After weeks of "anonymous sources" claiming to have information on the Xbox 360 and PS3's successors, execs from Microsoft and Sony from France have both spoken out against these claims saying that no new consoles are due this year.
When asked about Microsoft debuting a new Xbox console at E3, Cedrick Delmas of Microsoft France1 said:
We're in an industry that talks a lot, that likes telling stories. I am not convinced that things will happen this year. The Xbox 360's cycle is not over at all. The proof is that we haven't price cut this year.Afterward, what will happen at E3, it's still too early to say. What's certain is that there will be nothing new in 2012. If we wanted to counter Nintendo, we would have to be in a position to release something immediately, and that is not at all the case.
Philippe Cardone, CEO of PlayStation France2, was less specific about Sony's plans:
It's true that there are many rumors, but I could tell you anything. The Wii is pressed for time because it is in decline. In our case, we have a lot less pressure. We were the last to leave the PS3, it will probably be the last to announce something.
Even with these strong words from Microsoft and Sony, don't rule out new consoles just yet. We wouldn't be surprised if the French branches of these primarily American and Japanese companies weren't exactly "in the know". Or it could be that because they're French, they're avoiding any chance of what they say being construed as "fighting words".
