Rumors regarding next-generation gaming consoles are starting to pile up, with an anonymous source telling tech website EDGE that a game developer already has a development kit for the successor of Microsoft’s Xbox 360.
According to the source, Ubisoft Montreal already has a dev-kit for the Xbox 720 (not its official name). The source also said that dev-kits are planned to be shipped out to more developers by the holiday season, with EA already having one.
Ubisoft Montreal is said to be developing target boxes, which runs custom components and hardware from Microsoft, until the software giant completes the design of the console.
A target box is a device that is made of virtually the same hardware as the gaming console. Working with target boxes will give developers enough time to work on games while the official hardware is still being developed.
EDGE also noted that Sony has ceased the development of the PlayStation 3 in order to focus on developing its successor. A major Sony studio is involved with the gaming console’s graphics technology.
The report also said that next-generation consoles from Sony and Microsoft could be launched next year, as both companies have learned a lot of lessons with the release of the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. It could also be a good move to eliminate the advantage of the Nintendo Wii U, which is expected to be released next year.
“A 2012 release would also do much to stop Wii U gathering momentum,” read the article. “While Nintendo’s new console is significantly more powerful than its predecessor, it boasts little improvement over the current generation of HD consoles in terms of raw processing power.”
via: Video Gamer