If the 720 comes out I don't know what I'll do I mean I have spent a lot of money on the 360 and games. I don't want to buy it but will we really have a choice?
Xbox 360 has 'more than two years' left - Microsoft
By
Laura Parker, Associate Editor
E3 2012: Microsoft Studios head Phil Spencer tells GameSpot the industry should expect the 360 to hang around for "a lot more" than just two years.
LOS ANGELES--Despite analysts' predictions that it's "all but a given" that either Microsoft or Sony or both will launch new consoles by the end of next year, Microsoft believes its Xbox 360 has a few more years left.
Speaking to GameSpot, Microsoft Studios head Phil Spencer revealed that new incentives like the recently unveiled SmartGlass technology and the Nike partnership mean the publisher is serious about extending the life cycle of its current-generation home console.
"Microsoft entered this space with the original Xbox 11 years ago, and we're committed for the long-term," Spencer told GameSpot during an E3 interview this week. "The nice thing about the Xbox 360 right now is--if you look--we're the number one console globally. We're able to bring in new content and still support the best of the core games."
"It's a platform that has really reached scale; this is the time when you really see the great content showing up. The future in a lot of ways is always tomorrow: [things like] the SmartGlass technology and Windows 8 [show that] things are going to constantly evolve. The world where everything gets centered around one console and when that comes out--we kind of have to evolve away from just thinking about that, [especially] with the service-based nature of games today."
"Right now the Xbox 360 is really healthy and it's doing incredibly well. I think the 360 has a lot more than two years [left]. It has legs for a long time."
Spencer's comments do not automatically rule out a next-gen console release from Microsoft sometime in the next two years. For example, when Sony launched the PlayStation 3 in November 2006, it did so while continuing to support the PlayStation 2. However, it is worth noting that when Microsoft launched the Xbox 360 in November 2005, the original Xbox had already been removed from store shelves.
Last month, Microsoft revealed the $99 Xbox 360 program, a deal that will sell the 4GB Kinect-equipped Xbox 360 hardware bundle for $99 if customers commit to a two-year Xbox Live Gold subscription at a cost of $15 per month.
By
Laura Parker, Associate Editor
Laura Parker is the Associate Editor of GameSpot Australia. She loves adventure games, sparkly stuff, Trivial Pursuit, cake, Master Chief, earthworms, and rhetorical questions. She once stole a sandwich from Peter Molyneux.
230 comments
I don't want xbox 720 to be real. I mean if it comes out I don't know what I'd do I've invested so much in the 360. I really wouldn't want to buy it but do we really have a choice? If they stop making 360 games I'd be missing out.
It is foolish to stick with this generation of consoles any longer. Consumers and gamers all together are getting eager for something New, something fresh, something more evolved than just upgrades of the same hardware. It's been 6 years, 6 E3s and this years E3 hasn't been fresh with excitement. I feel like I've seen enough to the point I'm going back to previous generations, because I'm loosing interest. This is the result of too many "dejà vus". It is not good for business no matter how many "SmartGlass technologies and the Nike partnerships" you throw in. And I doubt that I'm the only one feeling like this. Politics is a long term driven business whereas entertainment has predominately been short termed. Even more so now that consumers are subjected to a world where things are moving incredibly fast. Planning the long term six years into a worn out product is suicide.
2 Like Well this is no surprise. The superior Xbox 360 is the top selling console, has a massive installed base. has the best 3rd party support, has the best online console experience, has the best versions of 99% of games released to market,...There's no stopping Xbox 360!!
The Xbox 360 is the BEST console EVER made. --John Carmack
1 Like Just because it has two years left doesn't mean the next generation Microsoft console won't debute. When PS2 came out Sony was still actively promoting the original Playstation, and did the same when the PS3 came out. There is no reason why Microsoft cannot do the same.
Yeah, no. Well, I guess that depends on how you look at it. SURE they can milk it with apps and other interactive media. And while I like the Kinect, lord know they're going to milk that longer, too. At least I'm not ignorant to the fact it has more of a limited market than they realize.
As far as gaming goes, it's already aged well past its prime. For a while, Xbox360 games actually looked/ran better than PS3 games. But now that the PS3 has been around for a while and the games are running and looking much better on there now, Xbox360 is at a halt. There's really nothing else they can make it do. It's been pushed to it's limit a while ago. But they'll keep milking it.
@LandauTST Yeah I agree, the Xbox hardware is sadly out of date. The playstation isn't too far behind although it has a slight stronger processor and graphics card. Exclusives are definitely coming out on top as far as the PS3 goes. Although the Halo 4 graphics surprised me for an Xbox game.
Kinect is really clumsy and gimmicky, I don't like it. As I've mentioned already, just look at PC games if you want to see how far behind the consoles are. The Witcher 2 is one of the most graphically impressive games ever made. Smashed most machines that tried to run it on full when it came out.
See, the thing with the Kinect is, people think the hardware at it's core is "clumsy" as you mentioned, when it's really not the hardware at all. The Kinect itself is a fine piece of technology and has inspired tons and tons of other uses for it outside of video games. Also, I don't really see it as "gimmicky" unless they made the whole console about the motion controls. But that's me, I guess. I think for what the motion controls can do, some games are pretty decent, provided the developers have a firm enough understanding on how to incorporate it and have skilled workers who care enough to do the encoding properly. But for people like me trying to get fit, too...that parts a no-brainer.
Ultimately, though, the Kinect was too little too late and, while some games for it (outside of fitness) are decent, just a whole lot of people didn't care, consumers and developers alike. I still enjoy it, but as I said...too little to late.
About Halo 4, though. I have to wonder if that was all actually ON Xbox360 hardware. I know that many developers show off gameplay for console games using PC hardware. It always makes it look nicer and appealing. Then by time you get it for Xbox360 you're like "What happened?" haha. So I don't know. I agree it looked very nice, but I remain skeptical.
@LandauTST Yeah I see your point :) most games at E3 were on PCs in the background, sneaky devs.
You know the M$ people are really funny just picture them being in Sony's shoes this gen and you would already know they would be already a dreamcast 2. but that's what I like about Sony is the fact that its the underdog that's still winning M$ couldn't do what Sony's done in this gen if it wanted to hell the original xbox barely made it and I know the next xbox is gonna fail and I will be here to laugh at them arrogant dogs.That can't make anything except halo this halo that pathetic and to think I used to like the original xbox when it had decent games is the weirdest part about it
How are Sony the underdog? They're a massive global company with a ridiculous amount of revenue and industry experience behind them. Their console has better hardware than that of the Xbox. They aren't disadvantaged to Microsoft in any way. The online features provided by Sony aren't as good as those provided by MS to their customers. This is a fact. The Xbox 360 has done well because it's a good console and Microsoft are good at giving their customers value for their money. The thing is that they're only implementing a browser now, nearly 7 years later. But despite this they've still outsold the PS3 which has a better Graphics card, processor and a Blu-Ray player.
The original Xbox didn't barely make it either. It sold extremely well too and was a very reliable piece of hardware. Hence the Xbox 360. Halo is one of the biggest selling shooter franchises of all time, as is Gears of War, which is Xbox exclusive. So it's hardly pathetic that they make a game that millions of fans adore and which has given life to one of the most passionate gaming communities ever to exist.
Aside from this, explain to me how you expect the next Xbox to fail. Do Sony have some super sneaky trick up their sleeves to catch the "arrogant dogs" off guard? And how is Sony still winning? Last I checked the Xbox was out selling it and Sony let their PSN get hit by hackers and go down for a month. They also don't provide something as simple as party chat to online players. And before you come out with the classic "PS3 players get online for free" defense, that's because the service is poor. The connections are unreliable and playstation updates take forever. I know this. I have a playstation and an xbox and a gaming PC.
In my opinion the PC trumps all but the stupidity of everything you just said astounded me so much that I just couldn't help but argue my point. Also, on top of everything I've mentioned above, Sony entered this generation of consoles a year after Microsoft, meaning Sony had the advantage in that they could change and tweak their console to be better than the Xbox and provide a service which gave their customers everything Microsoft did and more. They failed to do this. They had the advantage, not Microsoft.
I am not an Xbox fanboy. I just hate stupidity being thrown around for everyone to see. Keep it to yourself, you might infect someone with your mongoloiditis.
it may have 2 years left in it, but if they don't bring out a new xbox befor that 2 year the Xbox is going to be out of date. there need to some sort of overlap. Like there was with the xbox to the 360. not everone is going to go out a get a "720" on day one.
By "evolve" the xbox it sounds like they're talking about new hardware gimmicks that have become the Wii. If the xbox has two more years of games left in it, power to it. If not, let's bring on the next iteration.
1 Like With no next gen announcement for Microsoft and Sony this year, I strongly believe that their 'next gen' consoles will be released in 2014 and not late 2013. It takes more than a year to promote and market a new console when its announced unless you are SEGA(we know how that turned out!)
Both companies need a lot of planning to transition their 60+ million customers to their new consoles without alienating them. They need backward compatibility, good launch games and competitive prices.
On top of that, Nintendo will be ahead of them for a year. If gamers/family adopt Nintendo's 'assymetric' gaming, then Sony and Microsoft will need to adopt those styles to their next console.
Also once the 'next gen' consoles are released, Microsoft and Sony will be competing with their own consoles due to their large and cheap library of games.
Lastly, I think 'Smartglass technology' will not cut it. Its cumbersome and more likely a gimmick. The WiiU's tablet is an 'out of the box' feature so game publishers know that they can work their game around that Wii U tablet and be used in-game. How many percentage of owners of Xbox 360s own a smartphone or a tablet? Of the 60+ millions Xbox users, how many will invest to buy tablets in order to get the most of their games?
@gamefeind I agree that most 'adult owners have a smartphone at least' but will game publishers invest on using the 'Smart Glass' application feature on an average smartphone's 3.5-4.5 inch screen? You need a tablet at least to make it a viable accessory in a game like football as they have shown at Microsoft's E3 presentation for the existing Xbox 360.
Even with a tablet, gamers will still need to juggle between controller and 'smart glass' accessory whether it will be a phone or a tablet during gameplay. To me it is not seamless gameplay compared to the WiiU gamepad where the PHYSICAL buttons and sticks are already accessible at the same time.
@sacatash -- IIf gamers/family adopt Nintendo's 'assymetric' gaming, then Sony and Microsoft will need to adopt those styles to their next console.
In other words.....copy Nintendo like they have with the Kinect/Move. Like it or not, gaming has/is changing..... YAY!!!!!
I hope you all know all this talk of "next gen" is just them trying to steal Nintendo's thunder. Neither Sony or Xbox had ANYTHING to show of their new consoles because there is nothing to show. They were hoping to milk this gen as far as possible and Nintendo come from behind and blitzed them with a new console
@ziproy Um what world are you in Wii u ain't gonna be a threat to no one and that's a fact cause well unless you have some big freaking hands you're going to buy it and trade it the same day most likely cause that controller looks pathetic.
@constantterror The controller isn't compulsory to play the games, it's optional. And I really doubt anyone will buy a console and trade it in because the controller has a full HD colour touch screen in the center. Like "OH CRAP I'VE BEEN RIPPED OFF, THERE'S A TABLET WITH MY CONSOLE". Like it or not the Wii outsold the other consoles by miles. The Xbox and PS3 are around the 65 million mark while the wii sold 95 million. They have a massive fan base already, their next console is practically guaranteed to sell well, regardless of what they do with it. It won't be a THREAT to the current gen, or even the next gen, because most people are likely to stick where they are.
Most Xbox fans will buy and Xbox and most Sony fans will buy a PS4. They're only likely to switch based on which one looks more promising, comes out first and has better content coming to it.
1 Like @ziproy You're right, but I would suggest that Nintendo is merely catching up. I was always baffled that Nintendo's Wii wasn't HD. I think the current gen of Sony and M$ have plenty of life left; After all, graphics are not everything. I can't imagine what next gen consoles could possibly offer other than better graphics. Granted, Nintendo always has a neat gimmick, but I don't believe Sony or M$ are threatened.
' I was always baffled that Nintendo's Wii wasn't HD'
You have to remember that in 2006, Nintendo did not intend to directly compete with Microsoft and Sony for the most powerful and advanced console. Nintendo was abandoned by the 'hard core' gamers with their Gamecube in the early 2000 and decided to market the Wii to the 'casual' market which what they dubbed their 'Blue Ocean Strategy.'
The strategy is not to out-perform the competition(Sony and Microsoft) in the existing industry by creating a powerful console, but to create new market space or a blue ocean(going for the casual with different gameplay), thereby making the competition irrelevant. This is the reason why the Wii is not HD.
As we all know now, the strategy worked as we have 96+ million Wiis sold worldwide and Microsoft and Sony were forced to create Kinect and Move and go for the casuals.
@LeFeverBeaver: Agreed... the Wii was little more than a reboxed Gamecube, the Wii U is only just catching up graphically with the 360 and P$3. I can't see the Wii U selling anywhere near as many as the Wii, simply because I can't see the millions and millions of casuals buying another machine if the one they've got still does what they bought it for in the first place... and new "hardcore" gamers they did uncover will have already moved onto "proper" consoles because the Wii couldn't deliver enough for the serious gamer.
I have a mix feeling myself. I have both 360 and PS3 and over 10 top games only for my PS3 that i even had the time to play. So yes the current gen has lots of games to offer still.
Still each new generation of console brings better hardware which in turn makes for better games (bigger worlds, less time consumed by optimization for developers, more possibilities).
Already Nintendo is moving toward another direction which is trying new ideas (cant say i have ever like Wii or the new tablet for Wii U) which is fine for the targeted audience.
I just hope MS or Sony will follow the same audience as Nintendo now. Being a gamer and had had all consoles ever sine 8-bit era i'm used to a new console every 5 year or so. So 7 years feels a bit long to have the same old hardware.
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@GamerMani The PS2 had sold 154 million as of november 21st 2011. 11 Years after its release. At the same stage in its life cycle as the 360 is now, 7 years in, it had sold almost 70 million units. The 360 has sold around 67 million. So they're nearly identical in sales. If the 360 is still that far behind in 4 years, your comment might actually have some weight. But until then consider it debunked :).
@GamerMani "The nice thing about the Xbox 360 right now is--if you look--we're the number one console globally"... that means at this current time, not overall (the Wii still leads with that aspect)... also the source of your information is Wikipedia and if you check the "Regions" section of the wiki page it states "Mostly based on figures from Nintendo for the Americas region"... which is slightly bias
@BelaidKL lol the 360 is only selling godd in the states everywhere else people have brains and want more than another pathetic halo or gears PS3 owns it worldwide period.Besides wii if you wanna count that system but I usually don't.
1 Like @constantterror PS3 is underselling the Xbox. You're a fanboy and you don't know what you're talking about. Every comment you leave stinks from Sony's massive digital member having been there only moments before.
2 Like I've been an xbox 360 owner for about 5 years, and a PS3 owner for less than 1 year, so personally I hope they both have a lot of life left in them. Considering how much money I spent on the consoles and the games, I'm not prepared to shell out who knows how much in a year's time for another new console. I expect to get at least another 3 or 4 years out of the current gen.
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@GamerMani The PS1 was also much cheaper and games were cheaper and easier to make then than they are now. It's ridiculous to compare consoles of a current gen to consoles of a previous gen, especially when you consider all of the differences in market conditions between then and now.
And by the same logic the PS3 is also miles behind the PS1 in sale value, consider it isn't doing as well as the Xbox.
1 Like i would like to know somethi g, do all the people who think these current consoles are fine, when did you actually start gaming, example as what gen, ive been through several gens from the spectrum zx, each new gen brings new possibilties and new titles i want to see if people dont want new consoles as they havent been gaming long so they dont actually know what a new gen will bring and no not just prettier graphics
@chimpdaddy I've been gaming since the Sega Master System, as I didn't really care for the Atari, and while I'd like to see a new system released, I'm actually fine with the way things are with the 360/PS3. At least for another years anyways. I'd like to at least see a new console from Microsoft by mid to late 2013.
For some reason, 360 is headed towards what Nintendo is wanting to do. Instead they provide the graphics, its weird they are taking this approach.
A lot will depend on the price/early adoption rate of the "next-gen" consoles. This round of consoles were already so expensive and powerful, and with so many great games still months/years away that it will take major incentive for a lot of people to immediately move to the next generation. If that process is slow then companies will support PS3/X360 longer.
What is interesting to is how "support" is defined. Once the PS3 was released the last major games for PS2 were Rogue Galaxy and God of War 2 within about four months after. From then on it was sports titles, license games, occasional niche RPGS and occasional versions of mass market games like Call of Duty.
Is it really support if a system gets no major sequels and original IP's because they are all on next-gen systems?
totally agree, both systems still have a lot of life in them,i also think that both companys will still release a next gen console and still support the "older" systems. which is great i think
@gix47 Wrong M$ will drop all support for its 360 as soon as xbox 720 launches.Sony will still support PS3 long after PS4 launches hasn't history taught you anything M$ is to cheap to support 2 consoles at the same time and they could care less about their fans just try calling a M$ customer service center is a nightmare.
@constantterror No they won't. They'll support the 360 for years after the next console launch. They abandoned the original Xbox to the 360 at launch because they could instantly bring backward compatibility for almost all of their games and provide a better online service. You have absolutely nothing to base your claims on whatsoever, other than your own mindless opinion which is clearly ruled by Sony. Stop being a fanboy and actually read some statistics before you go spouting nonsense all over the place. And sorry but Xbox Live is a hundred times better than PSN, considering it's never gone down under a hack attack for a month and has solid reliable connections and doesn't take forever to download updates. On top of that, anyone who suffered from the 3 red lights issue on their consoles had them repaired for free even if they were out of warranty and were refunded in full if they'd had to pay for it already. Yeah MS really don't care about their customers.
Oh yeah, its also nice that when Sony put the PSN back up after being down for nearly a month they changed their EULA so that their customers couldn't bring a class action lawsuit against them. By signing up to use PSN you literally revoke your right to take Sony to court for providing you with a poor service. Enjoy being taken for a ride by Sony mate, they couldn't care less about you.
1 Like i hope its 2 years of games and not 'partnerships' for tv, movies, jet-packs, popcorn etc etc etc.......
3 Like I am still very content with this generation. I would not mind two more years if the 360.
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