Microsoft says current gen will be 'little longer' than previous

In order to release Xbox 360 before its competitors, Microsoft killed the original Xbox at just four years old. November 2009 marks the four year anniversary of Xbox 360, but don't expect the system to become obsolete just yet. Microsoft's Robbie Bach told the San Jose Mercury News that the current generation will last longer than before. "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 weakening economy will most likely delay the arrival of a new generation even further. "When you look at consumers, they are going to be more value-conscious," Bach said. A next-generation console released any time soon would be prohibitively expensive and no company wants to repeat the same mistake Sony made.Perhaps the "ten year" mantra won't necessarily be a PlayStation-exclusive PR bullet point.

The surprising success of Wii will undoubtedly make Microsoft refocus their next-gen efforts. Nintendo managed to claim the top spot of the console wars, in spite of having significantly less powerful tech. "Just coming up with something that's faster and prettier isn't going to be sufficient," Bach adds.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/12/mi...than-previous/