Microsoft Says They Won't Be Releasing a New Console Until At Least Next Year
posted Saturday Mar 17, 2012 by Nicholas DiMeo
Even with the Wii U being released this year, Microsoft says the company will not be following suit by releasing their next Xbox console and hopes to get one more year out of the Xbox 360's life. Sources have reported that the Xbox team has confidence that the console will continue selling at a record pace, especially when it's paired with the Kinect.
There is rumor that at E3 in 2013, we may see something in regards to the next Xbox, but as far as this E3 is concerned, you should rule out any talks of a new console. David Dennis, spokesperson for Microsoft, added clarity to the situation, saying that "for us, 2012 is all about Xbox 360. There will be no talk of new Xbox hardware at E3 or anytime soon."
Analysts say that this decision makes sense for sales. Wedbush Securities' analyst Michael Pachter gave his input.
They're still selling a lot of Xbox 360, and they're making money. I don't think the world needs them to put a new console out just because we're bored.
Right now, Pachter has said that the company makes somewhere in the ballpark of around $115 on every $300 Xbox 360 they sell. If that's the case, there's no need to push out another console at this time. Moreover, there are still a couple of titles that can launch on the 360 that would be able to really push the gaming system to its capacity as it is.
The other side of this is that maybe Microsoft isn't worried about the Wii U taking away gamers from Xbox LIVE. They might feel that either the Wii U might not take off as well as Nintendo predicts or maybe that Nintendo's push to get back the hardcore gamer may not work.
At any rate, we know that Sony won't be talking about the next PlayStation at this E3, so Microsoft is probably going to time it with when Sony announces theirs, like with the whole Kinect and Move thing at E3 2010.
Do you think this is the right call for Microsoft? Is the Wii U not even a threat to them? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.
