Gadget Quake

The last generation of games consoles was very different to what we have today and that’s not only in hardware, the latest games systems are apparently going to have a longer shelf life. The Microsoft Xbox 360 is being reported to have a 7 Year Shelf Life that will take it up to 2012. This 7 year life span was quoted from Shane Kim, the boss of Microsoft Game Studios and he said “we’re pretty confident the 360 will have a long tail” and went on to say “people will start saying that Microsoft missed a trick with not using Blu-ray. I just don’t believe that”.

The fact is Microsoft did make the wrong decision with HD-DVD, as it lost to Blu-ray but as Microsoft did not include this drive as a built-in option, can you really class it as part of the Xbox 360 plan? Many gamers have already said that the 360 has always been a gaming device first and foremost. Was HD DVD really part of Microsoft’s plan or are they going the IPTV and high definition video on demand route, as this could be a better choice than normal disc media with broadband speeds get better every year.

Microsoft have said they are not seeing any technical limitations with the Xbox 360, and I would have to agree it can easily last the full seven years, but surely the Sony Playstation 3 with its Blu-ray drive and Cell processor, will have a much better shelf life than the 360. What’s your view?