Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox 720 will not be releasing in 2012, dashing all hopes for the same that had recently surfaced after the innumerable rumours.
“There will be nothing new in 2012,” said Microsoft France’s Marketing Director Cedrick Delmas, according to French website LePoint.fr (via Trader-France).
“We are in an industry where it talks a lot, it likes to tell stories,” Delmas said. “I’m not convinced that things are happening this year. The cycle of the Xbox 360 is far from over.
“The proof we are not at all parties on the logic of price drop this year. Then what will happen at E3, it is still premature. What is certain is that there will be nothing new in 2012.”
Nintendo has been the first to announce plans for a next generation console, with an announcement for the Wii U in 2011 itself. Delmas says that is Microsoft “wanted to counter Nintendo, we would have to be in a position to release something immediately, and that is not at all the case.”
“We’re not here to counter Nintendo and they’re not here to fight the other manufacturers. Nintendo has put itself in a different cycle, it’s going forward to its own rhythm, with success as we have seen with the Wii, and now it’s their turn to present their innovation.”
Recent reports suggest that the Xbox 720 will be six times as powerful as the 360 and will use Radeon 6000 card. According to another report, the 720 will have Kinect 2, Blu-ray, a smaller controller and will be unable to play used games.
Sony also currently has no plans for a PS4 release this year, saying that they’ll probably be the last to announce a new system.