I really don't believe Microsoft would release another console so soon...Thinking about it from a business perspective, it's not all about market share. It's very important, but the longer the console is around, the more money Microsoft can make with that one system. I'm pretty sure that the 360 sold at a loss when it first came out (or close to it at least). Now they are finally make a profit on the hardware. Plus, the longer the system sticks around, the more established it is, and the more quality games come out for it....and games and accessories is where the majority of the profit comes from, since they're sold at a high margin.

In addition, these consoles cost ridiculous amounts of money to develop....I'm sure Microsoft would want time to build up the cash flow necessary to finance those development costs. I think that they are probably better served by waiting a few years more and making sure to release a well-developed new console.

Plus, with the ability to continuously add updates to the system, you can further improve your current-gen system at a fraction of the cost.

And that's not even taking into account the customer argument.....

 

...perfect example, Halo 3 isn't out yet, no definite release date... not even sure if they have a definite quarter (in 07'), the 2007 year is less than 4 weeks away, and we're already talking about the Halo AFTER Halo 3 and next XBox gen. in 08'?

 

Actually the release date has been set as of last month and pre-orders have already started up with gamestop and many other game resellers. It will be released on November 1, 2007 just like the previous issues of Halo. In fact I pre-ordered a copy the day I heard of it, and I don't even own a 360 yet!

http://www.gamestop.com/gs/halo3/
http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product_id=200240
http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product_id=200241
http://www.gamestop.com/product.asp?product_id=200242

But I understand what you are getting at. Both 360 and PS3 have the same problem with two of their leading games. But that doesn't change the fact that the 360 has had a huge jump ahead of ps3 in infilitrating the market in the next generation of gaming consoles. And that change in itself is going to be a big factor in MS slowly taking away that title from Sony.

I understand that you think the next console won't be out till '09. I just feel that IF MS really Wants to put the nail in the coffin for Sony, they will push to bring the next gen console out in 08 no matter what. That kind of dominance shadows anything. And with Apple possibly entering this market it's even more vital that MS pull this off before Apple can stake their claim.

 

I didn't realize Halo 3 was still a year away, wtf?


In any case, Sly nailed it with his last comment.

Like I said earlier, Microsoft has options now.

All things ideal, they will hold off on another console until late '09. But like Sly said, if MS wants to perfect plex Sony... they have that option too.

Microsoft is likely deep into the development stage of their next console, Sony is nowhere near it right now. That doesn't mean Sony's new execs won't put their foot down and demand a PS4 by '09 to counter the beating they'll be taking over the next few years.

In the end, none of us have a clue. Were all just speculating. Personally I'm hoping for a new console in '08.

 

Yea, a full friggin year! two years after the launch their best game comes out. But this one will probably be the best of the bunch. with the beta out way ahead of the game to help them work out the bugs it's really going to make a huge difference in the game. In H2 we had to deal with more bugs and the such. I'm hoping with H3 because of the beta, that they would have worked out more of the bugs and be able to spend more time on content development which I think H2 seriously was lacking as much as they hyped it up to be.

 

one of my client has 2 sons... one of them works for EA and the other works for THQ, maybe they might have more insight on this topics...

...but don't get me wrong, if MS release the next gen XBox in 08' I'll be the first in line for it...

...and Nov.1st 07'???!!!

 

yea, do share, it'd be interesting to hear what some of the game makers think of all of this.


yea, very LOOOOOOOOONNNNGG way to go just like the wait for GT5.

 

You have NOOOOO idea....

 

I agree with Soopa. If they come out with a new system in 08. It will without a doubt put the nail in sonys coffin. HOWEVER, the reason I said that I still want to play my xbox games is because I HAD a few that I really enjoyed playing and stopped because my xbox took a shit. Im not gonna go out and buy another one just to play those games.

Another reason is because I don't have the disposable income to just go out and buy a new game when it comes out. So instead of having say 10 games from my xbox that I could still play if I wanted to. I have 1 360 game for now to play and play and play and play and play.....

As for the DVD's. I have a pretty large DVD collection that im not just gonna stop watching because HD-DVD's are out. Im not gonna rebuild or rebuy my whole collection. Thats rediculous.

 

seroiusly. one of my previous roomates had an orignal ipod, then got the ipod mini when it came out and sold his ipod, then got the ipod shuffle, then got the ipod video. selling the previous ipod model each time.

 

This is where i'm stumped. Do I buy the 80 gig now, or wait till the next one? :sigh:

 

^^^ at this point, I would wait til the widescreener comes out - it is likely to have 100gb. :P

 

and be $50 cheaper again.

 

LOL. Well, I still want one as I have always been a PS fan.. however, at this point in time, there's no reason to get one. And unless Sony shows me something over the next year, there's no reason to spend money on one when I have a 360, and the games have been better on the 360 then the PS3. We'll see what the second gen of PS3 games are like...


I was... but I got one last Sunday... should be here in a few days https://acurazine.com/forums/home-theater-electronics-45/finally-bit-bullet-353367/

 

And I understand what everyone is saying about MS crushing Sony... and it does make complete sense.

But I have to wonder, at what point is Microsoft not only crushing Sony, but alienating it's fan base by releasing another console just 2 years or so after the X360? Eventually people are going to tire of spending $400+ every couple of years just so MS can have the head start with the bigger badder system.

The X360 is just hitting its stride, which it took a year to do. Why piss off fans now when things are going so well for them and Sony is scrambling? I agree with Soopa that they now have options, and I'm going to bet that they will just sit back and watch for a bit while Sony is throwing lifeboats overboard. They're in a great spot now... but they have to be careful about rocking their own boat too soon...

 

Fixed.

 

The last thing MS needs to do is shoot a nail in their own coffin.

The next few years are going to be very interesting to say the least on the MS front IMO.

 

^ That's what I'm saying. I understand Microsoft's need to crush all competitors, but this isn't the Windows operating system here... there are several other console options. MS is in such good shape it doesn't make sense for them to release a new console so soon. Maybe if the PS3 starts gaining momentum next year they look to release something completely badass in late 2008/2009, but IMO they shouldn't make a move before then...

 

like Soopa said earlier, the next gen console was in planning/developement during the 360 development. So I'm sure they have already started on the next gen. The question is: When to release? And that question they will have to come up with an answer for next year IF they want to launch late in 08 so that they have enough time to handle the marketing and production of all those units.

We've got at least a full year before we'll hear anything anyways.

 

^ True. But I thought it was only speculation that MS was working on another console along with the 360. Has this now been confirmed?? If they have something ready now, it doesn't make sense for them to sit on it for 2 years b/c of how fast technology changes...

 

I don't know if it's been confirmed but even if they are in planning and/or initial development they are still way ahead of Sony.

And one of my best friends just the other day said he heard rumors that the PS3 is sony's last stint in the gaming console area. I don't think Sony will give up that easy, but who knows....

It's all jsut speculation.

 

^ Damn, I hate speculation.

 

you stayed with a Sammy! I'm temped at the 67" they have a Costco w/stand... but probably not for a while...

 

^ Yup, after doing my research it just gave me the warm and fuzzy, so I stayed with them

 

The next few years as far as technology goes is going to very interesting to say the least....

 

I really don't buy this argument.

Gamers, especially the Xbox crowd, are by-and-large early adopters. Check out the HD-DVD add-on sales for instance.

The accelerated release schedule strategy works for this crowd. Like was mention earlier, the iPod (and all of Apple's products for that matter), HD DVD's, HD TV's (1080p for instance) are perfect examples. In fact, juging by Apple's record... this strategy may just be what works best for building customer loyalty... don't give them a chance to jump ship... stay ahead of the competition.

I'm one such customer who buys into this. A large reason I like Apple is because I ALWAYS have the opportunity to get the best hardware and the best software without having to change my experience. They don't rest on their laurels.

I understand how it can be frustrating, shit, I didn't like having an obsolete SDTV only a year after I bought it because of HDTV, nor having several "obsolete" HDTV's the year after I bought them because of technology such as DVI, then HDMI, then 1080p. Nonetheless, I appreciate the fact that technology is progressing at a fast pace.

I appreciate having the opportunity to get the very best more so than I dislike having what I buy be replaced in short order.

Besides, I reallllly don't think a 3-year product cycle is at all fast. Shit, cars get "face lifts" that frequently... and having a now out-of-date car is far more frustrating then an out of date game console.

 

It's never been confirmed, but it's never been denied by Microsoft that they were developing two consoles in parallel.

Before its launch, the 360 was believed to be simply a stepping stone. Something to gain a little ground from Sony while they readied their true "next gen" console.

Having a console in development for 2+ years is not unusual. The PS3 took almost 5 years to develop.

 

This may bore most of you, but here is what I know. I know this is the PS3 thread, but I figured it would be interesting for some.

MS has split up their engineering into 2 teams. One is working on the preliminary design of their next console, while the other half are redesigning components on the 360 to make it cheaper and they are working on the spring move from 90nm to 65nm chipsets which will increase yield, drop costs significantly and lower heating which should improve reliability.

MS isn't in a huge rush to release their next console. The Xbox was phased out early because they were bleeding cash - even at the end, they were losing over $100 per unit.

Due to poor decisions, MS didn't own the technology within the Xbox, so even though NVIDIA and Intel could lower their production costs for the GPU and CPU, they charged MS a flat rate. In addition, the hard drive is a fixed cost that rarely goes down in cost. They had to price the Xbox in line with the PS2 which was much cheaper for Sony to produce.

With the 360, MS owns the design and manufacturing rights for the CPU and GPU, making the HD optional, and other cost cutting decisions, the 360 is comparitively cheaper to produce than the original Xbox. An Analyst recently stated that MS is actually making a slight profit on the Premium model compared to a constant loss with the original Xbox.

If the 360 sells well, I don't see it being replaced for quite some time (2010 at the earliest). I also don't believe Sony will be ready for the PS4 for quite some time as they need to make up for the tremedous R&D spent on the Cell processor.

 

How can you compare a car to a console? This is all your own opinion. Not everyone is like you, nor has the disposible income that you may or may not have. I drive a 98 CL, its paid off. Yes, its out of date in almost every aspect. Do I care. Not really. Because for the most part I like my car. A car is a 20,000+ investment. A console is a 400-600 impulse buy for the most part.

Just because my car is almost 9 years old, and out of date, I still enjoy driving it and don't have the money right now to go invest in a new car.

I can't fathom going and buying a new car every 2-3 years just because it is out of date. Let alone dropping 4-600+ bucks on a new console every 3-4 years. The console is not even the big expense. Its everything. The cables, the games, extra controllers. You know soon enough you are dropping thousands of dollars on new systems every couple of years. That is going to IMO push away a lot of the gamers. Microsoft has to remember that their fan base is who got them to where they are now. Their fan base also has the potential to kill them as well....

Just like the PS3. I may or may not get one, for one because the price is too high, and two because I have a 360 and for the most part, they share games. So why pay 200 bucks more for something that will play the same games. Im sure eventually I will get one, but as it stands now, what for? Im sure i'm not alone in this thought.

 

Right so you'll still enjoy your 360 even when there's a 720.

Nobody will be forcing you to buy the next console.

I just don't understand how or why anyone can be upset that life moves on? Nobody forcing you to spend money. If you don't have to have the next new thing, then what's the big deal?

I wasn't ready to drop cash on the 360 when it came out, so I bought it a year later. I wanted it, but I wasn't upset that it was out there and I didn't/couldn't have it.

 

That's pretty much all in line with what the news outlets have been saying. Except the 2010 part. I still can't imagine the 360 lasting into or through 2010 though. If there isn't a new Xbox by then, I can almost certainly see myself buying either a revised PS3 and/or whatever is out there from whatever competition is over the horizon (i.e. Apple).

At the very least, if there isn't a new Xbox in the next 2 years I'll most likely go back to PC-gaming exclusively like I did pre-360.

 

I agree with

Just because something is out there and a company makes a new model doesn't mean you have to buy it.

So what's the big deal if MS were to decrease the time period between console releases. Apple is down to one year release schedules for IPOD's, New cars come out every year with minor revisions each year and major revisions every 3-5 years. New processors and graphics cards come out every year. Doesn't mean everyone HAS to follow and upgrade all at the same time.

You still have the freedom to buy what you want, so what are you losing?


I personally would love it if we lived in a japansese style product development society where we were always immersed in new technology coming out at a rapid pace. Doesn't mean i'm going to buy it, hell I can't afford it. But knowing that they are pushing the technology and coming out with newer and better things all the time makes the newest only that much better so when it is my turn to buy one of those thingamajigs, I know that it'll be really good because it's been going through so many iterations.


Another comparison - fine the IPOD isn't fully comparable with a game console, you don't have to buy new music like games. However, do you think the IPOD would be as good as it is now if they only went through 1 or 2 revisions in the last 6 years instead of as many as they have. The only reason why the IPOD has dominated is because they were able to offer consumers the latest and greatest ahead of all the competitors every year that were trying to dominate that market.

 

I think it's funny that this PS3 thread has turned into a "when's the next gen.Xbox coming?" thread... and none of the PS3 people are speaking out, kinda like what M.S. is going to do to Sony?

 

I thought about starting another thread to divert this discussion but then it started tapering away and then had to go and start it up again. Man I really need to ban that fool.

 

Ok I started a new thread so that we don't this thread anymore than we already have....


https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=353741

 

I couldn't care less even if Sony lose this so-called console war to MS in the US. I play games from Japan only, where Blu-Ray is totally owning HD-DVD right now and 360 is selling less than 4k units per month.

I wish Sony will pull SCEA out of this mess, so they can put all of their resoruces into the games that I actually want to play.

 

Unfortunately for Blu-Ray, the japanese consumer market has never had much influence on the direction of media format.

Ultimately, the succeeding format will be what American consumers choose and thus American film studios produce.

 

True, but IMO it is still too early to tell which format will win in the US.

 

I've heard that although HD-DVD is pretty much non-existant in Japan, sales of Blu-Ray there have been quite poor.

The format winner will most likely be decided in the US, and the cost and lack PS3 availability isn't helping Blu-Ray at the moment.

Also, due to Blue Dragon and PS3 availability issues, 360 sales have gone way up (but still piss poor compared to the Wii or PS3 once it is more available)

 

Sales numbers from 11/20 to 11/26 in Japan:

PS3: 37261
XB360: 6800

It was the best selling week ever(since 360's debut in Japan) according Famitsu.

lol they have a long way to go. Considering PS3 has no games so far and still outsold 360 by a 5:1 ratio.