Rumor: new Microsoft console dev kits at EA [update: EA disagrees]

by JC Fletcher on May 6th 2011 1:35PM

According to an unnamed source speaking to Develop, development kits for a new Microsoft console are in the offices of one of EA's studios. The source, which does not work for either EA or Microsoft, had no specific information about the hardware except that it came in a PC shell and was shipped to EA last month.

That little information is actually enough to rule out the updated Xbox 360 dev kits revealed last month, since those come in Xbox-shaped cases. The source believes ("but did not have certain information," Develop disclaims) the new console will launch at the end of 2012, which would put it in direct competition with the Wii successor, and, if true, would make an E3 reveal seem likely (again, to compete with the new Nintendo console).

However, a Eurogamer source responded to this Develop article to note that a new Microsoft console probably won't be revealed at E3.

Update: EA's director of corporate communications, Jeff Brown, told IGN that the story was "a total fabrication -- 100 percent not true."

Source: Develop

Tags: development, development-kit, ea, electronic-arts, microsoft, xbox

Reader Comments (177)

nice!

@a falling stone

So much for the "Wii2 is the next Dreamcast" comments.

The next gen of consoles will soon be upon us!

@a falling stone

nice... only if it has blu ray.

@Co

Because an unconfirmed rumor makes it fact!

@a falling stone

Why were you downvoted???

@Draco God knows.

@Co
It's funny because one of project cafe's big selling points is how easy it is to port from 360. lol Let's face it we all know it's true. If Nintendo who was in first place with the Wii can suddenly want to put out a new system you know the guy in second place (3rd in japan) is going to want to as well. If sony's going to stick to their 10 year life cycle for PS3 they've still got til 2013 before they even need to start talking about a PS4.

Do not want. A Wii2 is kind of needed because some of the games are starting to look a bit outdated and the online definitely needs an overhaul but I don't think we need a new 360 or PS3 just yet.

@superfrog96

I agree. I mean, have they even made an Xbox360 that doesn't RRoD after a year yet? Make that happen before you go and make something with a four month lifespan please.

@superfrog96 Going go ahead and bet that Microsoft has done a lot more research on what the consumers want than just saying "we don't need this".

@Punkrawk Bbob

well i've had my current xbox for two years now, if it matters. i'm guessing that in your bias eyes, it doesn't.

@superfrog96 Yeah but you need to remember that a rumor today doesn't mean a console tomorrow.

I'd agree that I'm not really looking for a new console right now. However, will I be by the end of 2012? Probably.

@Liquidfingers Wow two years, consumers now a days have really low expectations. By the way we're on our third slim model at the Target at work at.

@superfrog96

With the current state of the economy, people having a hard time to buy more than 1 game @ $60 and always want the ability to sell used games to have money to buy another game, nobody has the money to buy a new console when theirs is/are only a couple of years old and still fresh.

@Liquidfingers

Okay, even if you have had it for two years, I'm sure you know someone personally who has had an RRoD. I've had two and I got my first xbox in 2007. So an average of two years a system so far. I'm hoping the new remodel holds together longer. You act like it is a small problem. It's open FACT that the fail rate on Xbox360s are insanely high by comparison to any other electronic device ever. Well, I don't know about that, but it is like 30%. Does anyone who actively games (10 hours+ a week) still have a working launch console?

@The angry pro consumer gaming ga

no need to be a snide little asshole. i was simply offering up a rebuttal to an opinion that Punkrawk Bbob was stating as fact. i've seen frozen ps3's at target too, and best buy, and eb, and so on and so forth. it tends to happen when you leave the console on 24/7.

@Punkrawk Bbob

"have they even made an Xbox360 that doesn't RRoD after a year yet?"

did you miss the entire 360 S launch?

@maveric101

"have they even made an Xbox360 that doesn't RRoD after a year yet?"
"did you miss the entire 360 S launch?"

Do you suck with math? 360 S launched less than a year ago. Seeing is how it came out June 14th 2010, no one can verify it's any better than the original Xbox. Hell, I've had mine since February and it's made strange noises reading some discs already. It's a known problem online with no solution. Wonder how long until we realize what the problem does long term.

@Punkrawk Bbob

well the easy solution for not scratching your game discs is installing your games to the HDD; a feature that i love in the 360 that i wish was available on the ps3 as well. that should eliminate any scratches or annoying sounds while playing, i know it does for me.

@The angry pro consumer gaming ga
The system is left on for hours, what else would you expect? lol honestly...

Xbox 720?

@Mr Cool711 Halo 4 as launch title. Calling it now.

@Mrguy you know that guy
The original Halo, redone with Xbox Live capabilities boxed with Halo 4 as a launch title! Now you're playing with power!!! :-D

Dang, i never got around to getting a 360. If the next Xbox can run games better than my PC, I'm going to cry though.

Microsoft just came out with their new console.

Does anyone else feel like a new console before 2013 is uneccessary?

@whylekat No. Look at the new things people are doing with PCs. Tesselation for one, is an amazing thing.

@whylekat No. Not with Nintendo at least. The Wii would make it that long.

@Mrguy you know that guy

"Wouldn't" you mean.. The Wii2 was already sorta announced.

I'd get it lol day one even though its gonna be 400-500 again

@skbkoy65 again? When was the 360 ever 500 dollars?

@Aguiluz

BF3 says hello.

@Shadow Hog

MS has no problem going balls to the wall for something and then abandoning it right away.

Still though, in this case I would imagine the Kinect would work with the new console.

Personally, I could wait to 2014 or 2015 for the next round of MS/Sony consoles.

Interesting. Thought they were going to wait it out?

Chances are they won't announce anything until Nintendo fully reveals their hand.

It's psychology, mostly. If they admit to it along with Project Cafe, it'll put them on equal terms. If they announce it next year it'll seem like newer tech and it'll also give them time to actually give it a better advantage, however small.

Nintendo has been viewed as lower tiered hardware for a while and that's how to keep that view in place a little longer. Whether it'll matter, we'll see. It could be Dreamcast vs PS2 or PS2 vs Xbox in graphics/tech disparity.

Thanks for buying Kinect 32x!

@thatdude21601

I honestly believe that if Wii2 is revealed at E3 as what everyone is speculating it will be, coupled with a new Xbox reveal that is fresh off the heels of Kinect and the 360 refersh, Microsoft could be headed down a rocky road only visted by Sega in times past.

This next system for them could very well be viewed in a similar vein as to what you're speaking at, and it could only mean things that are not good for Microsoft Gaming Division.

At any rate... LOVE E3 years that are at the end of current console cycles/beginning of new cycles. It's like 2005 all over again!

@Co

Nah, i dont think it'll work out that way. The Kinect will most likely work with the next Xbox. The reason why Sega failed was because they annoyed customers by making them buy two additions to their Genesis, which both failed, only to sell a new system directly after with all the features built in that were supposedly what the 32X and CD were for in the first place. Not to mention, back then (unless you got them on clearance like I did), a 32X and a Sega CD were VERY expensive for what was offered with them.

To be Sega, Xbox would pretty much have to make another major and expensive add-on to the 360, and then killed both off early to make room for a new console, all while not having their main franchise game (Halo, like Sega's Sonic), no where to be found throughout the whole lifespan of the Xbox's sequel (minus stupid offshoot games).

To be honest, the chances of either three of the main contenders doing something this dumb, is pretty slim to none. The market isn't what it was before, it supports three systems not just two, and the three companies out there are a lot smarter than the management deranged Sega was.

i'd be appreciative of just one more year out of the current batch of consoles, please.

@Psychoplasm If it is end of 2012, you'll get more than a year.

too soon! i'm not ready to buy new generation. i'm perfectly fine with this gen.

Redder ring of death???

@oggsy92

REDDEST ring of death.

Ultraviolet ring of death.

I'd say its about time, if its going to launch at the end of 2012 (if we're all still alive, which I think we will be) thats pretty good. I hope they don't call it 720 though.

@Aguiluz
Ok, technically speaking the SNES was never maxed out because they could have just built a better FX chip to make games look slightly better.

I think it's time to move on. I say that because the games themselves are pretty limited. Once things get too familiar it's time to move on.

Would you rather have GTA made for current hardware or future hardware?

Personally, I'd like it on future hardware because I'm sick of muddy as shit textures and color palettes.

@Aguiluz I agree it's soon, but end of 2012 could be early to mid 2013 by the time that comes around. And then that's like 8 years. Consoles never max out until the end of their cycle or after the next console is out anyway.

@Shadow Hog

Isn't Kinect only using half of the available resolution for their camera's?

I'd imagine that any new system would be fully compatible with Kinect, and it would use the full resolution of the camera's to improve it's capabilities slightly.

I don't think it needs blueray. Just a large format disk or flash based drive. I wouldn't mind download only.

i' m waiting about a month after it comes out too see if it has any 3 red lights of death or what ever errors it might have when it comes out

No! The 360 and PS3 are still going fine! They better not already make a new one. If they do, I'm buying a PS4 or Wii 2 instead >:|

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Rumor: new Microsoft console dev kits at EA [update: EA disagrees]

Reader Comments (177)

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:38PM a falling stone said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:48PM Co said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:48PM Miami Prodigy said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:59PM Johnnynumber5 is powered by cell said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:59PM Draco said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:02PM Hong Dong said

Posted: May 6th 2011 3:28PM PN04 said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:39PM superfrog96 said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:00PM Punkrawk Bbob said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:04PM jynxycat said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:05PM Liquidfingers said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:16PM Jerkfish said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:17PM The angry pro consumer gaming ga said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:27PM Ballistic H said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:47PM Punkrawk Bbob said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:49PM Liquidfingers said

Posted: May 6th 2011 6:25PM maveric101 said

Posted: May 6th 2011 9:06PM Punkrawk Bbob said

Posted: May 7th 2011 1:13PM Liquidfingers said

Posted: May 11th 2011 3:37PM RastaPanda said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:40PM Mr Cool711 said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:27PM Mrguy you know that guy said

Posted: May 6th 2011 4:14PM (Unverified) said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:41PM Assmar said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:42PM mbarriault said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:42PM whylekat said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:58PM LEONLEONLEON said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:48PM Mrguy you know that guy said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:58PM whylekat said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:42PM skbkoy65 said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:17PM TheDarkWayne said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:42PM Assmar said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:42PM Vcize said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:42PM Mmmmz said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:42PM thatdude21601 said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:56PM Co said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:30PM Shockwave said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:43PM Psychoplasm said

Posted: May 6th 2011 2:04PM Kinjiro said

Posted: May 6th 2011 1:43PM DokiDokiBawanga said

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