Report: Next Xbox codenamed 'Loop'

I doubt that the new Xbox will be announced at E3 next year...I'm not expecting an announce 'til 2013 at the least. Hell, it probably won't launch until 2014 or 2015. Just talking about it seems like those years are ages away... On a slightly different subject, does anyone know when Fallout: Online's coming out?

There's arguments either way...the analysts are all predicting a 2013 announce with a launch as late as winter '14, but in my bones that just doesn't feel right. The rumors of a successor have been around too long, specs are leaking, "killer apps" are on the visible horizon...the perfect storm is brewing. Really, with 3 major players, Nintendo confirmed to jump first and Sony rumored to hold out as long as possible, it all comes down to what MS does. MS gets to wager on which opponent will be the weaker of the two and launch accordingly. If they jump when Wii U does, Sony will have to follow right behind or risk being so late to the party that they lose relevance. If they decide to gamble on Wii U pulling a Dreamcast [launching too early and hanging itself out to dry], it'll be Loop and PS4 battling it out. The smart thing to do is follow Wii U...it's not likely to have the same uptake as its predecessor, which forces Sony to either rush its launch or risk being hung out to dry. My big indicator is Halo 4. Love it or hate it, it's *the* Xbox killer app, and they'd be stupid to launch their next generation console without a Halo title. Without a must-have, they risk a collective 'meh'...or worse, popping two Halo games back to back risks the fury of gamers angry about rushed sequels. Loop should be interesting, though. Going to ARM processors is a huge gamble...it'll bring prices through the floor, but negates the 'develop for this, develop for PC, same diff!' advantage the line has traditionally had. On the positive, ARMs are similar enough to x86 that they can just swap compiler options, and are more friendly to tiny independents [many of whom are currently making Android apps...which run ARM processors].

I bet they'll call it the NeXtBox, which most gamers will hate.

I'll only be ready for one if they incorporate my old profile. I'm not willing to part with 48647 gamerscore, not do I want to rid myself of my gamertag. BUT, I don't want this dashboard and setup to just translate directly to the new hard- and software. They'll need to be creative with this one. As for the alleged "cheaper than the Xbox 360," I'm hoping they mean NOW, because it it's cheaper than the launch price, forget it. My Xbox 360 Slim is perfect. Makes you wonder how "great" the graphics are going to be in comparison... sometimes, I find it hard to believe our graphics can co beyond what we already see. Hell, it's already so BEAUTIFUL. And "Loop?" I can dig it. Better than "Xbox 720" or "NextBox."

well if they are smart they'll add in a BD Drive, but to honest aside from that there's no reason for a new console. It not like graphics/sound/connectivity are in need of upgrading, even the Wii brick will only match current standards so whats the point?

The new Xbox needs to come out relatively soon. If only to overcome the data constraints of DVD.

Way to make me feel old, GR. :p The DirectX Box is really coming up on 10 years? Where did the time go... Sad as my wallet is to hear me say this, it's time. PC hardware has come a LONG way in 6 years, and what was boutique back then is bargain-bin now...and I'm still thinking they're covering up for a Winter '12 release. They have the 'chump' to launch first [historically, the NES is the only console to have ever launched first and come out on top], they'd have their killer app in Halo 4...I'm watching for a surprise Winter '12 release. If the 'helper core' rumor is true, don't expect 360 backwards-compatibility; the hardware will be too different.

What makes you think they'll wait for the chump to launch first? They didn't last time.

Oh wait, you mean the Wii U? We know it will come out after that, otherwise they would have announced it already.

I'm just looking at history. Yes, X360 was this generation's chump...and it's not the top seller (That would be Wii...love it or hate it, it moved the most hardware). The pattern holds. ^_- This time by, Wii U is first...and history isn't on its side. It may or may not be 2nd, but the smart money's on it not being 1st. For MS, it's do or die time. They've had 2 generations and 10 years, they need a 'winner'. Sega's the only company to have stuck around after 3 successive runner-ups...I sincerely doubt they'll fold [MS' games division is profitable], but they're the only active console maker without a win to their name. For Sony, they're in a similar situation. They followed the exact path that Nintendo did...went from dark horse to beloved champion to bitten by their own arrogance; I'm not sure which way they'll go next generation. The 8th will either see them licking their wounds and come back swinging in the 9th, or they'll come out swinging in the 8th and it'll be a coin toss on whether or not they'll take the top slot. There's also been rumors that they're going to skip the 8th completely, but that's suicide IMO. Power or no power, 8 years old vs new and shiny, new and shiny wins. With the guys they have leading the PS division now, they have a good chance at taking back the top spot. They have guys that eat, sleep, and breathe games running the show now. The question is, how much influence will they have over PS4, and will they be made into sacrificial lambs if they have no influence and the PS4 underperforms. From the point of view of a guy that takes just as much joy from studying the industry as he does playing games, the 8th has the potential to be VERY interesting.

Why not just NextBox? :) Also, I agree with ultimatepunchrod. I'm not quite ready for this.

"Nextbox"? Seriously? LOL. I think they should drop the xbox branding altogether, boosting sales through curiosity and novelty. That said, Xbox is a massively established name. I fucking hate the generic Playstation 1,2 & 3 names!!!

Lol. No, not seriously. That would be awful. I don't have much of a problem with Playstation 1, 2, & 3, but the idea of XBox720 is less than exciting. I'd be okay with dropping that branding as well, but that's probably more risk than they'll take. Regardless, I'm still too content with this gen to feel very compelled to buy expensive next gen stuff right now. Of course, given a couple of years that could all change.

smaller and cheaper?! hmmmmm

I'm not quite ready for a new generation. But at the same I wouldn't completely reject it.

If the analysts are right, we're looking at another year and a half to two...'not quite ready' is the time to start the run-up, as by the time it hits we will be. That said, I'm betting on a surprise winter '12 launch. Winter '13 is too soon to make Halo 5, and they'd be smart to have a name that big on hand as their killer app on launch day.