Next Gen Consoles?

With E3 2012 fast approaching, its only natural that were all left waiting on what is going to be revealed/showcased. The question for consoles, however, seems to be on the very top of the list. We already know that the Wii U is being shipped later this year, with titles such as Ninja Gaiden 3, Assassins Creed 3, and Darksiders 2 available at launch. The real concern lies in what Microsoft and Sony are planning on doing.

At this point, both Microsoft and Sony have stated that they are not going to release a new console at this E3, whether they're going to stick with these words or not, remains to be seen. With the Xbox 360 already making amazing sales, Microsoft doesn't have too much of a need to push a new console, especially with other releases, such has Halo 4, slated for later this year. Sony on the other hand needs to push, as the Vita did not go quite as well as they wanted it to, and their sales aren't quite where Microsoft's are.

As for the actual consoles themselves, rumors have been speculating all around the place, with the names of the consoles, and the hardware being used. Specifically for the Xbox, people have started throwing around Xbox 720 and another name, Durango all around the place. Some are speculating that the hardware is already being manufactured, that the Xbox will run Blue-Ray, and that there might be some system to prevent the console from reading used games. As for the next playstation console, there isn't too much around to work with, but there are speculations about a similar cell processor being used, and "confirmations" that Sony is indeed working on the console.

Once again, the above are all just rumors, and that there is no guarantee, but regardless E3 is just around the corner and at least some of our questions will be answered.