Xbox 720 to be announced next week, but we probably won’t find out how much it costs or what it looks like

• By Grant Brunner on May 14, 2013 at 2:54 pm
• 86 Comments

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Next week, Microsoft will be unveiling its next-generation gaming console in Redmond, Washington. All eyes are on the so-called Xbox 720 to see if it can live up to the high standard Sony set with itsannouncement of the PS4 earlier this year. With this event happening so close to the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), many of us are curious about what will be shown on the 21st, and what will be saved for gaming’s biggest trade show.

Obviously, the hardware and upcoming games are important, but the price of these next-generation consoles will make a huge difference in how they fare coming out of the gate. While there hasn’t been any official word on the pricing, estimates have put the PS4 between $400 and $500. The Xbox 720, on the other hand, is rumored to cost $500 outright, but only $200 to $300 with a subsidy. Unfortunately, we might not even get to hear the price for the new Xbox at the announcement. Infamous games industry analyst Michael Pachter recently said that we won’t see the hardware, hear the launch date, or get the price until E3 rolls around. If that’s true, we’re in for an entertaining game of chicken between Sony and Microsoft to see who can announce the price last.

Motion controls are still apparently in the cards. Despite the PlayStation Move sales being something of a disappointment, Sony showed off its new controller and Kinect competitor when it announced the PS4. On the other hand, the Kinect seems to have done quite well in extending the Xbox 360′s lifespan. While we’ve yet to hear anything from Redmond, reports have a 1080p Kinect successorshipping alongside the Xbox 720. If Microsoft is banking on motion games selling in any large quantities, we can expect it to be shown at the event so that a myriad of new games can be announced at E3.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in the excitement of a new generation of consoles, but not everyone is happy. Activision CEO Bobby Kotick recently spoke worriedly about the launch of the next-gen consoles in a recent earnings report. With the Wii U struggling to sell unitsand the overall slump that the industry is currently in, it’s no surprise that gaming executives are expecting poor sales during the launch window. Now it’s up to Microsoft, Sony, and game developers to actually make something that consumers are willing to drop a couple hundred dollars on.

This generation is running long in the tooth, so this new hardware is desperately needed to revitalize the market. We still have a lot of unanswered questions from both Microsoft and Sony, so the fate of the industry remains in the air. If the big two console makers don’t pull out all of the stops this time around, the Steam Box, PC gaming, and mobile gaming might just put them out of business.