That same optimism has seeped its way into the opposition as now Microsoft is predicting that the Xbox One will last until at least 2023.
In an interview with GamesIndustry, Craig Flannagan, Microsoft Canada’s Director of Xbox Marketing said:
Many in the industry think that this generation will indeed last longer than the previous one - and may even be the last console generation ever. The real problem with these guesstimates is that a console’s lifespan is rarely in the hands of their makers - as much as they would like that control. Instead, a generation’s shift is often decided by competitors and the market. Gaming is in an increasingly complex landscape with ever improving graphical capabilities, mobile gaming, the re-emergence of PC gaming, and the Steam Machine (which is an upgradable console) all threatening the existence of standard ready-made systems. Could there still be space for an Xbox One in ten years time? At least Microsoft seem to think so.
After a clumsy reveal and then a PR drubbing at E3, it is surprising to see how Microsoft has pulled around their ship ready for launch. Some analysts think that the Xbox One could even outsell the PlayStation 4 at release. According to Flannagan, they might not be wrong as the company is gearing up for the biggest ever hardware release - outpacing the Xbox 360 by over 2:1:
If the Xbox One is indeed doubling pre-order sales of the Xbox 360, Microsoft will undoubtedly be pleased with the turnaround in the console’s fortunes. With only a few weeks to go until the console’s release, it won’t be long until we have some hard numbers on how well both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 have done after the first hurdle.
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The Xbox One will be released worldwide on November 22nd 2013.
Source: Games Industy International
