Microsoft Talks Scorpio Plans as Nintendo Teases NX

Microsoft has not held back in talking about what its new Project Scorpio console means for the future of console gaming. At E3, Xbox boss Dave McCarthy said the new system "wipes out" traditional generational boundaries in that your Xbox One games will work on the new console, something that hasn't always been true for previous console cycles.

But on the other hand, come next year when Scorpio is released, might consumers be confused or frustrated by the options available to them? After all, Microsoft will simultaneously sell three different consoles: regular Xbox One, the Xbox One S (which comes out in August), and Project Scorpio. The systems will have different technical abilities and their price tags will likely vary as well.

Microsoft Game Studios boss Shannon Loftis said in a new interview that she doesn't foresee consumers becoming confused or frustrated. In fact, she said Microsoft is releasing new consoles in response to fan feedback.

"We're trying to shift the culture and put the power of when to upgrade in the hands of gamers, as opposed to it being driven by technology or a corporate initiative," she told the Associated Press. "I hope that we don't frustrate gamers. We're responding to them. The feedback we've received is that they want more choices."

Three different systems is nothing compared to the landscape in the PC gaming world, where you can basically buy a system with any configuration you want; that's in part the appeal.

For its part, Sony is coming out with a more powerful PlayStation 4, codenamed Neo, and faces a similar situation as Microsoft.

Also in the AP's story, Peter Warman of video game industry tracking group Newzoo said one of the reasons why Microsoft and Sony are releasing new consoles is to appeal to the "enthusiast" market.

"Our data suggests that gamers spend about $600 a year on game-related products," he said. "I'm sure Sony and Microsoft think they can sell 10 or 20 million more units--or even more than that--rather than just keep the existing hardware out there. The true enthusiasts out there will want the latest hardware."

Neo is rumored to launch this year, while Scorpio is pegged for holiday 2017. Another hardware-maker, Nintendo, will release its mysterious NX device in March 2017. Shigeru Miyamoto, who created Mario and Zelda, provided a teasing statement to the AP that suggests NX may offer something more than just a straight technological improvement.

"In terms of NX, there's an idea that we're working on," he said. "That's why we can't share anything at this point, and I don't want to comment on the other companies. If it was just a matter of following advancements in technology, things would be coming out a lot quicker."

NX is rumored to be a console/mobile hybrid that makes use of "industry-leading" technology.

You can read the full AP story here.