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No new Xbox in 2012 - Microsoft

Company's French marketing manager says Microsoft not ready to roll out new console this year, won't compete with Nintendo and the Wii U.

Microsoft won't release a new console in 2012. That's according to the company's French marketing manager, who recently told French website Le Point that Microsoft has no plans to compete with Nintendo and the Wii U this holiday season.

Don't expect a new Xbox <i>and</i> a Wii U this holiday.

Don't expect a new Xbox and a Wii U this holiday.

"What is certain is that there will be nothing new in 2012," Microsoft's Cedrick Delmas told the website (via Google Translate). Previous speculation pointed to Microsoft releasing a new console as early as this holiday.

Delmas added, "The cycle of the Xbox 360 is by no means complete," noting that the lack of price cuts for the system indicates Microsoft isn't ready to bring on the next console.

The marketing man also discussed Microsoft's position relative to Nintendo and the Wii U, which will be on hand at the 2012 Electronic Entertainment Expo and will launch worldwide by year's end.

"We are not here to deal with Nintendo, and they are not there to fight against other manufacturers," he said. "Nintendo has placed itself in a different cycle, they advance at their own pace, successfully as we have seen with the Wii, and now it is their turn to present their innovation."

As for the form and functionality of Microsoft's not-yet-announced console, the latest scuttlebutt suggests it will play Blu-ray discs and sport measures to block used games.

326 Comments

  • rarson

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 11:44 pm GMT

    @Vodoo

    "The PS3 is capable of better looking graphics"

    Based on what? From what I've seen, that's not the case (and analysis of the hardware doesn't seem to offer Sony any advantage, either).

    "As far as the hardware goes, the ps3 is more powerful"

    Again, what are you basing this off of?

    "nothing yet has taken advantage of its overly complex system cores."

    Are you a programmer? How qualified are you to make this statement?

    "On paper the ps3 is more powerful"

    I disagree.

    "The ps3 has the awesome blu-ray player"

    But that has nothing to do with graphics.

  • rarson

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 11:40 pm GMT

    @godzillavskong

    The Saturn was a 2D powerhouse! Many people forget the Atari Jaguar because it was so early, but it was also very good at 2D games. Saturn had it beat, however (though it brought load times that the Jaguar didn't have, at least compared to the cartridge games).

    "The PS3 reminds a bit of the Saturn, in it's difficulty to program for"

    Yeah, it definitely seems the PS3 is the most difficult to program for, although at this point, I would hope devs would be able to use the hardware efficiently.

  • Vodoo

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 10:55 pm GMT

    The Wii-U isn't even competing against the Xbox/PS anymore. It seems to have carved out its' own niche area of the game industry. The Wii-U is going after a different type of game playing experience, very similar to how the Wii did, generally for a younger audience. Microsoft and Sony are going into the high-end, home media device trend for teenagers/adults. They have machines that play hd games/movies as well as many other media services and are looking to place themselves as the central unit in the home to manage/play all of your media content. They will soon be competing with other companies that offer these services individually, while the consoles want to be all-in-one media devices. Nintendo likes to stick to game playing and how they can evolve it into something different and more fun. So I no longer feel Nintendo should be considered to be competing in the same market segment as Microsoft & Sony. Next gen seems like it'll further divide the big 3 into their own respective markets.

  • Vodoo

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 10:32 pm GMT

    To all of you arguing which console has better graphics ect.... I own both and have no alliance to either. The PS3 is capable of better looking graphics, if the developers have the time and are capable of configuring the system in such a way to accomplish the extra visual muscle, but has yet to show anything that would insinuate it's more powerful than the 360. As far as the hardware goes, the ps3 is more powerful, but again, nothing yet has taken advantage of its overly complex system cores. On paper the ps3 is more powerful, but in reality, they are on equal ground. Sony has always over stated the potential of their hardware with inflated statistics. The differences, if any, are so insignificant that only fanboy freaks would argue over them. The 360 hardware is being utilized to its fullest potential, while the ps3 is just being utilized, and the systems show equal products. For whatever reason, developers either don't have the know-how, or it's not worth the extra time it'll take, to push the ps3 to its' limits. The ps3 has the awesome blu-ray player, the 360 has the awesome online service fully integrated into the system itself. They both have positives/negatives, they both show equal results on par with their competitor. So stop the trivial arguments about such petty bs that noone cares about!

  • godzillavskong

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 8:14 pm GMT

    @moviequest14
    Where is this "fact" that claims the PS3 is more graphically powerful?? It does have some remarkable first party games, but graphically superior? I haven't seen anything on my PS3 that leads me to believe the 360 couldn't manage the same. KZ3 looks really good, not better than Gears 3 in my eyes. Maybe on par with Gears 3. UC2 has some of the best lighting and reflections, but still nothing that tops even the best looking multiplatform games, like RDR, or JC2. I guess a lot of people see things differently, but to say it is a "fact" that the PS3 is more powerful, I disagree. I really think both of them are quite equal.

  • godzillavskong

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 8:09 pm GMT

    @rarson
    Yeah, with the Saturn I remember watching a video about how it was created, and how , or why it failed here in North America. Yu Suzuki, one of Sega's best programmers stated that most developers can only get one of those processors up to speed, or maybe 1 and a half, therefore not being able to utilize the Saturn's full potential. He said most would rather port it over, just using one of those Hitachi RISC processors, hence the inferior port. Most arcade 2D games looked better on the Saturn though. The PS3 reminds a bit of the Saturn, in it's difficulty to program for, with it's SPU's and all, although Sony seems to have more stability then Sega had during that time.

  • rarson

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 5:34 pm GMT

    @junglist101

    I hated the decision to go with the Blu-Ray drive when the PS3 first came out. It added a TON of cost to the system and the move was made purely to force Blu-Ray adoption so that Sony could reap the benefits of owning the format. It was one of many decisions that Sony did to bungle the PS3 launch (and they bungled it pretty badly).

    But, I have to admit, it was the smart move in the long run, and they managed to turn things around rather quickly. Having Blu-Ray in the system from day one turned out to be a pretty big advantage, and just like the PS2 with DVD, putting it in the console drove prices down a lot. I still think they pushed the format a bit too early, but that was a difficult decision that had to be made due to the console life cycle (I do think that the initial price of the PS3 is a big reason the PS2 continued to sell for so long).

    Although, personally, I have no use for movies on discs anymore.

  • rarson

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 5:26 pm GMT

    @moviequest14

    That's why I said that it had "arguably the best graphics hardware of its generation". I imagine the limited disc capacity also hurt Nintendo in the long run.

    "Not only is it FACT that the ps3 is more graphically powerful..."

    No, it's not.

  • doomkiller97

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 12:37 pm GMT

    well i heard that it's gonna block used games but i think it's not true because if it is true than no one would buy the system but it's pretty cool that it's gonna play blu-ray

  • moviequest14

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 11:58 am GMT

    @buying1999: Not only is your 'opinion' extremely biased and obviously proving you as a fanboy but what you claim to be true is incredibly innacurate.Not only is it FACT that the ps3 is more graphically powerful..but it also has more exclusive titles (360 has...2 exclusive first party ip's?)..the only thing you said that could even be considered plausible is online and even then it is a matter of taste/preference and not fact.Go play with your Nathan Drake Voodoo doll until you get a statement that actuall can hold up.

  • junglist101

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 11:57 am GMT

    @buying1999
    That's sounds like what people who couldn't afford a launch ps3 would say. That added blu ray player sucks amirite?

  • moviequest14

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 11:49 am GMT

    @rarson : Though I see the point you're trying to make,xbox actually had the best graphics last gen (significantly so) though the gamecube graphics were no slouch.While I know the wii has technically ''better'' graphics..for the most part I like the graphics on gamecube better..some games like True Crime NY have better graphics than many wii games.

  • rarson

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 9:58 am GMT

    "And if you talk about the Wii, it was a Nintendo decision to not improve the graphics, what for me was a really stupid idea."

    I wasn't talking about the Wii, but since you mentioned it, you're wrong again because the Wii does actually have better graphics than the Gamecube (try playing a Gamecube game if you don't believe me). Considering that the Gamecube had arguably the best graphics hardware of its generation, a doubling of power isn't terrible, and the major benefit of the design is perfect backwards compatibility (if that's your thing). However, Gamecube games definitely suffered graphically from lazy ports and developers who targeted their games to a younger crowd.

    The Wii has sold a lot of hardware without being sold at a loss, so I wouldn't call it a "really stupid idea".

  • rarson

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 9:58 am GMT

    @danielmbg

    "Dreamcast was from the Sixth Generation, but it can't compete with graphics against the Playstation 2"

    You've got a screw loose if you think PS2 graphics are better than Dreamcast graphics. For starters, if you ignore all the bogus numbers that Sony threw around in the year before the PS2 launch (no doubt to prevent people from buying the Dreamcast), in practice, PS2 games and Dreamcast games push about the same number of polygons (probably about 5-6 million), only the polygons on the Dreamcast are WAY better-looking. Dreamcast can also do high-res and hardware anti-aliasing, both of which the "superior" PS2 can't do. Ports of Dreamcast games to the PS2 look TERRIBLE compared to the originals.

    "And Xbox 360, with you compare with a PS3, it's far worse in graphics."

    You're just plain wrong. The GPU in the Xbox is superior to the one in the PS3, and is much more customized for console graphics (the PS3's GPU is basically a cut-and-paste PC part). Sure, the PS3 can do good graphics, but it can't do anything that the Xbox can't do. Most of the games I've compared side-by-side look better on the 360.

    I can understand having a personal preference of one over the other (personally, I've always found Sony consoles' graphics to be quirky, but unique), but to state that the 360's graphics are "far worse" is just absurd.

  • rarson

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 9:43 am GMT

    @godzillavskong

    Not only was it more complicated, but it used an entirely different method of rendering polygons (ever notice how polygons on the PSX are composed of triangles while polygons on the Saturn are composed of quadrilaterals?). That made porting a whole lot more difficult.

    Doesn't change the fact that the Saturn still had more power than the PSX, despite the common misconception of the reverse being true.

  • dawnofhero

    Posted Feb 1, 2012 7:51 am GMT

    @buying1999

    That's simply your opinion and nothing more. See, I can do it too:

    "PS3 is the BEST console EVER made!" - dawnofhero

  • constantterror

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 9:24 pm GMT

    @buying1999 lol 360 sucks compared to ps3 what games do you have that are worth playing besides halo and gears. oh and as far as the online goes psn is better I don't lag out alot like live does.and for the record most of the 360 sales are due to people having to buy another console cause of rrod plus the ps3 will surpass 360 in about a few more months if you do the math its selling faster now.

  • BestJinjo

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 9:20 pm GMT

    I still can't believe some people fully believe that the Wii U will only catch up to PS3/360 in terms of processing power. Really people? The Wii U is rumored to have a Radeon RV770 GPU. That is at least 3 generations ahead of what's found in PS3 and Xbox360. While I don't think for a second that Wii U will be able to compete spec wise with PS4 / Xbox 720, Wii U will be far more advanced than any of the current consoles. Anyone who even mildly follows hardware would tell you that because the GPU power in PS3 and Xbox360 is only equivalent to integrated graphics today. Therefore, practically any GPU from 2010-2011 would be much faster than the GPUs of PS3/360. The question remains, will developers actually take advantage of this new hardware or will Wii U suffer the same fate of Dreamcast by launching too early and developers failing to take advantage of its capabilities? Also, it's possible that Wii tarnished Nintendo's reputation enough in the eyes of hardcore gamers, that it will be far more difficult for them to attract those gamers back EVEN if Wii U is extremely powerful, etc. Finally, it seems a lot of gamers are not yet ready to upgrade. Therefore, it seems one large reason that MS and Sony are delaying their consoles well into 2013-2014 period is becaus they want to time the upgrade path for current gamers. If the majority of gamers aren't willing to ugpgrade, it wouldn't even matter if Xbox 720 had 100x more power and sold for $399 because mentally they aren't ready. I am sure MS did a lot of focus groups and market testing to arrive at the 'most optimal' launch period.

  • garcia_jx

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 3:39 pm GMT

    No....the truth is that the n64 was a way better system than the playstation, but it did not sell as much as the playstation, unfortunately.

  • zell1 posted Jan 31, 2012 3:29 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    zell1

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 3:29 pm GMT (hide)

    The truth is, wii was always the better systems, its games just didn't attract to the typical hardcore gamer, who is limited to one type of game. Bootyholes

  • garcia_jx

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 3:24 pm GMT

    Je ne peux pas pendre pour le xbox.

  • Revenant_Evil

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 3:08 pm GMT

    I think Microsoft will announce something at this year's E3 and it'll be released during the holidays next year. I can't see Microsoft waiting too much longer than that. Especially if the Wii U turns out to be a phenomenal success.

  • Exodiouse posted Jan 31, 2012 2:34 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Exodiouse

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 2:34 pm GMT (hide)

    It's very possible, that there won't be a new XBox. Windows 8 may eliminate the need for a gaming console.

  • digi-demon

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 2:30 pm GMT

    Good - My 250gb Slim will do for now thanks XD
    Oh and if the console giants decide to remove used games/ and continue more hate towards the 'used game' option then they can forget about adding me in their next gen - well, both me AND my hard earned $$'s

  • clearocean04

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 2:22 pm GMT

    pretty obvious so i don't see the point of this article. we all know there is at least 2 years and at the most 4. there isn't much reason for them to jump to a new system anyway considering people still actively support the current ones unlike the wii which had no staying power since it was a fad. nintendo barely supported its own fricken system for goodness sake. the wii could of lasted longer if it had kept up on the franchises and had 3rd party support and better online.

  • JayQproductions

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 2:12 pm GMT

    They will announce a new console next year at E3 2013 then release it holiday 2014, they wanna see what Nintendo does with the Wii U and what people do and don't like about it before they make to many final decisions.

  • superdvd

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 2:05 pm GMT

    @buying1999 So tell me, how much is Microsoft paying you?

    But on topic, I agree with Delmas, I can't see the NeXtbox or the PS4 being released for another year or two at least.

  • Neo_Sarevok

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 2:04 pm GMT

    Only downside I have with this is it gives EA an excuse to pump out another awful 1-2 Madden football titles on the current gen without changing anything. It takes a console upgrade to convince them to do otherwise.

  • buying1999

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 1:51 pm GMT

    There's no need for a new console since the SUPERIOR console on the market is the Xbox 360. It's DOMINATION over the over priced internet ready blu ray player points out that the public knows a SUPERIOR true gaming console when they see one. SUPERIOR graphics, SUPERIOR online, SUPERIOR developer support, SUPERIOR games, SUPERIOR accessories (Not hd wii copies like the pathetic move). Why would they release a new console????? Keep up the royal butt kicking that you're giving the pathetic game machine impersonating ps3 Microsoft. BANG!!!

    "Xbox 360 is the BEST console EVER made." --John Carmack

  • kurtven

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 1:40 pm GMT

    @cellbuster
    Well where I live, there could as well be no support on Xbox Live, every time my friends contacted support, we always got an completely different answer to the problem, or they did not know anything.
    Also GTA: San Andreas showed on the Danish Xbox site, but not on the 360.
    So we decided to contact XBL support, they did not know anything at first, but a few weeks later, it will be released soon, and so on it continued. Today still no GTA: SA on XBLA :-(.
    So after several yeas of NONE support, my friends and I decided not to pay to those Thieves anymore.

  • Blitzkrieg129

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 1:09 pm GMT

    Suaron_x

    Microsoft isn't that stupid; requiring an online connection would be ridiculous. Just like on PC, you would have a game code that goes with your game and then you "register" your game to your console and/or profile. You may have an online connection initially required to register the game to your console and/or profile, but, it's very simple. This is what PC's have been like for years...get used to it.

  • Blitzkrieg129

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 1:03 pm GMT

    @Monson21502

    If Microsoft blocks used game sales, there won't be any more used game stores. Gamestop can't survive without its used game sales...it's how they make most of their money. Right now, Microsoft's sales figures are all based on new-game sales and new-console sales...they don't see any of the money made from used-game sales. Neither does Sony or Nintendo, for that matter. You might think that without used games the Xbox would fail...but Microsoft already doesn't make any money from used-game sales, so, what's the difference? They're just getting Gamestop out of the way and, actually, making more money for themselves. If anything, they're definitely not going to be losing any money.

  • dawnofhero

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 1:00 pm GMT

    Fine with me. PS3 and 360 have at least 2 more years left in them imo.

  • Blitzkrieg129

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 12:56 pm GMT

    @SuperSandwich5

    Microsoft couldn't care less about the used-game market. All of their current sales figures are from new-games and new-systems being sold. They don't see ANY of the money that Gamestop makes (or any other establishments selling used games). This would be a very smart, clever move by Microsoft, because here's all this money people are spending on used games, and now it's either going straight to Microsoft or just out of the way. They won't necessary gain a lot of money from this decision, but they definitely aren't going to be losing any.

  • 0_demo_0

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 12:54 pm GMT

    MS can take their time on perfecting the next console, I'm happy with my 360 as is.

  • AnGiTheGamer

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 12:53 pm GMT

    Actually better. Not ready to get a new Xbox and Microsoft doesn't really care about Nintendo. Their real rivals are Sony. There's no point in rushing things and I really don't want to waste more money. It only means they might work even harder with the 720. We'll see what happens.

  • Heinzman57

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 11:50 am GMT

    this blocking used game stuff is really starting to scare me. If all 3 systems do this i can see it being an issue. That better mean that the games are cheaper or else im moving to PC gaming for life. Though i realize PC games dont have used games but im fine with that.

  • SyedMoeed

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 11:15 am GMT

    yes Microsoft's only rival is Sony and if there is no new release from Sony,Microsoft won't rush things,same can go for Sony too.

  • GamerLegend10

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 11:08 am GMT

    @BryanParksSuper
    You are completely wrong, please do not talk about what you do not understand, this kind of thing happens all the damn time...it is actually very likely that the next xbox will have blu-ray, and not just because of rumors. I suggest that YOU get real, do some research & stop talking nonsense

    @zell1
    Its obvious to everyone here that you are the fanboy, stop with the BS and go rant somewhere else. This rivalry between fanboys is so stupid and it is really sad how you need to put others down just so you can reassure yourself that your system is better...why cant you just accept that people like different things and move on? there is no need to be so childish.

  • vought

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 11:05 am GMT

    Yeah, why talk about when your next console is arriving and tip off the competition? What, are people stupid? I've heard they will begin manufacture of the CPU by the end of this year. I doubt we'll hear anything about the next Xbox at E3 either. What, do people seriously think they'll talk about the next console in an open forum? "Hey Sony, Nintendo, OnLive...Here's what were doing in a few years!" No...no...this is a business people. Companies are in it to win it. They are not going to talk about company secrets to fulfill gamers wishes. Duh. Listen to my latest podcast about the Next Xbox, and I'll fill you in on "speculation". You can read between the lines.

    Dude
    dudegamer.com

  • Hvac0120

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 10:10 am GMT

    From what has been disclosed, it sounds like the Wii U is simply catching up to Xbox 360 and PS3 with slight enhancements. If this is the case, then there really is no need for Microsoft or Sony to get a new console out in the same time-frame. I have a feeling we'll see announcements from MS and Sony next year at E3 2013 with releases in either 2014 or 2015. There is a slight possibility that one or both of those consoles will release in holiday of 2013. Though I would keep that reserved only if the Wii U heavily affects sales on Xbox 360 and PS3.

  • garcia_jx

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 10:01 am GMT

    I see 2014.

  • OrNiGhTZ

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 9:53 am GMT

    heh that's okay , we still get to see it at least right

  • monson21502

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 9:50 am GMT

    next gen RROD would be a upgrade compared to what blocking used games would do to system sales. there is no reason that a idea like that could make sense unless they plan to sell games starting at 29.99 at thier launch instead of the normal 59.99. but even then it would turn away alot of gamers that like to trade with friends or like to rent games alot. i guess then can opt to have a in house rental store and in house trade in offers that lets people trade in their games for another game they would want at a small cost. but yeah like i said i just dont see any way a no used game game system can work. i still think this is all a bad rumor to to buzz kill the next box. but we will see

  • monson21502

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 9:39 am GMT

    i could see both ms and sony waiting a full 2 years after the wii u`s launch. since the wii 2 is bascily what the wii should have been power wise. that way the parts needed to make the next or ps4 will be alot cheaper to get and they will be able to launch their systems for 299 or less from the start and still get profit.

  • steve4123456789

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 9:19 am GMT

    @deadkingdg Sega Saturn.

  • steve4123456789

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 9:18 am GMT

    What p u ssies. There goin to try, and do a ps2 on them like they did with Dreamcast.

  • blaket81

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 8:21 am GMT

    I heard that the nextbox won't really block used games as much as just won't be able to play them. I heard that ALL games for 720 will be cloud, meaning you download them and they are not on disc. If this is true, if it has a blu-ray drive it will only be used by the system for watching movies.

  • TC_Squared

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 8:04 am GMT

    I'm not surprised. They would have already been talking up a storm about it if they were going to release it this year.

  • Suaron_x

    Posted Jan 31, 2012 7:24 am GMT

    Blocking Used Games

    IMO, Microsoft should abandon any efforts to outright block used games on their system and should instead focus on the Gold rewards earned by achievements. If per say they allow the Gold rewards to be earned once (as tracked by an online account), then all future achievements from the same game will not accumulate Gold. Prohibit offline accounts from earning Gold rewards. Now most/many used games can not be used for purchases on XBox Live. Used games will have a much lower value without the ability to generate Gold. Assuming 1,000 Gold = $10.00 US the $5.00 US you save buying a used game is now no longer worth the expense. Further, I think the consumer base will not react as harshly to Microsoft/XBox with this kind of used game control. Outright blocking of any used game will likely require an on-line connection to play the XBox (which will deter a great many potential costumers). Further, I'm sure the blocking controls will have some serious bugs (what microsoft product hasn't had them) and I'd bet there would be mass chaos when legally purchased games start getting blocked because the XBox suddenly deemed them as used.

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