And here is today’s Xbox 720 rumour

Yesterday we were told that the next Xbox would be out in 2013 and integrate Windows 9. Today it’s an entirely different story.

CVG has word from Windows Weekly that claims Microsoft is going down the Apple route” with its next machine. Specifically, it reckons that integration with both Windows 8 and Windows Phone will be central to the offer.

"What I’m hearing is [the next Xbox is] going to come out for holidays next year, meaning that they would almost have to announce this at CES, wouldn’t they?” reporter Paul Thurrott claims.

That’s my rumour… that we’ll expect to hear something about that.

"They’re going the Apple route where they want this thing to integrate very tightly with Windows 8 and Windows Phone, which is a problem with the current Xbox."

He also claims that Microsoft’s Silverlight platform will be embedded and that the project is operating under the following codename – Project Ten.

As with all Xbox Next rumours, there’s little to suggest hat any of this is correct.

However, it’s logical to assume that the next generation of consoles will offer more than simply added technological horsepower.

Indeed, the integration of assorted media into a standardised platform – which is very much like the Apple model – is a must. Whereas processing grunt defined the early games industry, services will certainly dominate the immediate future of the sector.