According to sources linked to Develop-Online, the next generation of Xbox hardware is already in the hands of developers – an unnamed EA development studio. The hardware was apparently sent to EA last month, and is a very early build lacking a casing, currently being stored in a PC case.
EA developers are being given the opportunity to get to grips with the hardware and begin developing first-generation software for it. Citing their ‘senior, trusted, well-placed source’, Develop says: “Quite often when new consoles come around they’re packaged into a PC shell, but actually what’s inside is an entirely new console.”
Develop makes it clear that the source does not work for either Microsoft or EA. Their source believes that the new console may be ready to launch by the end of 2012, and that some announcements can be expected at E3 2011, taking place in the beginning of June.
However, Eurogamer has reported that their respected source “poured water on Develop’s report that some kind of announcement will happen next month at E3,” calling an E3 2011 reveal for a new Xbox console highly unlikely.
Neither EA or Microsoft have commented on these reports.
Next-gen Xbox console exists, software in development << Comments and views
Sources: Develop Online, Eurogamer
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