Microsoft told Pachter their E3 focus is on services over games

[Dodece]

Odd where others see doom and gloom. I see only supporting evidence for the stealth launch conjectures, because this is exactly what they should be doing in that scenario. This conference would be both the swan song for the old platform while dovetailing into the new platform at the end. The operating system would thus be the rational focus for their conference, because it would obviously be a unified experience capable of running on either machine.

I can sense that some of you are percolating objections at this point, but please hear me out. A stealth launch is not a data dump up front. Instead it is a whetting process. They will give out only enough to get people interested then they spend the rest of the year giving out bits and pieces to keep people interested, and to get people more excited about the new console.

You see if someone told me Microsoft was going to showcase a lot of games at this conference then I would go with the obvious logic, and say the 360 has one or two good years left to go. One year could be argued just to be a off year where development isn't synched up, but two years now you got serious evidence that the console is in fact in cruise control. While the majority of the effort is being marshaled elsewhere.

It isn't just this mind you that makes me think the new console is coming this year. There are a lot of things that make me think this. A much delayed price cut, silent first party studios, market saturation, and the position held by Nintendo as far as launch windows are concerned. Everything points to a stealth launch of a new console. Hell it would be a fantastic way to get a serious tactical edge against the competition. Sony probably cannot afford to match such a launch, and if they can get a hype train going Nintendo could end up forgotten.

Anyway like I said this would be in keeping with a stealth launch scenario. Besides does anyone expect to not see the new console this year. Be it a short time table or a long time table. Does anyone seriously think that the early launcher is going to leave the field uncontested for a solid year. I understand how some might think Microsoft is run by idiot, but seriously do you think proactive has suddenly become cowardly and lazy or suicidal.

Anyway my two cents.