There’s no denying that Microsoft has enjoyed several benefits from releasing the Xbox 360 as the first console of this generation. Not only did it give gamers eager to experience “next-gen” titles the first opportunity to do so – resulting in a comfy year’s lead in sales – but it also established Xbox Live and Marketplace as the console standard of online play and digital content purchasing. It should therefore come as no surprise that they’re planning to recapture that same lead in the next console generation.
"The last cycle for the original Xbox was a little shorter than typical (at four years). We started way late," Microsoft’s Robbie Bach told Venture Beat. "If you take the question of whether it was the right thing to try to be first [with Xbox 360], the answer to that is definitely yes. It has given us a leg up in a number of places that are super important.”
"It has given us a leg up with game developers. It has given us a leg up from an economics perspective. It helped us expand Xbox Live quickly. At a strategy level, if you asked if we wanted to be first again, I would say yes."
Bach then goes on to nimbly dodge the question about when we might see Microsoft’s next console, stating that “Our view is we will be selling Xbox 360 for a long time."
Microsoft’s strategy certainly makes sense; I just hope they aren’t in such a rush to release first that they make the same mistake that they did with the 360: faulty hardware. They’ve probably long since gotten the hint that gamers don’t like sending their consoles in for maintenance every few months, what with all the angry calls directed towards 1-800-4MY-XBOX concerning this very issue. Still, are you going to be a bit more wary about buying the Soft’s next console due to their technical snafus with the 360?
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Contest:
2:08 PM on 06.16.2008
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I got my 360 on day one with no problems... yet. (knocks on wood)
For the last 2 gens I've been most impressed by Microsoft They seem to be the only company listening to their customers for what they really want instead of giving their customers something that they think their customers want
Listening to their customers? I've demanded for a better d-pad for ages and have yet to get one.
PS2?
It's also not as much listening and more of being in a position to adapt to what the market might become. No hard drive on some consoles is major fail.
And they completely messed up by not using a next gen format HD-DVD even though it lost would have been a pretty good inclusion because it has more space available than what they are using.
This actually isn't as much listening but not jumping into the format war head first like Sony and making the customer pick up the cost for their 'gamble' that is actually paying off (which is rare for Sony (beta-max, UMD, mini-discs)
Bob Arctor, you must be kidding me. Microsoft impressed you the most for the last TWO generations? The original Xbox was dead and buried before we could even say goodbye. Although I don't agree with you on this generation I can imagine you like the 360 the most. But don't judge the consoles just now. This generation is far from over!
And on the point of M$, I haven't bought an XBOX, and I don't intend to get an Xbox360 if I can avoid it but they're getting all the RPGs now. I've seen enough problems with my friend's 360 he's gone through 3 and M$ was no help at all.
So even Microsoft admits that they wouldn't achieve success with the 360, even though they just gloated about hitting 10mil first and claiming that as success. They claim the Xbox 360 is solid? The xbox 360 has cost them 300+ MILLION DOLLARS in replacements. That was a year or so ago.
I don't think the 360 has been a success, I think the stupidity of people willing to put up with 10+ replacements has given them success. Then those people going out and BUYING a second console. That is the only reason they are getting high console rates. Also most likely these people are having to register a NEW account = high accounts/users on their network.
I'm sorry but if they replace the Xbox 360 this early, and every Xbox user runs out to get another console. I bet massive big bucks that software companies will stop supporting them as much because it lowers their softwares life span as well.
But hey, the burden is on MS to win me back and get me in line for a 720. Gamers win either way with competition like that.
You know weird people Wonky.
Hahaha! I somehow totally missed that those were flag designs.
The hardware is a piece of shit, but it hasn't bricked on me yet. Which is pretty amazing because its one of those early ones and I've probably played it almost as much as my PS2, which is a V9 with a semi-busted laser diode after too many hours.
Its impossible to decide right now if Im going to get the next Xbox though. It all depends on what they're focusing on. Im looking for a console with games when I buy it and that's the only thing I pay for and the only thing I expect to get. Im not paying for a supercomputer or a blu-ray player or whatever. If Microsoft offers a console in the price-range of $300 with Live, XBLA and good games, that's all I need.
Totally agree. How does MS claim victory when the generation is not even close to being over? Especially with all of the hardware problems they have had.
This should also be a red flag to current 360 owners. The shelf life of your current console maybe has a couple more years and that is it. Just like with the original XBOX, they will stop supporting it and concentrate their efforts to the new XBOX. The one good thing about Sony is that you know they will be supporting the PS3 for years as they did with the PS2.
And oh yeah... A bad idea to rush to market knowing that you didn't do a good job with hardware in the last generation.
They're still jumping the gun a bit though. One step at a time, guys. This console cycle isn't over quite yet. >.>
Just like the original xbox, where is the support in that one? S dropped it and their users like a bad habit. Same thing will happen to the 360.
I was in line because it was the first gaming console that supported HD. That was a huge step. I've had to send in my 360 for repair one time since Nov. 2005. Yeah that sucks, but I've also had to send in a Wii. The PS3 has been good, but the f'n HDMI output doesn't work right and I've just gone ahead and purchased/used component cables.
Basically - whoever has the best console at any given time, I'll most likely be purchasing that console. Since MS has a great software track record, and too many games to play than my time allows - I trust them to continue the trend.
Yes, it sucks that so many people have had troubles with the box - but the joy has outweighed the pain.
I believe as soon as Sony leaves the console race Microsoft will. Because Sony's probably the only reason they win in to begin with.
I don't think Microsoft is really in any position to talk about next gen when they need to fix up the damn RRoDs.
I dont get the contradiction: The present 360 was only ever going to be stepping stone to get control of the tv, the movie services added have nothing to do with games. I am surprised that you think the xbox brand is a failure. Some people have had 5+ consoles fail and still come back for more, if this is not brand loyalty what is? I admit if it failed this often for me I would have probably given up by now.
Xbox division has had an operating income of $524 million in 2007, the total compares with a loss of $423 million over the same period the previous year.
This is quite a turnaround. Sure looks like success to me.
There will be no replacement for the xbox for at least 3-4 years, there is just no need at present. All I ask for is an optional upgrade version, one which possibly has the hardware refined with a few extras. All consoles go through this at some point. A hdmi port aint gonna do it for me. Give me quiet, cool, a better dpad and an optional internal blueray drive.
The 2 people I know who own gameless PS3's also own 360's and Wii's - I am sure that they will get MGS4 though - surely. It is still the cheapest Bluray player in the uk.
Has anyone heard the max number on this? I would be fun to find out the unluckiest 360 owner who just kept banging their head against the wall.
Somebody has bound to have hit 5 genuine faulty units, I doubt 10 though.
Sony should find out the unluckiest person and give them a PS3 - it would be great publicity.
But don't you remember? Microsoft said gamers "forgave" them for their pile of shit hardware... seeing as gamers seem to be perfectly fine going through like 4 consoles when the should only need one
They'll throw another shit console out into the market and let the gamers take it all in... Who needs quality hardware when you have games... it's not like you need hardware to play those games, right? its not like crap hardware can negatively impact on a gamers play time, right? The consoles will break, the gamers will complain and then they will "forgive" microsoft because the other quality next gen systems will be much newer and have fewer games...
yeah... never underestimate microsoft's stupidity, or their greed.
Especially in a market when so many gamers must have the newest things asap and can't be satisfied with their older consoles(honestly, my aging ps2 is STILL able to make me happy) while waiting for real quality consoles and games to come out (really, people bought PS3 and 360 at launch but it took like a year for both consoles to start getting some real good games out... for some reason, people abandoned their old consoles so quickly for brand new consoles that had barely anything decent to play)
@wonky360
I think the highest i heard about was 11... i remember reading something about it, pointing out how loyal he was to Microsoft... frankly, i thought it was insulting at how MS could treat such loyalty. You'd think such loyalty would have been rewarded with a console that WORKS...