Microsoft has announced some very lofty goals for their next console, the Xbox One. In a recent interview with the OXM, Microsoft’s senior VP of Interactive Entertainment Business Yusuf Mehdi said that combined with Sony’s PlayStation 4 and Nintendo’s Wii U, he expects to see over 1 billion consoles sold. To put this into perspective, that would mean that 1/7th of the world’s current population would have a next generation console.
Check out what he had to say below.
“Every generation, as you’ve probably heard, has grown approximately 30%, so this generation is about 300 million units. Most industry experts think the next generation will get upwards of about 400 million units. That’s if it’s a game console, over the next decade. We think you can go broader than a game console, that’s our aim, and you can go from 400 million to potentially upwards of a billion units. That’s how we’re thinking of the Xbox opportunity as we go forward.”
In addition, the giant global corporation expects the sales of the Xbox 360 to continue for another five years, with the hopes that their current console will hit 100 million units sold. Microsoft has stated that they will continue to support the 360, with a large E3 announcement for the system on the way. However, it’s going to be hard to support a console if most third party developers have moved on.
Overall, as impressive as these numbers are, this seems to be a case of a company setting their goals far too high. With the current economy, the thought of purchasing a new, expensive console is a serious decision for most gamers. Plus, with all the bad press the Xbox One is getting about its used game policy and always on Kinetic, Microsoft is going to have to really impress gamers and critics alike at this year’s E3 if they hope to be a top contender this holiday season.
