Kinect 2 Announcement Looming? October Release Date Planned?

According to OXM.uk, the next Xbox might be closer to release than most people think. Currently codenamed "Durango," the new Microsoft console is said to ship with an included version of the Kinect motion-control system that has revolutionized body-scanning/reading technology. Employing true motion controls, the Kinect has been upgraded and refined, with many referring to its new and improved version as "Kinect 2."

"Durango" is said to include major hardware upgrades, according to a report by Kotaku, which pointed to a leaked development kit sold on eBay, and it's rumored to be released sometime around the holidays as the next-gen version of the Xbox Kinect system. "I'm leaning toward Microsoft not cutting the price of the Xbox 360 in the near future since it's already selling quite well, though a minor cut is possible," IDC Research analyst Lewis Ward said.

Ward continued, "If Kinect 2 does arrive this holiday season, I'm sure they'll put it in a bundle and there will have to be a few marquee games that use it in interesting ways. That's a tall order, though, and if they've been able to keep it quiet to this point, that would be a stunning feat!"

EEDAR's Jesse Divnich concurred with Ward, "I don't believe an Xbox 360 price cut is imminent. The Xbox 360 hardware still leads in sales and I do doubt whether we even see a price cut at all in 2012. However, we should expect a holiday season full of discounted and limited edition bundles that, on paper, would reflect a price cut. But a full price cut on the base hardware, I wouldn't expect one until early 2013."

This sudden news could mean that Microsoft is concerned about the upcoming Wii U press conference in Manhattan, taking place in September. At that press conference, Reggie Fils-Amine will discuss the Wii U in greater detail, possibly outlining features like the Miiverse, as well as its potential release date, which may occur in November, according to online rumors. Microsoft, perhaps looking to get the now-in-development "Durango" on store shelves around the same time, might soon look to off-load existing stock to pave the way for its new system.