14 DAY TRIAL // Hardware manufacturer and software giant Microsoft has put out a number of job advertisements that hint at the possibility that the company is actively working on developing a new home console, a possible replacement for the Xbox 360.
A job announcement from Microsoft says that the company is looking for hardware engineers to work on a new project from “conception through implementation” and at least one of the positions specifically talks about “future platforms”.
The Interactive Entertainment Business is now hiring an Audio/Video Hardware Architect, Audio Architect and a Graphics Architect.
The “future platforms” element appears in the announcement for the position of Wireless DV Engineer.
The Microsoft job openings suggest that the company is working on a new model for its home console.
It's not clear whether it is aiming to redesign the existing Xbox 360 in order to deliver a better experience to users and decrease the price or whether Microsoft plans a whole new home console.
The Xbox 360 was launched in November 2005 and while successful in the marketplace it was initially affected by hardware failures, popularly grouped under the Red Ring of Death category, which some say cost Microsoft more than 1 billion dollars in warranty costs.
Since then, the Xbox 360 was redesigned and newer components eliminated the hardware issues, with Microsoft launching a slimmer and quieter version in 2010.
So far the home console has managed to sell better than the rival PlayStation 3 from Sony and was the only hardware to register an increase in units moved to customers during the month of January in the United States.
Both Microsoft and Sony have said that they are not currently planning new home consoles and aim to improve and expand the experiences that can be had on current hardware.
Analysts are saying that the biggest obstacle to a new hardware generation is the cost associated with research and development.