It’s amazing to think we’re in our third year of “next generation” console bliss. Three years have passed since the first Xbox 360 shipped, for good or bad, and it’s time to start thinking about the future.
Or is it?
Bobbie Bach, Microsoft Entertainment and Devices president, seems to believe this generation of consoles will expand out further than the typical four-year release cycle. Perhaps because the console developers have invested so much money in defeating each other in the market and making their console “number one” in the eyes of their investors.
Bach does not believe we’re cresting on the current generation, that is for certain, and we’ve yet to hear any hype over a new next-generation console from Microsoft. They were the first to market so, theoretically, they should be the first in the next-generation as well, right?
Their move to be number one was really a strategic attack which has paid out well, leading them above the past domination of Sony and Nintendo before it. However, they are holding strong with the Xbox 360 and there might be cause to sit tight and let this generation playout before bringing in another piece of hardware.
Bach stated that he believes consoles today are competing at different levels than ten years ago. There isn’t one clear winner, there isn’t one dominating console. There will be victors in different areas of the industry; casual consoles, top game sellers, best graphics and others. It’s not about sheer “units sold” it’s more about being profitable and building a community around your hardware, see Xbox Live as a great example.
Next generation will be full of fantastic new features, ways to connect and crazy hardware specifications, no doubt, but… for many of us, it will take years before we forget the pain and suffering we paid shipping our dead Xbox 360’s back to Microsoft for repairs. Would you be willing to buy into their next generation as their first customer?
(Thanks, 1up)
I’m so glad I finished Jade Empire before this episode. I have to say I did see it coming in the cut scene just after you defeat the emperor. He got the gem and was just walking down the steps and I thought “Oh man he’s evil! Dammit!”
If PS3 programming isn’t so different from PS4 then why can’t we have backwards compatibility?
I’m thinking of getting a Wii U mostly as a family console for us all to play on. I don’t know what Nintendo’s strategy is anymore if they are giving up on main console and just going to go 3DS.
QOTW: I think it was getting Roberta William’s Ultimate collection of the entire KQ games, both Luara bow games, and a few others on four discs with a soundtrack included for about $20.
I also got a Neo Geo with about 10 games for 20$ from a pawn shop but that system and games we got sucked. We used it as a cd player after that.