTML5 Apps)
- Lacking modern entertainment capabilities (e.g. Blu-ray, Native 3D output, 2x1080p in/out)
- Can't run "always on"/low power states
- Can't run multiplexed or concurrent applications and service
In another slide asking as to why we need a next gen Xbox in 2013, Microsoft says that its Xbox 360 business will decline beginning next year, while Gen 8 gaming platforms from rivals Sony and Nintendo raise the bar and "new threats from Apple (AppleTV) and Google (Google TV)" will appear to challenge the leading game console maker.
Talking about the Xbox Live, there will be a new dashboard for Xbox Live and "next-gen service experiences" and will be exclusive to the Xbox 720. Titles such as Halo, Fable, and Gears of War will be available for the console, as well as new Kinect-tailored games, linear TV service, HD and 3D movies (available in the video marketplace), and XTV applications in a TV App Store for the console.
Lastly, the document also has also talked about an Xbox 720 roadmap called "The Road to Fortaleza." Fortaleza, which is apparently a code name, seems to be an augmented reality project that features Wi-Fi-enabled "Fortaleza Glasses" that are being planned for an Xbox 720 tie-in in the 2014 timeframe.
Stay tuned for news on the next generation Xbox
(Information from PCMag)
