“There Is No Need” For A New Xbox
Microsoft seem perfectly happy with what they have.Published 11/01/2010 at 15:42 by Gastos84
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The Xbox 360 is just over 4 years old now and Microsoft sound like they are sticking with it for some time to come. Speaking to The Guardian at the Consumer Electronic Show, David Hufford – senior director of Xbox product management – has stated that they have “no need to launch a new console,” saying that Project Natal and new software updates will breathe new life into their existing console.
The Xbox 360 was designed for a long life, and I don’t even know if we’re at the midpoint yet.
Natal is due this christmas and Aaron Greenberg has already predicted that it will sell “millions” upon its launch. Microsoft seem to be looking to Natal to re-invigorate the already successful console along with a string of other additions such as Zune movie service, more TV services and retro gaming rooms. Hufford was quiet when quizzed on the subject of a compatible Blu-Ray device and when asked about 3D gaming he stated that the 360 will not need any upgrade in order to play them.
Avatar is on Xbox and we have a 3D game, Scrap Metal, in our booth right now
He was also asked about the possibility of a new 360 which would contain updated chip technology, much like the direction Sony took with the PS3 Slim. New chip technology would make the 360 cheaper to produce, cheaper to run and, more importantly, it would generate less heat. But, on this subject, Hufford once again remained content with the existing console.
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.
Comments such as “there is no need for a new console” doesn’t necessarily mean that it isn’t on the cards. A new console will need at least a year or two of hype to generate enough interest so that it becomes finacially viable upon launch, so there is still always a chance of details emerging sooner rather than later. Even if announced today, it would still mean that the 360 would see a 6-7 year lifespan and it would still receive a lot of support even after its successor came to market. But, for the time being, Microsoft seem perfectly happy with the 360 and its future.
Source: The Guardian
Comments
Please note that all comments are the opinion of the individual author and not TheSixthAxis.
Embo1 | 11/01/2010 15:44
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85 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
im kinda glad. my xbox still feels…’fresh’ despite having it for nearly 6 years. I don’t want to have to cash out on another console anytime soon
cc_star | 11/01/2010 15:45
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7847 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
“There Is No Need” For A New Xbox
I thought that when I was thinking of buying one, if I had a list of things to buy then it would be below PS2 & PS3Slim on my list.
colossalblue | 11/01/2010 16:16
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1383 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
ZING!
Seriously, I think this bodes well for the casual market but might cause some stagnation in AAA developers. Natal simply is not for the hardcore but it could well line MS’ pockets.
I wonder where they are currently standing on the Xbox Live Arcade Zune portable thing that keeps being whispered about? Even just mobile XBLA games would make it massively attractive to me, that retro catalogue plus Trials, Shadow Complex, Rocket Riot et al… Awesome!
bajere | 11/01/2010 19:58
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1066 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2008
“Natal simply is not for the hardcore but it could well line MS’ pockets.” my exact thoughts! i think that they will use Natal to take a chunk of wii owners. they will target the will market and then show the extra stuff the 360 can do that the wii cant.
Amphlett | 11/01/2010 16:06
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1246 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
I love the quote about the ‘unprecedented warranty’ as though it’s a great thing. I wonder whether MS have been taking notes on ’spin’ the The Labour Party?
Apnomis | 11/01/2010 16:20
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731 TSA Points | Member since: Sep 2009
Exactly what I was thinking!
“We stand by that quality with an unprecedented warranty” which sounds like great marketing BS, but actually by rearranging the statement a bit you get the truth of the matter – “We made an unprecedented admission about the poor quality of our console after being forced to offer a 3 year warranty”.
sesameseed | 11/01/2010 16:46
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346 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
Is that wool being pulled over my eyes? Pfffft!
davidjmclare | 11/01/2010 16:20
always on easy
1094 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
i think ps3 has longer life span, if blu ray turns out to be major. i assume it will because of the massive 3D thing going on. how much 3D can HDDVD support?
bunimomike | 11/01/2010 17:19
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4762 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
I hope that both MS and Sony don’t rush any new consoles out as it’s been a costly investment for all concerned and I know they want to make their money back. Equally, with the PS3 finally hitting its stride, I don’t doubt that most of us are only now getting settled in Sony’s vision and are in no rush to upgrade.
teflon | 11/01/2010 17:56
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1991 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
I think the graphics front is really starting to stagnate. 720p is on the way out with TVs, and doesn’t look so hot on a 1080p sets… And when PCs can, for about the price of a console, match or even best the graphical quality… Consoles are really holding back the potential graphics that a game can have.
Heck, they don’t even have GPGPUs! If they did, the PS3’s components would be so ridiculously versatile, the Cell could do a couple post processing passes extra, while the physics could be off loaded onto the GPU, etc. etc.
All this hardware is 5 years old… Two more years, and it’ll be so far behind the curve it’ll be ridiculous. I have no doubt that we’ll be seeing the PS4 announced in the next year and a half. Sony just need to be careful about a lot of things. Timing, back compatibility, stuff like that….
bunimomike | 11/01/2010 19:29
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4762 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Do we have a wealth of games (on the PC) that have graphics as good as Uncharted 2? Also, what graphics card is required to run them at a half-decent monitor-resolution? Keep in mind the average age of a home PC.
I don’t think the graphics have stagnated at all. If anything, it’s the gameplay that’s stagnating.
hazelam | 11/01/2010 18:13
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3925 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
ms say they have no plans for new xbox.
so expect a new xbox to be announced within weeks.
cam the man | 11/01/2010 18:38
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2061 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
What Microsoft really means is:
We want people to spend money buying the 360 to experience Project Natal. Then we can announce a new console.
This stops people waiting until the new console is out to spend money on Project Natal, and makes Microsoft a lot more money.
Lambo_1989 | 11/01/2010 19:28
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117 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009
Did he really say “The Xbox 360 was designed for a long life” I wouldn’t put it that way after all the hassle of the red ring of death.
BIGAL-1992 | 11/01/2010 19:34
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1229 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2009
Now wait a minute. If this is true, then there’re shooting themselves in the foot with this. Think about it, if sony continue on with the same route as well, third party devs will eventually be able to get more out of the PS3, and could make the 360 look old hat. Also, if sony get the jump on the 360, and release a new console before microsoft, they’ll be able to get a head start on microsoft in terms of sales.
deadwelsh | 11/01/2010 19:42
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316 TSA Points | Member since: Jun 2009
There is no need for an Xbox
DuffyBox | 11/01/2010 20:51
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109 TSA Points | Member since: May 2009
Heh, you say that but think about it, with no competition the ps3 wouldn’t be half as good as it is today
jaksmakndaxter | 11/01/2010 19:43
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130 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
1st off, to the person wondering how much 3D that HDDVD could handle,you do realize that HDDVD is completely dead right? 360 games run off of DVDs.
I am still very much on the fence about purchasing a 360,because I do not trust the hardware at the moment. My friends have gone through so many 360s I’m surprised they even bothered with the warranty,a warranty which does nothing to stop the fact that they systems coming out are still affected by MS’s design flaws. PS3 isn’t a perfect design either, but after owning one since launch the only issue I’ve had is my fan going out on me (an easy fix). I am highly impressed with the number of games available for the 360, but what good are all those great games to a system that may not survive long enough for to finish the one you’re playing at the moment? I was angry for every single 360 owner when I realized MS knew how badly they screwed over every last one of them,because I’m a real gamer. So for now I’m content with my PS3,and can’t agree with a statement saying the 360 was designed for a “long life”!
bobango | 11/01/2010 19:54
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6 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2010
“The Xbox 360 was designed for a long life….” Thats funny, because nearly every Xbox 360 breaks down within a year
Jordaaaan | 11/01/2010 21:17
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754 TSA Points | Member since: Jan 2010
“Natal era”? I think that’s a touch of an overstatement. It’s going to be a short lived accessory, it’s not anything astounding it’s just “Oh, get that for the kids.”
randomuser | 11/01/2010 23:37
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78 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
I read his statement as; “all current 360 owners should buy the Natal device instead of waiting for the 720, even though we will still release the 720 (or whatever it will be called) as planned sometime in the near future and make even more money of you”.