Xbox 720 Reveal Coming at E3 2012, Crytek Already Developing Games for It

A brand new report claims that Microsoft is getting ready to debut the Xbox 720 console, the successor to its current Xbox 360 device, at next year's E3 conference, and German developer Crytek is already making a game for it, in the form of TimeSplitters 4.

The next generation of consoles has been heavily talked about in the last year, with many developers demanding new, improved hardware, so that consoles can still be on par with the PC platform in terms of power.

Nintendo is opening the next wave of devices with the recently announced Wii U console, which improves on the current Wii and gives it all of the features currently boasted by Sony or Microsoft with their PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, respectively.

According to a report from VideoGamer, Microsoft may be next, as its Xbox 720 is scheduled to be unveiled at next year's E3 conference.

The website cites an inside source at developer Crytek, which said that the studio is already working on developer kits for the new Xbox console and is preparing a new TimeSplitters game that will demonstrate the power of the device.

This isn't the first time the existence of the Xbox 720 has been rumored, as earlier this year, Electronic Arts reportedly received a developer kit for the new device from Microsoft, fact quickly denied by the company.

According to the same website, TimeSplitters 4 will run on a modified version of CryEngine 3, with full support for DirectX 11, something that is still missing for the current Crysis 2, and will demonstrate plenty of technological advancements like tessellation, multithreaded rendering or upgraded shaders, all possible on the new Xbox console.

In terms of actual gameplay, TimeSplitters 4, which is developed by its original studio, Free Radical, now renamed into Crytek UK, features new branching paths and an open world that can explored freely, while levels are going to have multiple routes that can be used by players depending on their choices.

Neither Crytek nor Microsoft commented on this new report, so fans are still going to have to wait until next year to see whether TimeSplitters 4 will make an appearance on a new Xbox 720 console or not.