Our current console generation is set to be one of the longest in the industry. Sony has often commented that the PS3 is on a 10-year plan, same with the PSP. That puts the former right around its midlife crisis, and like any good mid-lifer, it went and slimmed down, smartened up, and managed to find its way into more homes than any other time in its life (I don’t know that the last one actually works in my metaphor, but hey). Microsoft isn’t ready to send its console over the hill just yet.
Speaking to the Guardian UK at CES this year, Microsoft’s David Hufford said the Xbox 360 hasn’t even made it halfway through its lifecycle. Project Natal and upgrades to the Xbox Live service are planned to prolong the life of the console well into the new decade.
“I think it’s important to say that the Xbox 360 is the console of the long future for us,” Hufford said. “There is no need to launch a new console, because we’re able to give this console new life either with software upgrades or hardware upgrades like Project Natal.”
It’s funny. As much as people gripe that PC gaming is over, consoles are starting to emulate PCs. We’ve just seen consoles succeed in the same way Apple has, by marrying hardware and software control under one roof.
