Xbox 720 coming sooner than expected?

We know it isn’t coming anytime in the next few months but perhaps it will be coming sooner than many of us expected. Recent subdued sales in Japan, often a canary in the coalmine where gaming fashion is concerned, has left Microsoft pondering the prospect of accelerating its new hardware project.

Last week official numbers from Japan showed that just 2,244 consoles were sold countrywide, and 2,152 the week prior to that. However income from the platform worldwide is still rising, with operating income increasing 50 percent to $225 million in the quarter ending March 31 compared to the year before. With 20 million Kinect and Xbox console pieces sold in the last year Microsoft may still not yet rush the 720 through, but this alarming trend will have pricked up some ears across the corporation.

Rumours are currently flying around the internet declaring that the 720, which is still very much secret, will be released at E3 next year. But excitement for a new xbox console is behind the it’s main rival, Playstation. In a recent survey on t3.com some 50% of those asked said they were the most excited about the PS4 coming out, with a telling 10% difference when compared to the 40% offered by the Xbox 720. The remaining 10% was made up by the Wii U.
But these survey results could also show that people are content with the current console, unlike the PS3 which lags behind in sales or down purely to brand loyalty.

Do you think that Xbox needs a new console soon to compete? Let us know in the comments below.