Sources at Microsoft are seemingly admitting defeat in their plans to release a new Xbox games console by the end of the year, as they claim they want to keep progressing with the Xbox 360 for as long as possible, and that they are not in a position to launch direct competition with Nintendo’s Wii U, which will be released near the end of the year.

It had been rumoured that Microsoft were planning a release of two separate consoles (the gaming-centric Xbox 720 and home entertainment/Kinect-based Xbox Loop), with a slim possibility of a late 2012 release. However, Cedrik Delmas of Microsoft France is of the belief that no new hardware will be released on the games console front this year from his company.

Delmas said of the prospects: “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 [annual video gaming convention similar to the CES], 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. We’re not here to counter Nintendo and they’re not here to fight the other manufacturers. Nintendo has put itself in a different cycle, it’s going forward to its own rhythm, with success as we have seen with the Wii, and now it’s their turn to present their innovation.”

Recent developments have suggested that when the Xbox 720 does get released, it will be up to 6 times more powerful than the 360, and will be compatible with Blu-ray discs like the 360′s current biggest rival Sony PlayStation 3. While their dual-console plans are most likely still intact (unlike the proposed Microsoft Online TV service), how long will Xbox fans have to wait before finding out the latest developments from Microsoft?

Latest TV searches:

xbox logo, x box logo, logo xbox 360, logo xbox, xbox symbol, Xbox 360 symbol, Xbox live logo, xbox emblem, xbox logos, xbox symbols

Related News:

1. Microsoft Plan Xbox Live TV Service
2. Microsoft Primed To Release Xbox TV Service?
3. Microsoft Break New Waves With Videosurf Buy-Out
4. Microsoft Hiring NBC Staff To Produce Xbox Original TV Content
5. Microsoft Online TV Project Shelved Due To Licensing Costs