Microsoft: Xbox 360′s not even “at the midpoint yet”

Might not be at the midpoint in the entire life of the console, but they can’t keep it at the cutting edge till 2015. By 2012 a $500 PC will vastly out match both consoles easily.

(the basis is my current rig is about $500 and it can still out match all but the most recent slew of games)(I need a new pc btw)

I do actually feel that this generation is only just past its mid-point. By this time in the PS2′s life I was desperate for it to go away, but the move to HD and the extra level of detail possible mean that even now this generation doesn’t feel tired and dated to me.

I also think the extra time needed between sequels has helped make this generation feel younger. During the PS2 era companies could crap out a sequel in a year, but this gen it usually takes 2 years so we’re not so inundated with sequels (EA Sports notwithstanding).

I agree. Forza 3 does a good job of showin the age of the hardware. I think 360 is gonna evolve into a Wii type machine. Cheap casual. While a “720″ begins a new “next gen” cycle.

How many of them will make it to a ‘midpoint’.

Christ…how many of them will make it to midnight?

Damn, I’m good!

This is just typical PR bullshit. The fact is MS has already begun the countdown to a new xbox in 2012, and that the 360 has entered it’s golden years. The fact that they are pushing Natal this christmas is very indicative of that as well. If it does well, a rev 2 of the hardware will come as standard on the new hardware.

I think the best idea they could do is to work on finalising the hardware of the 720 by the end of 2010 and let developers loose it final final hardware 2 years before launching. The main complaint is that it’s expensive to start making games for next gen in the first years so why not let them have it much longer and keep tweaking and revising things for a lot longer before launching a console.

Supporting 360 to 2015 is not mutually exclusive with launching a “720″ before then. In fact I think they will do exactly that, overlapping the two generations as Sony did with the PS2/PS3. Shiny new tech for the hardcore and cheap waggle for the casuals.

Yeah, it’s the sort of thing that confuses people when companies talk about a “10 year cycle”.

I dunno, M$ pretty much fucked off the XBOX as soon as the 360 came out.

Epic and Crytek CEO have already talked about the next gen for 2012. We’ll see

@10 – they had to though. The costs of certain components were killing them I gather. The 360 however doesn’t have the same weakness in terms of costs.

This time around they can keep 360 going while supporting a new console. Not saying they will, but they could, whereas with the Xbox they had to kill it according to numerous sources including Pete Moore.

Id wager if Natal bombs then expect a new xbox within the next 2 year

I’d expect a new xbox within the next 2 years anyway. 6 years is pretty much the maximum we’re used to waiting before consoles are superseded, and in two years the 360 would be 7 years old.

If Sony start consistantly outselling the 360 in the US every month id say it could be even sooner then 2 years.

The difference with this generation is that people cant afford this gens consoles never mind newer more expensive consoles.

Thats the only reason why this gen may be extended what with the recession and everything.

Whilst they’re still making profits that’s not going to concern them. It’s an inevitability that it’ll start happening at some point, and they know it.

I still say late 2011 / early 2012 no matter what happens.

As for Sony ill think they will copy Nintendos way as in release a Playstation 4 with arcitecture that is only a bit better then the Ps3s. They lost way to much money on the Ps3 to do anything else

december 2012 latest. but i don´t think so. i also go for late 11.

No new consoles before 2014… for multiple reasons.

I’ve been saying so for freakin’ aaaages. I can’t believe people genuinely think MS would launch Natal and only give it two years to make its money back before launching new hardware, which is far from an inexpensive ordeal.

Well… most people think they’re going to release the new hardware with Natal rather than just leaving it to rot on the 360.

But what do I know? It’s just guesswork based on history.

Does anyone even want a new generation? As far as I can tell, the current machines haven’t even nearly peaked yet, and what would a new generation actually bring? Slightly nicer visuals and a bit more memory? More storage? Ridiculous control schemes?

Surely it would be better to hang on for as long as possible. As long as software sales are still sky high, what’s the point in rebooting a generation that on the whole the consumers and the developers seem perfectly happy with? With dev costs higher than they’ve ever been and the world economy in the shitter, forcing a whole new raft of expense on everyone is going to go down like a lead balloon, right?

“Does anyone even want a new generation?”

^ This. The current consoles are entirely functional at what they do, and there really is no need to replace them any time soon. The graphics are fine, the games are great, and the machines aren’t even close to a sales peak.

Why bother replacing them?

These HD games won’t ALWAYS be $18-28 million. Technology and development will streamline and improve, more standards will be set. Cheaper outsourcing, etc etc.

Usually, and quite counter-productively, thats when a new generation enters.

Hopefully this cycle is longer, so costs can go even further down.

And I have a feeling they will, becuase publishers don’t want to juggle with more money.

@ PUD: *Exactly* – that’s why it’ll be 2014 before we see new consoles. By then, production costs will have reduced to the point where creating games for a new hardware gen across multiple platforms actually becomes feasible economically.

“Does anyone even want a new generation?”

I do. These machines clearly aren’t powerful enough to give us full HD without having to make significant sacrifices (AA / Vsync / AF / Framerate).

That’s the PC gamer in me bitching though.

You are BDH aicmfp!

Never!

BDH has a shit computer.

While I agree with Psycho on how powerful current consoles are (not), I feel that we won’t be seeing next gen any time soon, unless this economic climate improves significantly.

Who in their right minds would suggest to game developers and publishers to invest in a next gen console that hardly any gamer can afford?

EDIT: Speak NOT of the devil (or should that be Satin?)!