Will Xbox One Be Last Console? Microsoft's Phil Spencer Thinks Not

NowGamer: Microsoft's Phil Spencer doesn't believe that Xbox One will be the 'last console as we know it' even with the rise of cloud streaming technology, as he describes local hardware scenarios as 'critical'.

[Ted_Breakfast]

I hope he's right. I don't want to see the end of consoles.

[Studio-YaMi]

In an interview between Adam Sessler & Matt Booty,Matt said that The XboxOne might be the last console you'll ever buy,he did say though that it "maybe a little bit of a stretch to say".

Check at 6:23
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Don't really know if Matt knows something we don't,but this was before Microsoft ditched the Always Online DRM fiasco so who knows?

Edit:
I do wish for consoles to stay alive as well,healthy competition is always welcomed.

[DeadRabbits]

Praise the Sun for the Playstation then!

[truefan1]

Xbox is doing fine with sales, so I don't see Microsoft getting rid of xbox. PS I am going to get dislikes anyway so I might as well say something worthy of them, Microsoft is a shark and Sony's financial troubles is like blood in the water. I think Microsoft will keep pushing them to failure, you see how Sony keeps undercutting its own prices to make sure they sell.

[Patrick_pk44]

No it isn't. The Xbox division is non-profitable for Microsoft, and is always discussed if it should be sold off. However, Sony is losing profit from their other divisions and not the gaming market. Xbox will eventually disappear.

[Sabinsnake]

Sony didn't undercut, they just didn't sell the PS camera with the PS4, since it's not mandatory like Kinect is to xbox one. even if they did sell the PS camera with PS4, it would only put the price at $460.

[Kayant]

" I think local compute will be important for a long time"

"You can look at mobile, connected to faster networks, more cloud services but local power still increases each gen."

"Bandwidth caps clearly an issue, still believe HW & SW engrs working together will find local HW scenarios critical."

It's nice to see at least one MS exec isn't up in the clouds (no pun intended :p).

[XiSasukeUchiha]

I don`t want it to end but sometimes good things must come to end(No Seriousness intended :p)

[sak500]

Good things may come to end one day but bad pennies like you never end and still have one bubble to spawn in MS news and troll. Waiting for your perma ban one day.

[jimbobwahey]

Well, the potential candidates for the position of Microsoft's new CEO seem to think it will be, given that they want to ditch the console business. I know that Elop guy who's likely to get the position wants to sell off Xbox as soon as possible.

[lifeisgamesok]

Won't happen but I guess you can keep hope alive

[Mikefizzled]

I think Satya Nadella will be announced as CEO. He is a big player in the cloud computing.

[mhunterjr]

Elop isn't likely to get the job...

[sak500]

More likely sony closes/sell off PS brand last 10 years worst in companies history with billions of dollars losses.

[Agent_hitman]

Healthy competition can keep up

[pyramidshead]

Xbox Two.

[MegaRay]

Ill skip xbox 2, lets just hope there's backward in xbox 3

[FITgamer]

Xbox One^2

[Hyper_Tension140]

Xbox One to the second power = Xbox.....One, lol.

[n4rc]

From everything I've read.. I think people are grossly exaggerating the stance of that potential CEO.. And it not CEO he's up for either.. Its a board seat AFAIK

He said he would look into all avenues.. Any good CEO would do just that.. If it made good business sense to offload it, then he would look into it..

But selling 3m units in 6 weeks doesn't exactly scream failing product..

Any reported losses are based on the division Xbox resides in.. Which includes surface and windows phone, which are arguably not doing very well.. I say arguably because they are good devices that struggle against more popular options, not better ones.

[SouthClaw]

I've gotta say surface is a bad device. For one reason mainly and that is their choice of RT Vs Pro. It is what Microsoft does all the time. They done it with Hotmail when it launched they had a premium version which was ridiculous it only offered a bit more space than a new company came along and offered for the first time unlimited space that blew Microsoft out of the water. Oh the company was Google.

They done it with Xbox 360 having a "arcade" / "core" model which had no hdd.

Surface would be a good device if they had one model and it ran full windows not some crappy half version. People want a windows device to run windows. I thought they might have realised that with Surface 2 but sadly not.

Apple keep things simple with their iPad why can't Microsoft.

BTW I own a number of Microsoft devices. I am however not a fan boy I can tell when a company does something wrong.

[n4rc]

I dunno.. I have a coworker that loves his.. I played with it and liked it even if I wouldn't buy one..

That's all I can go on..

[hollabox]

For a new generation of consoles why so many doom and gloom articles? Hack writers talk about only being one console in the future like Sony, MS, or Nintendo would just develop for one system using their top end software. On top of that this previous generation hardware sales are over 260 million and counting. If any system is in trouble of going its probably Nintendo, not because of money they make plenty off the 3DS but with dwindling third party support and sales for the Wii U I can see them launching next gen sooner than anybody else.

Sony would probably be the first to go if anybody, I keep hearing they have money troubles, business credit score is slumping, 2-4 years left at their current level. But like the PS2, the PS4 is off to a great start and probably will save Sony again if they sell off some of their less profitable business ventures. MS would be the last to go in terms of money, but if they get some block head like Don Mattrick running the company as their next CEO then yeah I can see that happening based solely off an business decision.

[Dehnus]

Never count out Nintendo,they are only a Super Mario Bros./Super Mario Bros. 3/Dragon's Quest/Pokemon/Wii Fit/etc away from selling millions.

They have this tendancy to suddenly surprise people ;).

[hollabox]

Oh yeah, just saying some of these articles are ridiculous with this is the last generation, just one system nextgen, will this be MS last system, Nintendo should do software only, will Sony go bankrupt ect. They point out a couple of months out when software sales are on the decline. Next they usually say hardware/software is not as good as last year, never taking into consideration hardware/software over saturation.

Sony,MS release a new revision of their hardware and sale numbers go up until the new console revision over saturate the market again. On the topic of Nintendo I do think they will be the first manufacturer to release a new console again. I say 2015 is when they will either talk about their new console at E3 or N Direct, or release a new console if the software, marketing drought continues.

Updated

[SouthClaw]

I personally think Nintendo should give up on home consoles and develop their IPs to a single console or go multiplatform but still focus on their own handheld console. Microsoft and Nintendo would make a good match as a merger. Nintendo has the handheld market and Microsoft has the home console market.

I am really disgusted in the way Sony has behaved this generation. They are too big headed for their own good. They act like they are the best but people are very quick to forget all the problems they caused with customers personal data. Sony had to sell off a lot of assets to fund the PS4. I personally would like to see them lose their market share.

I would like to see a proper Google home console. I think they could do something amazing with home console technology. If Micrsoft sold their IEB division (that includes Xbox) I would like Google or Samsung to win and take Xbox to another level. Even if they both worked together. Google doing the software and Samsung doing the hardware.

I like the Xbox brand but I think it has lost its way within recent years I think it needs a lot of new leadership. I personally like entertainment apps on my console but I cannot see why Microsoft struggle to develop for both sides of the console the gaming and entertainment.

but I digress...

[hollabox]

I think Nintendo should not go the way of Sega. Sega software has become crap, even the all mighty Virtual Fighter and Sonic series no one really cares about any more. Sega is now known for bad movie based games, that usually receives poor review grades and only sells because of the franchise title.

This very same thing would probably happen to Nintendo as their fan base gets older and care less and less about their current franchises. Nintendo should release one more system, go back to the old N64 days and put some hardware might along with games that appeal to the masses instead of just their core gamers. Nintendo will kill their fanbase by releasing Mario with a green X in front or behind the title screen with the words licensed by Microsoft.

[ForgottenProphecy]

Naming the next Xbox is going to be a pain. Xbox Next?

[Fishy Fingers]

I'd like to see this generation come to a close quicker than the last, 5-6 years maybe. While cloud based steaming will improve, by the time it hits 1080p @ 60fps we will be clambering for 4k, hardware will continue to offer more than the cloud, so I expect another gen yet.

[Summons75]

Of course not, gaming systems make money and they're low maintenance so anyone can get one and enjoy games whereas PC is very very high maintenance making it very expensive (but worth it for those dedicated to it). Consoles aren't going anywhere and whoever thinks otherwise probably has something wrong with their common sense. Cellphone will never replicate the experience that consoles give and as much as the 3DS and VIta are liked, choosing between a 5" screen and a 30'+ screen (well we all know the obvious choice). Dedicated gaming handhelds are great for gaming on the go but in the home consoles and PC will always reign supreme. Please try and tell me how the start of this generation Sony, Nintendo, and MS have already sold a couple million of their systems and more are only in demand equals the end of days for consoles.

MS tried to change things up by making it a cable box too and that is going nowhere fast, on top of a lack of games announced and out it's holding the system back and they are struggling to keep up, not to say they can't if they focus back on gaming and less on the other junk nobody cares about.

Me and my friends always joked how Sony and MS always switch off on what they do. PS2 was slimmer than Xbox but the 360 was slimmer than the ps3 (not that it really made a difference) but last gen Sony started the generation by focusing on everything gamers don't care about and MS focused on game, then they switced and it's still continuing. Sony smashed out the gates this gen with full focus on games and less on the social stuff (even though they have a lot more than I'd care for) and MS is all about the cable box and facebook and not on games. Add to the fact that very few cable companies actually support the cable box feature of the xbone and few probably will... MS needs to shape up or it could be their last console while the others live on.

Time will tell and I hope they do keep making games.

[christocolus]

"on top of a lack of games announced"

I agreed with most of your points but the one i highlighted above isnt one of them. The xbox one isnt lacking games.its launch line up was good imo and ms has more exclusive games coming in this year..

Kinect sports rivals
Titanfall
Halo5
Sunset overdrive
Fable legends
D4
Fanatasia
,add that to the many third party offerings coming in too and you'll see why its not lacking. In an interview late last year Phil Spencer also said the company had alot more games to announce over various events this year,and to back up that claim there have actually been a lot of articles giving hints to multiple exclusive projects in development for the console from 1st,2nd and third party devs and ms has been hiring alot of late. I dont think the xbx one will lack games.

[truefan1]

Your post is quite ironic, you talk about focusing on games yet PS4 won't really have any until 2015. The same old rehashed games are their only exclusives for 2014. Also many xbox gamers including myself happen to love to cable box aspect of xbox, as well as kinect.

[RevXM]

I think consoles might cease to exist at some point and Pc and "Microconsoles" and smartdevices will take over and stream games like PS now.
But hopefully we will see atleast a couple more solid generations before that happens. although my internet should be good enough for streaming right now Im not redady to give up a proper console just over the night.

I suppose it could be compared to giving up cars to take taxi's or bus'es instead. Cars are expensive and sometimes less effective. Busses and taxis often have their own lanes where I live so they dont get stuck in traffic as much in big cities.

But my car is ready to go anytime anywhere and its outside my door all the time and it doesnt stop 10 places I dont need to be and plays the music I want, the seat is adjusted to my comfort and the ac too, I can bring whoever I want and stuff her full of groceries and things I want to bring with me. and Im driving it. I can take her to an empty parking lot and freak the hell out and burn some rubber or take her to a track. Im not as bound to the rules, flaws and conveniences of some system/company.

[curtis92]

Funny, at E3, with "the power of the cloud" they were saying this just might be the last gen for consoles...you know... since the cloud can make the xb1 4 times more powerful...

[Team_Litt]

Who was saying this might be the last gen for consoles?

[CynicalKelly]

This would be bad news for gamers even if you don't like the brand and are a big fan of Playstation.

Competition is fantastic and the only people who want to see the downfall of competition and a monopoly on anything are blind fanboys.

The competition forces Microsoft and Sony to fight over us by trying to offer us more. The 360 pushed the PS3 to become more and has encouraged things like PS+ to be born. In the same way, PS4 being such an awesome console is going to push Microsoft to do better to try to win people back.

Competition is fantastic, only a fool is ignorant enough to think that if Nintendo is left as the only competition that gamers won't lose.

[christocolus]

Thats great cos i would definitly like to see and own another xbox, would be great though if ms and sony made a console together.lol. may never happen but damn that console would be the best at everything.

[JBSleek]

Next generation will likely be the last one of traditional consoles.

[BG11579]

Unless Microsoft kills it first with Micro-transactions, DRM, TV-TV and other commercial shenanigan...
The only reason why Xbone doesn't have DRM is because the competition didn't go for it.

[ziggurcat]

what's the deal with these idiotic "last console" articles?

they're not going anywhere anytime soon, so you can stop making yourselves (by "yourselves", i mean the authors of these stupid articles) look like idiots.