Despite a number of rumors floating about the Internet that certain design photos are proposed designs for the upcoming next generation of Xbox hardware, these are apparently a confirmed fake, as well as the news that the new hardware would be out in 2015.

With the recent news that Microsoft is hiring for positions in the hardware department, tongues have been wagging that Microsoft is already deep into the process of designing new hardware for release. Our sources tell us that while Microsoft might be doing some planning, and even perhaps writing up some specifications of what they would like to have in the next Xbox console, nothing has been decided - including when this new console might arrive.

While whispers that we hear inside the development community suggest that developers are already planning for the next wave of console platforms, no one seems to think that it will arrive anytime soon. While a release in 2015 is certainly possible, we think it still has not been determined and Microsoft would like to continue to tap into the Xbox 360; it is widely believed that the console still has at least a few more good years left with an abundance of software being developed for the platform.