We're less than a week away from Microsoft officially unveiling the Xbox 720, and while the rumor mill has stopped churning out speculation on a daily basis, there are still some interesting nuggets of information turning up every now and then.
The latest reports suggest that Microsoft is ditching its point system for Xbox Live, and that the Xbox 720 will be built out of high-end PC technology featuring an x86 processor.
According to The Verge, "sources familiar with Microsoft's Xbox plans" have confirmed that the company is doing away with Microsoft Points in favor of cash. Instead of exchanging cash for points, Microsoft will allow users to pay for apps and downloads via credit and debit cards, but that they'll also be able to use cash to purchase gift cards that would work across Microsoft's suite of services, including Live on the Xbox 720 and the Windows Store.
"The new gift cards will be offered in a similar way to Apple's iTunes vouchers ... Microsoft currently offers gift cards in its retail stores, but these can only be used for purchases in brick and motar stores. The new system will work across Microsoft's various marketplaces, including the Windows Store, Windows Phone Store, and Xbox," Tom Warren wrote at The Verge.
On the Xbox 720 specs front, new job postings by Microsoft show that the company is looking for a security architect who has "experience with both X86 and ARM ISAs."
This revelation, unearthed by the Official Xbox Magazine, isn't exactly surprising. Both Sony and Microsoft seem to be moving towards building gaming machines that are more in line with high-end PCs rather than constructing customized hardware. This would allow game designers to hit the ground running rather than spend time learning exactly how the hardware works.
Already, Sony has made the switch to AMD's x86 processor for the PS4, and now it looks like the Xbox 720 will house similar architecture.
Expect to hear more about the Xbox 720 at Microsoft's May 21 event in Redmond, Washington.
