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Microsoft is gearing up to announce its Xbox 360 successor at an event on May 21, and former creative director at Microsoft Game Studios Peter Molyneux has suggested that while he “knew a lot” about the company’s next-gen plans, he’s fascinated to see which way the reveal will go.

Speaking with Edge, Molyneux discussed what he’d like to see from Microsoft’s new rig, and added, “I’m going to be absolutely fascinated to see what they finally come out with, because I kind of knew a lot when I was at Microsoft about what their plans were, and plans change and aspirations change.

“I’m sure they’ll have put a lot of time and thought and rehearsal into that press briefing, but I’m going to be fascinated to see what the hardware is, and how it will fit into this new world that we’re in now – this new world of hyper-connectivity, of super-portability.

“Or whether they’ll double-down and say ‘you know what? We are the games console, and that’s what we define ourselves as’ and say [they] don’t really care about hyper-connectivity or hyper-portability. It’ll be fascinating which way they jump.”

Molyneux suggested he’d prefer the latter, and added, “This is my personal feeling as a gamer. What I would do is double-down on what this console is for: it’s for playing games. It’s for playing console games for this massive, incredibly loyal audience of gamers out there.

“When they start to mix all this other stuff in there I’m kind of slightly like: ‘look, I don’t want another way of looking at Facebook’. You know, I’ve got all the ways of looking at Facebook. I don’t want another way of looking at Netflix. Just give me what I’ve paid my £299 for, and that is to play amazing, incredible computer games.”

What’s your view? Should Microsoft go large and pitch the new Xbox as a hardcore gaming device, or has the audience shifted enough to warrant an entertainment-heavy approach? Let us know below.

Meanwhile, Molyneux has teased he may make an appearance at Microsoft’s reveal, but not on stage. His latest project Curiosity may also end in time for the announcement. Are the two linked? Decide for yourself here.

Thanks OXM.

A hardcore gaming device will not sell millions of units. They need a gimmick like Kinect and entertainment apps to move a lot of units.

I am looking forward to look what lifechanging, never seen before, changing the look we have on videogames, type of game molyneux has to announce this time.

I don't trust a single word this guy says. Too much bullshit and exaggerations over the past few years...

i'm no expert but most consoles sold millions without having a gimmick like kinect or an app-even the 360 sold almost 50mio units before kinect.

Good thing he really didn't say anything.  He said there were 2 paths and he like the one that concentrate on games.  Seems pretty reasonable to me.

As soon as I saw the headline to this article I thought to myself: ‘there is going to be a bucket load of dumb people posting hateful comments about Mr Molyneux’.I was not disappointed…..or was I.A very very very small, almost microscopic part of me hoped that maybe gamers on this forum had suddenly grown up, become more sophisticated, deciding to take a broader view of the world.Only for a second though. Who was I kidding? After all what is the internet for but to air all one’s malice and vitriol in the safety of home and anonymity….it’s just human nature.

JK aside, I love this man =P I understand why he get the hate, though, so don't mind me.

What are you talking about consoles need gimmicks to sell? PS2 sold 150 million consoles without gimmicks and the PS1 sold over 100 million without any gimmicks. This gen the Wii was kind of a gimmick with motion control but PS3 and 360 have both managed respectable sales even without Move or Kinect. But that's just my opinion.

So he means they hadn't "doubled down" when he was still with them?