Xbox World is shutting down at the end of the year. But instead of ending with a whimper, Xbox World is going out with a bang. The final issue of Xbox World magazine – the December issue – will reveal world-exclusive details about the Xbox 720.
News about the Xbox 720 has been nonexistent. So far, everything involves rumors and good old speculation. But ComputerAndvideoGames.com revealed that Xbox World “has been at the cutting edge of Durango coverage for over 12 months.” Apparently, Durango is the code name for the Xbox 720.
So what kind of features will the Xbox 720 (or whatever it’s called) include? Here are some of the hints and rumors that are covered in the penultimate Xbox World article:
-Four hardware cores
-The debut of Kinect 2.0
-Blu-ray disc functionality
-Directional audio
-TV output and input (huh?)
-8GB of RAM
-Similar exterior to the Microsoft Surface tablet
-Innovative controller
-a “black, sharp, and curved” design (how can you be sharp and curved at the same time?)
Oh, and here’s a picture of what the new device could look like, with full credit going to CVG and Xbox World:
You can purchase the Xbox World article from January 2013 online here. The issue includes 8 pages of detailed coverage about the new Xbox.
The bad news
So far, all the rumors about the new Xbox seem positive. Except for one problem: Microsoft claims to be introducing an “innovative controller.” This has the video game world in an uproar. The Xbox 360 controller is arguably the greatest gaming controller ever made. Changing that wonderful device to something more “innovative” would be incredibly stupid.
Of course, if Microsoft wants to add a touch screen interface or other nifty feature onto the existing controller design, then we don’t see a problem with that.
Okay, that might be too ‘innovative’
The ‘new’ Xbox name
According to Xbox World, the Xbox ‘720’ will actually just be called Xbox. So it looks like Microsoft is trying to adopt the same creativity as Apple as it names its new products.
Further details about the new Xbox will likely be revealed at E3, which takes place every June. So you’ll have to wait until June 2013 before any more news about the device gets revealed.
The PlayStation 4
Not to be outdone, PlayStation Magazine released an expose on the PlayStation 4 that includes similar details and specifications:
-Quad-core processor
-16GB Flash memory
-4GB to 8GB of RAM
-Price range between $510 and $635
Both consoles are expected to be released in time for the holiday season of 2013. In fact, games are currently in development for both consoles, and many of the hardware details released so far stem from the development kids that have been released to developers.
