GameSpoon: The Next Xbox Rumors

Gizmodo posted about a rumor they heard regarding the next xbox. They learned that the next xbox will not only have Natal built-in, but it will also support a fully immersible 3D environment.

Gizmodo's post referred to a Team Xbox article, which stated, "in addition to built-in Natal tech, a key feature of the next Xbox would be full HD stereoscopic 3D visuals similar to 3D movie theatres" (Team Xbox). Also, according to Gizmodo, "TeamXbox claims that the 720 won't be launched until 3D television solutions go more mainstream" (Gizmodo).

Let's recap some information here -

• Project Natal, which will be available for the Xbox 360, is clearly a future that Microsoft will be exploring and improving upon


• Microsoft employee Johnny Chung Lee, who is working on Project Natal, has already created an interactive 3D environment with a WiiMote


• At E3, Microsoft announced a 10 year lifespan for the Xbox 360

So what does this all mean? First, we can assume that the Project Natal's release on the Xbox 360 will basically be a massive "beta-testing" ground for the future of that type of technology. I use "beta-testing" loosely, it will be a fully-functioning add on to the 360, but the future of the Xbox console clearly has this technology in mind. So why not test it out on the current system, get the bugs out, see what developers can do and use the time to explore more ideas around the technology?

Next, we come to Johnny Chung Lee. Seeing how he has already created an interactive 3D environment (using a WiiMote), sure sounds like it is on par with this "fully immersible 3D environment" that the 360's successor is rumored to have. Watch this video:


Last, it brings us to the 10 year plan for the Xbox 360. Now, this does not mean that we have to wait for the full 10 years before the next system comes out, but it does buy Microsoft some valuable time. Time that they may not need, but time that the public will need to adapt to "3D television solutions."

I once had the pleasure of hearing Jawed Karim, a co-founder of YouTube, speak about the success of YouTube; the success of that website directly correlated with the publics' adaption to high-speed internet - thus being able to stream video. YouTube would not have been successful if the site launched before 2005. He stressed the importance of timing and technology, basically when the masses are ready for the new technology. This reasoning sounds like justification for Microsoft's patience.

Regardless of whether these rumors are true or not, these next few years will be exciting times. The way we've known console gaming is going to change forever, but these changes will be good. They will bring us forward and offer new experiences that will change the way we game and the way we interact with our games. Perhaps this will further break down the wall between gaming and film, joining forces to breed a new way of telling stories.