Xbox 720 Unveiling Event Confirmed for May 21
Microsoft sent out invitations to the unveiling of the next-generation Xbox console this week.
The event is scheduled for May 21. The invite reads "A New Generation Revealed, Don Mattrick and the Xbox team invite you to the Xbox campus for a special unveiling."
Microsoft also plans to broadcast the unveiling live on Xbox and Spike TV. This unveiling date was originally revealed by Microsoft blogger Paul Thurrott who leaked the information on his "What the Tech" video blog earlier this month.
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Microsoft will be the last of the three major video game companies to unveil its next generation console. PlayStation introduced the PS4 earlier this year and Nintendo launched its Wii U console toward the end of last year.
The Xbox 360 has been the dominant force in gaming in the U.S. for the past two years, outselling its two biggest competitors the Nintendo Wii and the PS3.
The new Xbox console is expected to be capable of integrating a user's cable or satellite signal into a unified user interface, according to a previous report from The Verge.
The system will connect to set-top boxes via HDMI and combine broadcast content with its interactive interface. Microsoft is currently working with content partners to offer more streamlined integration with the service, according to the report.
Kinect will also play a role in this new Broadcast TV integration. The motion sensor on the Kinect portion of the console will detect where the user's eyes are and will pause the video once they look away. This is similar to the Smart Pause feature found on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S4.
Other rumors point to the console not allowing users to play games while the system is offline.
The gaming console will suspend games or applications when not connected to the internet, according to an older report from the Japanese site Kotaku.
"If the connection is interrupted then after a period of time- currently three minutes, if I remember correctly, the game [or] app is suspended and the network troubleshooter started," an anonymous inside source told Kotaku.
