Wasnt there a rumor of another redesign PS3 to be released around the release date of the Wii U in hopes to steal some of the thunder? So maybe a redesign 360 isnt that far off either?

This is just Pach being Pach. M$ will not be launching another redesigned 360 anytime soon... the only thing that may change over the next year is some of its internal components, which M$ has been doing almost every year since its release with new chipsets and such.

And while he's right that the NextBox isn't coming out in 2012, he's also nuts if he things M$ is going to wait until sometime in 2014 to launch it. Holiday 2013 is where its at... he probably just doesn't want to say it for fear that M$ will get on his case because so many other business people in the industry do listen to him when it comes to the financial aspects of his analysis.

It's like when he said almost every year for the past 3 years that Nintendo was going to put out a "Wii HD"... I mean you knew eventually they were going to make an HD console, but Pach couldn't come right out and say it was gonna be all new, so he just throws out half-truths like it being an updated or redesigned Wii with the ability to output in HD. Of course, Nintendo did recently release an updated / redesigned Wii that dropped things like built in WiFi and GC backwards compatibility... the point being that Pach isn't just going to come out and tell you that Sony, M$ and Nintendo are planning on doing x y and z and spill their entire business strategies, because they'd revoke his "insider" privileges in a heartbeat. So instead he always pussyfoots around the issues and throws out half-truths so that if you read between the lines you can almost pick up on what he really means.

This. A new xbox is more likely than another upgade. It's not like the current slim design isn't selling....

With Pachter saying no neXtbox in 2012, are you ready to just admit I won the bet. ;)

A remodel like that is even more unlikely then the next box coming in 2012 because if they did a remodel like that then they would be effectively cutting off their entire user base and at that point it would make more sense to just release the next Xbox

"Microsoft is still selling a ton of Xbox 360s, and they won't replace the existing one until sales begin to slow."

If they would wait until they have significant slows, they would be in big trouble. A company like Microsoft has to react, if their product peaked or the technical development made progress.

Yeah I can see both sides of the new Xbox in 2012 debate, I'm leaning more towards it happening than not. I do not however take Pachter's "analysis" too seriously. Not just because it's fashionable to hate on him due to his track record but more so because I feel like he has an agenda with his "predictions". In this case I feel like he's trying to throw people off the scent of a new console in 2012. I'd like to think he could do better than this redesign/2014 bullshit story though.
Either way I guess I don't care that much 2012, 2013, however.

Good way to "increase" Windows 8 market share.

Well...

Xbox still selling lots, yeah right but is not selling fantastically.

I mean it does not have such a great margin on a dying out console such as the Wii.

A redesign every year with faster system and now upgrating to microsoft 8 and i think there will be nothing left of the original Xbox360 itself therefore we are actually having a new Xbox360 and we didn't even know.

At this point I will go for a redesign and powerized Xbox360 every year until 2013, massive price drop with thousands of new colours and slim version in 2014 and Xbox720 in 2015.


And finally MS will be put of the gaming market. Bye Bye!!!

Oh oh, I'm going to have to agree with Patcher here.

360 is still doing very well and MW3 shows that, despite the overall HW/SW slump in the industry the 360 can continue to sell strongly and support huge games sales.

My view is:

1) it is not MS's problem overall sales are down - that's down to the drop in Wii and Nintendo SW sales. MS has no obligation to release a new console to try and fill a gap left by a competitor.

2) MS doesn't need a new console to compete or remain relevant. The 360 and PS3 still define HD gaming and the Wii U is both an unknown and I suspect a fairly minimal threat. I don't see the millions on Live/360 switching to Wii U for CoD or Halo or online gaming anytime soon (ditto for PSN/PS3 owners as an aside)

3) A new console wouldn't help MS grow against PS3. MS is doing well in the Western market. It's in more diverse, less online mature markets that its struggling vs PS3. A new, more expensive model with even more sophisticated online requirements is no help in these regions IMHO and if anything would hurt MS growth outside US/UK and Europe and gift Sony/PS3 with more growth in those markets

4) while there is a hardcore on 360 who do want new console they are unlikely to jump ship for Sony/Nintendo anyway and will wait with MS. They want even bigger, better Gears, Halo, etc. and won't jump ship.

Personally I see little gain for MS in the big picture releasing a new console anytime soon. They are doing well and are in a relatively unthreatened position in their key markets. I expect MS to consolidate and entrench in all markets they can before releasing a new console Q4 2013 to launch with a holiday spike with Halo 5 and possibly a new Gears coming during 2014.