Microsoft's Kim lays out ten-year Xbox 360 lifecycle
By Donald Melanson 
posted Jun 4th 2009 6:41PM
posted Jun 4th 2009 6:41PM
It's no secret that Sony's has a ten-year lifecycle (or longer) in mind for all of its consoles, but Microsoft has so far been a bit less clear cut when it comes to talking about its long-term plans. That now looks to be changing, however, as Microsoft Shane Kim has told VentureBeat that the company "firmly" believes that the Xbox 360 "has a life cycle through 2015," or exactly ten years since it launched. That minor revelation came in the same interview where Kim also discussed Project Natal at length, which, he notes, would fit "mid-cycle" into the Xbox 360's lifetime, so who knows what Microsoft has in store for the 360's twilight years.[Via gamesindustry.biz]
I hope that doesn't mean that the next gen will have to wait till 2015, as I fully expect at least of the big three to show off prototype consoles at next years e3. I
Given the current costs I wouldn't doubt this to be the case. Why kill the goose that lays the golden eggs right?
As it stands right now Microsoft has a console that is now profitable. One that users have to purchase multiple times due to faulty manufacturing. The money keeps rolling in. Why not wait it out a little?
I'm on my 3rd and quickly moving toward my 4th with that E74 error that Microsoft won't cover because the warranty expired just before they pushed out the NXE update which I blame.
My 60GB PS3 is still working great. I even use it for games once in a while.
If I don't see a high-def console from Nintendo before 2015, I'm swearing off consoles forever and doing all my gaming on the computer (and my iPhone, which is starting to shine as a gaming platform).
@ HektikLyfe
E74 is now covered by a 3 year warranty:
http://www.joystiq.com/2009/04/14/3-year-xbox-360-warranty-extended-to-cover-e74-errors/
Nintendo obviously will not last with Wii till 2015 considering even their own best gaming designer says the hardware is lacking, now they they at least got the money rolling I suspect we may see a Wii HD in the near future, something that doesn't drop Wii completely but allows the games to be rerendered in HD, Something like the Gameboy Color, where early games were fully supported on the regular Game Boy or Game Boy Pocket but didn't look as good
Not really -- there was nothing *new* in what Kim said..
Console life = 10 years (sounds about right). This doesn't preclude the introduction of a new console midway or a bit later (so maybe 6 years -- possibly 2011).
That's basically the period where your old console is in 'gravy train' mode and your new console is in 'loss leader' mode.
I don't think Nintendo can last till 2015. Nintendo's strategy has been to sell the consoles for the profit with the games almost as an afterthought; The amount of shovelware on the Wii is ridiculous. I have 4 games for my Wii! It's sad. 3rd Party developers sell horribly on the Wii, while Nintendo focuses on its 1st party titles. Soon, 3rd Party developers are going to abandon the Wii and they will all go to the 360 and the PS3. While this is great for Microsoft and Sony, Nintendo will be pretty much forced in to producing a new, more powerful system that still gives casual gamers that "Oooh! That looks neat!" feeling.
Back to games: I own Wii Sports, Twilight Princess, SSBB, and Wii Play for my Wii. I have nearly 20 games for my 360... There's a reason for that. I think developers are realizing this and will start hopping off the Wii band-wagon and jumping on the 360/PS3 rocket.
With this, I think it's entirely possible that the PS3 and 360 will last till 2015. The 360 is getting better and better every year and the games keep getting better and better as they get more and more Grade A titles each year. The PS3 is starting to get serious about the "We have more than Blu-Ray" mentality that they need to make the PS3 more than just a "Meh, I can wait". The fact that I was really impressed with the PS3 motion controller, I still want to play MGS4, and the multimedia experience on the PS3 is amazing, I'm seriously starting to consider the PS3, as I'm sure others are.
Well there's always some games on the consoles that I can't get on the PC, I'll keep the consoles in my possession.
LOL! 10 years. Not with a BS 90s DVD drive it won't. And gigabyte downloading of full titles is a "highspeed pipe dream"!
PS A DVD drive and slow, low bandwidth / pipes are what will limit the full potential and lifespan of the platform. Developers will be limited in their ability to bring RICH 4th Gen content to the platform Xbox 360 needs a large storage medium if it is to survive that long...
@ HekTikLyfe
I'm on my 3rd 360 and 2nd PS3. All these new machines are built to last...13 months.
I am in full agreeance with pd. I have had my Xbox repaired twice and my PS3 repaired twice. None of the damn consoles from this generation are built to last, they are all shitty quality. Except for the Wii I suppose... but that's more like last-gen tech.
So....what's happens after 2015?
don't sweat it, man, the world is going to end like around dec 2012 anyway
They're going to ride out a machine with a ~7-series Nvidia GPU until 2015?
I feel sorry for all the console gamers out there.
Because really, it's all about graphics
/sarcasm
For the most part... do you play games??
Coming 2013: Halo 4!
Experience stunning graphics in 320i because this dinosaur of a system's GPU can't do anything better!
I don't like it, but the DS and Wii outsell everything else on the market. Don't think Sony and Microsoft didn't notice.
Their avatars and motion controllers show they are paying attention.
If you want an upgrade sooner then later, you won't experience a great jump in graphic fidelity. If you wait longer, then you will see a difference.
Who says that they aren't going to come out with a new console? If they decide to ride it out for the next 6 years, the 360 can co-exist with whatever console out there. Similar to the same fashion that the PS2 is still in production and still being sold. If they do release a new console while the 360 is out, i dont think they would kill it as fast as they did the original XBox. Why kill a hot selling console that has the potential (and has already shown some) to be marketed toward the casual gamer/media enthusiast? With Project Natal becoming a reality with each passing day, a lot more people will be picking up this bad boy. Project Natal hardware is a way to capture the crowd that bought Wiis and its services and usability is what will bring casual gamers, media enthusiasts, and hardcore gamers toward buying the console. Hence why Microsoft would not want to be too reluctant to toss it to the side, if and when it becomes a hot seller.
yeah, if the next gen doesn't launch 2012-13 i'm gonna have to ramp up my pc gaming.
also, graphics don't make the game, but they can certainly help it.
Crysis: Best graphics of the time, some of the poorest sales due to, what I feel, is an overall poor game.
Super Mario World: Looks like crap, amazing gameplay, one of the best games ever.
Silly console kiddies, a GPU does a lot more than just make a game look good.
The games are so fun on the new consoles that unless something totally earth shattering happens on the PC side the consoles will still sell very well.
too bad consoles dont use graphics cards in the same was a pc does, so comparing the two based solely on that is trivial
Awesome graphics sure made Crysis a winner. So much so that Crytek is moving onto console games now.
"too bad consoles dont use graphics cards in the same was a pc does, so comparing the two based solely on that is trivial"
You're absolutely right; it's far easier to see how limited the Xbox 360 (and PS3) are by looking at the resolutions their flagship games are being rendered at.
For example, Halo 3 is running at 640p lulz.
Err, you're thinking of PS3. XBox 360 has a GPU from the same era as R520, or Radeon 2900, but it features some ideas that went into the next generation of Radeons.
Lol, so console gamers won't have the experience of playing Crysis or any other CryEngine 2 game for many years to come.
In the words of Nelson: "Haw-haw!"
10 year life cycle? seriously? what a complete copy off of sony, does microsoft really have to copy off everyone
facepalm
News at 11: Sony invents 10 year product life cycle, sues everyone.
Tool.
uh, guys? unless my meter's totally borked, that was sarcasm... not funny, but still sarcasm...
no, jon's comment was sarcasm
4th.
fif.
stupid++
with that expression on his face he's either lying or constipated.
Constipated because of lying ;)
I think he's going for Sony brand cocky. "Yeah, we're going to do 10 years too. Did you witness the two years in a row of E3 keynote addresses that we mopped Sony with?"
...or asian
I think that's fine, if they keep coming out with brand new accessories for it. i.e. Project Natal
Imagine how crappy console games will look in comparison to PC games in 2015.
I can't buy a gaming pc for 200$
Nintendo Wii games already look crappy compared to the PC and 50 million Wii purchasers could care less. Really, they could care less. Be glad they don't.
My NES has pretty damn crappy graphics, but it's still a tonne of fun.
lol yeah right, and 1Full game comes on 4-5 DvDs.. now thats hip
Its going to happen next year. Final Fantasy 13 on 360 says ' hooolla'
(about same below, meant to be a response..)
No confirmation or denial of direct digital download.
Besides, even if it were on multiple discs, what's the problem? Each disc would be what, 10 hours of gameplay? I sincerely hope you are getting up off the couch more often than that! XD
Hek - Its not about being lazy. I guess that's the generic response that all 360 fans have when this issue is brought up.
Its about the fact that it shouldnt be that way. Switching disks belongs in LAST GEN.
Are you going to tell me that if a game required you to have a wired controller you would be ok with it?
No right, because we are in an age where we have... WIRELESS...
We are also in an age where you can fit 50 GIGS in one disk.. micro was dumb to not jump on it. and now 360 owners are stuck with a LAST GEN feature.
Angel @ So true (: !!! and soon blu-ray with 200-500GB and a little firmwareupdate to ps3 ready set go! the 360 is a fair last gen console.. it competes with Ps2 and its Eyetoy.. :D
Seriously, I see no problem with switching discs... Saying that it belongs in the last gen is like saying "Filling up the gas tank yourself? THAT BELONGS IN THE '90s!"
I'm switching discs at least once every day or two, and hell, if it's a game that I actually get to the second disc, it's worth it, but then again I'm not too lazy to click a button and replace a disc.
Also, I, personally, prefer wired controllers; They're $10 cheaper, they're lighter, No lag from Input to Output on screen, no battery pack in the way of my fingers, no batteries to replace or recharge, and seriously, when are you playing your 360 from 30 feet away? The only place a wireless controller is useful is at E3 press conferences and crowded LANs with lots of people walking around.
And the technology that was recently revealed that allowed the massive amounts of data on a disc? That will most likely be utilized by Microsoft, bringing it well above Blu-Ray's capacity limits.
Hopefully your Xbox360 won't have the RROD by 2015. It's so not likely to happen, right?
My 360 will not have RRoD because i am not quite as stupid as some of the other 360 users.
The 360 i use likes well ventilated areas. Talked to him about it a couple of days ago. I thought to myself this guy is really smart.
Yeah I've never experienced a rrod either. Common sense really. The console needs adequate air circulation.
You cannot blame Microsoft for stupidity.
A 10 year cycle, doesn't mean a new system 10 years after the first. We know when they introduce XBOX 720 or whatever is going to be $500-$600 or so, and they will continue selling the old box for 2 years at least, if not more for $150 or $200 or whatever.
You know the fact that you have to explain this to people that are assumed to be in the know enough to have this knowledge, should give us all pause.
i wish engadget would give out some pause for one of the recession giveaways.
that's not what they did with the first Xbox though. although for all console gamers' sake, i hope you're right.
how can you have a 10 year lifespan when their RROD warranty only lasts 3.
How can they not? Opportunity knocks and green opens the door.
Its going to happen next year. Final Fantasy 13 on 360 says ' hooola'
This is why I Stick to PC gaming!
MORONS!! They should have a life cycle of 6 years MAX!
They should be comming up with a new system by now since the 360 is ALREADY WAY behind the PC!
This is why we wish you'd stick to gaming and stay off the internet.
They will launch xbox 3 within 2 years and continue to sell and support the 360 as a legacy platform, just as sony has done with the PS2 since the PS3 came out.
In terms of graphics..yeah, of course. When a person has to upgrade their video card every 6 months....of course the console will behind in terms of graphics. But its a non issue because we are talking about CONSOLES...
This might just be how long they actually support the Xbox 360 console. They could still release another platform and support an older one (XP anyone?).
What they really want is the success of the Playstation 2, which is now over 8 years old and is still selling.
That's what they're talking about when they refer to the lifecycle -- not putting a new console out every 10 years or still concentrating development on it for 10 years.
*9 years and still selling.
10 year life cycle merely implies that the hardware will still be sold until 2015, not that the game system will be the one and only model in 2015.
So that's 5 times the lifecycle Windows Vista had?
Zing!
Vista is more popular than ever, now that they call it 7.
Shhh, don't tell anyone. It's a secret.
C'mon gears 3!!!!
"C'mon gears 3! *i need a game to play on this system !!!'* fixed.
srry... i couldnt resist.
>Angel: You really think so? I love all three systems but I find there are more games to play on the 360 than any other. The PS3 and Wii have some interesting exclusives their strength definitely doesn't lie in quantity of A+ titles.
Hek - SHEET... i actually replied to you but its on the other page just posted instead of reply
*if you care to read*
I don't have a problem with this. The graphics on either system are great for our time and developers can push the console to the limits and make use of the peripherals they introduced this week. Also they can bring out some really nice games, and with the systems getting cheaper every year them and the manufactures can make a decent profit off some great titles, hopefully.
I'm waiting on what developers can really do with Project Natal and push users off the couch and actually do everything that the E3 videos pointed out for the 360. That looks to be something Nintendo has to keep an eye out for. The Sony motion controller looks great although somewhat....giggityish...yet again I'm hoping for not just Sony to use the peripheral in games down the line.
Nintendo is printing money at the moment off what they got and, in my opinion, paved the way for these two to bring out such devices to enhance the gaming experience. Nintendo may have unimpressed people with what they offered but I believe they have something to keep people enticed.
haha im pretty sure he ment - Microsoft's Kim lays out two-year Xbox 360 lifecycle..... :D :D :D :D :D
The 360 will have a lifecycle of less than 10 years because MS won't be able to wait 10 years to overtake Nintendo. Project Natal without a new console won't be enough to knock Nintendo from #1.
I imagine that only Nintendo will kick Nintendo out of #1, just like they did before.
Why do people always assume that just because they say it has a 10 year life cycle, they won't do an update or 3 on the console?
Do they have to call is something else in order to upgrade it? Maybe they like the name Xbox 360 and what it represents fits their 10 year plan.
While I believe this means support for 10 years and not before launching a new system, I think most gamers should rejoice that more games will come out for a system and you don't feel the next for crazy $500 upgrades every 4 years. That said, hopefully an xbox 360 slim will hit next year with less heat and noise and likely a bit more power so I can play things at 50 fps instead of 30. I really think Sony's problems lie in the next gen cycle, and not this one. MS makes development tools whether the 360 exists or not, they have legions of companies that are already comfortable with DX9/DX10. Sony has OpenGL and custom tools that will likely need drastic reworking because of the cell's extremely specialized nature. Honestly, I feel like MS will put out a $300 world ender in two years and it won't matter was Sony packs in, the developers decide what system is a success if they back one more than the other. You're already starting to see the beginning of the cracks this generation with final fantasy, resident evil, the list goes on...
With all the stuff they've invested into the 360 I can see why they would want to continue to support it for another 6 or so years.
MS just announced games on demand so I think they'll milk the 360 for a few more years, get everyone used to downloading everything including games and avoid having to install a Blu-ray drive in their next system.
I have this feeling that MS will create their next console without a physical drive forcing Sony to drop Blu-ray from the PS4 thereby killing the format. I can see a lot of people and developers thinking about a media free world. No more factories packing boxes or burning discs. Just a complete world of DLC. I never thought the day would come but I think in about 5 years Blu-ray will be done, we'll have faster transfer rates via cable and DSL so downloading a 30GB game will take less than 10 minutes.
"MS just announced games on demand so I think they'll milk the 360 for a few more years, get everyone used to downloading everything including games and avoid having to install a Blu-ray drive in their next system"
Ever heard of the Xbox Arcade?
Microsoft doesnt know where its going. Its just following everyone else. I know someone got ranked down for a similar comment which is dumb.
Microsoft Live is original, but in regards to console features and games. Micro follows.
The difference is that the PS 3 was 5 years ahead of the curve when it was released.
+1
I'm still holding out for the chip in the head
Hek - i guess it has a lot to do with preference.
I admit that it was a "fanboy" comment, i just couldnt help it.
I think Gears are badass games, and i would really like to play the 2nd, or third one. But probably wont.
Someone punch this guy in the throat, please. Him and any other idiots in MS and Sony that say this. Nintendo isn't stupid, they know that the Wii won't last 10 years, with or without the Wii2/WiiHD/WiiII. I don't think no one will be able to get a repeat of the PS2.
I have the feeling that nintendo will come out with a new system in the next year or two
that will blow both the ps3 and the xbox360 away
That's funny, I have a feeling that MS and Sony are going to release systems in the next year or two that will blow the 360 and PS3 away.
Man, this whole predicting the future thing is easy.
Wanna try again?
I'm becoming more and more convinced that Microsoft is being run by a board of psychotic chimps who have lost all touch with reality.
I think out of all the consoles out right now, the 360 has the best chance to last as long as the PS2 has. The huge library of games, online play/interactivity, constant updates, DLC, new peripherals; It has potential to remain relevant to console gamers for 5+more years. I love the Ps2 and it's huge library of games, but can one assume the some of the PS2's longevity could be due to the lack of PS3 gaming?
Well, I'm not sure what to think about this.... I;m sure that the XBox 360 and PlayStation 3 will most definitely be around until 2015. And this generation of gaming consoles has by far been the one most able to endure and reinvent itself over and over, lasting out a life cycle of around ten years. However, I don't really buy into the whole "until 2015" thing. I feel that beginning around 2012, the current generation game consoles will look a little outdated. Even with new functionality like the motion sensing controls being added to the PS3 and XBox 360, the new color Nintendo Wii being launched, and the possibility of a thinner PS3, I feel that these devices will only last as sole mainstream consoles until 2012, 2013 at the latest, when we will all surely be in want and need of a new console. However, like the PS2, I feel that at least one or two of the current gen. consoles will live on as secondary consoles at least until 2015. I, myself, love gaming but ironically still have the original non-thin PlayStation 2. Truthfully, I will probably wait out the PS4 or next-gen XBox if I haven't grown out of gaming by then.
The current generation games look outdated to me NOW as a PC gamer, what about in 3 or god forbid in 7 years...
No it doesn't. There are very few games on the PC that look SUBSTANTIALLY better than what the 360 or PS3 are putting out. Crysis? Looks good, but not THAT good and runs like ass on full settings on anything but a top of the line PC. Name some other games that have come out recently that look so much better than a console game. Sims 3?
Furthermore, to play a game at a resolution that will make it that much better takes a computer costing upwards of $1500. Usually more around $2000, and combine that with the fact that MOST ppl are not playing their PC games on anything larger than a 20" monitor and I actually give the advantage to consoles still, despite their operating off of older tech (although it's all used completely differently than on a PC).
Considering how our demand for more features grows on a monthly basis, I think a 10 years cycle is no longer a reality. A lot of products would probably come around before that 10 year cycle expires. That's a huge luxury these big companies can't afford anymore due to competition from many directions/markets.
Imagine the Wii in 2015....
It will probably have graphics like the 360 of 2005.
But the Wiimote will be a staff instead. And you will wear a Wiishirt for full body motion.
Wow, these consoles are a major stopper of the industry... seriously in 10 years you could have absolutely photorealistic games... on the PC! I mean, come on, the first CG movie was released a a little more than 10 years ago and this is their supposed life cycle.