Microsoft has yet to confirm any plans for the next version of its Xbox game console but a new rumor claims that one of Microsoft"s in-house game developers, Rare, is already at work on a "mature" themed game for that platform. Eurogamer reports that the rumor come from the new print issue of Xbox World magazine. It also states that two more Microsoft game developers, Lionhead (the Fable series) and Turn 10 (the Forza Motorsport series) are now working on games for the next Xbox console.
If Rare is indeed developing a new game that would appeal to more mature audiences, it would represent a return to a type of game that the UK-based developer hasn"t released in a while. The last original game that Rare developed for Microsoft that received an "M" rating was Perfect Dark Zero, an Xbox 360 launch title in 2005 (a remake of its Nintendo 64 game Perfect Dark was released via Xbox Live Arcade in 2010). Since then the developer has released more family friendly titles such as Viva Pinata, Kinect Sports and the upcoming Kinect Sports Season Two.
Previously reported rumors have claimed that Microsoft might announce the next version of the Xbox console at E3 in June 2012 with the actual launch of the console coming sometime in late 2013. Back in July, Neal Robison, the director of ISV relationships at AMD, claimed that the next version of the Xbox could have graphics that will have the level of detail that was seen in the movie Avatar.