Microsoft confirmed my exclusive report that it will reveal the next Xbox in a special event on May 21. The firm originally intended to reveal this eagerly anticipated device today, on April 24, but pushed back the schedule to better respond to Sony’s recent PlayStation 4 announcement.
“On Tuesday May 21, we’ll mark the beginning of a new generation of games, TV and entertainment,” a Microsoft statement reads. “On that day, we’ll be holding a special press event on the Xbox campus and we invite you to join us via the live global stream that will be available on Xbox.com, Xbox LIVE and broadcast on Spike TV if you are in the US or Canada.”
Microsoft is planning a staged launch for the next Xbox. The reveal is Tuesday, May 21 in Redmond, as noted. This will be followed by a “showcase [of its] full lineup of blockbuster games” at the E3 trade show on June 9. And then, at the BUILD conference in San Francisco in late June, Microsoft will reveal its developer plans for the next Xbox, which is based on Windows 8 Core.
I’m not sure yet what kind of coverage I’ll be providing for the next Xbox. When the Xbox 360 arrived 8 years ago, I was hoping to bring some maturity and context to video game reviewing, but saw little success drawing attention away from what I still feel are largely childish video gaming sites. This time around, I suspect I’ll stick to the machine itself, the digital media and entertainment functionality, and whatever cross-device integration (SmartGlass, home network access, etc.) it provides.
More soon.
