Robbie Bach Says Next Xbox Still Distant

Robbie Bach Says Next Xbox Still Distant

The first Xbox only lasted four years, but it looks like the Xbox 360 is going to be around a bit longer than that. Especially as the economy continues to worsen.

Edge (via the San Jose Mercury News) is reporting that Microsoft president of entertainment and devices Robbie Bach expects this generation to last longer than others, a statement similar to Sony's expectations of a ten-year lifespan for the PlayStation 3. Bach pointed to increasingly fickle consumers and the recession as reasons to hold back.

"Just coming up with something that's faster and prettier isn't going to be sufficient," said Bach. He also suggested that consumers are becoming "more value-conscious."

Halo Wars and Dawn of War 2 Highlights of Microsoft CES Booth

Visiting the Microsoft booth at CES became a sort of videogame Easter egg hunt the past few years. You never knew what you would find, but it seemed they always managed to hide a handful of games we hadn't seen around the displays. Not this year. With a new single ribbon wall replacing the pods used in prior years Microsoft chose to focus primarily on their big Xbox 360 games from this past holiday season.

Two upcoming games did get front placement at least. Halo Wars, only a couple months away from its March 3 release date, looked pretty much in final form. After checking it out I agree with the point Scooter made in our last Halo Wars preview about the lengths Ensemble Studios has gone to to ease players into the game. By the end of the extensive tutorial system moving the camera with thumbsticks and using the unit selection system felt comfortable. And the game nails that sense of playing with a set of toys you often get from real time strategy games. Halo fans should dig sending out Warthog patrols and rumbling across the map with Scorpion tanks.