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Xbox 360 to have 10-year life span - Report

Microsoft executive Shane Kim says plan calls for current hardware to be on store shelves until 2015.

The original Xbox launched in November of 2001, and Microsoft stopped manufacturing the console in early 2006. Microsoft expects its successor, the Xbox 360, to enjoy a significantly longer life span.

Its days are numbered...somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,650 days.

Speaking with tech blog VentureBeat this week, Microsoft games division executive Shane Kim said the company believes that the Xbox 360 will enjoy a 10-year lifespan. The system originally launched in November of 2005, and Kim said Microsoft has projected the 360 life cycle to run through 2015.

The 10-year life cycle is Sony's long-standing goal for the PlayStation line of systems. Sony discontinued the original PlayStation more than 11 years after its debut, while the PlayStation 2 will celebrate its ninth birthday later this year.

According to one industry observer, this week's announcements of motion-sensing control systems for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 will help those platforms achieve such goals. Lazard Capital Markets' Colin Sebastian released a note to investors in which he said the new technology could provide the next big growth driver for the industry, as well as extending the current console cycle.

791 Comments

  • bluefox755

    Posted Jan 12, 2010 7:21 am PT

    rock on fanboys! cause everyone knows the that if you own a console, its clearly better in every way...lol

  • makavelli12

    Posted Sep 17, 2009 1:53 pm PT

    i dont know if its a blight but heell no i rather my 360

  • makavelli12

    Posted Sep 17, 2009 1:52 pm PT

    i love my 360 it never broke down were as my ps3 broke 2

  • george999819

    Posted Sep 15, 2009 6:03 am PT

    @DKHardee

    Not if you're talking about sales, game lineups, or online services, though. Or really anything, for that matter.

  • andalore

    Posted Aug 7, 2009 3:51 pm PT

    haha i thought it meant a single 360 could last you 10 years, everyone knows 360s arent built to last

  • DKHardee

    Posted Aug 5, 2009 1:22 pm PT

    PS3 is the greatest system by far

  • nuke_rochill

    Posted Jun 24, 2009 8:12 am PT

    xbox 360 rocks!!

  • MAR71N

    Posted Jun 23, 2009 8:59 pm PT

    Iv had my xbox 360 for 4years now and never had a problem with it.... but there are too many good games coming out for both 360 and ps3 4them 2even think about another generation of consoles.

  • Luiz_AF

    Posted Jun 19, 2009 6:42 pm PT

    huh..... I don't think that 360 will live thata long. Only if PS3 sales decrease a lot in the next years. I don't think that that will happen.

  • snooker8th

    Posted Jun 18, 2009 9:18 am PT

    yeah i really think 360 and ps3 should stay in the game for as long as possible.
    can't see much point in owning more powerful consoles yet...
    although i haven't know a person whose 360 has lasted longer than 2 years without dying, either rrod, harddrive or power supply issues.
    my ps2 is now officially dead, only because I spilled alcohol all through it

    i think Nintendo should release a new console and raise the standard a little.

  • ryaz_weaponx

    Posted Jun 17, 2009 8:24 pm PT

    kool.

  • JunkyMcMuffin

    Posted Jun 17, 2009 6:15 pm PT

    Thats good news, more power of a new system isn't necasary for better games (for now anyways). With the tech of current gen systems pretty much being sqeezed of all their juice, it will force developers to start being more creative and inovative. Not to mention there is no way I could afford whatever next-gen machine they would release...lol

  • Seiryu-617

    Posted Jun 16, 2009 1:02 pm PT

    I'd like to see these consoles last longer. I only just got my 360 and I'd be upset to see it end anytime soon. And a longer lifespan would also give me the chance to get a PS3 before they make it obsolete.

  • DXnickP

    Posted Jun 14, 2009 11:10 am PT

    I bought the original Xbox back in 2003. I was a little surprised that the 360 came out 4 years after the originals release, and I had invested quite a bit of cash in it. I bought a 360 at launch and would definately like to see it last until around 2015.
    I'm thinking about getting a PS3 because there are some exclusives that interest me, but again, I'd like to have any investment I made last as long as possible.
    People can mention 'outdated technology' , but the PS2 continued to give us excellent games long after the technology was 'outdated'.

  • BoomStickJonny

    Posted Jun 11, 2009 7:48 pm PT

    Im failing to see where this "360 uses outdated technology" comes from?? and does anyone have any figures on game sales for 360 vs Ps3??

  • thanksforthfish

    Posted Jun 10, 2009 8:10 pm PT

    I don't mind this, I'm still enjoying my PS3 and have no desire to spend however many hundreds of dollars on a new system in the next few years.

  • bennae66

    Posted Jun 10, 2009 6:32 am PT

    besides im sure playstation fanboys arent complaining that a completely out of date ps2 is still going. or are they? *raises eyebrow*

  • bennae66

    Posted Jun 10, 2009 6:30 am PT

    amazing that people take such strong sides in this. i think the ps3 and 360 could last till 2015 but id secretly like the gpu to be upgraded on both units (yes BOTH since the ps3 gpu allegedly isnt as good as the 360's - tho the cpu is clearly superior) ive spent too much money on both my 360 and ps3 (yes i own both) to have them replaced tomorrow. bring on natal!

  • kavadias1981

    Posted Jun 10, 2009 4:10 am PT

    How can you give a piece of hardware a 10 year lifespan when said piece cannot physically last that long without needing replacing. I'll buy a 360 IF they re-design and build it to last, otherwise I'll just stick with my PS3 and Wii.

  • acemasta21

    Posted Jun 10, 2009 1:13 am PT

    PS3 4 THE WIN http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/09/ea-vp-says-the-xbox-360-is-maxed-out/#comments