Microsoft's Kim lays out ten-year Xbox 360 lifecycle

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]

[B3astofthe3ast @ Jun 4th 2009 6:45PM]

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

[HektikLyfe @ Jun 4th 2009 7:05PM]

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.

[Quix @ Jun 4th 2009 7:19PM]

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).

[andy h @ Jun 4th 2009 7:27PM]

@ 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/

[JohnTitor @ Jun 4th 2009 7:42PM]

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

[TheAxMan @ Jun 4th 2009 8:58PM]

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.

[Dragod @ Jun 4th 2009 9:10PM]

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.

[mirakutea @ Jun 4th 2009 10:21PM]

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.

[Frankenstein Black @ Jun 5th 2009 3:00AM]

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...

[-pd- @ Jun 5th 2009 11:08AM]

@ HekTikLyfe

I'm on my 3rd 360 and 2nd PS3. All these new machines are built to last...13 months.

[John @ Jun 6th 2009 9:41AM]

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.

[Chris B @ Jun 4th 2009 7:29PM]

So....what's happens after 2015?

[TRAFFICBLOWS @ Jun 4th 2009 7:34PM]

don't sweat it, man, the world is going to end like around dec 2012 anyway

[Amrosorma @ Jun 4th 2009 6:46PM]

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.

[EGOvoruhk @ Jun 4th 2009 6:49PM]

Because really, it's all about graphics

/sarcasm

[Angel @ Jun 4th 2009 6:57PM]

For the most part... do you play games??

[Amrosorma @ Jun 4th 2009 6:59PM]

Coming 2013: Halo 4!

Experience stunning graphics in 320i because this dinosaur of a system's GPU can't do anything better!

[HektikLyfe @ Jun 4th 2009 7:09PM]

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.

[Setnev @ Jun 4th 2009 7:55PM]

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.

[maveric101 @ Jun 4th 2009 8:35PM]

yeah, if the next gen doesn't launch 2012-13 i'm gonna have to ramp up my pc gaming.

[maveric101 @ Jun 4th 2009 8:36PM]

also, graphics don't make the game, but they can certainly help it.

[Dragod @ Jun 4th 2009 9:55PM]

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.

[Amrosorma @ Jun 4th 2009 9:57PM]

Silly console kiddies, a GPU does a lot more than just make a game look good.

[mirakutea @ Jun 4th 2009 10:32PM]

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.

[d889 @ Jun 4th 2009 10:49PM]

too bad consoles dont use graphics cards in the same was a pc does, so comparing the two based solely on that is trivial

[modified @ Jun 4th 2009 10:50PM]

Awesome graphics sure made Crysis a winner. So much so that Crytek is moving onto console games now.

[Amrosorma @ Jun 4th 2009 10:55PM]

"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.

[iofthestorm @ Jun 5th 2009 12:39AM]

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.

[r3loaded @ Jun 5th 2009 7:53AM]

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!"

[jjrudey @ Jun 4th 2009 6:47PM]

10 year life cycle? seriously? what a complete copy off of sony, does microsoft really have to copy off everyone

[grull27 @ Jun 4th 2009 6:52PM]

facepalm

[jon @ Jun 4th 2009 7:02PM]

News at 11: Sony invents 10 year product life cycle, sues everyone.

Tool.

[maveric101 @ Jun 4th 2009 8:37PM]

uh, guys? unless my meter's totally borked, that was sarcasm... not funny, but still sarcasm...

[whowhatme @ Jun 4th 2009 8:54PM]

no, jon's comment was sarcasm

[CHILL_down @ Jun 4th 2009 6:47PM]

4th.

[asinine @ Jun 4th 2009 6:50PM]

fif.

[Ghen @ Jun 5th 2009 10:13AM]

stupid++

[asinine @ Jun 4th 2009 6:49PM]

with that expression on his face he's either lying or constipated.

[A1 @ Jun 4th 2009 6:55PM]

Constipated because of lying ;)

[HektikLyfe @ Jun 4th 2009 7:10PM]

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?"

[SteveJr_Ri @ Jun 4th 2009 8:27PM]

...or asian

[Nick @ Jun 4th 2009 6:49PM]

I think that's fine, if they keep coming out with brand new accessories for it. i.e. Project Natal

[sintricate @ Jun 4th 2009 6:54PM]

Imagine how crappy console games will look in comparison to PC games in 2015.

[Lazarpandar @ Jun 5th 2009 12:39AM]

I can't buy a gaming pc for 200$

[bioadam @ Jun 4th 2009 11:41PM]

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.

[Jorvay @ Jun 5th 2009 9:08AM]

My NES has pretty damn crappy graphics, but it's still a tonne of fun.

[T-e-X @ Jun 4th 2009 6:56PM]

lol yeah right, and 1Full game comes on 4-5 DvDs.. now thats hip

[Angel @ Jun 4th 2009 7:00PM]

Its going to happen next year. Final Fantasy 13 on 360 says ' hooolla'


(about same below, meant to be a response..)

[HektikLyfe @ Jun 4th 2009 7:12PM]

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

[Angel @ Jun 4th 2009 7:29PM]

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.