MS: 'We want to be first again with Xbox 3'

At a "strategy level" Microsoft wants to be first to the market again with its next-generation Xbox, Entertainment & Device Devision boss Robbie Bach has said.

[heyheyhey]

biggest challenge? disk format

Blu-Ray = Sony's b!tch
HD-DVD = capacity still lower than BD, redundant for movies
DVD = LOL!!!!!!!!
in-house format = pricey, useless for movies
DD = world isn't nearly ready for that

[crimsonfox]

i had sometimes with them and i don't mean porn.

or do i??? o_O... the world will never know.

[potenquatro]

probably final spec. Blueray

[Pain]

lolxbox

[phony force slayer]

they can use that in xbox 3 if they want. their is nothing stopping them. nothing atall not evan sony becuse evry console they will sell microsoft pay a few dollars over 2 sony. so yeah blu ray next

[MANCREEP]

Kinda like how when MP3s were introduced to the mainstream, the world wasnt ready, but the switch took place in a little less than 2 years?

[Chitown71291]

People can be so stupid. You do realize that Sony does not mean it will just solely support the PS3 for 10 years, right. No, the PS4 will be out 2011 or 2012, while the PS3 will still be being supported until they feel like the console has been maxed out. And with the technology Sony has put into this beast I wouldn't be suprised if it lasted 12 years honestly. There's a major difference between this generation and last generation and thats firmware updates. So whatever the PS4 can do so can the ps3. Unless major hardware changes are made.

[Fishy Fingers]

Pretty obvious, first to market means for a brief period you have no competition and there for all the sales.

If the 360 and PS3/Wii all launched at the same time MS current situation would not look half as rosy.

[Bzone24]

If Microsoft would have waited and launched with the wii and ps3 there may have never been rrod and they could possibly be in a better position than they are now in terms of sales. The ps3 would still have had too high of a price for the masses at launch.

[Monteblanco]

It sounds like they are starting to admit defeat and readying themselves to a new round. I find amusing they will try the same tactic as before by releasing before anybody else, despite the fact that some more development could make a difference. I guess the new X-Box will keep the high quality engineering standards of the current one and be a great source of entertaining to its customers that will met at repair shops lines all over the world.

[Lifendz]

Then again the 360 is in its 3rd year. Sorta early but with no standard hdd and a antiquated format-DVD9-I don't blame them. My concerns is this: what's the in house exclusive for this system? Halo? Bungie left. Gears 3? Perhaps. What MS needs to do is try and purchase Epic. Secure Gears as an in house exclusive forever and ensure Sony never gets the chance to have Gears on its system.

Also go back to standard HDD. You started that MS! You built up a pretty good base of loyal customers so you don't have to ensure your system is the cheaper of the two. This is like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Make XBL free. PSN is catching up and once in-game xmb and accomplishments/trophies are here then PSN is probably going to be preferred since it's free.

Most important of all, make a system that isn't prone to malfunction. I once stepped on my Xbox and it works just fine to this day.

[kazuma]

what i find funny is that the only way xbox has a chance to win some people is by releasing the console first, no wonder they got that much marketshare, their console is 2 years and something old right now, a one year gap between its competitors. if they rush the next one, which they'll do, those hardware problems are not going to be tolerated by everyone.

[PirateThom]

Exactly, Microsoft can't win (or even do well) without launching first.

Nintendo have already overtaken them and Sony could overtake at any point.

If you're at Microsoft, that has to worry you, a year headstart reduced to nothing.

Releasing first is the only way they can guarantee similar sales.

[LastDance]

Lol....sum people never learn......

[fox02]

If it's backward compatible with 360 games then I'm all yes! Coz the 360 has lots of great games (Fable 2, Ninja Gaiden, Infinite Undiscovery, Too Human, Mass Effect, Bioshock...) but the failure rate is just too much!

And I hope the next xbox will use bluray, and standard HDD.

[ryuyasho]

by the looks if it, we can expect it to go GFOOD = Green Flubber Orb Of Death, hehehehe. now here comes the Hate...

[plenty a tool]

microsoft will give the 360 five years, then upgrade to new hardware. after the succes of the wii, i think this time nintendo will feel confidant enough to drop that around the same time and mite even go head-to-head with microsoft with new hardware. it should be sony that should worry. if they stick to their alleged 10 year console (yeah right) and nintendo and microsoft launch first, then they could easily see even more of what was once their exclusive market slip away. this gen, they've already lost alot of market share in some regions, and could lose even more if they sit back and let the other two go it alone long before they do.

even if they wait 2 years and release a much more powerful machine. the third party devs will all be geared for microsoft and nintendo(assuming nintendo goes toe-to-toe next-gen), and will already be pumping games specifically for those. will they really forget their last two years of work and learning just to cater for the new playstation??? i dont think so, the new playstation will just get the ports, only the sony published first and second party will be better.

this gen has already proven that although the playstation brand is strong, it's not as strong as sony thought it would be. their still 3rd place position sales wise is a testement to that. in the same time frame, the ps2 had the market sewn up. sony wont even regian second place til 09 at the earliest, and mite never catch nintendo.

less than 9k console sales a week in japan just shows how much sony have fallen. whilst nintendo enjoys 50k a week there. and in NA sony barely scrapped 20k more than the "antiquated rubbish hardware, no games system, and already maxed(gotta love that one)hardware" that is the 360 in may....which isn't really gonna dent the 6mil they are behind over there.

i think a launch first strategy is good. already alot of devs are using the 360 as their lead platform. just imagine how many will continue to do that oif sony are 2 or 3 years behind next time? it will be like the ps2 xbox all over again. just wiht the roles reversed.

[MicroDeath SoftStar]

personally i wont be buying this time round , fool me once shame on you , fool my twice shame on me !!

you all know what im talking about , im sick of sending this POS back every few months

[gaffyh]

MS never learn, they will rush their 3rd console to market again. If a new Xbox comes out within the next two years, it was almost useless buying an Xbox 360 and proves that Xbox consoles only have a very short lifespan (making the PS3 more value for money).

[season007]

Selling a product involves a lot of things and in the console market...it involves timing

The first xbox was a good product, but it was sold at a time that PS2 was so dominant that nothing can crush it, it failed

The second xbox actually had a good head start. By sacrificing those who tried your new product, they manage to get a much higher market share this time. The plan works, but the extremely unreliable hardware and the unexpected popular-Wii totally stopped the advantage of head start, with the unreliable hardware being the main cause since wii is for different market.

If the third xbox is out early for the second time again, i doubt it will grab market share like xbox360 did.
First, do you abandon your loyal customers again? I hope not.

Second, are you sure there is something MUCH more mind-blowing that what PS3 can offer in an affordable price?

Third, the sales of PS3 would've accumulate and it would be better for the developers to develop for PS3 rather than PS3 and Xbox 3.

Forth, with developers' preference in mind, most-if not all multiplats between PS3 and xbox3 will share similar graphics. The worst case is that it will be inferior on the xbox3 due to the initial porting problem like PS3 faced in its first year.

and last but not least....with the infamous RROD, will customer ever be white mouse again testing product for you in the first year? or they would want to see more reviews or testing before they buy the hardware...When that happens, obviously it reduces the effect of early launch of a new system..

In short: It won't work

[harrisk954]

is that MS knew from launch that they would not beat Sony in this round -- They just hoped to take market share away from Sony. MS said when they launched the 1st Xbox that they were in this for the long haul. So, they have cut into Sony's market share with the 360 by releasing a year early and the next Xbox will cut it even more, until MS eventually believes they will be the number one system, whether it is with the Xbox 720, 1440, or 2880.

[juuken]

I would hope it's more reliable, because the RROD affected their system as a whole. I would have bought this system first if it didn't have so many issues. And for MS to start talking about a new system now...I'm starting to think they're showing the first signs of defeat.

[Milky]

If Sony release a slim PS3 at the same time at half the price of xbox 3 it would take alot of its thunder.

[JsonHenry]

I will buy it. But then again I own all three right now. So maybe I am not the one they are trying to target.

[MADGameR]

They want to START on a clean slate AGAIN LOL! They want another chance at TRYING to outsell the PS consoles and Nintendo consoles. They will be going first again after X Box 3. They are desperate each gen and they will want to come out with their new console first UNTIL they beat next gen SONY PS consoles and Nintendo consoles. But sure MS...we'll let you go 1st again lol let them rush it like the 360 and see what happens.

[SiLeNt KNighT]

XBOX is going to be like windows pretty soon with too many useless new releases...a la vista. ms does the same thing over and over in business. TEST the product first for christ sakes... dont leave that part up to the consumers.

[tojfs7931]

You were being sarcastic with that "high quality" bit in your comment.

[MaximusPrime]

well they lost out first position for their xbox 360. cant see that happening with xbox 3. Microsoft needs to spend a lot of time on xbox 3

the fire brigade will be very busy if microsoft will release the console too early.

[PirateThom]

Prepare for more sloppy hardware choices... my God, take your time, being first doesn't matter. Look what happened.

[AllroundGamer]

yeah hopefully they won't be the first again, that will break the failure rate record...

[juuken]

They need to stop worrying about releasing hardware first and worry about what they can do to make their next product more reliable. They're losing steam with the 360 because there's already talks about a new system.

This is not good at all.

[Bob Dole]

Bob Dole thinks they should stick to the software. They'd probably make more money.

[Silogon]

If they release this system anytime within the next 2 years it's over for them. They can't make another system and jump right back into this console war and expect their fanbase to stay loyal.

Sony's fanbase hasn't even been loyal and Sony keeps their junk on the market 3 years after it's expired. Nintendo's user base isn't loyal at all, they're just idiots. Anyone who grew up on nintendo is playing Sony or microsoft products. Casuals, Soccor moms and yuppie parents buy the wii and support Nintendo cause they see it on Fox news.

[ape007]

microsoft sticks to this strategy,cause they know they can't compete head to head with sony and nintendo

they don't have exellent game studios like sony and nintendo

very simple.

[SickNick85]

x720 2009???

[user858621]

wat made them think consumers want to buy a console every 3-5 years lol at this rate microsoft want 2 be at the 20th gen console by 2015

[MK_Red]

Didn't they learn from all RRODeaths and other things? A product has to be FINISHED before being released. Hopefully they don't rush the next Xbox too much though.

[Daewoodrow]

Of course they learned. I don't know why people always assume they figured something out that a massive corporation hasn't. If a bunch of gamers realise the importance of the next console being reliable, then you can guarantee Microsoft do as well.
If that's not good enough to settle your doubts, then consider that Microsoft lost millions on the free repairs of faulty consoles. If one thing can teach a business not to repeat past mistakes, it's loss of money.
It's not like they just chuckle about the "RROD" issue at the odd board meeting. People would've been fired for the RROD issue. When a company loses millions over a design flaw, heads roll.
Not only do I predict that the next console will be reliable, I predict they'll market the reliability heavily to ease the consumers' minds before they upgrade.

[juuken]

Daewoodrow, they also lied about not knowing about it. If this wasn't brought to their attention, then I can't see them giving out warranties to people who had the problem.

[Bob Dole]

Seeing as how Bob Dole didn't trust microsoft as a corporation before the whole RRoD thing, there's no way in heck he's going to trust them now. If you look at it, both companies lied about certian aspects of their console. But Microsoft's lies were far far worse.

[kn ivex13]

Microsoft will most likely have learnt a lesson and won't make the same RROD mistake again. Being first to the market again would be a big advantage to them as they are gaining a bigger following considering they started off late when playstation and nintendo were already house hold names.

[Robearboy]

Im pretty sure that the next xbox will be checked out more than a naked harem in prison, i cant see MS making that mistake again. I think a 5-6 year cycle is about right for a console so mid 2010 is about the right time to release it. All of this talk about MS and blu ray, my guess is that they have already built a proto type using bluray technology, but then Shane Kim did mention something about Digital Downloads. What ever though, i cant wait to see how games will look then

[deeznuts]

Shouldn't MS have checked each revision after RROD reared its ugly head? They can't even get that fixed yet.

[MazzingerZ]

PS3 will be on the top of its life-cycle when the new Xbox is launched and probably will cost 299...within 2 years is still too early to come with a more powerful console...I bet MFST will invest on an online only console, take advantage of what they know best, SW = XBL

Feels good owning a PS3, not funny to hear that you console is already on the way of becoming obsolete...and since MSFT is not SONY, expect poor support for X360

Not sure about the quality of the new Xbox though...I bet SONY started to work on the PS4 as soon as the PS3 was launched...MSFT?...if they just started with it this year after seeing the PS3 getting stronger and stronger, then I have my doubts about the quality of that new X360 if its launched within 2 years

but definitely looking forward to what they will be releasing, I'm a gamer after all

[JeepGamer]

Mark my words however, if they bring out the next Xbox while the current generation is still going strong and try to make some claim about how they finished ahead of Sony because this generation is "over", I'll never, ever, stop mocking them for it.

And that's exactly what they'll probably try. The 360 will be at around 22-25 million units and the PS3 will be right behind them... then the third Xbox will come out and they'll claim they've "won" even as within six months the PS3 passes the 360. It was like last generation where they barely managed to outsell the Gamecube and lost literally billions of dollars yet they "won" even while Nintendo came out ahead with the Gamecube and made money hand over fist with portables.

[White-Sharingan]

rofl this is too epic

MS knows that if they have a headstart they can actually stand a chance, but look how its going right now

PS3 will eaventually catch up with the 360 and by that time, all hell will break loose

[VMAN_01]

MS giving up this early? I don't blame them when you have inadaquate hardware and no good internal studios.

[Cherchez La Ghost]

"Test"!!! Make the 3rd Gen Xbox and test the mofo to death. Didn't they invested in a testing facility somewhere outside the US?!! IMO these are the things they need to do..,

-Learn from your mistakes and don't be cheap with parts.
-TEST the mofo under extreme conditions.
-Get feedback from (from the fanbase) of what they want.
-What estimated price range (from the fanbase) you would pay for the console.

If they do this, they'll be fine.

[Bill Gates]

Thank God I found out very soon right after the first Xbox that M$'s whole gaming division was a BIG joke on its consumers. Anyone who falls for the 3rd box is not just a BABOON, but is the ULTIMATE of the word STUPID.

In the long run M$ is out to harm the wallets of the BLIND BABOONS and nothing more.

[phony force slayer]

Bubbles: (2)
Tracked by: 58 users
Ignored by: 166 users

that says it all

[Gothdom]

Way to laugh at your customers. "Yeah, you just bought an obsolete machine, so to thank you, we'll release a better machine... that'll be obsolete in three years so you'll have to buy xbox4."

[Daewoodrow]

You mean like the Ipod? And HDTVs? And graphics cards? That's technology for you. Look up Moore's law, every item of computerised technology is considered obsolete within two years. It sucks, but that's how technology works.

[Shortstop]

Well, as long as M$ doesn't give up. Competition is good.

[likeaboss302]

Well as long as they are first to market with a properly designed machine then their is nothing wrong with that. I really hope they do better testing this time around and build the next Xbox like a tank.

[Stryfeno1]

But the E&DD boss said it was "too early to tell" when quizzed on his expectation for the next console's release plans. "Our view is we will be selling Xbox 360 for a long time," he said.

Being first will be an advantage...2010/2011 will be good time to release the next xbox.

[ip-student]

MS has done great things for games - they have pushed on-line playing much further than it has been done before. Virtua Fighter online - it was supposed to be impossible. Now, perhaps it is better without the slight lag, but it works.

I am just glad Nintendo and MS have forced Sony to get real and to cut all the arrogance - hopefully the next generation Sony will give the developers something they want instead of just pushing Bluray on everyone.

And people - please realize that the next generation is going to blow away this generation - I expect the next generation to be able to handle ray-tracying. It is going to dramatically reduce the cost of producing art (because shadow maps go away, things can be created procedurally, etc.). But I expect both Sony and MS to wait as long as possible to make the move - Sony is still losing money on the PS3 and MS hasn't reached a mass-market price yet. If MS can drop the price of the core to $200 and Pro to $250 then things start to get interesting. But I suspect MS is not willing to take a hit on profitability right now - they are finally making money and have no desire to change that. 2011 is likely the earliest that MS will consider releasing XBOX gen 3. Sony will probably try to wait but I think they may not have an option - there will be a huge difference between the Gen 3 and the PS3/360 - like the difference between the 360/PS3 and the Wii.

[strotee]

"hopefully the next generation Sony will give the developers something they want instead of just pushing Bluray on everyone"

"Pushing" Blu-Ray? Wow.

You realize Blu-Ray is simply a storage medium, nothing else (with 5 times the capacity of DVD, mind you). This is like asking Leonardo Da Vinci to create the Mona Lisa on a bar napkin. More space is better, or do you feel hip knowing more & more 360 games are coming out on multiple discs? If anything, MS "pushed" old technology on developers and begged them to make a diamond out of coal. You can only do so much with technology released around the time Bush had a high approval rating.

[PeteTheFeet30]

@ Strotee

Enjoying those PS3 mandatory installs then? Shame it wasn't "designed to be a games machine". What a load of fanboy bull.

Lol!

[strotee]

Yes, I am enjoying shorter loading times and less pop-in. What's your complaint again?

[xhairs]

I think Sony's intentions this time through was to keep console gaming alive by continuing the single/co-op playing nature. Instead when MS jumped the gun and pushed XBL to the sky Sony naturally changed its views.

The only problem I see with this, is that with every console and game coming out we're naturally buying ourselves something we all already have -- a computer. Most of our online games are First Person Shooters, is that what you want to see in the future? 1 - 2 actual adventure games and thousands of 2 hour singe player campaign shoot 'em ups with loads of multiplayer game time awaiting them? Personally when it comes down to buying FPS games for my console I have about 3. How many do I play? 1. Why? They're all good but you can't multitask FPS games. Granted you can't multitask single player games but the point still stands that the Console wasn't meant to be a computer and what we're doing by pushing everything online is just creating a computer.

@ IP-Student, I'd like to see how much the new xbox costs and how relevant that will be for that time. Not to mention what will be its storage media, will it come with those "extra's" everyone claims they don't need but get anyways.

@ PeteTheFeet, I'll have to say I enjoy the install times. It's only a matter of time (proven with MGS4) that install times are just hidden behind introduction movies and gameplay. Not to mention I too enjoy the faster loading times and lack of pop-up (GTA4).

[reccodog]

Enjoy those scratched number 2 discs. Moron.

[ip-student]

Bluray added an additional $100 to the cost of the PS3 - it is still adding to the cost (not sure what now). What do you get for it? The PS3 player is quieter but it reads data slower so not really that great for games. It really was just to push the Bluray movie standard - which was not ready for prime time and is now just becoming complete with Rev 2.0. The reason I say just pushing bluray is because it is become apparent that the architecture of the PS3 is poor - it can be made to fly but it takes more work and is not the way we want to go in the future. So all developers get is the ability to rewrite their algorithms, figure out how to balance and get the most out of the PS3 system while the developer industry doesn't benefit much from what they learn that can be applied to future architectures.

I like the install idea though - it should be done behind cut scenes and the like - during the initial stages when not much happens, during transitions and the like. No problem with Sony doing this - it is a major advantage that Sony has because all the PS3 include a HDD. I really wish MS had done the same thing because the number of cores that have been sold must be pretty small (I am guessing less than 10 percent). Much better to lost 2 million in sales and let developers use the HDD to speed up texture retrevial and allow for bigger, better levels. But I guess MS felt the ability to easily get below $200 was bigger. Time will tell.

Re: xhairs - yeah, I agree it will be interesting to see what comes next - will MS or Sony go all digital? Will memristors be used? Will we use flash or HDD (or both)? What kind of interface will MS and Sony use - something like Nintendo's waggle controller or a more conventional controller like what is used now?

[xhairs]

I feel if we all go with the waggle controller console gaming will definitely be at a loss. Virtual Reality and the whole motion-sensing for gaming is definitely a neat idea, but you can only go so far with it right now and I think we all see it with the Wii. Much like GTA4 for both PS3/XBOX 360, all the Wii's games are repetitive and boring I find.

I don't think all-digital is coming for us for at least another 10 years. Bandwidth pretty well determined that for us all. Not to mention government regulations in other countries, and lets face it: neither Sony nor Microsoft want to sell a console exclusively to a certain country. They're in it for the money which is sick and deceiving but it's the truth. I wouldn't mind seeing all digital but the bandwidth issues right now are too much to handle. Let alone I live in Kansas and nowhere near a backbone so my latency is good but not great. Games would take me twice as long to download as my friend if not longer. So my hopes to see All Digital consoles is definitely very small. I'd like to see the consoles get back to a more original in the home feel. Bring on the 2-D fighters and Side Scrollers!

[Bathyj]

Once M$ finally realizes the aren't going to win (they're always last to know) they're out the door. The probl;em is at the price new consoles are they need to have LONGER lifespans not shorter, to give them time to recoup losses, and run a profitable business. Something M$'s games division apparently doesnt have to worry about as long as M$ the parent company can carry them forever.

Too bad but Sony might not have to play their catch up game this time. Let XB3 come out in 18 months or 2 years. Let them drop all their customers again. It takes time to build that userbase up to where it was. PS3 will be well into its stride by then and competing with any new machine M$ comes up with. Maybe it wont be quite as powerful but remember 3rd party games will be made to run on both machines anyway, and Sonys 1st party will continue to hold its own with anything. Plus Sony will have the big userbase while XB will be way more expensive and only just growing, making it pretty unappealing, unless they have some really stellar games, and No Halo wont cut it.

Meanwhile when PS4 finally arrives a full 2 or even 3 years later, XB3 will look really dated, and PS3 will still be going to bolster Sony like PS2 is now. M$ are doing themselves or the industry no favours by rushing and forcing these half generation increments on people. Its just too soon.

[Egzekutor]

Its true , if you look up on the internet " Things xbox 720 should have "
Users put down all the things that the PS3 already has.
Its going to be nothing new to the market, and like you said, PS3 is going to rule at the time the new XBOX 720 comes out.

They are rushing the new console again and it will come out with many faults like the 360 did.. RRoD etc.. So they could come with a next console first but again its quickly going to burn out like a candle.. Just like the 360 is already dying in the market.. and you can see PS3 taking over slowly. PS3 will probably follow the same way of PS2..

You can expect approx.. 100.000.000 of PS3 consoles sold by 2012.

But if the new XBOX 720 does come out and its good hardware, unlike 360 then i might consider buying it and giving it a try.. :)
We will see what they come up with..

[LostChild]

MS doesn't need to bring out a new console until 2011/2012 time frame and that's after it has been fully tested to be a reliable machine. The 360 is still going strong and there is a good line up of games coming out this year and 2009. Take your time MS because I am sure us gamers can wait.

[Daewoodrow]

No No NO. Wrong. In the business world, if you aint PROFITABLE, you're last. Selling more 360s than PS3s isn't a major priority for Microsoft. It's important they do because higher market share means more income. But they'll just as readily settle for a profit.
If you're under the impression that Microsoft have "lost" because they aren't selling more 360s than PS3s, you don't understand business at all.

[plenty a tool]

obviously you haven't been following things. sony are losing a reported $200 on each ps3, whilst microsoft is turning a profit on the each console. plus microsoft are having a nice little earner from live. and having the highest coftware attach rate equalls more software royalties.

wer sony are losing on each console, dont charge for on-line, and dont have the attach rate microsoft does. so they dont earn as much in royalties....why do you think they are supporting the ps2???? because they are actually turning a profit it from the machine, and games, and this helps bolster the sluggish ps3!!!

[LostChild]

I guess you haven't seen the movie that quote came from (If you ain't first, you're last) Just because your first to market doesn't mean you will be the best/Number#1 for long. As you said, you have to turn a good profit, gain a large portion of the market and your product must be reliable. With each console so far, MS has put a bad taste in gamers mouths. Orig. Xbox was cut short and 360 started off with a high failure rate. The only thing, the 360 turned out to be one fine machine and gave us a large diverse of great games to play. So they got off lucky this time. 3rd times the charm for MS come out with a console that doesn't hurt them in reputation and with profit/market share. So they need to take their time and make sure everything is 100% ready to go, even if they are coming out first.

[Infernus]

They lost a ton of money with the RROD warranty thing and have bought exclusives off companies, that's a lot of expense without reward.

PS3's outselling 360's in Europe by 2:1. 360 barely selling in Japan. Sony has turned it's attention to the US market now and before long the PS3 will gain ground and potentially overtake the 360. Sony will break into and that profit will grow. Especially since the 40GB shift in Europe and cheaper production costs. The 360 is cheap to make but MS have spent so much trying to keep it alive, sure Live is a nice little earner but you have to factor in the extra expenses coming from MS over the years...

[7h3ultim8p00]

Whatever you do, PLEASE do not fuk up the hardware, 'cause I guarantee you that you wouldn't be nearly as successful with sh1tty hardware the second time around.

MS needs to quit this "first" business. Be like Nintendo. Go for profit. Nintendo has never sold hardware at a loss. Always at a profit.

[timmyrulz]

Why are people dissing MS for thinking about a new console, end of the day the 360 is in its 3rd year, a couple more years and thats the cycle of a console, they dont have to wait for everyone else who were late to the table.

[kazuma]

late to the table? more like weren't losing money by the bucketload i'd say. the reason xbox360 came out 1 year before was because of the massive beating xbox was getting by the ps2. oh and let's not forget that xbox sold 24 millions and the gamecube sold 21 millions. had halo stayed on the mac and pc, the xbox would have been a dreamcast 2 (11 millions sold) or worse.

[Syronicus]

Question is, who cares? They were first this gen and have produced a console with good games and poor hardware. Hopefully they have learned from this and they will do something about the poor hardware aspect of their console strategy.

Competition is good for all.

[kewlkat007]

The way I see it, sony still have the EDGE when it comes to Potential to sell consoles because of it's dominance last gen.

Xbox is still the Infant, trying to make a name for itself. It will end, it will end up doing better then the original and hopefully that's the catalyst that pushes it further for potential to sell in the Xbox 3.

The fact that MS is talking about Xbox 3 means they are going nowhere. I'm not concerned about winning or loosing, it really does not matter, all 3 consoles have games I wanna play. That only matters if your a fanboy fanatic and only 1 console must survive.

On the other hand sony and it's 10 year profecy, we'll see how that pans out. After all everything this gen is sony's to loose, not so much the console war but Market-share, Exclusive games...etc since MS came out of nowhere with zip , nadda.

I predict Sony will start to dominate in sales(leading by the millions) late into the consoles life(if/when ps2 faithfuls wanna upgrade) and by that time it really won't matter as much, since MS is already thinking about the future. 3 years from now a new xbox.

we don't know how well price will effect sales as we know that sub $200 price is very tempting. MS is more closer to that price, so we'll see. Still a lot of determining factors that might effect sales besides exclusive games.

Hey is Apple Profitable?, well yes they are, but do they have 90% market-share like MS?, no they do not. Companies just want a piece of the pie. I'm sure most wanna be number 1 but if you can exist while getting better and improving then you will be around, regardless.

I swear, some just don't wanna see MS around. I swear they will be disappointed. COMPETITION IS GREAT for those that have brains and see the benefits.

[Dareaver1]

i would give you a bubble, but it won't allow me, it's still grayed out from the last time i gave you one. But that was a great post.

Competition is really why these consoles have evolved so much, can't wait for what the future brings.

Game on people....

[crazyman]

One thing that alot of people seem to miss is the fact that even if the 360 comes last in the "console war", the xbox market share will still be an awful lot bigger than it was.

So if the 3rd xbox can manage to solve the reliabilty side, and get a few more good, solid exclusives, I cant see any reason why they wont manage an equal market share as sony.

[SuperSharpShooter]

ABANDON SHIP! SWIM FOR SHORE!!

[GiantEnemyCrab]

Who said anything about abandoning ship?? Did Sony do that with the PS2? You need to understand why the original Xbox was dropped and how they made changes to the 360 to prevent that. The main thing is they "own" all the parts inside the 360. I do believe MS will continue to support the 360 even after they launch the next console.

I will be ready for a new console in 2010.

[ThanatosDMC]

GiantEnemyCrab, do you work for microsoft?

"Do you bend over for bill gates at night?" <--- i forgot who i quoted this from... that was awesome!

[killer_trap]

as long as it's 3 years from now at least then I'm ok with it. any sooner and they can go to hell.

[SuperSharpShooter]

At this rate, MS is better having graphic card slots in there consoles,and we can plug in new hardware,hang on?.isnt that a pc?its moving too fast,more money down the pan,and guess what,HEY! we got a new console,299 quid,whoops,you need controlers too? x2,whoops...sorry ,lol,you need XBL at £40,there you go:) WAIT..whoops..forgot your £50 games ,have a nice day. I say... thanks,F**k you very much.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

You are just going to keep whining in here aren't you? Guess what? DON'T BUY IT THEN! Nobody is forcing you. The typical console lifecycle has always been around 5 years.

[Infernus]

Sony have released a console every 6 years on the dot. PS1, PS2, PS3 all had 6 year gaps. Microsoft have no cycle, they just aim to get the console out before the others, like some sort of spoilt child trying to be first with everything, "We were online first!" or "We won because we released the first next gen console!"

No, Sony and Nintendo released their consoles on schedule (apart from the European launch debacle) whereas MS tried to right the wrong that was the Xbox and ended up releasing a recall-worthy piece of equipment, which they got around by issuing extended warranties. Of course everyone lapped that up...

A 6 year life cycle of a console is fine, what MS is now doing is turning the console market into a new PC market. That's unacceptable, I buy consoles because I don't want to keep upgrading every few years, MS are about to ruin that if they release this too early.

[DarkSniper]

Microsoft will more than likely announce or release their next Xbox in a very short time frame. With declining sales and PLAYSTATION®3 superiority, look for Microsoft to announce their next console as soon as next month's E3. The reason being is because they are in a very desperate position so if they concede their current platform now with the very short lead they have, Microsoft will self proclaim themselves victorious.

But the truth in the matter is that Microsoft has no identity in gaming. The true pioneers are Atari, Nintendo, Sega and Sony. You can easily place Microsoft in the same class as Phillips, NEC, and 3DO. All failures.

$niper

[Hentai]

Microsoft also wants to be the first to have another hardware failuer.

[Pp p]

why so many ps3 fan girls comments could it be you lot are scared that you'll end up third AGAIN

[darthchewy]

Those of you saying MS has learned it's lesson about the whole RROD, I disagree. It seems that they think it's more important to be first again than have their product go through QC.

Perfect example, the original Xbox scratched my discs. The X360 is even WORSE at scratching discs. Did they learn anything the last time? Maybe the only thing they learned is if they put a couple pennies into each console it would prevent this from happening.

MS only cares about being first out of the gate again and what the costs are for making the console as cheaply as possible. Customer satifaction is last on the list and is only there out of necessity.

[Bladestar]

They have to be the first... the release the xbox 360 1 year before Sony and Nintendo... doesn't that automatically give them 1 year "first"? freaken duhh.... and with Sony idea of a 10 year cycle... what do you expect.. microsoft to release the next console in 2015? stop crying xbox 360 will always be release at least 1 year before any other console... that was the point of killing the original xbox early... well the xbox 360 already have 3 years in the market... average console lifespan is 5... no one will complain if the next xbox comes in 2010... while Sony is still trying to catchup to the xbox 360 installbase.

[Pp p]

What the F*ck happened to my bubbles i'm sure i had 5 bubbles this site is run by sony

[PSWe60]

leave then

[juuken]

...When you keep babbling like an idiot, that's what happens.

[Bladestar]

The fact that they release the xbox 360 1 year before the competition give them the first stop in term of releasing the next console for ever now... specially since Sony keep talking about the 10 year bla bla.. and Nintendo? bahh Nintendo will not release a new console until they stop selling the way they are selling wii... just like with the DS... they will not have a new DS for a long long time... it would be stupid to kill something that's selling so well...

Do you people trying to imply that microsoft releasing the xbox 360 before Sony release the PS3 and not having a blu-ray was a microsoft bad Idea? these are simply stupid comments and simply come from people that don't have a bit of business knowledge...

I mean it's obvious ehh?

a) The xbox 360 would never be able to complete against the PS3 simply due to brand recognition if it would be release at the same time.

b) Xbox 360 with blu-ray would cost more than the PS3... and let's see geniuses: Which one do you think people would buy? PS3: $599 or xbox 360: $699?

c) Microsoft was a slave of the companies responsible of making the original xbox and didn't have much control on dropping the price of many components like the CPU which explain why they are having to emulate original xbox games... they would continue to lose money and be dependent on these companies.

The decision that microsoft made to kill the Original Xbox was the smart thing to do and the result and state of the xbox 360 confirms that:

a) xbox 360 leads in the US to the PS3 by 6,000,000 consoles..
b) the xbox already surpase the total installbase on the original xbox in many regions.
c) the xbox division is already profitable.
d) The xbox 360 enjoys of a lot more 3rd party developer support.
e) The xbox will always be release 1 year before the competition.

but.. but.. but RROD.. yes that the only thing sony leg humpers got against the xbox 360... yes, microsoft had some learning to do on this one... but Sony leg humpers seem to forget the massive issues with the PS1 and PS2 hardware issues... how convenient... did you know that the PS2 had a recall? I don't recall Sony extending the warranty and taking care of the consumer? I had to buy 3 PS1 and 2 PS2 with my own money because sony wouldn't cover it.

So, why are sony leg humpers so against microsoft releasing the next console first?

Think about it, even with RROD issues look how far microsoft choice of releasing the xbox 360 before the PS3 got them... now imagine without RROD...

now, let's say the next xbox is release in 2010... witch is only 1 year and 1/2-2 from now... is this too early? no... that's 5 years.. don't forget that the xbox 360 already have 3 years in the market.. the average console lifespan is 5 years... nothing new here...

but imagine a new xbox with 2 times the horse power of the existing xbox 360... 6 cores, 2-3 GB ram, monster CPU, matures Xbox live, matured XNA, developers using the same development tools (no learning curve)... developers with the ability to make games like Crysis on a console, full backward compatibility... and more important Sony still trying to make a buck with the PS3 and force to stick to it... because no matter what Sony wants it has to stick to the PS3 no matter what.. it can't release another Playstation for a while... until it makes and pay most of that money they had to borrow. Hell they still have to make all the money they spend on blu-ray...

all microsoft has to do with the next xbox is make sure that the RROD is not repeated...

While sony is worried about catching up to the xbox 360 in terms of installbase... and when they do get close to it.. microsoft should release the xbox 720 in 2010... create a slim version of the xbox 360... drop the price... and let Sony drown not being able to do anything about it.

[strotee]

All that, using the brand new, state-of-the-art DVD9 technology :)

[Bad_Karma]

YAWN

[ThanatosDMC]

Then a microsoft PR read this... "Wow, those are great ideas, i can sell these!"

[Ashta]

If MS is indeed planning on being the first out the gate with a new system then that rumor about no more dashboard updates might have some weight behind it.

Microsoft did the same thing with the original Xbox. After they got started on their new system they cut off all support for the original console and headed in to the next-gen. IF, and this is a big if, IF microsoft is indeed already planning on releasing their new console in 09 or 10 then you can probably bet that the 360 will be dropping support at the early months of '09.

Kinda makes you wonder though considering that weare halfway through 08 and while Sony has some titles lined up for 2009 the 360 doesn't have any other titles announced for later release other than what we have seen delayed (Alan Wake).

Then again, that may not mean anything.

[tatotiburon]

Great move MS...i wonder what would happen if Microsft didn't show up in the game industrie...no xbox live, no console with hard drive so the PS3 with no PSN at all, not digital distribution so goodbye to virtua console, PSN store...the online gaming would be so dead and boring..i wonder what will have the next Xbox.

[GameDev]

WRONG!!!!!

if MS had no xbox, then the playstation would be competing with PC gaming which already had a very robust online feature.

MS fanatics FAIL again.

[juuken]

...*blinks*
How is this a good move? If MS is talking about a new console ALREADY, then something is wrong. I have a feeling they're going to do the same thing they did with the XBox.

Force people to upgrade YET again.

[twoface]

If at first you don't win, try again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again.

Then, try again.

[PSWe60]

another crappy console with bad hardware and will be out of date within a year of release. M$ haven't learn a damn thing this generation

[Jdoki]

I loved the XBox1, and bought a 360 on day 1. However I would be sceptical about buying the next Xbox regardless of when it launches.

Five reasons I would be sceptical:
- Unreliable hardware (I'm on my third 360)
- Noise levels (far too loud)
- Poorly thought out hardware limiting games potential (no standard Hard disc and only DVD-9)
- Lack of innovation compared to competition (same 'ol stuff on 360)
- possible lack of overlapping and continued support for the 360 (would the 360 be dropped like a stone, the same way the XBox was?)

It would be impossible for MS to guarantee it could address all the above issues.

Since buying a PS3 I have less and less use for the 360. If Fable 2 doesn't deliver I'll probably skip the next XBox, which would mean it would be the first time I hadn't owned every console of a generation since the NES/Master System days.

As consoles rise in price with each new generation, a 5 year cycle just doesn't look appealing any more. The only reason MS wants to bail out on the 360 is that it has too many limitations (DVD-9 for instance) which they can't do anything about with out a new console launch.

Microsoft has eroded my confidence in the XBox brand.

[nycredude]

I've been using Microsoft products for over 20 years now and one thing I realized all these years is that Microsoft is the king of shafting there customers. From a rushing out windows software one after another with a million updates and patches to just about everything they make. All they care about is making money and not keeping people happy! They screwed the original xbox owners and now if this is true they will be doing it again with the 360 owners!

So I guess now all that talk about the Ps3 being overprice is just talk! You will have to buy two different xboxx (360 and 720) just to get an equivalent console to the Ps3! How much does that cost?

[vhero]

They have only just started making profit on consoles so that's not including the amount they paid for exclusivity etc.. They still lost billions on the console and they gonna release a new one?? Ya see I see this as bad news mainly as they basically just slit their own wrists people wary about buying 360 because of failure rates and now they gonna be wary about buying an out of day console.

[Djomblade1]

I just dont understand why any company would be talking about another console coming out (possibly) already?! We are barely in the next gen and what the potentials of this next gen can really do. So to talk about another console already is just completely ridiculous to me. We as gamers have been waiting a long time to see what can be done with video games. These consoles that are out now are able to do just that (well almost all *cough* Wii *cough*). Lets all sit back and enjoy the show for another 5 years before we drop another 5-700$ or more for yet another console.

[Bladestar]

well.. maybe because the xbox 360 already have 3 years in the market... and as you said, "Lets all sit back and enjoy the show for another 5 years before we drop another 5-700$ or more for yet another console."... if this is true... console makers announce their console at least 1 year before it comes out.... which means if microsoft is going to launch a console 5 years after the xbox 360 release.. they should be able to drop the bomb on E3 2009...

[xhairs]

A PS2 -> PS3 correlation with the XBOX 360 -> XBOX3. People today are still buying PS2's by the boatload and have yet to upgrade their machines to PS3's because of price. What I foresee is the same thing happening with the XBOX 360 & XBOX 3.

When the XBOX3 launches will it be the cheapest on the market? Will it include some type of revolutionary technology to make it FAR more superior than consoles in that time? We can't tell now but what we can assume is, probably not.

With this being said by the time the xbox 3 comes out followed by the drop in development for PS2 games. The PS3 will have dropped in price and the PS2 owners will be upgrading to PS3's. Along side that I find more people will be buying xbox 360's instead of XBOX 3's due to the nature of History. History will repeat itself and if the XBOX 360 is as great as the PS2 was -- it will happen to them as well as it happened to Sony.

I think this can pretty much clarify the claim Sony made about the lifespan of the PS3. More time = more developers = more games = more owners switching from PS2's. With the release of an xbox 3 too early and a lack of incredibly revolutionary technology & a high price tag. Honestly I can see the same exact results the PS3 showed when it first launched and is still seeing today.

[Infernus]

...Mainly because the 360 is slowing down in sales unlike the PS2 did.

The PS2 sold so well because Sony pushed home it's advantage with the release of a slimline PStwo and the release of GTA:San Andreas. GTA:SA kept the PS2 steaming ahead up to this point, that's why PS2's are still selling because of their reputation.

The 360 has a lousy reputation in terms of it's hardware failures and has no HUGE games to grab people and pick up sales (Gears 2 will not grab those outside of the 360 circle like GTA:SA did for the PS2).

I can see your reasoning though, but we've skipped a cycle here. This is more like the PS1, N64, Dreamcast thing. With The Wii as the PS1, the PS3 as the N64 and the 360 as the Dreamcast. The Wii is storming it, the PS3 has good games and a lot of support and the 360 focuses on online play (but it costs) and not everyone is interested.

Bubbles though btw! :D

[xhairs]

You make a good point. I guess it's safe to say with 80% of families now owning home consoles that there is no real outside loop anymore like there was back in the age of the PS1. So I guess technically -- in theory -- what we see now, is what will be. And what we see is the steady slowing of PS2 sales, a steady increase of PS3 sales (which by the slowing of ps2 should readily increase at a good pace for awhile) and a stoppage of Xbox 360 sales...while the Wii still stands alone.

Touche' my friend, we were however on the same side ;).

[Infernus]

I never said I was on a different side to you :D I just don't quite see the next consoles following a cycle we've already seen.

The problem is, Microsoft wanting to release a year earlier doesn't help in the long run because Sony could just add extras in that last year to beat the new Xbox, like upgrading RAM or the HDD etc. MS are playing a dangerous game by showing their cards first.

[Djomblade1]

I mean I dont want to hear about (even an announcement) another console for another 5 years from today. 2013 then start talking about another console. Really with the tech now I dont see why that couldnt take place. There should be no rush to announce anything yet at all period IMO.

[Aclay]

I think that it's rather stupid for Microsoft wanting to be first again on the market because by the time the next Playstation would be released probably a year later, the PS4 would have superior hardware and technology just like the PS3.

Microsoft's 1 year head start in this generation really did nothing because Nintendo has already passed them in less than 2 years, and the PS3 is closing in. If Microsoft plans on being first to the market again, then it pretty much confirms that the 360 wont be around for much longer( probably no more than 2-3 years). The good thing about the PS3 is that it will be around even when the PS4 is out.

I think that Microsoft's reputation for short lived consoles might be scaring some people off from buying it. When you buy a Sony brand console, there's a 10 year lifecycle so there's nothing to worry about.

[JEDI WOLVERINE]

As soon as Nintendo,Sony and MS released their respective machines they started planning on their new babies.

As soon as this Gen shipped their own R&D departments were looking at the future machines because that is the prudent thing to do.

Just because MS has come out and said this dont think that Sony and Nintendo arent already well over a year into developing their own new consoles.

Also the PS3 10 year life span thing - people seem to think that Sony wont release the PS4 until the PS3 is 10 years old,this is wrong - they will release it in about 4 years but will continue to support the PS3 until the console is 10 years old - kinda like the PS2.

[Infernus]

Sony have setup the console overlap period perfectly for both the PS1 to PS2 and the PS2 to PS3 changeovers.

It's been exactly 6 year each time they release a new console and about 10 before the movement to the next console is mainstream.

PS1 was released in 1994 (Globally late 1994). PS2 was released in 2000 (Globally late 2000) by 2004 the PS2 was everywhere. The PS3 was released in 2006 (Globally mid-2007) and by 2010 we can assume that the PS3 will be everywhere just like the PS2.

So it's a steady cycle. Expect the PS4 in 2013 globally and no sooner than mid-to-late-2012 in US and Japan.

Sony have their dates set perfectly, and it's working well for them. They're in profit and will keep it up. A new PSP and slimline PS3 (PSthree) to coinside with the development of their new console will go down a treat with those late to catch on.

To settle the debate about names for anyone interested :) The first PlayStation was the PS1, also know as the PSX (The PSX is not the network capable one). Next came the Net Yaroze compatible console (In Black) mainly Japan-based that was a programming console for making your own PS1 games. I played a lot of the Yaroze games via PS1 demo discs released with OPSM and they were awesome! Then the PSOne, the slimline PS1. The PS2 came out next and the PSTwo (slimline) came out around the GTA:SA release date.

Now we have the PS3 and I expect Sony to make a PSThree for 2010 to coincide with the next GTA game (Possibly GTA4:Vice City or GTA4:London) depending on the state of R*, or more likely a year before the 720 release.

All pure speculation but I'm sure you can see the pattern I'm basing my assumptions on and that's why MS's 1 year head start will earn lots to begin with but will slow to a crawl and doesn't have the legs to win head to head with other consoles.

MS need to put out a better console than Sony and Nintendo not just release it a year earlier, they've missed that point twice now. The 360 on it's own is not better than the PS3 on it's own. Take away network options and games and the PS3 is a better console. MS just released the 360 earlier to gain ground, it doesn't have the legs of the other consoles.

[Infernus]

Have they not learnt anything?! They're going to do exactly the same thing with the 360 to 720 move as they did with the Xbox to 360 transition, say "Bye guys we're moving on, buy this if you want to keep up".

They're going to have to wait a long time to release a new console though. The PS3 is supposed to last about the same length of time the PS2 did, approx 8 years before mass movement to the next level. The 360 doesn't have the legs for that length of time and MS are now worried that's the case, they're planning and most likely prototyping their next console after only a few years with the 360.

They're missing the golden rule of console gaming here, it should be robust and built for the future. Microsoft failed on the robust bit and built the 360 with standard hardware (DVD, Lack of HDD, batteries for controllers, no wireless access), they failed in that department too because within a year we've seen them push out add-ons for the 360 to fill in the gaps they missed.

Sony have included all the material necessary to make the PS3 greater going forward, Home will complete the PS3 as it allows streaming downloadable content of movies, game trailers, etc. Home was in development before the 360 came out, so MS can't claim they had that first, actually Home was in development the moment networking on the PS2 can into existence.

Microsoft should hold off on their rush tactic and build a solid console with a next gen format, 750GB HDD as standard, WiFi capabilities and built in recharge functions for the controllers (Like the PS3). If they skimp out on functionality, they'll lose out to the PS3 which'll be just a firmware update away from exclipsing the 720 if that's the case. MS are throwing money at a market they've lost, are about to lose again and are now attempting the same tactic that lost it for them before with the PS2 and Xbox. The PS3 will be in it's prime, the Wii will be outdated but Ninty will have a new one out to revive the interest and MS will release the 720 into the market in exactly the same state as the Xbox entered into the PS2 Gamecube market. Only the next Wii will be much more profitable than the Gamecube ever was.

They're expecting a PS3 & Wii release phase again but they're wrong, Sony will delay the console for release after the 720 to buff up the components. Nintendo may do the same and the 720 will do exactly the same as the 360 is doing now, faultering along a line when it lacks the hardware and build to stay futureproofed like the others and starts to lose out because of the growing interest in the seemingly over-expensive console now becoming affordable, the cheaper alternative still looking like a better option for the casuals and the 720 stuck between a rock and a hardplace.

The 720 needs to be 10x more innovative than the 360 was if it's to be a ground-breaking console.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

You are making up way to many assumptions out of one sentence from an interview.

I am not going to reply to all that but simply say I don't agree at all.

[pow3r of t3h c3ll]

Of course they will be first out with the next gen of consoles cus its the only way they can ever achieve 1st place for a brief period of time before inevitably sliding back into 3rd.

[reccodog]

When Microsoft looks at it's fanbase it is looking at money. As does Sony and Nintendo BUT Sony and Nintendo don't over do it like Microsoft. Microsoft had to keep a faulty and non-reliable console out just to make a lot of money off from its stupid fanbase.

[pshizle]

and i have to say

its awesome and i know why sony fans love it

hardware wise its like a luxury item

when i first set it up... i was like omg no brick =)

for the next xbox if it comes out in 2009 i think its still early my bet 2010

[-Maverick-]

PS3 pwns hard.

[Citizen Cook]

I want the 720 next year!

I hate long lifespans! I'm rich because i work hard. I play hard. I need cutting edge powerful hardware. I don't want my 360 to last 7 years! A new console every 5 years sound nice to be. 4 or 5...

M$ will continue to support the 360 even when the 720 is out the door. They can't lose.

HA HA HA HA!

[karlostomy]

" But the E&DD boss said it was "too early to tell" when quizzed on his expectation for the next console's release plans. "Our view is we will be selling Xbox 360 for a long time," he said. "

MS looks to be in it for the long haul.
Unlike last Gen, they also hold first mover advantage. Already MS have reduced their manufacturing costs to enable profits on 360 hardware, opening the way for a market leading price drop.

Will SONY be able to match the pricedrop once all hardcore users have bought their PS3 consoles at premium prices? Don't forget that the PS3 is still selling at a loss, even at the higher price point (!)

The 360 looks set to catch the casual market first with a lower price.

I think SONY may find the competition a bit resilient after 2008.

[-Maverick-]

I think your a delusional loner living in your own little world. Xbox brand is going NO WHERE.

[karlostomy]

What a great comeback.
Full of facts, logic, cunning debate and intelligence.

I am continually astounded at the amazing wit you possess.

Well done.

[juuken]

...*in a quiet voice*

Is MS starting to admit defeat?

...O_o
....o_O
....O_O

edit: GiantEnemyCrab, I smell defeat from them. It's absolutely nuts for a company such as MS to be announcing a new system ALREADY.

[GiantEnemyCrab]

I think MS are following their own plan. Admitting defeat? No. Considering the only thing being defeated right now is the last place PS3. I agree Nintendo is wiping the floor with both of the consoles and that should really concern the last gen market leader a bit more. MS has always been the underdog.

[Killa Aaron]

They're going to have to, with the lack of disc space that the 360 has and developers want bigger games now so i can see them saying something about a new console in 2010 or maybe earlier like late 2009

[juuken]

MS better work long and hard on this console because if it ends up having the same crappy problems as the 360, they might as well quit the competition.
edit: @ Bzone...yay?
And I wasn't excited. I was actually surprised because to tell you the honest truth, I don't want to see MS leave the competition. However, they have made several mistakes with the 360. I will admit once again that XBL and the game collection is excellent. However, XBL should be free, and they need to stop most of their corrupt business practices in the gaming industry. It seems that there are a few 360 owners who aren't completely brainwashed and actually realized that MS needs to work harder at being more effective with their console.

Bubbles for you guys.

[Bzone24]

Oh no...I actually agree with you.

edit:I knew you'd be excited. Kinda makes me feel sick agreeing with a ps3 fanboy...or fangirl.

[n to the b]

same here I agree

[Morgue]

Go ahead and be the first but sorry M$ the 360 was the last system I'm buying from you. While everyone is out buying new Xbox console's over the next 10 years I'll still be using my same PS3. I don't understand it. How many consoles is M$ going too have to make before they make the right one? Oh and they will stop making 360 games just like they did the old Xbox games in favor of the newer platform.

[juuken]

Exactly.
They should have gotten the 360 right the first time.
And whoever disagreed with me probably doesn't want a reliable system then.

[Spydiggity]

once again, buncha fanboy comments. ps2 failed all the time. i dont' know one person that had a ps2 that lasted for the full 5-6 years.
and it had a horrible dvd player that went bad or would lose sync with the audio. and yet, despite that, you all supported it and it sold HUGE.

as for this generation, they (microsoft) were right to get a jump on the market. they needed to because they knew they'd be contending with the ps2 fanbase. in fact, it is that fanbase from last generation that is making ps3 popular at all. it certainly isn't the games. they just got their first great game last week (MGS4).

and they aren't "admitting defeat." i don't know where you get your information, but 360 still moves more hardware by a little and software by A LOT!

this next generation xbox will probably do even better. ps3 really alienated a ton of the ps2 fans. granted there are still millions of die hard fanboys that would gladly get on their knees for a sony rep, but not as many as before.

bottom line is, systems almost always have a 5 year life span. in 2010, that will be 5 years for a new system. and i'll definitely get one, why wouldn't I? i got a 360 in 2005, and was playing next gen titles while everyone else waited for ps3. then ps3 came out and the multiplatform titles looked and played the same or better on the 360 (fact! read the reviews though i'm sure you'll all still give me disagrees anyway (cuz you're most certainly fanyboys and facts bounce off you like bullets bounce off superman)).

if microsoft keeps getting the jump on the market, and they keep throwing big big money in direction of major game studios, we're going to see an even stronger next generation from them.

Edit: I still hope sony stays in the game so competition is healthy. i might even get one next generation...if they would just change that uncomfortable, dated controller. Time for a little something new out of sony. but i'm sure they'll pull out all the stops next generation after the mediocre run they are having this generation.

[CertifiedGamer]

Most likely the next xbox will cost more than the ps3 because remember PS3 owns blu-ray and the system was still expensive and xbox will have to move that way or if they choose togo completely digital I see there fanbase going down

[LiquifiedArt]

Its the ONLY way to get a headstart on the competition.

[thehitman]

Their best bet is to ride this out as long as possible and wait till Sony releases theirs and make sure this time around they have better technology then Sony or on par. 360 hardware wise is just lacking WAY to much no wifi low HD or no HD have to buy batteries still on dvd and they need to make xbl free. I could understand it back in the days of xbox1 since it was new and they needed money to support itself but now its not necessary. They are building their library but it is still very skimp compared to what Sony's library is. They need more first party developers they should create more studios because they are behind in terms of first party games of not only Sony but Nintendo also.

Also plz dont have another 3rod epidemic. If they do then they should quit the gaming industry.

[LinuxGuru]

FFFAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIILLLLLLL LLLLLLLLL

[etownone]

the 360 needed to launch first, if not it couldn't go against Sony head to head after winning the last two gen's.
Simple as that.

pro - got a huge installed base, currently beating ps3, and has captured the most important market for gaming, North America.

con - RROD

so the pros do outweigh the cons..... at least MS did the extra warrenty unlike Sony and the class action lawsuit with the faulty ps2's.

MS is in this for the long haul fellas..... and i'm hoping the xbox 720 comes out in the fall of 2010. Every five years seems about right. IF the Sony wants to wait another 6 or 7, then I guess sonyfans will be waiting for the ps4 in 2012 or 2013.

[MANCREEP]

Yeah, I think the pro's out weigh the con's anyday.
Some people think a blu-ray drive is needed. The blu-ray disc format is great, but DigitalDownloads are fixing the be the standard sooner than later. Honestly, when was the last time you went shopping for a CD? When MP3's were introduced into the mainstream markets, they beat out CDs in less than 2 years. But I guess having a bluray drive AND digi-downs couldnt hurt either. But one thing I love about having a 360, is streaming ALL of my content from my PC, to my TV--all in HD, no need for bluray. And if your anything like me and the rising torrent-population, you arent paying for a dime of it.

i got my ps3 because it was on sale, and I had the money. I also wanted to have all the systems, just incase PS3 finally got something worth playing(MGS4 = goodtimes). I DIDNT GET IT FOR BLURAY. If a gaming console focuses more on a format(regardless of how much more space it has), than its games, then it will be surpassed by another format altogether.

[SkyGamer]

You guys are a bunch of misinformed jumped to conclusions lot. All 3 companies started working on the next console for at least a year. MS maybe 2 years. They already have the design and architect and what the components are going to be. Just because you release later doesn't mean that you have the more powerful console. If that were the case you would be forcing the developers to use new dev kits as the prior ones were obslete. This gen sony put all it's marbles on cell and blu-ray and really raised the bar. They are in the ps3 for quite some time. As well as dropping support for X360, that won't happen. Reason for the quick death of the first Xbox was that they were still losing money on the console even to this date! Besides, there was an article awhile back that confirmed that MS were shopping around for new processors and another article from Intel that stated they wouldn't miss this next generation and give the market to ibm which powers all 3 consoles now.
I predict the NextBox to utilize an Intel 12-16 core processor at 2.4 ghz using 64-bit. It will have a toned down Vista Server 08 and probably 4 GB DDR3 memory clocked in at 1066 mhz. The graphics card still being powered by ATI will use a whole new architecture and probably clock in at 800 mhz, more than likely a multi-core vpu. I think that they will still use eDRAM, maybe 20 MB this time. Standard HDD of 320 GB with an upgradability of 500 and 750 gb, depending on if they are further going to test the waters of DD. The only thing that is the question is disc format. Do they work out a deal with sony or do they create one with another company? Do they make the next hardware to supplement a lot of the data so you don't need as much data for certain aspects of the game? Do they enable further data compression and stay with DVD-10? Are the 24 gb quad-layer DVD's going to hit the market by this fall? Are they still working on DVD 2.0? That will be the big question is Optical Drive. I think they will not FULLY transition to DD as not everyone has Internet Connnection, or a fast one at that. The bigger HDD will be more for media and game content.

[midgard229]

if the xbox 3 comes out with in less than 4 years then even MS thinks of its 360 as a failure. which it is in the sense of failure rate, no disc space, no built in wi-fi and lack of hard drives. but doesnt mean the games r bad.

if xbox 3 comes out this fast then ms is scared and rushing things again. now xbox 3 would definatly sell like crazy....or maybe not considerin how many people just bought their 360 a year or 2 ago and just upgraded. this isnt a computer they shudnt have to upgrade so often. dumb MS

[Tyetan]

I think this is funny because this will comeback to bite M$. If they release early again M$ will suffer a role reversal. Think about it, PS3 will become widely affordable by that time and have a bigger install base and game library. M$ will come out of the gate with a monster price for their new console and no games to support it. It'll be alot like the first xbox launch except M$ won't have another new console to bail them out again.

[Spydiggity]

and who are you to decide the price point will be too high? ps3 was the over priced console, not 360. 360 was 300 and 400 dollars. ps3 was 500 and 600.

and after the horrible start ps had, i'm pretty sure both companies know that charging twice as much as the competition is a really bad idea.

but keep propagating your misinformation. the only people that fall for it are other ps3 fangirls.

[joevfx]

they want to be first again so they can have a red ring of death event happen all over again with a new consoles. what morons microsoft is. DONT RUSH IT!!!!!

[pshizle]

i expect it to come 2010

[KILLERAPP]

If MS does come out with there next xbox in 2010 it will cost them a lot manly because your are really underestimating this console that we have it have even been said by the developers this consoles will probably last for a long time why they have a lot of untapped power so if they do come out with the next xbox in 2010 then 360 and PS3 will have games that look just as good or even better why consoles graphic will not get much better than this it has even been said by developers just you wait for the coming years if they do realize in 2010 it will be a very big mistake for them and it will cost them.

[dkgshiz]

Microcrap is being retarded again. The reason the RROD occured, was because microcrap made the 360 in 6 months. Thats not enough time to fix any bugs that would be in a console. The xbox 3 is just going to be another RROD box. Good luck microcrap with that narly hardware you have their.

[MANCREEP]

So gnarly, infact, that even with the TEERIBLE RRoD, it still sells. Crazy huh?

[n to the b]

they might not be completely finished if the same thing happened again, but d@mn near it you'd think. so no, pretty sure they'll be prepared for that this time.

of course, RROD is prob not the only thing that could go wrong with a rushed console...

[G1TR4P3D]

of course it will be blew-gay d1cks. don't be dumb. and this time they won't let some n00b idiots make the GPU clamps.

so next time around, not only will it have the best games, exclusives, services, and controller, but there will be no RROD.

Sony better hope ppl "learn" how to make good PS3 games, and FAST :)

[tk]

If they release too early - then they will be up against a very high selling PS3, and when the PS4 is released (2-3 years later) - they will be faced with being "old" while still being squeezed by the PS3 which like the PS2 will be very cheap and very good value.

If I was MS - first - yes - but not too early

[Morgue]

I'm not jumping too any conclusion, I'm saying that if they " were " to come out with another system in the next year OR two, I'm not buying it and I probably will not buy it after the fiasco I had with the 360. Why should I have too go through 3, 360's before one finally worked? It's un-called for, bad business and shotty product. I don't care what people say about how good they're games are or that XBL is great, so what. I got rid of all my 360 games, Gears, COD 4, H3 and I think 4 or 5 others and only kept 2. I haven't played an online game in almost 3 months. Sorry but the 360 is not my " entertainment hub of the future " and never will be. I'll still play it, well I have too because I just bought NGII but I'll stick with my PS3.

[JayD-1K]

is "IF" MS drops support for the 360 like they did the original xbox! i mean, i understand why they did it. that way, you had to get the new system if you wanted to play the new games. but, this should be more than a few years off. i never had the original XBox so this is my first time with the brand. not impressed with the HW but, the online components are top notch. i still use my PS3 more but, XBLG is what all systems should be AT LEAST striving for.

[Greeny1972]

The one sure thing is that I'm going to be even more in the S**T with my wife if I have to buy another games console anytime soon!

[Gantrfaxx]

Of course you M$ dumbasses want to be first, no matter what the market and the consumers want, no matter how much more potential the X360 has, just like the first Xbox had. I just hope you won't push a half ready, half next gen console to the market again. Oh i forgot, you got no shame so you will probably do it again, and you got unlimited amounts of money so it will not hurt you.
Buy, buy, buy, upgrade, upgrade, upgrade...
A la Pc style.
I personally fell for it once but I WILL NOT FALL FOR IT AGAIIN!

[Exia]

I'm starting to get the feeling that there will be a new Xbox 360 that will be announced in 2009 and released during the Holidays of that year.

[TheDeadMetalhead]

Look at Sega. They always tried to be first whether it was the Genesis (1989) or the Dreamcast (1998). The result? They got killed by Nintendo (SNES, 1991) and Sony (PS2, 2000). And they eventually stopped making systems altogether.

The reason is that if one system is already released, it gives other system developers a chance to plan ahead and make their system better. Microsoft is headed down the same road as Sega if they keep it up.

[ChrisGTR1]

well i guess this will be the finaly blow to sony. look how bad they crushed em this time around. ps3 literally has no more third party exclusives. now there all gone to 360. its even gotten so bad that square enix is making exclusive games on 360! damn.

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

The only thing this desperate ambition to come first give MS was the RROD, 3RL or whatever you call it.

There is no advantage to come first if nobody is expecting you, just look at 360 first year, more slow than ever, mainly because many people that would adopt 360 late, was by the time waiting PS3 to come out. The only reason 360 has made those number was because Sony was an @ss on the start of the PS3, with a real high price and lacking many features of the 360 (even if there was other features to cover this, it was overseen my the media, which arguably make to the third problem with the early PS3 - media hate).

For sure, many more people will be expecting next Xbox this time, but will it be enough? While this console will be new, it will also be high price, and probably not that much better than the PS3, not to say PS3 is finally standing up and get back it's PS2-like devs and publishers support. This means, if a new Xbox comes, it will have to lead being the lass expected console, high price and a actual competition well stabilized and no where near to go away (considering it coming 2009 or 2010, PS4 shall not be with us 'till 2011 or 2012, and PS3, just like PS2, shall still receive support for those who don't want or can't afford being a early adopter).

[REbirth]

they must think do a new one! cus xbox359 (it just cant turn around):P is getting far behind! here the numbers
http://vgchartz.com/hwlaunc...

the new one...will not have the RRoD! and will have a bigger hype! but will fail again...cus their games suck and halo 3.5.1.9 will not be enough again!

[Jamaicangmr]

Let this be a warning to all Xbox360 owners and prospective owners. Don't be suprised if Microsoft announces a new Xbox at this E3 or next then releases it later that Christmas season. Only to announce that they are no longer supporting the Xbox360 as early as Feb 09.

What i find funny is that like sheep many will again claim Microsoft's decision to be genius and shell out a next few hundread dollars for a new Xbox. Only to be bata testers for the hardware and endure countless stressing calls to customer service.

Microsoft please re-evaluate your stance on this. First isn't the key to coming out on top of the console wars. It didn't prove to be so this gen (Or past generations really) why the hell would it be next gen? Please don't kill off your console early so you can redirect resourses towards a new one.

[SSCOOLCHEA]

most people who owns a SONY system and been fans for all these years , whatever microsoft brings out people will wait for the next playstation.
just like right now , ps2 fan base are stalling to pick up a ps3 . Why ? when it becomes really affordable . I thought $600 was cheap for what I was buying. anywways have not been on this board for a minute but same old shi.... SEE YA ON METAL GEAR kampuchea420

[sumfood4u]

Go for it Xbox! Do yo Thang, but work out all bugs, so it doesn't do a 360 Red Ring Effect,our your next Gen will be Defect!

[Raptors]

Personally, I like the xbox brand. The only thing that bothers me is the reliability of the 360. Im not saying i dont like the ps brand (I own a ps3 as well) but I just like the xbox. Im been impressed with it since the beginning (minus the RROD). If they bring out a third one, Ill be in line to buy it. I know alot of ppl on this site hates it, but Im definitely a fan. Sorry...

[fm81]

who gives a damn if they first..they gonna be last anyways like the current console war..from first to worst in the end..

[DFresh]

At this point Microsoft can't afford to make another console.
I don't mean money.
I mean technology and keeping loyal to their fans.
Microsoft should have learned by releasing the 360 early before it's properly tested is not a good thing.
RROD
So what's the new Xbox going to do that different from the 360.
Maybe play in 1080P and get a Blu-ray player.
That's it.
I also bet you they'll charge you more than they did for the 360 and just change the name.
When Microsoft thinks their ahead they are really far behind.
by the time they think 1080P is good Sony would have already switched to OLED and have even a more advanced Blu-ray player than they do now.
Besides it's only been 3 years only half the time of how much a standard console should last in the market.
Microsoft is after that quick buck only out to make money and not a quality product.
:(

[HelghastGeneral]

At least this time it will be a real system not a fake machine like 360 to fool everyone to take advantage of the industry. they had to ruin a whole generation of games because they can't go head to head with sony and now they finally have the money to release a real system. the 360 couldn't even make halo 3 what it was supposed to be because of the disk space and poor processing power. They know they are in trouble because ps3 can deliever true next gen games with plenty of processing power and disk space. Now that metal gear solid 4 is out and got a master piece 10 score they are afraid and all those fake articles about ps3 are meaningless now.

[ravenguard88]

It's obvious that Microsoft wants to launch first because it makes them more competitive. I doubt they would have done as well this generation if they hadn't, that's not to say they can't sell, but it gives them a pretty huge edge being the only new toy on the market.

In addition, it's simple strategy; keep your opponent reacting. You're on the losing side if you find yourself constantly reacting to the competition, because it allows them some level of control over your own strategy.

[ForROME]

I loved the original Xbox So much its crazy to think back HALO Ruled my Life, I loved how each game looked better than the PS2 version, and they all had HDs

Xbox360= Halo is Over, not a standard hardrive, hardware failures, globally cant compete over all

Xbox3= No Halo, HOPE to god they do not go digital distribution only, and quit being cheap and fast lieka pizza, get your hardware quality up and your testing up, IMO 360 sold out compared to the original no telling where this one will go, I think SONY pretty much longterm has them beat

[SirFenwick]

I'm not buying a new gen console in the next 5 years. To early.

[Diselage]

These stories always kind of get to me and it's really surprising how much press they get. These people are never going to say well we'll try hard but really are just expecting 2nd. That not bad ya know.

[aaron5829]

Go ahead...

Digital download ?

Good luck downloading all that 25gb - 50gb data ...

:)

[pumpkinpunker]

sony is quoted as saying the ps3 has a 10 year life cycle. microsoft is quoted as saying the x360 has a 7 year lifecycle. If both companies hold to their word then microsoft will release the new xbox four years before Sony releases their new ps4.

Sony is failing HARD.

Sony thought the ps3 would follow in the steps of the ps2 and not be a third place console that sells the least software of any of the consoles on the market. It is no huge secret that sony and microsoft make the majority of their money from peripherals and software. It was a big mistake for Sony to splurge on a lot of extras they shouldn't have (a free psn network that costs them money, selling blu-ray technology below cost, etc). They should have released the ps3 at the same time as the x360 but they underestimated microsoft.

A lot of analysts think that by the time the ps3 approaches being a profitable venture... bam! the new xbox will be released and pretty much wipe away any hope of Sony making any money on the PS3.

[pumpkinpunker]

the wii is what is really killing the PS3 not the X360. the wii is siphonig off more gamers from the PS3 than the 360 in Japan and Europe. 360 is hurting the PS3 more in North America.

PS3 has the least casual gamers of any console right now.

[Neo604]

the ten times more powerful ps4 will kick xbos3's a$$ a year later.

[CertifiedGamer]

Now company don't make money from cds they make them of tours do you think games are going to choose to allow themselves to be downloaded okay yeah and lose money.

[yanikins111]

Hands up if your not buying it until atleast the 4th year?

<raises hand>

[Matpan]

Being first is just a good marketing move as many others. If they make it first, with reliable hardware, significant technical improvement and great games, I will be there. I am pro games, pro consoles, no matter what company is behind it.