Always chasing the sales, Microsoft sent out an e-mail today reminding gamers about the big releases coming this year. No surprise that the e-mail listed anticipated titles like Bioshock Infinite, Dead Space 3, Tomb Raider, and others. All pretty standard fare, really.
But what was odd was the update to Microsoft's Director of Progamming Lawrencee Hryb's blog, Major Nelson. Roughly the same time the letter went out, Hryb decided to post a countdown to this year's E3. Now sure, as the biggest trade show in the industry, E3 is definitely something to look forward to. Despite this, in the eight years since the blog's overhaul, never before has it featured a countdown to the expo, which seems to indicate that Microsoft has something big planned for the show. And what could be bigger than actually announcing a new console?
Granted that a simple countdown translates to such a huge announcement, but with all the rumors and patents circulating about Microsoft's fabled "next box," developers' beliefs that the current console generation is at the end of its lifespan, competitive pressure from Sony and their future console, AND the lack of official announcements, the stage finally seems set for Microsoft to formally announce its next console.
Of course, there's always the chance that Microsoft may make a completely different announcment at E3, so they won't have to share the spotlight with Sony or Nintendo. They've gone this route before, taking to MTV Presents to announce the Xbox 360 in 2005. But with all the games listed in the e-mail, few were exclusives, meaning they better have a serious showstopper to make an impression.
Whatever Microsoft has up their sleeve, we'll have to wait until E3 this June to see.
