Microsoft Corporation (MSFT): Gaming Goes Next Level May 21?

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is making final preparations for the launch of its new Xbox gaming console, due to be announced Tuesday morning Pacific time (about 1 p.m. Eastern for those of you near Wall Street). Besides the enterprise, one area where Microsoft has been able to hold a decent share of the market has been in gaming and digital entertainment. Its main rival in the gaming arena is Sony, and it just unveiled its new PlayStation 4. So now it’s Microsoft’s turn. What might we see from Redmond in this next-generation console?

Well first of all, it seems pretty certain that Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) has been working toward  being a bigger factor in our living rooms, and one way that can be accomplished is by turning a gaming console into an entertainment system complete with the ability to stream video, play Blu-ray discs and other activities besides just playing games. But what about the quality of the console, since Microsoft had already been incorporating other entertainment options into its Xbox 360 and its Kinect system? There may be a better processor int he system, plus some could be looking for high-definition 1080p display for the games and entertainment.

Microsoft said itself that there will be a “few surprises” in store, and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) said it would do the full reveal in two parts – the first will likely be the technical stuff involving the console Tuesday, and the other part would be more devoted to games at the E3 conference in early June. One of the other big questions that certainly will need to be answered besides the games themselves that will be available (how many of them will be upgrades of existing popular games, and how many new entities will there be?) will be the price of this new console? Will Microsoft focus solely on being competitive with the Sony PlayStation 4 at about $400, or will it try to pull the cellular plan, were the price gets greatly reduced in exchange for a Xbox Gold subscription? Could it be either one? Or both?

Are you a gamer? Are you looking forward to learning more about the new Xbox from Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT)? Let us know your thoughts and how you think this will affect Microsoft’s stock and market in the comments section below.

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