BBC iPlayer Arriving on Xbox

According to a report from Eurogamer, the popular streaming service from the BBC will be arriving on Xbox soon.

It’s taken so long for the app to arrive – despite it’s mention during the late 2011 revamp – due to the complication between Xbox Live Gold and the licence-fee funded iPlayer. However it’s now been resolved and iPlayer will be available to both Gold and Silver subscribers.

This means that not only can you enjoy 4oD, Channel 5 on Demand and soon the ITV player, you can also catch up on Sherlock and Newsnight without having to leave your living room.

GAME Lose Xbox, Sega and Activision Support

According to a leaked memo to GAME staff that MCV have managed to see, both Activision and Microsoft won’t be supplying the UK retailer.

This is dreadful news for the retailer after other publishers have been not been supplying both GAME and Gamestation with stock, most notably the behemoth that is EA.

Without Activision, that means no Call of Duty related products, nor Prototype 2 and Transformers Fall of Cybertron, and without Microsoft that means absolutely none of the consoles big hitters or anticipated Star Wars: Kinect - including the Star Wars: Kinect console (again reported by MCV)

The memo itself reveals that Activision’s Cabela Big Game Hunter 2012 and Zhu Zhu Babies along with Microsoft’s Kinect Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure won’t be sold by the retailer either.

The memo also confirms that Sega won’t be supplying stores with Shogun 2: Fall of the Samurai and Yakuza: Dead Souls, and that Nintendo won’t be handing over copies of PokePark 2, Inazuma 12 and previously reported Kid Icarus.

Unsurprisingly GAME has told it’s store managers that the situation is “temporary”, and that they “are doing everything [they] can to resolve these issues as soon as possible”. They also informed staff that they ”do not get involved in dialogue or comment publicly via social media, or gaming forums.” – which seems to have worked well…

If the memo rings true then this means that Activision, Sega and Microsoft hit the list of big publishers who have pulled out from the dying chain. Companies include EA, Capcom, Namco Bandai, Tecmo Koei and Nintendo. Sony however is remaining loyal and is supplying consoles and games, including their latest release Twisted Metal.

There may still be hope for the dying retailer as rumour has it WalMart are preparing to make a bid for the company.

Microsoft Launch 10 Year Anniversary Site

Worryingly it’s been a massive ten years since the original Xbox launched – man that makes us feel old – and to celebrate Microsoft have launched a timeline site.

Showcasing all the tidbits you’d forgotten about, the E3 videos, articles about the launch of services like Xbox live, they’re all here for you to reminisce over. It’s an impressive timeline and really shows how meteoric the rise of Microsoft’s little (well rather large) black box was, especially as it arrived on the console scene as the baby of the bunch.

You can flick through years of Microsoft’s – and your – past over on the Tenth Anniversary website.

Could the Next-Xbox Have No Disc Drive?

MCV were informed by a source at an undisclosed Microsoft partner that the Next Xbox will not include a disc drive. The information was apparently issued under “the strictest NDA” they have ever encountered.

Apparently the next console from Microsoft will not include a disc drive, but will instead offer some form of ‘interchangeable solid-state card storage’. This could be a proprietary card, or something like a SD card – it seems we’re moving from discs back to cartridges.

It also seems that a 2013 launch date has been confirmed for the console, this could mean an E3 2012 announcement from Microsoft, as they didn’t mention it at all at the Spring Showcase event.

Of course Microsoft wouldn’t reveal any detials to MCV, but did provide a somewhat cryptic answer, that doesn’t completely quash the rumour.

“Xbox 360 has found new ways to extend its lifecycle like introducing the world to controller-free experiences with Kinect and re-inventing the console with a new dashboard and new entertainment content partnerships. We are always thinking about what is next for our platform and how to continue to defy the lifecycle convention. Beyond that we do not comment on rumors or speculation.”

Peter Molyneux Leaving Lionhead Studios

Peter Molyneux, the visionary, and perhaps at times overenthusiastic, mind behind games like Black & White and Fable, has announced he will be leaving Lionhead Studios, and thus Microsoft, after the completion of Fable: The Journey, the Lionhead’s first Kinect title.

In a statement seen at Kotaku, Molyneux mentions that he will be leaving Lionhead to pursue an independent venture.

“It is with mixed emotions that I made the decision to leave Microsoft and Lionhead Studios, the company that I co-founded in 1997, at the conclusion of development of Fable: The Journey.,” Molyneux said, “I remain extremely passionate and proud of the people, products and experiences that we created, from Black & White to Fable to our pioneering work with Milo and Kate for the Kinect platform. However, I felt the time was right to pursue a new independent venture. I’d like to thank the team at Lionhead, as well as our partners at Microsoft Studios for their support, dedication and incredible work over the years.”

Molyneux mentioned on Twitter that his new company will be called “22 Cans.”

Fable: The Journey is expected to release sometime this year for Kinect.

Assassin’s Creed 3 Could Have 4 Player Co-Op

Thanks to some snooping about on Xbox.com by AGB, it seems that Assassin’s Creed 3 will feature four-player online Co-Op play.

However, in an interesting turn of events, heading over to Xbox.com will reveal that Microsoft have pulled the online feature from it’s description.

This image is what AGB managed to find:

This image is what Xbox.com currently shows.

Could this mean that Microsoft just got their information wrong? Or maybe, and most likely, Ubisoft slapped them on the wrist for revealing some details they didn’t want let out.

Steel Battalion Heavy Armor Gameplay Trailer

Today Capcom revealed details and screens on the long awaited Kinect game Steel Battalion Heavy Armor for Xbox 360.

Set in 2082 in a war torn world, it seems that the only hope any army has of besting its opponent comes in the form of Vertical Tanks. These VT’s pack quite a punch, and you’ll be taking control of one.

Below is a gameplay trailer for Steel Battalion Heavy Armor, you can see a story trailer as well as some screens with the revealed details.

Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor Details Emerge

After having been announced alongside the announcement of Microsofts Kinect peripheral now two years ago, Capcom’s successor to Xbox title Steel Battalion has finally arrived.

Today Capcom let out some details on Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor including some screenshots and a story trailer.

It seems that the game is set seventy years from now, in the year of 2082, in a world where war is waged with “rudimentary weapons as new superpowers struggle for dominance”. In this dystopian landscape of war the U.S. army has begun to land on what was previously its own territory, and in this era of low technology the Vertical Tank is the only way to tip the scales in their favour.

You take control of Lt. Powers who pilots a Vertical Tank on a mission that will see battles move from North America to war-torn streets all over the world.

Using the Xbox 360 controller to move, aim and fire, whilst the Kinect takes over “combat-crucial” controls. These range from starting the engine, operating the scope and manning the turret; it also allows for interaction with team mates, including calming crew down and high-fives for successful missions.

Below are a smattering of screens and key artwork for the game, along with the story trailer.

Forza Horizon Teased

A video has surfaced on YouTube that teases out a new game by Turn 10 and PlayGround Games.

Known as Forza Horizon the teaser trailer features absolutely no gameplay whatsoever, so who knows exactly what we can expect, but it does reveal the title will arrive in Autumn of this year.

If we were to deduce anything from the trailer, it would be that this is a more party centric game, less about the simulation and realism of driving and more about the joy of driving. It could also be set in open roads and real environments, as opposed to racing tracks around the world.

Halo 4 Images Surface

It seems that two images have arrived on the internet that show off some in engine action of Halo 4‘s Master Chief.

The screens come from AGB but originally surfaced on NeoGAF.

They don’t show off much, but do show just how incredible the game engine that 343 Industries is using to create this entry into the series.

Hopefully it’ll be as impressive to play as it is to look at.

Tritton Primer Headset Review

The world of headsets designed to ‘heighten your experience’ or ‘blow you away’ or generally any other PR hyperbole that is associated to any high end product, is vast and dense. You can’t go into a games specialist store without falling over a dump-stack or two of them, or having them thrust in your face when you visit an online shop, indeed it seems in the last few years that the headset market is on fire. Turtle Beach headsets seem to be the consumer choice at the moment, with people clambering for their products like an apocalypse was coming, but Mad Catz have joined in on the party, and personally it looks like they are ready to blow that beach full of turtles completely out of the water.

Everybody says that appearances aren’t everything, or that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but we all know most people do at some point, and from first glance at the Tritton Primer headset you know you can expect something slick and wonderful. First off you’ll notice that it’s an officially licensed product, the packaging is exactly like something you’d expect from a firstparty Xbox 360 product. It comes in those sexy white boxes, with that cheeky splash of green in the corner, and a lovely wide window for your eyes to ogle the headset within, and my what a headset. Its sleek black curves and minimalist styling make it a very attractive piece of plastic, much more-so than the horrendously bulky X32s or upcoming xp300s (which is the primers main competition). The flash of orange on the headphone speakers, as well as on the Tritton logo, make it even more tasteful. It definitely looks the part of a serious headset, and thankfully it also sounds like one.

Keeping up with its first appearances, the headset is glorious to wear. Not only is it incredibly comfortable to wear for long periods of time, thanks to very soft and squishy ear pads and a pad on the headband to make sure it doesn’t rub and become uncomfortable. It’s devastatingly loud and crisp for a stereo headset, so much so you’ll actually think its surround sound thanks to its ability to cleanly and quickly switch between highs and lows. This high level of sound quality comes thanks to its 40mm speaker drivers that really push out the deep basses needed to really transport you to a battlefield, it also made the Halo: Combat Evolved music feel incredibly awesome alongside it’s powerful weapon arsenal, and it made playing Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 feel like you were in the middle of a rave.

For those who are really anal about their headsets, and thus worry that going wireless will create sound lag, we didn’t notice a single bit of slowdown nor did the sound drop at any point at all. This is thanks to the 5.8GHz wireless connection that pushes the crisp sound and means that interference from other devices doesn’t bother these headsets, indeed we got a phone call on our mobile and it didn’t even come through on the headset. Nicely the wireless chat is handled excellently too, with speech never dropping and, from what our online compatriots have told us, delivering a clean sound through the microphone. Indeed even the sound of someones incredibly annoying voice sounds all the sweeter when heard through one of these bad-boys. If however you’d rather not talk, or have to endure someones voice, then you can handily turn the chat volume down independently from the game volume, via controls on the headset itself, and you can easily mute the mic and fold it right out of the way.

The Primer also comes with everything you’ll need to get it up and running right out of the box for any Xbox 360 console. If you’ve got an Xbox 360 running off HDMI – instead of composite like us – then you get the audio cable you’ll need to get the most out of your consoles sound. It also comes with some batteries to get you going, and a cable to plug the mic into the controller. Set-up is incredibly easy too, literally requiring you to plug the base station into the xbox (for power) and then the sound into the TV and Xbox 360, after that it’ll automatically sync up with the headset and you can just sit back and enjoy  all the sound your ears can handle. Nicely enough Mad Catz have also included their 2 year warranty with the headsets, although unless you do some crazy stuff with your headsets, it seems incredibly rugged and able to withstand practically anything.

It isn’t all sunshine and green grass when you’re on the Tritton side of the headset world though. Actually, we only really found one fault with the headset, and even then it was only marginal. When powered up you’ll hear the low hiss of the speakers whilst they warm up. It mostly goes away when a game is being played, partly because you’ll be so engrossed in the gameplay and the superb sound quality, but it will always be there hissing away in the background. Its presence only becomes an annoyance when the game becomes silent itself, or if you’re in a soundless environment like the Xbox 360 menu. Understandably the hissing breaks immersion during a particularly somber scene, or in a horror game where silence builds tension, and arguably its moments like this a headset should be perfect for immersing yourself in.

Overall though the Tritton Primer Wireless Stereo Headset is a forced to be reckoned with. It’s understandable that it’s a licensed product as it’s absolutely top-notch in terms of comfort and sound, as well as its aesthetics and ease of use. Thanks to having all the sound controls in an easy to find position on the headset itself, the design is alluringly sleek and so makes it feel like a professional headset, as opposed to the bulky and rather tasteless Turtle Beach range of headsets. It may not be absolute perfection, but for a stereo headset that’s wireless and built to last, and incredibly affordable for a licensed headset ($99.99/£89.99), you’d be hard pressed to find anything better, especially as this one even has the Microsoft official seal of approval.

Final Score: 4.5/5

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UPDATE: Halo 4 Release Date Leaked?

A video has appeared on the ever popular video site YouTube, and this time its showing off something very interesting indeed; an incredibly likely release date for Halo 4.

The date of November 21st appears on the screen at the end, and it opens with a ‘Halo Waypoint Exclusive’ video reel. If that wasn’t enough, the entire time the video is running a 343 Industries watermark sits on the bottom left corner of the screen.

If the title was to receive a November 21st launch date, that would be in-keeping with the release cycle and schedule of the Halo games in general.

The video itself shows off very little, it seems that it is merely a reel demonstrating the new graphical rendering effects that 343 have implemented into Halo 4. You can see what looks like a pod crashing down through some cloud cover, space nebula and solar flares, as well as what we can only assume is the metal to bone binding process used in the creation of Spartans. Interesting stuff indeed.

UPDATE: In a statement issued to the Examiner, Microsoft have come forward to say that the video is indeed a “fake”, and the US marketing manager confirmed the same news via a casual tweet to us. This of course means very little as Microsoft wont want to reveal anything before they want to, but now 343 Industries have a lot to live up to if the effects reel in a fake video looks more impressive than in the finished product. The fake date is a Wednesday though so its unlikely that this is the true release date, but you never know, games are launching left right and centre now, and the PS Vita launched on a Wednesday to quite a fair bit of success. Below is the official statement from Microsoft:

“This video is a fake and we have not yet announced the launch date for Halo 4,” Microsoft’s official statement reads. “Please stay tuned for more information.”

SpecialEffect Sees Rise In Demand

Speaking to Gameindustry.biz the incredible charity SpecialEffect, which offers help for disabled gamers to enjoy the titles they love, has said that there has been an increase in demand for its wonderful services.

Director of SpecialEffect, Dr. Mick Donegan, says that requests for help have gone up, seeing children, war veterans and the general public appealing for assistance from the charity. Dr. Donegan puts this down to recent appearances of the charity in the gaming press and PR events such as Playstation Access.

“When that went out there were a lot of people who got in touch as a result as a result of that wanting support, and wanted it on a one to one basis.”

“In other words a process that takes time to get the device just right, and that time requires people to do it. We’re working extremely hard but the numbers are going up, so we need to increase the support that we give.”

“Regular giving will help us plan ahead, it will enable me to take on additional staff. For example we need some more occupational therapists because at the moment we only have one day a week, and the requests for visits are far higher than that.”

It’s nice to see that the community is also coming together to help too. The numbers involved in the 10k London Run doubled to 40, with teams from developers all taking part on their behalf. They have also begun to collaborate directly with game developers and production to ensure they are as accessible as possible. Dr Donegan is currently in conversation with Microsoft about increasing disabled accessibly  for its Kinect titles, as well as with Splash Damage and its games.

“We’ve had such incredible good will from gamers and people who work in the games industry that it has been really overwhelming.”

Companies like Insert Coin Clothing have really gotten on board with helping promote the charity too, and so it seems that SpecialEffect’s stellar work can only get better and better.

If you feel like doing the right thing and helping out such a wonderful cause, you can do so via the SpecialEffect website.

Kinect Star Wars arrives this April

Today Xbox 360 and LucasArts have announced that on April 3rd 2012 Kinect Star Wars will be flying our way.

Not only will the game be releasing but the limited edition console will too. The game will sell for the normal price of €49.99 and the console will come in at a respectable €399.99.

The game now has five dynamic modes, which will help bring the game to Star Wars fans of all ages, and they are:

• Jedi Destiny: Dark Side Rising
• Rancor Rampage
• Galactic Dance Off
• Duels of Fate
• Podracing

In addition to all of this the limited edition console will include an exclusive C-3PO unlockable for Dance Mode (if this is anytime to do the robot without looking like an idiot, then this is it).

If you are picking up either the game or the console let us know in the comments below. May the force be with you.

Dev says Next Xbox Pre-Owned Block ‘Would be fantastic’

Writing on AltDevBlog, Volition designer Jameson Durall came out and said that the rumours about Microsofts next console blocking out used games would be a good idea if it turned out to be true.

The developer claims that gamers don’t realise the damage it is doing to the game developers themselves, nor to the publishers, and ultimately if retailers don’t seem to care about the guys producing the games, why should they care about the retailers?

“There’s another big rumor about the next Xbox console that could really start to shake things up… it won’t play used games at all,” Durall writes.

 

“Personally I think this would be a fantastic change for our business and even though the consumers would be up in arms about it at first… they will grow to understand why and that it won’t kill them.”

“The system is already there for Microsoft, all they’d have to do is use the DLC and codes model they have to tie a game to your Xbox live account.

“Each retail disc would likely need that unique key somewhere in the code so the account would be able to link it properly. Ideally it would tie a full version to the console it is registered on so family members can play even if the main account isn’t signed in, but this is exactly how their model works now anyway.”

Durall goes on to suggest ways that the service could continue on an allow people to rent or sample games, as he admits this model may not be perfect.

“I could see Microsoft implementing their own rental service which would maybe give them a code that activates the game for X days and they are charged a small amount,”

“This could work when you borrow the disc from someone or even with digital download of the full version. It would also send a percentage of the rental to the Developer with each rental… likely improving the overall revenue we would receive from it.”

Ultimately though Durall comes to the conclusion that consumers, nor retailers really understand the problem that faces the industry:

“In the end, I fully believe that we have to do something about these issues or our industry is going to fall apart.

“People often don’t understand the cost that goes into creating these huge experiences that we put on the shelves for only $60. They also don’t seem to realize how much they are hurting us when they buy a used game and how pirating a copy is just plain stealing.”

“I know that some will say I’m not considering the retail games stores and the impact something like this would have on them…but remember they were doing fine well before the Used Games market became such a staple of their business.

“The truth is, they aren’t concerned with how this business is affecting us so why should I care how these changes will affect them?”

Honestly, the way we see it, if Microsoft closes off the used games market they will face a backlash from both consumers and retailers. Retailers could refuse to stock their products, and a lot of consumers wont be purchasing games, in fact I bet they would see a larger drop off of sales than if they kept used games alive. Used games after all offer a cheap way into a series, that if you like, you’ll end up buying from new when the next installment comes. As for charging people who borrow a game off a friend, that completely kills the desire or drive to try something new, and then go out and buy it after realising that you like it; after all we all know demo levels try their hardest to show off the best bits of a game and leave out the slower and more unattractive elements.

Source: CVG

Mass Effect 3 Facebook App Lets You Win Prizes

That is if you own an Xbox as Microsoft have launched the Mass Effect 3 Facebook application to reward users with avatar props and prizes.

The app lets you take part in “missions” which upon completion unlock Xbox 360 rewards and an entry into a sweepstake. The sweepstake prizes include a custom 250GB Xbox 360 themed in either Mass Effect 3′s Paragon or Renegade finish.

There will be no in-game bonuses from taking part in the app as EA are providing that themselves with their “handheld/mobile” tie-in.

The first mission is now available and to take part all you have to do is sign up. When enough people have signed up you’ll nab yourself a Normandy prop for your avatar. The second mission will arrive next week and will give players a chance to get early access to the Mass Effect 3 demo. To take part you have to submit your best pick up line, or indeed your best put-down if you want to be a renegade.

There are a total of 11 missions planned across the coming weeks until the games March 9th release.

Source: Eurogamer

Microsoft Could Ship Kinect 2 With Next Xbox

The next Xbox rumours are flying in thick and fast over the last few days; already it seems the chipset for the console is in development and that the console may contain an anti-used games device in it too. Now it seems that Microsoft could also be looking to launch their new motion sensing system with the console.

From an industry source, who is familiar with Microsoft’s plans for the next Xbox, speaking to Kotaku, they say that Microsoft plans to ship a new version of its ‘red-hot Kinect hands-free sensor system’. This new Kinect will contain an on-board processor that should enable Kinect to more effectively detect users’ motions. It should also help reduce lag in the device.

There are rumours that Microsoft is interested in making a smaller controller for the console, however this seems like it’d be an extra peripheral instead of a main controller as the current model is rather comfortable to use.

Source: Kotaku

Next Xbox Could Support Blu-Ray, May Not Play Used Games

As yesterday brought the news that the chipset for the next xbox was in development, today has brought out information about how the console will still use physical media and may not play used games.

The information comes from Kotaku’s industry sources; they claim that the new Xbox (currently unofficially dubbed Xbox 720) will utilise Sony’s proprietary format, the Blu-Ray. However the more interesting fact is the rumours that Microsoft will contain an anti-used game system, thus locking out pre-owned games from the system and totally devastating a market.

The details on  how such a system could work are completely scarce, but it is theorised that it could be done via linking a copy of a game to a persons Xbox Live account – however this would mean the console would need to be continually online.

Source: Kotaku

Microsoft To Keep Redeemable Points Codes

Yesterday we reported that Microsoft could be ditching their MS Points system, news now seems to suggest that the option to pay with either MS Points or currency will be available.

The news comes as the points cards will still be sold at retail, with the currency model coming in to replace purchased on the store itself.

MS Points have been in place since the Xbox 360 launched in 2005, and have spread to many other Miscrosoft online based stores.

Source: VG24/7

Mass Effect 3 With Kinect Hands-On

Shepard is back but this time he (or she) is here to defend Earth as well as the universe. While in Las Vegas for the 2012 International Consumer Electronics Show we got a chance to sit down and jump into Commander Shepard’s shoes and try out the Kinect voice functionality in Mass Effect 3. We return with our impressions on the Xbox 360 Exclusive feature.

I personally do not have a Kinect in my household, but Mass Effect 3 with Kinect may be one of those slight glimmers of hardcore gaming that turns fans that are on the fence about the Xbox 360 add-on hardware. What you have to appreciate with the Kinect integration is that the developers know full well that this is not going to be utilized by the entire audience of Mass Effect fans on 360. It will only be utilized on occasion or just to give players another level to grasp onto while playing. It feels like it was added with the game in mind, not the Kinect itself so it takes what Mass Effect 3 offers and allows it to work with Kinect. For instance, orders that you would say in game like Rainbow Six work (with limitations) in Mass Effect 3 with Kinect. You have to say the characters name first and then direct them to an action, i.e. “Liara, Move” or “James, Follow Me”. It is actually pretty cool to see these functions in action when you play it.

Of course the brunt of all this will fall on Shepards actions and what you are allowed to do. You have combat commands which allow you to switch weapons by simply naming the weapon type. Exploration commands, which include examining items in the world by saying “Examine” or opening doors by saying “open” among other commands. The abilities demoed were the Soldier Class abilities which included commands such as “Cryo Ammo” to switch ammo types and “Concussive Shot” as well as ability to say “Frag Grenade” to toss a grenade where your gun is aimed. Explorative commands are useful for many of the story based actions like “Reactivate” and “Talk”. It also has very useful commands like “Quick Save” and “Salvage” which of course do as they would. Basically the game takes what words you would see come up and be hitting the A button to utilize and instead saying the words out loud to Shepard and team to streamline menus and accessibility.

This does not go without a few downsides that only slightly impair the experience. The Kinect is known for its slight lag on occasions and with voice commands it appears no different. It takes about 1 maybe 1.5 seconds to process something at times. For the most part this is not a big deal as it mainly happens with weapons and issuing specific commands on characters like “Liara, Singularity”. This sort of lag may only frustrate people and not discern them from the entire experience as it is a fast paced action title. The lack of a “Reload” command is actually a highly requested feature at this point in the development so hopefully by release or soon after it will be implemented. Reload is something we thought would have been obvious to include but Bioware thought that it wasn’t as important. Sure players can just hit X to reload on 360, but if your commanding Shepard in every other way why not reload as well? It would seem like a no-brainer at first thought. Also, Mass Effect 3 is not a party game but if you find yourself in a room with people who may say things like “Use your assault rifle.” Or “Why didn’t you use singularity?” than you will be in for some frustration as everytime a game related command or word is said by anyone in the room, the Kinect reads it as the player. It is a bit annoying but not many people will play it with a room full of people, right?

The Kinect works very well with Mass Effect 3 and the overall gameplay is astounding. The area we played was full of fun new enemies and various explosions that will make many fans happy. It is not without a few flaws but many can be easily overlooked and the Kinect functionality can be seen for what it is in Mass Effect 3, a great step forward in interactive gaming. I hope many games will take advantage of this feature in the Kinect.

Players will be able to give the demo a go on Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and Steam on February 14^th. The Xbox 360 Demo will include full Kinect functionality.

New Chipset for Next Xbox is in Development

According to information found by tech blog Fudzilla, the new System on Chip for the next Xbox is indeed already in development, and has been since December.

Fudzilla’s sources state that the chip is a joint production between IBM and Global Foundries and is codenamed Oban.

It seems unlikely that any 2012 release for the console will come to light as the first run of consoles with the new chipset will be given to developers, so all we can expect in 2012 is an announcement of a new console. It seems that a commercial release wont come until late 2013 at the earliest.

Those in the dev comminity seem to think that dev kits will arrive mid March or April, so the consoles retail launch of 2013 seems like it would be quite on track. Obviously the SoC and dev kits will shine some light on what the next xbox will be capable of, but a lot of things can change during the time so nobody can be sure until an announcement is made by Microsoft.

Source: Fudzilla