Xbox Live head Larry Hyrb (Major Nelson) has posted a countdown to E3 2013 on his blog along with the phrase, “And it’s on…” You can take a look at the countdown here. There is no information to certify that this will be the grand unveiling of the next generation Xbox, but the launch of the console is eminent and frankly, overdue. We have seen a console refresh every five years, but with the PS3 and the Xbox 360, we have seen that life extend to almost 7 years.

Recently, we also heard that Microsoft would launch two different versions of the next generation Xbox. The two versions of the ‘Xbox 720’ consoles will be quite different from each other and will be aimed at different audiences. The first is the true next gen console with enhanced hardware and graphical capabilities that will be aimed at the hard-core gamer and will compete directly with the Wii U and the next generation PlayStation.

The other version of the next-gen Xbox console will have Windows 8 OS at its core and won’t be able to run the latest AAA gaming titles but instead will support downloadable games from Xbox Live. It will function more like a set top box providing entertainment along with casual games. The hardware specifications of the new Xbox aren’t known, but The Verge has reported that Microsoft will use a chipset that will enable an “always on” feature that will enable the device to boot quickly “and resumes to provide near-instant access to TV and entertainment services.”