Next Console "Years Away," Says Microsoft U.K. Boss

We may be fast approaching the five-year anniversary for the console's launch, but Microsoft still hopes to wring a few more years out of the Xbox 360's life cycle. In a recent interview with Xbox 360 Achievements (via CVG), Xbox U.K. director Stephen McGill gave his thoughts on when we'll see the next console from Microsoft.

"Well this generation is here for a long, long time," McGill said. "I think there's still a lot of legs left with the Xbox 360, so we're years away from contemplating what comes next."

He added, "With Xbox 360 we constantly innovate with the current console you have, through extra services on Xbox Live that we can pump down the service, then obviously with Kinect; that's a massive game-changer for the industry, transforming what entertainment in games can be for friends and family."

McGill also rebuffed assertions that the lack of a blu-ray drive would become a hindrance for Microsoft's current console. "I think people now recognize what a smart decision it was to keep the pricing low, and actually blu-ray is going to be passed by as a format," he explained. "People have moved through from DVDs to digital downloads and digital streaming, so we offer full HD 1080p blu-ray quality streaming instantly, no download, no delay. So, who needs blu-ray?"

Microsoft will release its controller-free motion-sensing device, Kinect, on November 4 in the United States. The company aims to use the $149.99 gadget to significantly extend the life of the Xbox 360 beyond the usual five-year hardware cycle.

Src: http://www.1up.com/news/next-console-ye ... -microsoft