When's the Next Xbox Coming?

Microsoft says the wait will be longer than in previous cycles.

US, January 12, 2009 - The graphical prowess and feature set of the Xbox 360 are still at such a high level that Microsoft execs don't think they can persuade consumers to buy a new version any time soon.

In interview with Bloomberg News that ran in the San Jose Mercury News this morning, the president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, Robbie Bach, said the company is currently focused on improving the Xbox 360's software library and features rather than launching a new machine.

"Just coming up with something that's faster and prettier isn't going to be sufficient," Bach told Bloomberg. "The life cycle for this generation of consoles — and I'm not just talking about Xbox, I'd include Wii and PS3 as well — is probably going to be a little longer than previous generations."

The original Xbox was released in 2001, and the Xbox 360 followed four years later, in 2005. Sony executives have spoken publicly about a possible 10-year life cycle for the PlayStation 3, which is considerably longer than previous cycles in the videogame industry. While the next Xbox might not take quite that long to materialize (the 360 hit the market in 2005), the current economic climate could push plans back even further.

"When you look at consumers, they are going to be more value-conscious," Bach said. "We want to make sure that as the economy does start to recover, that we're positioned well."

thanks to ign.com for the text