Good Source namely MCV.
http://www.mcvuk.com/html/news/story.jsp?newsId=1930051
Microsoft is on course for a dramatic end-of-year hardware roll-out in the West - with its next generation Xbox successor thought to be on track for launch in both the US and Europe by Christmas.
MCV believes that the Redmond giant is keen to seize the time advantage it currently appears to have over Sony and the PlayStation 3.
Senior US sources have revealed that third-party publishers are working towards a simultaneous launch for the new format in both key Western territories in time for the crucial holiday season.
The move will surely be warmly welcomed by the trade, with most undoubtedly expecting the launch to follow the pattern established by the current model – i.e. the Euro roll-out several months after North America.
However, Xbox 2 - which is codenamed Xenon - is expected to arrive this side of the Atlantic within weeks of the US launch, MCV can exclusively reveal.
A glance at software schedules highlights exclusive titles for the current Xbox format drying up beyond Q1. And, with hardware still in short supply at retail, the signs suggest that both Microsoft and its third-party publishing partners are increasingly channelling resources into preparing for the next-gen unit.
Microsoft is almost certain to remain silent on the matter until its E3 conference in May.
And Xbox, despite hardware shortages, does have strong momentum; the company’s refusal to speak about Xbox 2 at next month’s Game Developer Conference suggests it wants to maximise sales of the current machine while the last raft of blockbuster titles hits retail.
Xbox 2 has been widely predicted for a Q4 2005 release in the US for some time, with Electronic Arts having already announced that ‘Xenon’ skus of its biggest franchises will ship alongside the next current-generation versions.
PlayStation 2 had a huge lead on Xbox, but Microsoft execs have repeatedly stated that the company will not be beaten to market next time around.
With PS3 looking unlikely to launch in Europe before the autumn of 2006 at the earliest, Microsoft is powerfully placed to seize the initiative right across the West and finally offer a serious challenge to Sony’s next system.
http://www.mcvuk.com/html/news/story.jsp?newsId=1930051
Microsoft is on course for a dramatic end-of-year hardware roll-out in the West - with its next generation Xbox successor thought to be on track for launch in both the US and Europe by Christmas.
MCV believes that the Redmond giant is keen to seize the time advantage it currently appears to have over Sony and the PlayStation 3.
Senior US sources have revealed that third-party publishers are working towards a simultaneous launch for the new format in both key Western territories in time for the crucial holiday season.
The move will surely be warmly welcomed by the trade, with most undoubtedly expecting the launch to follow the pattern established by the current model – i.e. the Euro roll-out several months after North America.
However, Xbox 2 - which is codenamed Xenon - is expected to arrive this side of the Atlantic within weeks of the US launch, MCV can exclusively reveal.
A glance at software schedules highlights exclusive titles for the current Xbox format drying up beyond Q1. And, with hardware still in short supply at retail, the signs suggest that both Microsoft and its third-party publishing partners are increasingly channelling resources into preparing for the next-gen unit.
Microsoft is almost certain to remain silent on the matter until its E3 conference in May.
And Xbox, despite hardware shortages, does have strong momentum; the company’s refusal to speak about Xbox 2 at next month’s Game Developer Conference suggests it wants to maximise sales of the current machine while the last raft of blockbuster titles hits retail.
Xbox 2 has been widely predicted for a Q4 2005 release in the US for some time, with Electronic Arts having already announced that ‘Xenon’ skus of its biggest franchises will ship alongside the next current-generation versions.
PlayStation 2 had a huge lead on Xbox, but Microsoft execs have repeatedly stated that the company will not be beaten to market next time around.
With PS3 looking unlikely to launch in Europe before the autumn of 2006 at the earliest, Microsoft is powerfully placed to seize the initiative right across the West and finally offer a serious challenge to Sony’s next system.
