So does this mean the next Xbox console won't be released for at least another two years? Because this would seem like a strange offer if the replacement for the 360 came out in the middle of a bunch of people's contracts for it, at least for the people that signed up for contracts when it was first offered.

It's depressing to hear these stories where any passion and enjoyment in making a game seems to be overshadowed by the obession of the companies in charge with making as much money as possible.

Good article, this brings up some valid points that are easy to forget about sometimes if you're not a reviewer. I'm glad the review team here is trying their hardest to write reviews that are relevant to the consumer by experiencing the same end product instead of earlier builds of a game. While I think moving into the era where games can be updated instantly via patches and downloadable content has done some good things for improving the quality and experience of games, it clearly also makes the review process much more complicated, which is unfortunate.