If the launch of the Xbox 360 taught Microsoft anything, it’s that sometimes being first isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. In order to beat Sony to the punch, the company rushed the console to market with serious fundamental flaws. As a matter of fact, out of the preliminary wave of Xbox 360’s, a staggering 52% were subject to the infamous Red Ring of Death – a technical fault that rendered the hard drive completely useless – within the first few months of release. Not only did this set the company back millions of dollars in warranty claims, it proved that cutting corners during the final stages of development was an unmitigated mistake. Financial pressure and audience demand will always exist, and after a 7-year console cycle, they’re almost overwhelming at this stage, but being first-out-of-the-gate for the next generation with a half-cooked console is something Microsoft need to avoid. Let’s face it, that would be like tossing a hand grenade without pulling the pin. Gamers want a reliable, sturdy machine that will last them for the foreseeable future.
Considering that the Xbox 720 will most likely be priced within the $400-450 ballpark, consumers deserve a product that has been means tested to the nth degree and is built with durable components.
Of course, the next Xbox, like its PS4 brethren, will most likely resemble a PC rig in terms of its internal architecture and therefore boast considerable computing power. With this in mind, pricing becomes a fundamental issue for Microsoft. The industry titan will most likely conceal the price tag for the Xbox 720 until this year’s E3, much like Sony, but given the increasingly dynamic state of the industry – as mobile and iOS games swell in popularity and the entry point to gaming is lowered –, launching at $500-600 simply isn’t an option. With rumours hinting towards AMD graphics hardware and an x86 processor, the Xbox 720 will have enough oomph to mirror the PS4’s capability – which is something that developers will also appreciate.
Experts have suggested that the Playstation 4 will release in October, which is a full month ahead of Xbox 720’s proposed release window in November. Microsoft got the jump on Sony in the last generation – albeit at the expensive of quality testing – and raced ahead in terms of global sales. However, the next generation will serve up a fascinating contest between the two industry juggernauts and this year’s E3 will only pour petrol over the already capricious fire. One thing seems to be for sure, though, that following the recent backlash from the gaming and tech press, Microsoft seems to be taking considerable time to calculate their next move – in fact, that’s probably why the company delayed the reveal of the Xbox 720 until May 21st.
Ultimately, though, time waits for no one and considering that E3 is less than 50 days away, this is an incredibly important time for the American software giant. But what else can they do to ensure theirs is a firm venture into the next generation?
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