As rumors fly about the Xbox 720 seemingly every day, we've all been wondering when Microsoft will finally take the lid off the console and show it off. Apparently, the company is almost ready to do that, and the nice thing is that we won't even have to wait until June's Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Microsoft has begun sending out invitations to the press for a next generation Xbox announcement on May 21, meaning it's all but certain that's when the Xbox 720 will be unveiled (and presumably have a new name).
The Xbox 720 event will take place in Redmond, Wash., at Microsoft's Xbox campus. It'll start at 10 a.m. Pacific time (1 p.m. Eastern time), and Microsoft is setting it up to be something similar to Sony's PS4 unveiling. Microsoft says it will give us "a taste" of the future, and that it wants to share its "vision for Xbox" during the lead-up to E3. Expect some specs, game footage and trailers, and a lot of corporate mumbo jumbo. If Microsoft wants to outdo Sony, it will show off the console itself, but who knows?
Hopefully, though, Microsoft will take the time to address some of the more unflattering Xbox 720 rumors that have been floating around. Will the system require an Internet connection to function? Will it block used games? Will Microsoft continue throwing obstacles in the way of indie developers? This year will be an important one for the video game industry, so it'll be interesting to see where Microsoft expects to take us.
The full invitation can be found below, courtesy of Major Nelson:
"On Tuesday May 21st, we'll mark the beginning of a new generation of games, TV and entertainment. On that day, we'll be holding a special press event on the Xbox campus and we invite you to join us via the live global stream that will be available on Xbox.com, Xbox LIVE and broadcast on Spike TV if you are in the US or Canada.
"On that day, we'll share our vision for Xbox, and give you a real taste of the future. Then, 19-days later at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, we'll continue the conversation and showcase our full lineup of blockbuster games.
"We are thrilled to pull back the curtain and reveal what we've been working on."
