A big announcement came out this week from the Director of Programming for Xbox Live, Larry Hryb aka Major Nelson. He revealed that on Tuesday, May 21, Microsoft will be introducing their next-generation gaming console to the world. Find out how you can tune in for all of the excitement after the break.

Many rumors will hopefully be laid to rest on May 21st. Will the new Xbox be “always on”? Will Microsoft finally allow backwards compatibility? Can it read Blu-ray discs? So many theories thrown back and forth against a wall, but nothing has ever stuck. Speculate all you want, nothing is official until it comes straight out of the horse’s mouth.

That’s why it’s always great to have someone like Major Nelson who is always on top of news for the players. Here is his announcement:

“On Tuesday May 21st, we’ll mark the beginning of a new generation of games, TV and entertainment. On that day, we’ll be holding a special press event on the Xbox campus and we invite you to join us via the live global stream that will be available on Xbox.com, Xbox LIVE and broadcast on Spike TV if you are in the US or Canada.

On that day, we’ll share our vision for Xbox, and give you a real taste of the future. Then, 19-days later at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, we’ll continue the conversation and showcase our full lineup of blockbuster games.

We are thrilled to pull back the curtain and reveal what we’ve been working on.”

I cannot help but wonder if this is in response to Sony’s big PlayStation 4 announcement earlier this year. Sony gave Microsoft a little jab when they said they didn’t “build a box” and Major Nelson fires right back by saying “a real taste of the future.” The console wars are really firing up and it’s sad to think that Nintendo is being left out in the cold. Previously, Major Nelson put up a countdown clock for E3, but it would appear that June is too far away and Microsoft plans to attack earlier.

Let’s hope we do not get the same kind of presentation as Sony’s. As many great things were confirmed and on display, we weren’t given too much to work with leaving many gamers disappointed. As Hryb stated, E3 is right around the corner. Sony has definitely held its cards close to the vest before the big show, and I will assume Microsoft will do the same.

The presentation could mainly focus on Xbox TV, Xbox Live, and other various properties Microsoft has in store, and barely scratch the surface of gaming capabilities, just like Sony. So my expectations of what they show will be low, and that is in Microsoft’s advantage.

With so many new features to be discovered, how much do you believe Microsoft will show on May 21st?

Again, you can watch the live global stream over on Xbox.com, Xbox LIVE, and Spike TV if you are in the US or Canada at 1 pm EST.

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Source: Major Nelson