Bad news game fans - Microsoft has put an end to the incessant new Xbox at E3 rumours by releasing a pretty comprehensive statement denying it will be on show at the gaming expo.

It reads, in full:

"While we appreciate all the interest in our long-range plans for the future, we can confirm that there will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon. For us, 2012 is all about Xbox 360-and it's the best year ever for Xbox 360. The console is coming off its biggest year ever - a year in which Xbox outsold all other consoles worldwide. Xbox 360 didn't just outsell other consoles, it also outsold all other TV-connected devices like DVD players, as well as digital media receivers and home theatre systems. And in our seventh year, we sold more consoles than in any other year-defying convention.

This year, we will build on that Xbox 360 momentum. With Halo 4, Forza Horizon, Fable: The Journey, and other great Kinect games on the way, our 2012 Xbox lineup is our strongest ever. This year, we will deliver more TV, music, and movie experiences for Xbox 360-as we'll make it even easier to find and control your all entertainment. And this year, Xbox games, music, and video are coming to Windows 8 so people can enjoy their Xbox entertainment wherever they go."

So there you have it, the console rumoured to be codenamed Durango, will not be getting a June unveil. The official statement from Microsoft backs up what its French marketing director, Cedrick Delmas, said back in January when he told website LePoint.fr: "There will be nothing new in 2012".

"We are in an industry where it talks a lot, it likes to tell stories. I'm not convinced that things are happening this year. The cycle of the Xbox 360 is far from over." Proof of that came in the fact that the price hadn't been dropped this year, he said.

It was too early to say what would happen at E3. "What is certain is that there will be nothing new in 2012."

Sony isn't expected to announce anything fourth-gen PlayStation related at the LA-based expo either, leaving Nintendo a clear early run at the new eight-generation console market with the Wii U.