I will have to agree with you on this.  I'm surprised they haven't cut the price.  I'm wondering what they are waiting for?

There may actually be some truth to the assertion that MS needs to consider announcing a new console.

Think about it. The reason why the Wii got left out so much was that it was too "different" from the other systems.

Now consider the comparison between 360, PS3, and Wii U. 360 is the weakest of the systems. It uses DVD when the other two both use BluRay-size discs (this isn't an issue of cost, it's about consumers having to switch discs part way through a game). The best it can do for touch controls is SmartGlass (which lacks buttons), while PS3 has Vita and Wii U comes with a touchpad controller with standard button layout. It has a motion control system based on a depth-detecting camera (without buttons), when the PS3 has a motion-sensing wand with buttons and the Wii U has the Wiimote.

It has pay-to-play online where the other two both have free online. Its install base is concentrated mostly in America (meaning anything not targetted at America is risky) whereas the PS3 has (and Wii U almost certainly will have) a broad install base across all three regions. Let's not even get into DirectX. And then there's name recognition - everyone knows the Wii. Everyone knows Playstation. Both words have been synonymous with gaming at some point in the recent past. "Xbox", not so much.

In short, if one of the platforms is going to start being ignored, it'll be the 360. It won't be as bad as it was for the Wii, but I wouldn't be surprised if a few A-level games (not AAA, yet) are revealed to be PS3/WiiU. And I don't think MS can afford to moneyhat the problem away.

Sony, of course, can't afford to be showing off a new console any time soon. They're stuck where they are, and right now they need to focus on leveraging what they've already got. They're in the riskiest position, but they need to stay the course. Of course, if MS does announce a new console, Sony will be forced into a really tough position... especially if the new MS console is comparable to the Wii U.

In bold- That's for practically all gen. Third Party support has always been crucial and both 360 and the PS3 have it in abundance. 360 is ahead due to savvy business decisions and marketing + games like Gears and Halo both of which are very popular in the States where the 360 has a considerable lead.

MS will wait after the holydays before announcing the nex Xbox. If it's not to be available the same year they will not announcing it.

Sony could wait yea, but they're a company that makes/lose money so when MS says now's the time for next gen systems to release Sony will follow.

im pretty sure one blue ray disc is more expensive than even 4 dvds.

A more appropriate thread title would be sony is desperately praying that microsoft waits as long as possible to release the nextbox, because they know they can't let what will likely be another "hd twin" get a jump on their console again. Especially considering how much weaker the playstation brand is now than last gen, and how much stronger the xbox brand is now than last gen. And they sure as hell don't want to launch a console that will initially lose them a lot of money any time soon.

Also I think microsoft will pretty much ignore Japan next gen. Microsoft secured exclusive rights to a ridiculous amount of jrpgs in 2007-2008 and it didn't help them much. Money would be better spent trying to better appeal to continential Europe and the emerging markets. Especially considering how the 360 is no longer even sold in big retailers in japan. I think that further hurt the brand's image, and its successor will be considered a niche product that could get discontinued at any time.

Sony isn't good the console needs to be out! We need the ps4 soon I say.

It's not about technology, the generation has just lost momentum. It is time, time to let go, move on, and become men.

It's not the cost of the disk that matters. It's a pain in the ass to split the game up and/or find new ways to compress or cut down on assets to make it fit. However that's not going to stop a developer from releasing games on the 360. You simply still won't see the extra space being used on the other consoles.

Japanese games might not bother with the 360 anymore and go for ps3/wiiU, but western developers will keep making their games for 360 first and porting to ps3 and maybe wiiU.

They both can't afford to wait too long. If the WiiU becomes too popular it might become the lead platform and then the ps4 and Xbox3 will be stuck with the ports. Sure the games will probably run smoother on those systems but if the wiiU can keep up we'll get the same situation as with ps2 and xbox, and only exclusives will use all the power of the new systems.

DVD seems to have worked out just fine. It loads faster then PS3 and multiple disks are few and far between.