Xbox 720: Microsoft’s Race Against Time

Ever since the reveal of their upcoming system, the PlayStation 4, they have managed to set the bar in the eyes of the public of what to expect from the next generation of console gaming. As a result Sony’s eternal rival, Microsoft, is going to have to work fast if they are going to get their own next generation system into the spotlight.

According to “The Next Web.com,” and “Geek.com,” it would seem that due to Sony’s unexpected reveal, Microsoft has pushed up the timetable in revealing their next generation console, “the Xbox 720”, to next month as opposed to waiting to E3 as originally planned. While it makes sense from a company standpoint to try and sway the competition, you have to wonder if the new console is ready to perform. Microsoft won’t win points with anybody with a product that is rushed out the door. Other information on this new console is not too much more than rumors at this point due to the fact that Microsoft has not been able to officially reveal it yet.

[iGAM3R-VIII]

MS have to do something, or I am afraid it will be to late for them to win, especially since the path that MS is taking is going away from gamers it doesn't look good. Sony are putting the pedal to the metal and tbh they deserve a first place standing this gen. They worked really hard with everything.

[LOGICWINS]

Eh...Microsoft has sold over 75 million 360 consoles. I'm no expert, but I think they know what they're doing. Whether or not they provide a console that caters to your(or my) liking doesn't mean that your doom and gloom scenario will occur...since you know, not all gamers agree with your sentiments.

The fact that I wasn't interested enough in the 360s offerings to buy one doesn't mean that I would delude myself into believing that everyone around me feels the same way.

[iGAM3R-VIII]

Well to be honest, the PS3 surpassed the 360 in sales not to long ago. I am not saying the 720 will drown in misery, I am saying that MS have to come up with some innovative ideas and focus on the actual gamers to grasp my attention. I have a 360 and PS3 and my main issue is playing online on the 360 since i have to pay for online which is why I have many games for my PS3 than 360. Like needing Live to use Netflix, Internet Explorer and the MS store, etc. is a stupid move. MS have to regain my trust when I see their E3 presentation but if I see that they do not care much about core gamers I give up and Sony and the PS4 are mine. By E3, I am sure EVERY gamer would have made their choice

[LOGICWINS]

"Well to be honest, the PS3 surpassed the 360 in sales not to long ago"

????

What does that have to do with anything? I never argued that. Re-read my comment. Despite the PS3 outselling it, was the 360 not a successful console?

"I am not saying the 720 will drown in misery, I am saying that MS have to come up with some innovative ideas and focus on the actual gamers to grasp my attention."

Your backstepping now. Originally, you weren't speaking about yourself personally, you were speaking for others as well

"MS have to do something, or I am afraid it will be to late for them to win, especially since the path that MS is taking is going away from GAMERS(your words) it doesn't look good."

[iGAM3R-VIII]

"What does that have to do with anything? I never argued that. Re-read my comment. Despite the PS3 outselling it, was the 360 not a successful console?"

I didn't say the 360 wasn't a successful console, both the 360 and PS3 are on par with each other.

"Your backstepping now. Originally, you weren't speaking about yourself personally, you were speaking for others as well"

Ah now this is where you are wrong, re-read what I said, I said, "path that MS is taking is going away from gamers". So I am talking about the path that MS is taking, not if gamers would like it or not, therefore I am not speaking on us gamers behalf I am talking on MS behalf on the path they are taking (based on MANY true rumours backed up by leaks and specs and facts)

[LOGICWINS]

"Ah now this is where you are wrong, re-read what I said, I said, "path that MS is taking is going away from gamers". So I am talking about the path that MS is taking, not if gamers would like it or not"

But you ARE speaking for other gamers. The fact that you believe that you know what the "wrong path" is towards gamers implies that you have a deep seated belief that you know what gamers in general want. So yeah, you were speaking for other gamers.

[NeverEnding1989]

Ahhh another SONY fanboy who knows everything about the next Xbox even though it doesn't exist yet.

N4G is usually a barrel of laughs, but I feel brain cells dying as I read GAMER's comments.

[DarkZane]

No Microsoft doesn't know what they're doing. If they were, they wouldn't focus on Kinect this much and abandon core gamers. It's what they're doing right now.

They won't be able to keep the market they took from Sony this gen. Sony is gonna take everything back and some more.

[B-radical]

Yeah i agree they will be just fine. They might not come first this gen but they will sell enough to still be a competitor

[riverstars86]

@miyamoto

Microsoft exceeded expectations with Xbox 360. It may not be the success that the PS3 is but it is close. Having Microsoft in competition is great for gamers, Sony really came out punching with the PS4 because of the new Xbox. If it were only PS4 and Wii U out, who would push Sony to be bigger and better?

[dcbronco]

@iGAM3R-VIII

The Wii won the current generation and they didn't cater to "gamers". Gamers need to mentally move away from the notion that they are the center of the universe. There are a couple of billion smartphone owners and a couple of hundred million people with current generation consoles.

Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are looking for a profit. They do that by attracting the largest audience or making a product that makes a big enough profit per unit to make money. But your best chances are always with a bigger audience. That's why some games are releasing on the current gen and not next. Install base increases the chance of a successful game.

All of the complaints about one company or the other don't matter because all of the companies are successful. Sony less so this generation, but they were last and have made decisions that will make them so again. Get over having either machine cater to you or believing every rumor on the web.

The completely dumb argument that MS can't do casual games and hardcore is nonsense. They make 25 to 30 billion in profits each year and have 65,000 thousand employees. And thousands more working on their behalf at other companies they hire for various reasons. They can walk and chew gum. People mistake smart business decisions for a lack of focus. People should focus on the big picture.

[dcbronco]

@miyamoto

You must get your news from n4g comments. MS lost around 5 billion on the Xbox. They have made that back and more with this long 360 generation. Sony has lost around 6 billion on the PS3. They will make that back on the PS4 depending on the length of the generation. But the idea that MS didn't accomplish what they set out to do is a joke. They are making large profits in gaming, they are growing in gaming and they expanding their Xbox business whether Sony fanboys like it or not.

[LOGICWINS]

^^Refreshing to see a person that makes sense here. Bubbles.

[SHORYUKEN]

@dcbronco

"You must get your news from n4g comments. MS lost around 5 billion on the Xbox. They have made that back and more with this long 360 generation. Sony has lost around 6 billion on the PS3"

Get your facts straight before you troll will ya. See here the latest numbers from Forbes. Xbox brand never generate any profit.

Here are some proof see link.

http://www.gamespot.com/for...

[BOLO]

M$FT this time has no: 1 year head start on the competition...RRoD consoles to boost sales count.

[JohnnyBadfinger]

@Shoryuken
Haha that piece of "evidence" is from a forum that some idiot doodled up on Excel...

The fact is, this current gen Xbox managed to steal half of the playstation fanbase, and or recruited more gamers into the world with the xbox360.
How can you not see that as a success?

The PS4 may very well regain some of its lost followers. But what ever xbox decide to do you can pretty sure say its a say bet they will keep their current install base and gain more just like the PS4 will. What ever their different "focuses" maybe.

[MikeMyers]

You will never get the full picture on forums. Those who post here like myself are the more dedicated gamer so our views are slightly different than say the mainstream public.

Here you will have arguments about anything, no matter how small and insignificant that may be. In the real world people buy whatever product they want, plug in the game and play.

Here Call of Duty is the worst series, out there in the real world it drowns all other releases.

I want Microsoft to release lots of new ip's that interest me and a powerful console and some real innovation and not charge a subscription fee to access the online parts of the game I already purchased. In the real world a large portion of Xbox 360 owners (or any system for that matter) do much more on their systems than just play games.

http://www.gameinformer.com...

I just find it ironic how armchair analysts here who are all too quick to criticize seem to think they know what's best and how to run a business better than Microsoft. Believe me, if the new Xbox turns out to be a casual gaming platform with too much attention to media functions I will be the first one to vent my frustration. Until then I will be optimistic.

[MikeMyers]

zlpw0ker wrote,
"only reason 360 has sold so much is a few reasons.
1 is that 360 has rrod has like 50% chance or so,I dont know,but when it breaks down it seems everyone is just buying a new 360,so its because of the rrod of the high sales.
2 is that its shooting console mostly,I dont play shooting games,I play car games,h&s,fighting games and some rpg's.so for me the ps3 is console to play,besides I have owned my ps3 for 3years now,with no issue at all."

1. If that were true then explain why software sales are not half of overall software sales for the PS3? Are you trying to convince everyone that not only did they replace the console because it was broken but also the software? What's next, half the games are prone to scratching? Either way you want to spin it 3rd party publishers don't see it that way and fully support both the PS3 and Xbox 360.

2. You play car games but fail to mention Forza? Both systems share mostly the same games. Yes Sony provides more exclusives but when you break it down over the year it's only a very small handful of games that differentiate themselves from one another. You people used to label it as a shooterbox, now it's a casual console with just Kinect games. I guess whatever flavor of the week that suits your argument.

"back to your point,ms dont know what their doing,it the rumors are true ofcourse and it will feature kinect 2.0,no one wants to have kinect or be forced to play with it/integrate with it. Secondally is if 720 requires internett connection all this alienate ALOT of players since both 360 and ps3 doesnt require this."

So true. They don't know what they are doing. That's why they have billions of dollars in the bank and the media is very interested in what the next Xbox will be. They have also managed to get all major publishers to support the Xbox 360 which was a far cry from the original Xbox. Maybe Microsoft Word can help your grammar.

What is clear on forums, especially this one is there is a lot of hatred towards the company. Part of it stems from them going after Sony and taking some of their previous userbase away from them. Some of it is their history with Windows and being a monopoly. Some of it is how they run their Xbox division. But mostly it's made up of misconceptions brought on by ignorance.

[SHORYUKEN]

@Jhonnybadfinger aka denial at best.

Xbox division doesn't make money and truth does hurt.

Here are some more links.

http://www.gameplanet.co.nz...

[Scary69]

Yeah it sold a lot, but one of the reason is SOLD better was do to piracy. If Sony system once hacked you can still go online then we be saying something different today. Nicely put MikeMyers, till this day I DO NOT see how the xbox was better. All I saw was MS ripping their customers, and customers falling for it.

[MikeMyers]

Scary69,

Never said it was better than the PS3. In fact I get more use out of my PS3 and think overall it offers greater value. However even after all these years there are still a lot of misconceptions and ignorance towards it.

I want Microsoft to deliver at E3. For the most part their shows are rather weak but I want to see just what direction they want to take. So far the PS4 impresses me the most. Sony has really listened to developers and gamers. They seemed to have corrected all the mistakes the PS3 made. The online structure and Gaikai are still a major unknown at this point, as well as the price. Hopefully everything will be cleared up during E3.

What we need is competition. We need these companies to know we are not naive, that we can go elsewhere. I think it might be better if each company goes in a slightly different direction while keeping gaming core to the device. Sony got arrogant and complacent at the start of this generation, now they are hungry which is always good. Microsoft was hungry early on and now they seem to be arrogant and complacent. Nintendo just does their own thing and looks to be falling behind because they still do business like they did 20 years ago. You have to listen to your audience. You have to listen to game designers and most importantly you have to deliver on a timely fashion in this day and age. You can no longer rely on history and past practices.

[Shadowstar]

By that logic, Sony should have done much better-- look at how many PS2s they sold, they must have known what they were doing with that crazy price tag. Except they didn't.

Each console cycle is a new beginning. Past performance does not predict future results.

(That said, I'll take the rumours with my day's serving of salt and say that the next Xbox might still be focused on gamers.)

Edit: Really, people? Disagrees? Do you really think Sony was super happy with their performance this cycle as compared to Nintendo and MS? They didn't fail by a long shot, but losing the market share they lost cannot have been a happy even for them.

[JamieL]

@ miyamoto, riverstars86
Miy, how in the world can you say that? MS went from a joke Xbox vs. PS2, to equal footing with the reining "king of gaming" Sony. How is that in any way bad? They did exactly what they wanted too. The 360 kicked ass this gen.
River, I agree with what you said, except 1 thing, you said "It may not be the success that the PS3 is but it is close"
I really don't see the Playstation 3 as a success at all. From our POV, yes Sony kicks out a lot of high quality games, and does seem to use that strategy towards their business, and any gamers should approve of that, but for a business standpoint, I don't think the PS3 has made Sony a dime yet. They lost time, money, and market share with the PS3, not that much of a success if you ask me, or their shareholders.

[MikeMyers]

"Each console cycle is a new beginning. Past performance does not predict future results."

You're right. Nintendo blew people away from the dismal Gamecube era to the Wii. Microsoft went from the Xbox to the Xbox 360 and took online gaming to a whole new level while taking some of the marketshare away from Sony. Sony went with an all-in approach with proprietary hardware once again plus bluray and now look to be offering a much easier platform to make games on.

It is very clear that multi-screen, social services and online connections are going to be common on all the systems. What isn't clear is Microsoft's approach going forward and how they plan on balancing all of that out. Windows 8 has received a lot of negative attention and the Surface tablet didn't set the world on fire. It is clear they want to tie all of these devices running Windows together and also experiment with multi-screen functionality like Nintendo and Sony are doing. What also not clear as of yet is how much they will push Kinect and how risky they will be with game software.

[BIGBOSS08]

360 released in 2005 though. whats impressive about selling 75 million in 8 years? thats slow as hell!

[dcbronco]

@SHORYUKEN

That's not a Forbes article. It's some chart posted by someone on a forum. But realize that the Xbox brand is in a division with several other products and services. The majority of those services aren't actually money making ventures.

Things like Zune, Surface and Office for Mac advertising are charged to that division. Most of the things make zero and since most of the products are developmental a ton of the money goes back into R & D. This link describes the division. Entertainment and Devices.

http://www.microsoft.com/in...

This link shows the 9.5+ billion in revenue for the division.

http://www.microsoft.com/in...

MS is making a profit on each 360 sold? And the millions of Live subscribers payments. And the purchases on Live. And the millions of copies of games that are sold each year on the 360 that send a ten dollar royalty payment to MS.

The comparison of years 2011 and 2010 show that Xbox revenue increased 2.7 billion in 2011. A 48% increase. Look at the chart. Revenue grew by almost 3 billion in the division. Which means that if the division made 6 billion and Xbox increased 48% to bring it to 9 billion Xbox made around 5 billion in 2010 and around 7.5 in 2011.

If you look further into the report you'll see that they spent close to 1.5 billion on R& D in that division. Xbox makes plenty of money for Microsoft. They just spend a lot of it on products that don't help create any income yet. I'm sure Surface is in that division as well. Both the tablet and table. They also have made huge payments to Nokia from that divisions for phones which don't make money.

There is nothing involved with Xbox as far as products that loses money. The console, Kinect and Live all generate a profit. So there would be a huge annual profit if so much wasn't put back into the business. Or if it was a separate division. One and a half billion is not all spent on Xbox R & D. This is why MS will not be leaving gaming any time soon. They are making a lot of money.

Also note the Cash and cash equivalents and short-term investments on the link below. This is the cash MS has on the side.

http://www.microsoft.com/in...

[aceitman]

I know a few ps3 players change to 360 because of better ports and party chats , and they are now saying there coming back cause the direction sony is going , and I know a lot of 360 owners saying there getting the ps4 for there features and hoping that free online play with other pay options like ps plus stay. what ever the outcome of the next xbox it will be good for everyone period.

[iGAM3R-VIII]

Like I said, I am not saying the 720 will drown in misery, I am saying that MS have to come up with some innovative ideas and focus on the actual gamers to grasp my attention. By E3, I am sure EVERY gamer would have made their choice.

[THEDON82z1]

YES you are right by E3 everyone will have decided but my money is on PS4. I see the stink all over microsoft and mark my words PS4 will beat them again ,unless they decide to invest heavly in first party games and launch an all out price war (which at this point I highly doubt)!!!!

[MysticStrummer]

"I know a few ps3 players change to 360 because of better ports and party chats"

I don't know anyone like that. Everyone I know bought a 360, while I waited for PS3. Now none of them have a 360. They all have PS3s.

[torchic]

@MysticStrummer

everyone bought a 360 because they couldn't afford a PS3.

[nukeitall]

Consumers in general might not have made their choice by E3. In fact, the vast majority will not have made a choice by the time the consoles releases.

Remember, the initial launch only sells a few million consoles. Over the entire generation, the console is to sell 20-30 times the launch numbers or even higher.

What we see at E3 and gaming sites are for the hardcore of the hardcore, meaning even people that play a lot of games don't necessarily follow news like we do.

Even then, the hardcore of the hardcore might not know everything by E3. Even what Sony revealed is just a tease.

They haven't shown the platform, the OS, the interface, the services, the price, the....

Let's face it, all Sony has told us is "we are about games, but we haven't told you about our other plans and oh, here is a few fancy specs for you to chew on"!

In case nobody noticed, last generation even though MS released first, it was the Wii that won!

In every console generation, it was never the most high specced machine that won.

@torchic:

"everyone bought a 360 because they couldn't afford a PS3"

but consumers can afford an Xbox 360 and Xbox Live GOLD? What about an ipad or iphone?

Point being, it's not that consumers cannot afford it. It is, consumers question the value of it and I'm not just picking on PS3 here. It applies to Xbox 360 as well being cheaper than an iPad/iPhone.

[Kingscorpion1981]

I still feel like Microsoft got lucky last generation (this generation) because of Halo and Gears of War. This time around its going to take more than that to win next generation.

[delboy]

It's not about first party and exclusive games, it's more and more about multiplat games.

And MS is smart when it comes to multiplat, they have their rules and quality standards you have to follow, or you won't get the green light to publish a game on their system.
Just look at the xbox360,in order to bring a multiplat game to xbox360,you have to release it simultaneously or bring extra content if you're releasing the game later.
Every multiplat game has to run same or better on xbox, or it won't be released at all.
Yes most multiplat games run better or equal on xbox because of MS demands it, and not because it's easier to program for.
And I don't think that MS will change the way for the next generation.

I'm a Ps3 owner, and I'm a huge fan of MGS and FF games.
But those games are multplat now, so there's no reason for me to stay with Sony like past gen, where I was forced to buy a ps3 to be able to play MGS4.
It's not my fault Sony lost all 3rd party exclusives.

So I definitely will be looking at next box and what it has to offer.
The next generation is not about games, not for me, it's about reliable hardware, innovation, overall service and price.

[jacksons98]

@delboy
"The next generation is not about games, not for me, it's about reliable hardware, innovation, overall service and price."
If it's not about games why buy a gaming system? Reliable hardware? We are talking about Xbox here, innovation, this is from the same company that told original Xbox owners HDMI & harddrives weren't needed this gen. And price. With Live fees you could've bought the PS3 or a nice videocard for your PC.

[DigitalRaptor]

@ delboy

You say it's not about first party and exclusive? Then why are Halo and Gran Turismo such juggernauts? Why do Gears and Uncharted sell the numbers that they do? Why are Sony focusing on exclusives for their PS4 launch and why have Microsoft garnered more studios to make exclusive Xbox games over the past couple of years?

And where were those standards with L.A. Noire, Final Fantasy XIII, Portal 2, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, and all the other games that run better on PS3? I'm sure they came out on Xbox 360, right?

And i also wonder what other 3rd party exclusives Sony has lost because there are still plenty of third party developers making exclusives for Sony across their platforms, but nice try.

PS4 will be home to third party exclusives. You, just, watch.

"The next generation is not about games, not for me"

Wow... just wow.

[SHORYUKEN]

@dcbronco

"You must get your news from n4g comments. MS lost around 5 billion on the Xbox. They have made that back and more with this long 360 generation. Sony has lost around 6 billion on the PS3"

Get your facts straight before you troll will ya. See here the latest numbers from Forbes. Xbox brand never generate any profit.

Here are some proof see link.

http://www.gamespot.com/for...

[Lvl_up_gamer]

Another Sony Fanboy using IDC's own admitted SHIPPING estimates as if they mattered in any shape or form.

1) Shipped do NOT = Market Share. Market Share > Shipped

2) 3rd party "SHIPPED" numbers are NOT recognized by Sony.

Keep spreading your ignorant FUD.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

Yeah I don't know where people are getting "PS3's selling more than Xbox" from. They're still using shipped as an excuse when in reality if Sony was outselling MS they would of stated that by now.

There is no hard evidence, GDC shipped numbers don't count so what you fanboys got? The PS3 isn't outselling the Xbox so you people can wake up now. Oh whats fanboys defense? An Agree and disagree button lool. Go ahead it doesn't make it any less true.

[otherZinc]

M$ isn't announcing a damn thing until E3, they dont have to. SONY didnt do anything but "talk, showing no console".

M$ doesnt have to say anything until E3 because SONY only showed Knack? Killzone (again, & people complain about Halo; at least 9million people bought Halo 4 to date! thats more than Killzone 1,2,& 3) & Infamous, again, nothing. Yet people complain about Halo & Gears, both having a much greater following than the PS4 announced titles. Why dont you guys say "oooh not another Killzone & Infamous...stfu"! Its the same ole sh** that didnt sell the first time.

M$ doesnt have to say anything til E3 because the 360 & Kinect are still selling hot. While PS3 & Move are doing nothing!

When M$ announces the 720: They will blow the PS4 out of the water & "Shock the Sh** out of all of you haters.

We've seen what SONY said...Nothing. Nothing but talk and what they hope to bring in the future after you buy this console that we didnt show.

Yeah...whatever with this blind hype without showing a console!!!

[JamieL]

Damn man that was a little harsh, but absolutly right on.

[ILive]

The fanboyism is great in many, especially you otherzinc. People just love to open their mouths without thinking on this site. Whether Sony and Ms succeed or not depends on them and what they have to offer to the consumers. Microsoft forced their way into the market whether anyone agrees or not, capitalizing on the ps3's high price. Do you think that ms would have succeeded the way they did this gen if it wasnt for the ps3s high price? Simple answer: no. Ms had an opportunity to show that they were going to be investing in their machine in the long run but failed to do so. They started off strong, like what they did with the xbox...an awesome console. I purchased the 360 first because I felt that ms was going the route they did with the original xbox. They tried the first couple years, but failed to keep the momentum. I honestly think that the failed attempt of the original machine left them a little too cautious, leading to a lack of investment in the 360. As one who use to be one of ms biggest fans and one of the few who supported their oringinal machine, they really disappointed this gen.

[DigitalRaptor]

This is the prime example of loyalist bitterness.

"We've seen what SONY said...Nothing. Nothing but talk and what they hope to bring in the future"

Sony outlined developer support and enthusiasm, a list of all the major publishers making PS4 games and their hardware which its powerful, easy to develop for and satisfies said developers. All of this is important, but of course you will downplay it.

'Talk' is more important than people like you would expect, especially talk coming from developers. The developers have spoken for themselves:

"I think Sony is really in to win this one, I'm good friends with a lot of guys at Microsoft, I'm under their NDA flag, and Microsoft definitely has a different outlook than Sony does."
http://tinyurl.com/d5wx69m

Strong online features with top of the line cloud integration. Instant play. Of course you will worry that it might be better than Microsoft's attempt and downplay Gaikai. and we'll see it all at E3.

"Why dont you guys say "oooh not another Killzone & Infamous...stfu"! Its the same ole sh** that didnt sell the first time."

Ironic, since most of the games you probably buy for your 360 sell just as "poorly". By that fractured logic, most games you buy are "crap", unless you only buy games that sell Halo numbers, then what kind of gamer would that make you? A sheep is what.

"When M$ announces the 720: They will blow the PS4 out of the water & "Shock the Sh** out of all of you haters."

Funny, since what is more is that Sony's conference in February wasn't the be-all and end-all. they've announced more positive news since then regarding GAMES and will give Microsoft a run for their money at E3 too since they have a lot more to announce, and it will all be about GAMES, and people will notice.

You act like Microsoft will blow Sony out of the water with what? Kinect 2.0 and illumiroom? flashy Cirque de soleil performance? Celebrity appearance? Exclusive DLC? Those are the kind of things that have "won" previous E3s according to Fanboys like yourself. Sony have always beaten them by showing games, demonstration of their exclusive games, dedication to games. Whilst MS rely on the aforementioned flashy nonsense and piggybacking third party games to get through.

Blind hype its what fanboys like yourself create for a company who has revealed nothing, and the only things that have been reported have been negative.

[Lykon]

kinect is gay

[OneAboveAll]

Win what? What is there to win?
A stoopid console war made up by 12 year olds?

They are ready when they want and when they are ready, i'll buy it.

[Y_5150]

Win the heart of most of the gamers.

[stuna1]

What do you mean win what?! A bigger fan base for starters! More support! More market shares, most important of all the respect of the gamers that support their products.

So how is that stupid exactly?

[JeffGUNZ]

I think his point is that MS did all of what you just said and people on this site still think Sony dominated and MS "lost". No one gets a trophy, no one gets a medal, it's just pathetic morons crying about sales on this site. Look, Honda may sell more cars they Hyundai or Nissan, but they are not going anywhere. Same applies to MS, Sony, and Nintendo. Nobody wins sh*t. Buy all the consoles and enjoy the best of all sides

[Chaostar]

The vast majority of us have personally experienced what happens when a console manufacturer rushes to market and nobody wants a repeat of that.

I think MS should take a deep breath, accept that Sony may have beaten them to the punch on this occasion, then concentrate on bringing us the beat games machine they can in a sensible time frame.

[JeffGUNZ]

I agree half way. I don't think Sony beat them to the punch. Sony announced a reveal with no solid release date, price point, or even showed the console. All Sony did was announce what we already knew, next gen. consoles are coming. I enjoyed the PS4 reveal, but I really thought it was rushed and premature. To me, what is important is RELEASE date and not reveal date. I want to know when both next gen. consoles will be released and what their price point will be.

[Dno]

your wrong. Sony said it is coming this year. which means
A. its coming before the next xbox

B. its coing very close to the next xbox.

This means no year long headstart.

[JeffGUNZ]

Where am I wrong? Can you tell me the official release date of when I can buy one in the store? "This fall" isn't a solid release date, it's a time frame. So again, please indicate how I am wrong by answering the following questions.

1. When is the official release DATE for the PS4?

2. How much will the system cost?

Those two questions are my main point, so unless you can give me factual/concrete answers to those questions, I am not wrong with anything at this time.

[JamieL]

No, you are absolutely right. @Dno So what? I really fail to see how your 2 points
"A. it’s coming before the next xbox

B. its coing very close to the next xbox."
have any relevance to the point Jeff was trying to make at all. It's like you replied to the wrong person almost. I really don't get it. like he said, they did NOT give a release date, and since they haven't even announced the next Xbox, and with no solid date for the PS4, how could you possibly know PS4 will release first? Do you fanboys even try anymore? I don't just mean PS fanboys either, it's like they don't even try anymore. We used to have such better trolls on this site, now they are just plain pathetic.

[Chaostar]

Sony were first to reveal their next gen plans. They revealed the name, rough release window, specs, new controller and even showed actual next gen games. All this before MS has even confirmed they are working on a new console officially. How is this not beating them to the punch?

[Godmars290]

My bet is MS is only concerned with E3 and the general consumer response. If they get a positive one there, the gaming media will just jump on their bandwagon. Any gamer reaction will be secondary at best.

And of course those already pro-Xbox will continue to be so.

[Knight_Crawler]

The funny thing about this is that in the end at some point majority of gamers will end up owning both the 720 and PS4.

I am pro 360 for personal reasons but believe it or not I have 3 PS3's in my house and only one 360.

Why do I own 3 PS3's because they are affordable and I can afford them - plus I love the fact that I can play awesome games like Uncharted, God of War, Alan Wake and Gears of War...why limit your self to one console and miss out on some great games.

[Quelqui]

Wow, three PS3s and a 360 is affordable to you? Whatever job you have, I want it too.

I think I'm speaking for a lot of gamers when I say that I won't have both consoles, I'll have to choose. Consoles and games are expensive. I have to limit myself because I have bills to pay. I think that MS and Sony will have to be either very conscious to gamers' desires or money concerned consumers' desires to get the purchase from us. Or a combination thereof. I'm curious to see what angle they'll choose to get our attention and final purchase.

[JeffGUNZ]

@ Quelqui.

You don't speak for anyone but yourself, so don't generalize. Sure, I agree that at LAUNCH, a consumer will have to pick one over the other, but the guy you replied to said over the span of next gen. If next gen goes 7-10 years again, you won't be able to afford the other console at a reduced price? Come on. Perhaps you solely meant at initial release? If so I agree. If you haven't purchased both a 360 and a PS3 this gen you're either a fanboy for one or the other, or you're broke as sh*t and probably should use your money elsewhere. We all have bills, mortgages, car payments, children, etc, but you can buy a 360 for $99 right now lol.

[C-Thunder]

I'll have 2 consoles, PS4 and Wiiu. MS will have to do something amazing to get me to buy another one of their systems.

All signs currently point to that not happening.

[Quelqui]

@JeffGUNZ

Well said. You're right that it does become a lot more affordable after launch. I do disagree on a few things you said, though.

I know I speak for more than myself when it comes to this. The folks who don't find it financially plausible to have both consoles this gen is a much larger group than you think it is. You just don't see many of them here on NG4, is all. As for your statement on people needing to be either a fanboy or super broke to have only one console, isn't that generalization? I personally know quite a few gamers that just don't see why having both consoles is practical. Why spend the extra money on another console when you can spend that money buying more games?

Also, regarding the 99$ 360, didn't that one come with a catch 22 where you're roped into paying a 15$ a month for xbox live for two years? Kotaku wrote an article on it, I think.

[forcefullpower]

You are so spot on. Look at media people like Patcher praising the XBOX brand. How many times are they going to say to us wait and see at E3 and every year is disappointing. Watch the Bonus round shows you how they are swimming up the wrong way to the general consensus. Sony made some serious mistakes on the System itself this gen but thankfully they still do one thing great and that is bringing great games to the PS brand. With the Developers all on board again liker the PS1 & 2 era they are going the way of the dodo.

[RyuCloudStrife]

MS is afraid :).

[Jazz4108]

No hits for this bs site

[thebudgetgamer]

Their biggest problem is time won't give them time.

[urwifeminder]

Take your time MS make them sweat it will be big news,i will be buying for sure the joy both xboxs have given me warrants the purchase.

[BabyTownFrolics]

Everything that is wrong with gaming right here

[ajax17]

lol, you get a bubble just for that name/archer pic.

[SDF Repellent]

Race against time? These headlines are getting more atrocious by the hours.

The Xbox and X360 both made their announcements during the summer @ E3, it is a pattern for Xbox during the previous generation so I don't see the need for MS to change their gameplan because of the PS4.

It will be announced when MS thinks it is time just like Apple will announced their iPhone and iPad at a set date and time.

[JeffGUNZ]

Actually, MS announced the 360 on May 12, 2005 via MTV program entitled; "The next Generation Xbox Revealed". It was then on the TIMES Magazine cover on May 23, 2005. It was shown off in extent with gameplay and what not at E3.

I do agree with you that it won't be till E3. On January 2, 2013, MS launched a website with the countdown to E3, which has never been done before. This site was posted prior to the announcement of Sonys 02/20/2013 conference which turned out to be a reveal. All signs are pointing to E3. MS also does what Apple does in a sense. They reveal their products, show them off, then release them shortly after. Obviously not as quick as Apple, but they get the hype and release. There is no solid article or leaks indicating that the 360 successor would be revealed in April or May, they are all pure "rumor" with no solid creditability.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

Apple is Microsoft's rival, not Sony. Apple is also the reason why the Vita is struggling. Apple is also the reason why brands like the Walkman are dead.

On topic for a moment. Absolutely nothing about this story is true. None of it. It's a classic spin machine article planted in the usual places pushing an obvious marketing agenda spun by the Internet PR department of one company. The sources aren't reliable and MS didn't push back anything. They aren't even focused on Sony as the fanboys drones would have you believe.

And remember kids, you can't spell believe without "lie."

[roshi1987]

We're on a gaming site. MS and Sony are the two bigdogs in the gaming hardware industry.

Noone is talking about Apple but you.

[fsfsxii]

I laughed when you mentioned MS as a "big dog"
Can you tell me ONE thing that makes them worthy of the title "big dog"?? I think Sony & Nintendo are the "big dogs" of the industry

[MultiConsoleGamer]

That's because most of you are kids and you're out of touch with the new reality of the gaming market.

Millions of people are gaming on Appple hardware. And Apple is making millions on gaming apps alone.

In before judgemental children saying "but but but casuals! But but but those aren't real games / gamers! But but but hardcore!" Etc....

[roshi1987]

You are just crazy. The only competition between next next hardware and Apple hardware lies in the fact that both compete for your time spent having entertainment. With your shitty logic I can say that Football and Sony are competitors.

You are both out of your element and under the age of 20 or something, calling everyone kids. Grow a brain asshat.

[bocajbee]

Yeah, the PS3 is ahead of the 360 now, but the point is, Microsoft took a large percentage of Sony's market share.

Last gen the PS2 dominated the Xbox. This gen it's much more even. Microsoft made a lot of ground in one generation.

[Veneno]

Each generation is like a reset button. Each gam3 company starts over new and has an equal chance of success or failure. Look at Wii U's launch. It's absolutely nothing like the Wii's successful launch.

[YodaCracker]

So you believe the PS3 would have sold anywhere near the number of units it has without the PlayStation name? There is no reset button. PlayStation is an established brand and the name alone will sell consoles. That carries over from generation to generation. Due to Microsoft's success this gen, Xbox has become the new household name synonymous with gaming. This gen Microsoft started as a huge underdog, yet still managed to triple their previous console's sales and compete with the previously unstoppable PS brand. Now going into next gen, they are about equal but nothing is resetting. Microsoft still has the momentum, while Sony has to win back their lost fan base if they ever hope to dominate again like they did in the PS2 days.

[Veneno]

Not sure why you decided to start a debate with your one bubble, but you're wrong. Each company does start new and Nintendo embodies this concept to the fullest. They were the leaders with original NES and then Super NES, then fell behind with N64, then even more with GameCube, broke out ahead again with Wii and now we have yet to see how Wii U performs. Each gen has a chance to turn on its head. It all d3pends on the direction each company goes and where they believe video gaming entertainment should go.

[hollabox]

I have a feeling Microsoft announcement will be filled with Kinect 2.0 crap with kids pretending to have fun and adults looking silly. On the other hand they could come out swinging with Killer Instincts 3, Jade Empire 2, or bring back Mech Warrior if they still have the license. What would also be nice a ton of new none Kinect IPs to show case the new hardware.

[hollabox]

Why the two disagrees? I would like to see less Kinect, a couple of old IPs needing refreshing, and a ton of new IPs. New console launches is when you typically see new IPs, just hoping MS does not release crap hardware emphasizing Kinect features while falling back on milked franchises.

[Smokingunz]

For those people in here who said ps3 outsold 360 and the xbox didnt exceed expectation is smoking crack.its either that or you all cant read.google the sales.yousony fans are living in a fantasy world.however if these 720 rumors proves to be true then I think ps4 will beat out the 720.

[saint_seya]

xbox exceeded expecation = correct
ps3 outsold 360 = correct

Its a fact ps3 outsold 360.. as its a fact that 360 did great compared to the market share that had with xbox. Will be 3rd #thats like 99% sure, unless can beat the wii if is in the market for another 5-7 years#. Its bad to be third? Nope, with the market share that got its more than enough.

[Jek_Porkins]

Actually we have had no official announcement from Sony in regards to the PS3 outselling the Xbox 360. The last time they both came out and announced numbers Microsoft was ahead, it was only one site that claimed otherwise, and no confirmation has been given.

That being said, the original Xbox only sold 25 million, to jump up to almost 80 million and 26 million Kinect's is impressive. Nintendo sold less than 24 million Gamecubes, and went on to sell 100 million Wii's, so both Microsoft and Nintendo improved from the previous generation. They had to of exceeded expectations in every single way, I mean Sony had 90% of the marketshare and owned every single region.

[Max-Zorin]

I can't wait to see what both the PS4 and the next Xbox have to offer.

[AlphaJunk]

calm before the storm

[cl1983]

storms making land fall

[Typical-Guy]

Microsoft should just have exclusives, and many many many of them. No one is going to buy a system that has no exclusives. When they launched Xbox360, they had plenty of amazing exclusives. Remember Cameo!! That game was just amazing, I want something that isn't a shooter nor racing game.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

Yea but thats the thing tho Shooting is working for MS Halo3, ODst,Reach, and Halo4 each sold 5mil+ copies. Gears 1,2,3 each sold 5mil+ copies. MS only needs a few exclusives to keep xbox afloat. Im not saying it will work next gen but it did this gen.

I would also tho like to see some variety and new Ips on the next xbox as well tho.

[loulou]

@ typical guy

if exclusives are what everyone wants, then could you explain why the ps3 never sold 150m consoles? and why the exclusives dont sell 10m each??????

[Gaming_Guru]

I think the biggest mistake Sony made with the PS3 was the agreement with IBM to be able to sell parts of the PS3 cell chip's architecture to other clients that eventually helped Microsoft.

That resulted with developers to start on the Xbox 360 first and port over to the PS3 ignoring the PS3's more advanced features. This is why I think Sony came out a year later because there were problems with the chip, but Xbox 360 rushed their console anyways.

With this next generation, Sony learned a lot from the previous and Microsoft, I think was completely blind sighted by Sony this time around. It's like shooting Nathan Young from Misfits, without knowing his powers, lol.

[ironmonkey]

Either way we all know owning both will be best.

[Mkai28]

Microsoft doesn't need to rush, they said they will announce " something" at E3. People will just have to wait. The consoles are probably already in production.

[PirateThom]

I think the one thing all three have this gen is that each manufacturer knows that first place in sales isn't guaranteed and it's not going to matter who gets their console out first, who has the most power or who provides the best developer architecture.

It will come down to price and games/services that are offered and there's no way of knowing exactly what consumers will jump at next gen. While getting a headstart may be a good thing in one sense, it may be more cautious and sensible to see how the market reacts to a competitor and then try something else if that fails or try to go beyond it it succeeds.

While I definitely will have a PS4, there's people here who will stick to Nintendo and people who will stick to Microsoft and, in the grand scheme, we're the ones who will support the first few months and years of the consoles.... it's how the mainstream responds that will dictate who is "number one".

[Jek_Porkins]

These articles are funny to me because they act as if Microsoft should be in a hurry to announce or show something. Sony jumped the gun, otherwise we wouldn't have seen anything from either until almost E3 time, which is totally normal for a new console.

Considering you cant even put a pre-order on the PS4, I think Microsoft is safe from having to rush or change up what they already had planned. The only people who are really impatient is the media and in some cases gamer's, but I love the anticipation and even though Microsoft hasn't announced anything, their next console is all everyone is talking about, no matter if it's rumor or not, in a time when the PS4 has actually been revealed, nobody can stop the rumors or wondering about the next Xbox, so I think they have plenty of time between now and E3 to show or announce something, and they'll do it on their own accord.

[_FantasmA_]

Man you defend xbox like you were getting paid by them. They don't care about you or your weight problems, so why do you care about their well deserved and inevitable death?

[Jek_Porkins]

So you are accusing me of defending Microsoft, while you've been slurping the Sony flavored Kool Aid? You claim to be a "gamer", yet you openly wish for a console maker to die off.....

You sir are what is wrong with the industry and community, it isn't me, I stick up for gaming no matter what the company, check my history, I've done the same for Nintendo and Sony when necessary, I believe gamer's should back each other up and we definitely shouldn't be attacking one another in the way that you seem to be attacking me.

It is what it is, but I'm sure you might have a different perspective when you hit the big 12.

[brianunfried]

Microsoft better do something, they're already years late with a tablet and phone and having a very hard time catching up to everyone else. Also, Windows 8 has been a catastrophic failure so far. It's being outsold by Vista, thats not good.

[lllll-lllll]

Windows 8 is actually quite a nice OS if you forget about the app fiasco. It's fast and stable.

[lllll-lllll]

@Jek_Porkins

> Considering you cant even put a pre-order on the PS4

Really? How do you explain i've pre-ordered it?

Expect many red circles of death if MS is rushing it's new console ;-)

[OpieWinston]

If anything PS4 is being rushed.
You could tell they were rushing to announce their game. There was like 2 Sony exclusives (That I recall) at their conference.

And we all know the best games at the PS4 Conference were Watch Dogs and Destiny.

Just my personal opinion but Microsoft seems to have learned their lesson, their not in a rushing match with Sony to release their product. If they were we would've seen a rushed Microsoft conference.

E3 is where it's at. I'll be picking up my 720 in a year, never picking up a PS4 though. :D

[PirateThom]

The exclusives announced were Driveclub, Infamous: Second Son, Killzone: Shadow Fall and Knack.

It was really not that much, since it was all teases. The point was to get the hype started, E3 can then be dedicated to games, not the product.

[ILive]

Why couldn't you say that you would just be picking up the next xbox instead spitting nonsense out of your mouth. Instead you proceeded with your pathetic comment. Man, the people on this site!

[OpieWinston]

@ILive

I said it was my personal opinion.

Did you read what I said? Defending the 720 so why wouldn't I be getting it?

My main point is that I'M GETTING the 720 for my own reasons,ohh and btw your comment was pathetic. Just thought you should know that, man the people on this site!

[Simco876]

People will buy the new box, and more power to them. They buy what they enjoy, you can't fault anyone for that. Personally I'm going with PS4 because I like the games, doesn't matter what Xbox does. That shouldn't matter to you, and if it does then I feel sorry for you.

[Objective]

Race against time? In the bigger scheme of things (historical market share), PS3 was a massive flop while 360 was a huge success. PS4's rushed reveal without a console to show was evidently a desperate race against time. Xbox taking it's time is a sign of confidence.

[SOULJER]

I will say this if LIVE is't free F-them. It's that simple.

[lllll-lllll]

Maybey, MS will call they're xbox blue too :D

[Morgue]

Seems like a April Fools article to me.

[Xian]

Historically, the third iteration of a Microsoft product is when it really starts taking off. Internet Explorer 1 & 2 were fundamentally lacking features that Netscape had, but by the time IE3 was released they had evened the playing field, or even surpassed the competition, though bundling IE with Windows had a big influence in that.

The first Microsoft Word programs were feature poor compared to Word Perfect - Word for Windows 1.0 and 1.1 weren't very good (Word for DOS is not even worth mentioning), but Word 2.0 was where it really started getting acceptance and getting people to switch from the competition.

I'm just saying I wouldn't count Microsoft out yet, the third time might be a charm for them again. I have both current systems and I tend to game more on the PS3 than the 360 and the PC more than those combined, but I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft really does come out with a great product.

[vigilante_man]

Sony are stealing a march over MS at the moment. And they seem to have developers really excited - even indie ones. That's gotta be good for all gamers!

I can't wait to see what the Xbox 720 can do.

The PS4 has blown me away so far. The super specs and fast unified Ram, and especially the cool gaming things:

# Start game download and play soon after
# Share with others when I just beat that Boss on Hard
# Stop a game in full flow then pick up later instantly

and so many more cool features.

MS must have some tricks of their own. Exciting times..

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

Microsoft can take its time.

The only thing that will happen is that Sony will get a healthy start.

I believe that Microsoft will be fine if they wait a year-
-Wait for hardware prices to go down further-

and just Release a more powerful console.

Why should they rush when the 360 and PS3 have a slew of games releasing this year and early 2014?

Right now 360 is enjoy big sell.

[BrianC6234]

That would be a disaster for Microsoft. They can't delay their new console a year. That would give Sony a huge advantage. A lot bigger than Microsoft had this generation.

[BrianC6234]

These articles are funny. Some say Microsoft is delaying their announcement. Others say they're pushing it up. So which is it? Maybe everyone should just wait and see what happens. Microsoft does need to at least match Sony though. And needs to be more about games than boring multimedia. Consoles are about gaming, not being a set-top box.

[bluetoto]

Once again I can't wait for E3 just so all this can go away. There will be some huge disappointments come E3 just like the past 2 or 3 years for some.
Good news is with all the facts out the heat will be so hot in forums that one side or the other will cave in and go away and we can go back to discussing games and not platforms. can't wait.

[madpuppy]

Frankly, I am not a big fan of MS in general and after the horrendous time I had dealing with multiple RROD's, Anything from MS after the 360 will have to be special and RELIABLE.

As for wanting or hoping that MS fails? NO WAY! ONLY when there is heated competition will every vendor will be at the top of their game providing the consumer great, high quality products at very reasonable prices. Sony needs MS and MS needs Sony. we lose either one at the detriment of quality, customer service and good prices.

So, MS and Sony...stay strong and work HARD to "beat" each other.

[WickedLester]

Bravo! Well said madpuppy! I wish fanboys would understand that competition is GOOD! As a PS owner, I'm actually grateful to MS because Live actually forced Sony to expedite the improvement of the PSN network. Without Live we probably don't have Trophies, in game XMB access, PS Plus subscription package, etc. Likewise, if MS improves their in-house development groups and offers a better collection of exclusive core gaming content on the 720, Xbox users can thank Sony for that.