Xbox absence tells us nothing about next-gen

April 2nd, 2013, 18:31 Posted By: wraggster

If you're from this part of the industry - and pretty much almost everyone at GDC last week was or had been at some point in their life - the most asked and unanswered question of the show was around next-gen consoles.
While Sony was there and shared some more detail about PS4, the biggest questions were around Microsoft.
Windows and Windows Phone had a presence at the show, but let's be honest - no one in games really cares that much about them in comparison to the next Xbox.
And the next Xbox, still presumed to be out by the end of the year, is still to be unveiled. By missing the last big developer event before launch, a frustrated contingent say the firm is losing 'share' in the face of Sony's activity.
Or rather: a frustrated media, it seems.
I asked a number senior people running well-known studios point blank about the next Xbox and I alluded to it in conversation with pretty much everyone else. On the record, no one is saying anything. You might get a polite smile. The message is clear: the NDAs have been signed at the highest level. This next-gen discussion doesn't start until Microsoft's lawyers say so.
As for what the media thinks? The truth is that impatient journalists (like myself) will cover it when Microsoft is ready to talk.
I think the suspicion that there's some internal disarray at Xbox might be right. But it's also worth bearing in mind that the firm may have not wanted to spend on a costly trade show presence and reveal before the close of its financial year on March 31st. It could even be hastily changing or beefing up plans as a reaction to sudden changes in the market around which ever villain you want to pick, F2P, pre-owned, DRM, etc.

"The message is clear: the NDAs have
been signed at the highest level. This
next-gen discussion doesn't start until
Microsoft's lawyers say so."

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