February 11^th, 2005 (10:52am) - It has repeatedly been stated that Microsoft’s successor to the Xbox, the "Xbox 2", will see a release in North America in the fall, however the latest reports from Europe have begun to state that 2005 will also be the year for the Xbox 2’s debut in Europe and the UK. The specific launch window is rumored to be late October or early November, just a few weeks after the console’s North American launch, although a specific date for that launch has yet to be even mentioned.

Speaking under conditions of strict anonymity, senior American and British development, publishing and retail sources have confirmed the launch window in the past weeks. It is also now widely known among British sources that Microsoft UK is currently in the planning stages of a spectacular and unprecedented launch event in central London for the winter release.

Microsoft has denied the recent batch of rumors stating that the Xbox 2 would make its public debut at the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in March. Analysts are now predicting that the Xbox 2 will make its debut at E3 in May alongside Sony’s "PS3" and Nintendo’s mysterious next-gen console, the "Revolution".

"Microsoft has not made any announcements regarding the next generation," stated a Microsoft spokesperson. "We are currently very focused on further building the success of the Xbox console today and are not speculating on timing for a future version."

Despite Microsoft shooting down the possibilities of any announcements regarding the unveiling of the Xbox 2, countless big name publishers and developers, including third-party publishers Electronic Arts and Activision, have begun to leak details regarding games in development for the console’s launch as well as the scheduled launch window in the fall.