Microsoft Confirms Existence of a Next-Gen Xbox

We all know that the next generation of video game systems will be coming, but the question for most people has been more of a “when” than “if”.  Most gamers expect to see the systems within the next two years, and Microsoft has just added to that theory.

While speaking to The Verge, Brian Hall of the Windows Live team commented that the next Xbox will be released “in time” for the new Microsoft products.

“We’ve had Hotmail and operated Hotmail for about sixteen years, we obviously have Exchange, and Outlook, that people use at work. We just decided it was time to do something new and bring the best from each of those and put them together and release it right in time for the new wave of products that we could have coming out with Windows 8 with the new version of Office with the New Windows phone and the new Xbox.”

To our knowledge, this is the first time that Microsoft has publicly commented on the next Xbox to confirm its existence.  The timeline that Brian Hall created in this quote leads us to believe that Microsoft is aiming to have their next console out by holiday of 2013.

When do you think the next Xbox will launch?  What features do you want out of Microsoft’s next console?  Be sure to let us know what you think by leaving us a comment below, or discuss the Xbox 720 in our forums.