Contrary to Microsoft’s last console launch, the company will continue to support its last-generation hardware long after the release of the Xbox One. Xbox chief marketing and strategy officer Yusuf Mehdi spoke at the Citi Global Technology Conference yesterday (via CVG), putting the concerns of those unwilling to take the financial dive this fall at ease.
"If you look at Xbox 360 that platform [has] lasted for seven to eight years and it's going to go for another three years. It's incredibly profitable now in the tail,” he said.
When the Xbox 360 made its debut back in 2005, the original Xbox almost seemed to disappear. All of Microsoft's marketing and software push went solely to the new device, but that doesn’t seem to be the plan this time around. There will be content to enjoy on what’s currently hooked up to your television, with more than 100 fresh pieces of software in the oven.
"We are going to continue to invest in Xbox 360 and the two devices can work in concert," he said. "So it isn't just like the day we ship Xbox One, Xbox 360 won't work, we will continue to support it. In fact, we are going to ship over 100 new games on Xbox 360, so you will still be able to play your games, just not on the same exact box."
The Xbox One, which hasn’t been rushed to release, will see a date unveiled today, but there’s still plenty of life in the previous hardware.