Microsoft: Xbox 360 Is The Console of The Long Future

[Greg Tito]

Microsoft: Xbox 360 Is The Console of The Long Future

A Microsoft executive said that the Xbox 360 was designed for the long haul and does not need to be replaced anytime soon.

The Xbox 360 was released on November 22, 2005 in North America. Despite the console being over four years old, however, David Hufford, senior director of Xbox product management, said that Microsoft has no plans to replace it any time soon.

"I think it's important to say that the Xbox 360 is the console of the long future for us. There is no need to launch a new console, because we're able to give this console new life either with software upgrades or hardware upgrades like Project Natal," Hufford said at the Consumer Electronics Sshow in Las Vegas last weekend.

"The Xbox 360 was designed for a long life and I don't even know if we're at the midpoint yet," he continued.

He also seems to believe that, despite new cheaper chip technology, the price of the console isn't going down either. "We love our prices right now," he said. "I don't want to say that technology stops, but we believe we have a high quality console, and we stand by that quality with an unprecedented warranty, so we think we're in a good place now heading into the Natal era."

What do you think? Is Microsoft betting too much on Natal to keep its console fresh? Is all of this a big lie and they're actually going to be rolling out the Xbox 666 in 2011?

Source: Gamesindustry.biz [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/microsoft-theres-no-need-to-launch-a-new-console]





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[Jared]

They prolly think by releasing things like Natal they can keep it fresh enouigh for people to play it.

Betting that its already in so many homes they can use there weight as a big name to keep it in the market.

How successful it will be is another thing though...

 

[johnman]

They seem to be pinning a lot of their hopes on Natal, on which there is far too little info on to sway any opinion.

 

[Swaki]

something about eggs and baskets comes to mind.

i thinks it very ambitious of them to believe the xbox got another 4-5 years left.

something inside me really wants natal to fail, and every time Microsoft mention it, the darkness inside me grows, I'll probably be running around the streets setting fire to piles of them by the time it comes out.

 

[HSIAMetalKing]

The "Natal era"? Ugh

 

[xHipaboo420x]

Subjective: Nooooooo PC is the one true gaming future!

Objective: I can certainly see the reasoning behind this, although there is a bit of hyperbole.

 

[dmase]

It makes good business sense for the big three to stay away from development of a new console while we are in a recession. If we recover from the recession before Microsoft's loose timeline i'm sure they will release a new console.

 

[fix-the-spade]

What do you think? Is Microsoft betting too much on Natal to keep its console fresh? Is all of this a big lie and they're actually going to be rolling out the Xbox 666 in 2011?

I think Microsoft has sunk so much money into the 360 they can't afford to do anything but keep running with it.

Even if they get it into profit it will be years before it's life represents even an acceptable level of loss, nevermind a net gain for Microsoft. For Xbox division the next five years is all about damage limitation, no-one above them is going to sign off costs to develop an all new console when the current one is such a financial disaster area, they would have stuck with the five year cycle if they could afford it, there's money to be made selling dev kits and periphals all over again.

 

[wooty]

I give it another 2 years or so before we see leaked ideas of a new system.
But I bet Nintendo will be releasing a new system before MS and Sony ever do

 

[Bilbo536]

I hope they don't make the same mistake Sega did. Add ons = failure.

 

[squirrelman42]

I'm happy to hear that this generation is going to last a bit longer

 

[Eagle Est1986]

The 360 being reowned for it's lifespan of course, my first one lasting me a whole two years.

 

[Frankydee]

First thing that came to mind was that "long haul" and 360 don't really mix but "replaced" does.
[sub]several times in fact.[/sub]

But anyway.

I'm expecting to see another 3 - 5 years before they figure that they were lying to themselves. But as they said, why replace a good thing? If it's still making money then power to 'em.

 

[loveduckie]

They're kinda right. They've developed themself a solid platform.

They have a open-ended development kit for people wanting to create new games and have them published on the marketplace. They have a solid graphics processing system if used properly by the right titles.

And their online gameplay is fantastic due to the premium that is Xbox Live.

I would imagine it's hard to innovate anything in terms of core hardware at this stage considering how much awesome software they have for the console now. I also reckon that Project Natal could quite be the Wii killer, but this all varies on what the response speeds are like. I'll find that out in a few weeks time!

 

[sephiroth1991]

Natal,Smatal it won't help. The 360 is fine why you makin' it have a gimmik no one will use after a year, same to you Sony.

 

[DaxStrife]

He also seems to believe that, despite new cheaper chip technology, the price of the console isn't going down either. "We love our prices right now," he said.

Key information there.
But really, I'd like to think MS is really in the mindset that a single console can last several years before they need to replace it. It means a more stable platform for game developers to make a game around, graphics- and system-wise. It also means less "new console generation" waste as the old gets thrown out for the new. Besides, the graphics still look great and it works (when it's not Red Ringing), so why upgrade?

 

[MR T3D]

disappointed to hear this belief.
goddam wii making not advancing graphics feasible.

 

[niglett]

strange that's what Sony said about the ps3 when it was released and i remember Microsoft saying something on the lines of "we wont be doing what Sony is doing with the ps3 because by that time we will have much better technology for the next xbox."

Microsoft will need to release a new system sooner than they expect unless they don't want to be able to compete. on top of that they wont be lowering there prices with the cost of making the 360. the biggest issue i see is that the blue ray disc will be able to hold 34gb on a layer as opposed to up to 4.7gb on a dvd layer which is what a xbox uses. Nintendo will probably remain in the market by releasing a new system like always.

natal i think shouldn't be taken too seriously. i mean how the hell do you play Cod:MW2 on it? or any game without having to stand like a tard in front of the tv? Ms needs to pull there heads out of there ass and be original instead of copying the competition. so far thy managed to get windows to be more like apples os, they are going to over run the 360 by doing Sonys ps3 plan, now motion control similar to the eye toy and Wii.

 

[VanityGirl]

I think as long as it has online capabilities, then it'll last. I for one still enjoy my 360 and will continue to enjoy it until the next big thing comes out.

I do not, however, care for Natal.

 

[CD-R]

Well if the Natal will let you control a game like you're using one of those computers in Minority Report then yeah you could get a few more years out of it. You could finally make rts's feasible on a console. From what I've seen so far it certainly seems feasible.


I'm just a little curious as to how they're going to market it in the coming months. In my opinion it would be pretty stupid to market the Natal to the whole wii crowd. They just aren't going to buy a 360 and Natal. I mean I've seen those commercials were they're trying to make the 360 console out to be a family system like the wii. Sorry it really just isn't there right now. Grandma may pick up the wiimote and play some wii tennis but she isn't going to fire up the 360 to go kill some Locusts in Gears of War.

If Microsoft treats their new motion control as an actual advancement in gaming and not just some novelty toy to sell to the non gaming public then it would be a good thing.