Just a thought...

What if MS would bring its new console on the market this year?

Some questions:

1. What kind of console MS should release?

2. Wouldn't that be like killing blow for PS3?

3. Wasn't finishing/making Sony go away the first thing why MS got into console business and is it still agenda of MS?

4. What would Sony do?

5. Can MS release its console this year?

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1. I think MS should make console that costs less and produces more than PS3. So cranking up video card and including some mem would do it. How about DVD and its restrictions? Well, I think it would be wise to MS to license some procedural content generators like ProFX for use of next XBox. It would ease burden of development and it would make DVD as a gaming media large enough. Also it should be completely compatible with X360. They could sell same software for X360 and for next XBox. With just some patches devs could be able to crank up resolution up to full HD resolution and even achieve 60 fps.

2. More or less. Of course it wouldn't die on the day MS would bring its console, but it would lose a lot of potential customers. And probably enough to Sony make only incredible amount of loss with PS3.

3. I have mixed feelings about this one. Yes, MS surely is after larger market share, but I am not sure are they trying to just make profit or are they sticking in their original plan.

4. I don't really know. It would be very uncomfortable situation for them as PS3 seems to be the bastion where they are retreating at the moment.

5. If there have been any development before this(and I guess there has), MS could rush its console to the market.

(No this isn't Sony is doomed! I am Sony hater, see how I spin stuff! ... Whatever thread... Just discussion about thing that 'could' happen. PS. This is so stupid how you have to include things like this. Its beginning to be like with those Muhammed pictures. If you draw something that might be Muhammed you have to make it clear that person isn't Muhammed. -.-)

Edit:

I did forget backwards compatibility.

Well i dont think MS would release a new Xbox this early,because it would take marketshare away from the current 360 and what not,not to mention Sony could release a more powerful PS4 in the coming years and everything would be wacked out!

it would be a big surprise to everyone and probably not be good sales wise, all the devs working on 360 games (unless the new xbox is compatible) would be s.o.l and most likely switch to ps3 exclusive, it would be a horrible and utter mess for microsoft not sony.

So really you are suggesting that Microsoft do what Sega did. yh sure we all know how that one turned out.

Why on earth would MS spoil the 360's momentum now? If anything, they'd be "finishing" the 360. "Here, buy or new console, out last one is already inferior this gen and we barely want it past the original x-box in lifetime sales."
That would be the strangest strategy ever and would probably benefit Sony and Ninty more than MS both immediatly and in the long run imo.

Well maybe they'll urge Sony to release so many consoles they'll got bankrupt? (Like a new one each 3 years or so) :p

But honestly it would be bad for the industry if Microsoft was really aiming for a 4 year lifecycle... I definitely wouldn't buy the next Xbox then as I usually wait for consoles to drop to a reasonable price.

id say fall 2010 would be a batter launch window.

360 would be 5 years and would stick around for at least another 3 (8+ life cycle, not bad at all).

PS3 would seem antequated and its lifespan will be cut short.

WIll get a jump start on PS4 but unlike this gen, SOny wont have immense PS2 brand loyalty to save them.

Forward compatibility is the key.

If Microsoft can get this sorted, get the developers working it into their games, then it basically means that a new console would not kill off an old console.

It would hurt MS a lot.
If they just brought out a new and improved edition rather an entirely new generation like say the X720 it would be better.
Like what Ninty's done with the DSi and Sony with the PSP 3000.
Now that would hurt Sony I think. Until Sony brought out the PS3 slim that is.

Well, it could be done, but it would restrict quite much what you could do with new version of console. For example 256MB ram vs 1024MB+ ram. Of course you could tailor game to work on both systems with some nice addons(like better resolution/gfx etc.) on new console, but that would need larger medium... or procedural methods for content creation.

Anyway, Halo 3 is already rumored to be in development for X720(As you know, or don't know. :) ).

http://blog.mlive.com/xbutton/2008/08/halo_4_rumoured_as_xbox_720_la.html

@Spankey

Thats quite much what I ment. It would be just like original X360, but with more mem and better GPU.