Posted by Tim Fischer on October 8, 2009

The End of Xbox 360: 2011??

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Xbox 360

It’s been almost 4 years since the birth of the Xbox 360 and there seems to be no signs of its popularity waning. Sales numbers continue to rise and there are hundreds of games for all types of players. But even with the downturn in the economy and the soaring popularity of the 360, there is one question every Xbox 360 owner has asked: When is the next Xbox coming out?

Xbox Next, Xbox 720 or whatever its name will be has been the topic of conjecture for over two years now. However, there have been almost no substantial facts from Microsoft to give gamers any real idea of what to expect. Almost nothing.

Maybe????

Fact: Sony and Nintendo are already developing new consoles. With this being true, Microsoft would have to be nuts not to have a team already at work on a new system. Sony was the North American leader of the industry until they waited so long to put out the PS3. Xbox 360 had almost two full years without a Sony next generation competitor. There is no way Microsoft will let Sony overtake them again.

Fact: Microsoft wants the Xbox 360 to have an extended lifespan. They have stated that 5 years with the current technology is not a long enough lifespan for the Xbox 360. As a matter of fact, the original Xbox was sold new into 2007 even though production had ended in 2005. Most of the industry expects a new Xbox in 2011 or 2012 which would equate to 6 or 7 years after the initial launch of the 360.

Fact: Xbox 360’s motion control, Natal, is coming out “soon”. Even though Microsoft has announced that they will not rush the technology until it is ready, they had stated at E3 this past June that they anticipate a launch late in 2009. Natal will undoubtedly be used for the next generation console, but since Microsoft has invested a lot of money to ensure that it works with the 360 they will most likely want at least a year with the 360.

Fact: Microsoft has completed a total processor makeover of the Xbox 360. If you are the poor gamer who has seen the dreaded Red Ring of Death then you know that overheating is a killer of the processor. This prompted Microsoft to not only extend their Xbox 360 warranty from 1 year to 3 years, but they replaced the Xenon processor with the smaller, yet just as powerful, Jasper. This marks a commitment from Microsoft to keep the system on the market for as long as possible to recoup as much money as possible.

The bottom-line: Microsoft is looking into a new Xbox, Natal is going to be the key component, but with the investments that they have recently put into the Xbox 360 we are going to have to wait at least two more years before we see anything. The only new system any us will see from Microsoft over the next year will a Natal included 360. Of course, I could be absolutely wrong.

-Tim Fischer

Managing Editor