Rumors are popping up on the airwaves that Microsoft has begun manufacturing of Durango, codename for its next Xbox console, also dubbed as the Xbox 720. You can tell when the next generation of consoles are upon us when rumors of its arrival can be found popping up like little minions on a regular basis.

According to IGN who spoke to a source they won't name, which makes this rumor even more questionable, the Xbox 360 successor is being manufactured at a plant in Texas. Flextronics, the company that manufactured the first and current Xbox is said to be the one behind the manufacturing process of the Xbox 720, though Flextronics was not available to comment on this claim.

There is a chance if this rumor is true that what is being manufactured are not actual Xbox 720 units. Microsoft said it would not announce its next generation plans at E3 2012, which to us shot this rumor down to the gutter. It is likely Microsoft could be manufacturing Xbox 720 developer kits or a slimmer version of the 360.

So far there is not yet a need for a new Xbox, because Microsoft has found ways to extend the lifecycle of the Xbox 360 with the handsfree controller that is Kinect. And if the company does release a subsidized $99 360 this week, then that would be considered as another way of extending the system's lifecycle.

If you are holding out for the Xbox 720, you could be in for a long wait. The most likely launch date of a new console from Microsoft is in 2014, with Sony making the jump in 2013 and Nintendo in 2012.

Question: are you planning on jumping on the next generation bandwagon? Which console would you consider picking up? Is it the Nintendo Wii U, the Playstation Orbis aka PS4, or the Xbox 720 aka Durango?