The 360 Figures to Hang Around a Lot Longer than the Original Xbox Did

The Xbox 360 launched Nov. 22, 2005. Within two years, Microsoft unceremoniously discontinued its predecessor. The company expects the 360 to be with us a little longer this time.

Yusuf Mehdi, a senior Microsoft executive, told Official Xbox Magazine that the company has a goal for the Xbox 360 of reaching a 100 million-unit installation base. To do that, it would have to sell another 25 million Xbox 360 consoles, which Mehdi figures will happen over the next five years.

Moreover, Mehdi said the company expects to sell it to new customers "by hitting new price points, getting new classes of entertainment to come with the Xbox, and breaking into new customer segments."

For those keeping score, production of the original Xbox was discontinued in 2007. The last game for it, Madden NFL 09, was published in August, 2008. GameStop stopped accepting Xbox games and consoles for trade in February, 2009. That was seven years and three months after the console launched. (The Xbox 360 already is seven years and six months old.) Finally, Xbox Live support for the original Xbox ended in April 2010.

Microsoft aiming for 100 million Xbox 360s sold - and one billion next gen consoles [Official Xbox Magazine]

To contact the author of this post, write to owen@kotaku.com or find him on Twitter @owengood.

Kotaku

This Week in the Business: 'I Would Say, Hang on to Your 360.'

What's happened in the business of video games this past week ... QUOTE | "I would say, hang on to your 360."—Albert Penello, product planning boss for the Xbox One, talking about the genesis of the Xbox One and its lack of backward compatibility with Xbox 360 games.

QUOTE | "There has to be some concern that Microsoft is biting off more than they can chew."—DFC analyst David Cole, reacting along with other analysts to the Xbox One reveal.

QUOTE | "It wasn't about games, it was about a set-top box."—Andy Schatz of Pocketwatch Games, creators of Monaco, along with other indie developers talking about their reactions to the Xbox One unveiling.

QUOTE | "Activision is the master of diluting intellectual property value ... Call of Duty is at risk of being next."—Asif Khan, stock analyst, explaining why he is recommending that investors Hold, not Buy on Activision stock.

QUOTE | "Our anticipation is that generation 8 will be at least 30 per cent bigger."—Chris Lewis, Microsoft Europe's VP of Interactive Entertainment, talking about how the console market will continue to grow.

QUOTE | "I figured that question would come up; Microsoft has said they will support [used games]."—GameStop president Tony Bartel, responding to analyst questions about whether used games will work on Xbox One.

QUOTE | "I hope people weren't confused about games still being absolutely critical and fundamental to us."—Harvey Eagle, Xbox UK marketing chief, explaining that the Xbox One is a game machine despite the unveiling's emphasis on other features.

QUOTE | "We need to push ourselves and get away from sequels and rehashing."—Jeremy Pope, former manager of production on Grand Theft Auto titles, talking about where he thinks game design needs to go.

QUOTE | "Early Access is freaking fantastic for testing out a release without actually releasing."—Dejobaan Games' president Ichiro Lambe, talking about Valve's Early Access program on Steam.

STAT | 47.7%—Amount of new PS3 and Xbox 360 games in the US that are sold by GameStop; the company is hoping this number grows for Xbox One and PS4 software sales.

QUOTE | "The Ouya is for those who want the cutting edge, experimental or du jour content that wouldn't find its way to the console."—Designer and consultant Will Luton, explaining how he's come to think the Ouya will be a success.

QUOTE | "How does an idea become an immersive game experience?"—Jeremy Snead, director of Video Games: The Movie, talking about what led him to create this documentary.

This Week in the Business courtesy of GamesIndustry International

Image by Shutterstock

Kotaku