‘Halo 4’ to Launch Xbox Next, Allow Cross-Platform Gaming?

If reports are to be believed, the next installment of Microsoft Studios' acclaimed science-fiction First Person Shooter (FPS) - Halo 4 - could arrive on two platforms.

The game, according to rumors, is being prepared for release during the 2012 holiday season and is expected to coincide with the launch of the next Microsoft gaming console, tentatively titled the XBN (or Xbox Next) or the Xbox 720. This is the same thing that happened in the transition period between the original Xbox and the Xbox 360. The decision to allow cross-platform compatibility, many believe, is motivated by the worldwide success of the Halo series. Reports suggest this cross-platform compatibility will be facilitated by the Xbox Live service.

It is widely believed that instead of using Halo 4 or even Halo 5 to introduce the new console, the evolved idea is to launch simultaneously on both platforms, making for a good business venture on Microsoft's part; one that could allow both platforms to make a profit from the new game.

Microsoft's next console is believed to arrive with improved graphics, compared to the original Xbox 360, according to a Lazygamer report.