Rumor: Xbox Next to be revealed at E3 2013 and released soon after

Multiple sources within the electronics and software industries have hinted strongly at a 2013 reveal for Microsoft's next console, reports Develop Online. Manufacturers of console components and middleware have Microsoft working toward an E3 2013 unveiling for the machine, ahead of a late 2013 or early 2014 launch.

Take this as skeptically as you find appropriate: while the timing is credible, nobody at Microsoft (or anywhere else) has confirmed or denied these projections.

Develop also claims Lionhead Studios is working on a new Fable title for the console, internally titled “Fable Next.” This has led some to nickname the prospective machine “Xbox Next.” Realistically, though, branding for the projected console is probably not something that we'll hear much about until we categorically know that it, you know, exists. Rumors persist that EA has had access to preliminary development materials for the console, even though the company has explicitly stated that this isn't the case.

Develop also has a "trusted source" within Sony asserting that that company is also working on next-gen tech with a view toward a 2014 launch for its new PlayStation. The magazine suggests that the next iteration of Epic's Unreal Engine could be available in time for the projected machines' 2013-2014 unveil and launch. Again, this all sounds plausible enough – but then, 2013 is a long way away. We're sort of surprised that we haven't heard either company talk about their next system yet, especially with Nintendo preparring the Wii-U for a release next year.

Oct 20, 2011