e3 2012
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Microsoft says there will be 'no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon'
Sony has already confirmed that we won't be seeing a next-generation PlayStation at this year's E3 trade show, and now Microsoft has also come out and dampened any expectations about a new Xbox possibly making its debut. In a statement published by Kotaku (following a report on Twitter from Bloomberg's Dina Bass), a Microsoft spokesperson says flatly that "while we appreciate all the interest in our long-range plans for the future, we can confirm that there will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon." The statement goes on to say that "2012 is all about Xbox 360," before rattling off a list of milestones and some of the big titles planned for release this year. That leaves Nintendo with the stage to itself hardware-wise, which will presumably be showing off more of its next-generation console, the Wii U.
No 'new Xbox' talk at E3, Microsoft says
Having held the top NPD spot for the past 14 months straight -- and with the introduction of Kinect -- the old Xbox 360 still has some life in it yet. "For us, 2012 is all about Xbox 360," Xbox spokesperson and Group Manager of PR David Dennis told Bloomberg. "There will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon."A few sources close to news outlet Bloomberg insist that Microsoft will introduce a new console in 2013 at the earliest. Next year's E3 could hold an unveiling of the Xbox 360 successor, says the report, with a potential same-year launch to follow. Now doesn't that sound familiar?[Note: Image taken from our Microsoft E3 2011 keynote liveblog.]
Report: Don't expect next-Xbox announcements this year
The marketing director of Microsoft France has said the 360 still has some life left in its hard drive, and Microsoft won't be unveiling anything new this year. "Xbox 360′s cycle is not at all finished. The proof is that we don't see the logic in cutting the price this year," Cedrick Delmax said in a French-language interview with Le Point, according to Develop. "E3 is still premature. What's certain is that there'll be nothing new in 2012."We contacted Microsoft for clarification and a spokesperson provided the following statement:"We're always thinking about what is next and how we can push the boundaries of technology, as we did with Kinect. We believe the key to extending the lifespan of a console is not just about the console hardware, but about the games and entertainment experiences being delivered to consumers. We have made no announcements regarding a next generation console and do not comment on rumors or speculation."Rumors are of course rampant about the next Xbox launching in 2013, with the latest report suggesting mass production of its GPU will begin at the end of 2012.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance playable at E3 [update: Kenji Saito directing]
While we still think it's too early to get our hopes up, it appears that the new Platinum version of Metal Gear Rising will achieve what the Kojima Productions version never could: a playable demo. In a Famitsu magazine interview summarized by Andriasang, Hideo Kojima revealed that Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance will be playable at E3 this year. As you may have expected, the stealth element is no longer present in Revengeance. In the interview, Platinum CEO Tatsuya Minami said that stealth was the first element to go when Platinum took over. Kojima now says he never wanted stealth in there. Update: Additional excerpts from the article reveal Bayonetta main programmer Kenji Saito as Rising's director. Bayonetta director Hideki Kamiya is not involved.
Too soon: No plans for next PlayStation at E3, Hirai says
Kaz Hirai, Sony's... um, let's just call him "Mega EXEC" for now, said the company will not announce the PlayStation 4 at this year's E3. The Wall Street Journal reports Hirai is sticking to the 10-year life cycle for the PlayStation 3 and currently sees no need to replace it. "Andy (House) is absolutely right in that we are not making any announcements at E3," Hirai said at a CES roundtable with press, referring to statements made by Andrew House that there's no PS4 plan for E3. Meanwhile, over at the other console manufacturers: Whispers of an Xbox tease at CES never occurred, with current chatter of the next console's details being "rumor and speculation." Nintendo will certainly go big at E3 this year with the Wii U, after revealing the hardware at the prior show, and getting ready for the console's launch later this year.
Sony's Kaz Hirai: no PlayStation 4 at E3
It looks like you can officially put any hopes of a PlayStation 4 announcement at E3 to rest. In a roundtable with reporters at CES, Sony's Kaz Hirai responded to a question about recent comments attributed to gaming division head Andrew House by stating that "Andy is absolutely right in that we are not making any announcements at E3." As The Wall Street Journal reports, Hirai further added that he's "always said a 10-year life cycle for PS3, and there is no reason to go away from that." That ten-year life cycle would place the PS3's end-of-life around 2016, but as with the PS2 and PS3, we'd expect some overlap between the PS3 and its eventual successor.
Dark Millennium Online to be playable at E3 2012
While last week's E3 is still fresh in our minds and hearts, THQ is giving us a great reason to look forward to next year's expo: the chance to get our hands on Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium Online. Eurogamer reports that THQ is committing to this time frame. Danny Bilson says that WAR40K will be the highlight of the company's display: "Next year, I promise you, next E3. I've already got plans for what the booth is like. The centrepiece of the booth will be that MMO." We caught only a glimpse of a teaser trailer for the game at this year's E3. Vigil Games is hard at work on the $50+ million project, and Bilson says that it's looking good and on track for a launch between April 2012 and March 2013. "It looks fabulous. I like it. I can't speak to it now, or people will kill me. But, I'll tell you what, it plays differently. A little bit... This thing is gonna be special," he said. "We're going to come out when we come out in a big way. I feel like we're fully competitive with the other guys. It'll be seven years in the making when it comes out. We're competing with the best games in the world. You can't mess around with this thing."
E3 returns June 5-7 2012 to LA, not leaving city any time soon
The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) announced today that E3 2011 welcomed 46,800 attendees and will return June 5-7, 2012, to the Los Angeles Convention Center. Despite rumors that there is a possibility E3 could leave LA, sources close to the subject tell Joystiq that the LACC venue is locked for at least the next several years and even moving the show would require a venue that very few cities can provide. Officially, the ESA estimated that E3 2011 contributed more than $25 million in revenue to the city of Los Angeles.
