Post Orwi: Can the Xbox Wait Until 2015 for a Refresh?

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You may have already heard or read about the exclusive story that ZDNet's Stephen Champman posted this morning regarding the next version of Xbox gaming console from Microsoft. In a confidential image from a designer which is said to be working with Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business division, the image lists at the top the words:

Microsoft Xbox: Confidential / Collaboration with Microsoft's IEB Design group investigating future user experiences and hardware for 2015. *Work samples only permissible in person.* (March 2011)

The picture itself (see below) reveals absolutely nothing substantial (at least to me it doesn't). It may be some obscure part of an early Xbox "Next" design mockup or it could be a close-up of a Kinect device which is already a part of the current gen consoles.

xbox 2015 Can the Xbox Wait Until 2015 for a Refresh?

Image Credit: Ben Peterson's Portfolio via ZDNet

Microsoft has been pretty clear that they had always planned on stretching the life of the current Xbox console for approximately ten years, but is that too long to wait for another hardware refresh?

Based on current gaming trends and the ability for Microsoft to continue adding to the current Xbox experience through the Kinect and Xbox LIVE services, I'd say they can probably hold off most gamers for a few more years, but if Nintendo or Sony beat Microsoft to the punch and move to their next console version, things could get sketchy for Xbox sales.

In the end, I think 2015 might be a reasonable target for the next Xbox version and it will give the market time to decide where its going in terms of Blu-ray and 3D. Games have been progressing in terms of graphics at a much slower rate than they used to, so newer, quicker hardware cycles aren't as important as they used to be. What do you guys think? Are you gamers willing to wait until 2015 for the next Xbox or might you jump ship if Sony or Nintendo bring something substantial to the table much sooner?

Image Credit: Ben Peterson

Source: ZDNet