“There Is No Need” For A New Xbox

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