Microsoft Next-Gen Xbox Release Date Set for 2013

According to a recent Bloomberg article, Microsoft has the release date for its own next-generation console in mind - Thanksgivingish November, of 2013. Those among you with good memories shouldn't be too surprised, as the last couple of systems from all three major manufacturers have all hit around the same time; even Sega's last console, the Dreamcast, launched in September.

The real dilemma, according to those in the know, is whether Microsoft wants to unveil the unit at the E3 Electronics Entertainment Expo in June, or hold their own event for the console alone. While a singular event would allow razor focus on the new Xbox, Microsoft needs to tread carefully, as showing up at E3 with nothing new might send the wrong message.

While gamers and manufacturers alike are excited for the prospects that a next-gen console brings, Microsoft is still raking it in with the current system, which - by several accounts - outsold Nintendo's Wii U by more than 2:1 over the recent Black Friday spate of holiday shopping opportunities. Some of that is no doubt down to supply constraints of the new Wii U, but more than a few people were able to walk in to their local store and buy a system on release day. All told, it doesn't bode well for Nintendo.

The new Xbox will replace the aging Xbox 360, which was released over seven years ago. While most features are still under wraps, it's expected that the new console will come with an improved version of Microsoft's technically capable but critically panned Kinect motion sensing system. As for names, well, your guess is as good as ours, but the Xbox 720 seems like a foolish joke, while the Xbox 3 would fare poorly in marketing materials next to the PlayStation 4. Our guess? Microsoft might pull an Apple and just sell us an Xbox. The New Xbox.