New Xbox Series: Hints at Codename "Keystone"
The codename Keystone is now making quite a stir in the Xbox community. Is a new Xbox Series on the way? Is there a new accessory? There is a lot of speculation about what hardware the Redmond business is working on. However, it is not impossible that the project has already been abandoned.
Microsoft may be working on a new Xbox, according to rumors. There is an N, F, or whatever you choose in addition to the Xbox Series X (Anaconda) and S (Lockhart). The codename is supposed to be Keystone, and it follows other Xbox codenames such as Scarlett. The hints originate from data collected from Microsoft. In any event, the rumor mill is now churning.
Of course, Keystone may be another console model. Perhaps one will follow. Perhaps one that is already in place. Perhaps it's a mid-season upgrade, as the previous generation had. It will also include an Xbox Series X without an optical drive, which may be a little less expensive. Since the release, Microsoft will almost definitely have gathered some data on drive utilization, which will make it easier to make decisions.
It's also possible that these are extras. It's a Microsoft habit to issue hardware code names throughout the design phase, which are subsequently occasionally used publicly.
Project Natal, for example, was a camera and motion sensor combination that later became known as the Kinect. Durango was the codename for the Xbox One. Meanwhile, no one dares to develop a VR headgear Because Microsoft has issued a categorical denial, though things can always change. Some speculate that the code name alludes to ecology that ties the Xbox world together.
Microsoft will sell 2.35 million Xbox consoles in Japan in 20 years
Microsoft has not revealed any sales data for Xbox consoles in some years, and their annual report only mentions the number of active users in the Xbox Network, formerly Xbox Live. If you want to know how many consoles Redmond has sold, you'll have to rely on surveys from other sources. According to the market research journal Famitsu, Microsoft has sold 2.35 million Xboxes in Japan over the last 20 years, not just in the last year.
The Japanese stand by Japanese products like Sony's Playstation 5
The Japanese are widely regarded as brand loyal to domestic brands. In the video game industry, for example, these are Nintendo and Sony, whereas international producers are finding it difficult to build a foothold in the land of the rising sun. Much popular game series, such as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Gran Turismo 7, come from Japanese production houses and are only accessible for Nintendo systems or the Playstation, therefore fans prefer to use the appropriate consoles.
While around 8.8 million Xbox Series X|S were sold in 2021 alone, things are not going well in Japan. For instance, Sony sold over 13.5 million Playstation 5 devices last year, while the Nintendo Switch sold over 25 million units.
According to Famitsu, with 1,616,128 units sold, the Xbox 360, introduced in 2005, is the most successful Microsoft system in Japan. So far, 142,042 Xbox Series X|S consoles have been sold in Sony-Land. With 271,149 copies sold, Dead or Alive 3 for the original Xbox was the best-selling Xbox game in Japan, followed by Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope with 208,512 copies and Tales of Vesperia with 204,305 copies.
As Microsoft just admitted in court, you don't make money by selling consoles; you only make money by selling games, because Microsoft receives a commission for each console game. A subscription to the Xbox Game Pass, for example, also contributes to Microsoft's bottom line.
