Could the new Xbox simply be Xbox 3?

By Cheapoz March 21, 2010 73 Comments

The marketing angles of the game industry get me all excited, so here goes my rationale behind a new Xbox naming convention. 
 
So there's rumours of a new Xbox slimmed down motherboard going around the web. Along with USB storage updates, it looks like something big is in the works, hardware-wise for Microsoft in 2010. 
 
Obviously Natal will hit later this year. Since its announcement there's been rumours that they'll be treating it "like a console launch", but now there's momentum behind the thought of a newer version of the console coming along too. So what to call it? 
 
The story goes that when naming the Xbox 360, Microsoft needed to include a "3" in the name, since it was only a matter of time before they'd be competing on shelf space next to the Playstation 3.  
 
So the new, slim Xbox needs a name that will reenergise sales but effectively sell the same hardware again. 
 
Why not Xbox 3? 
 

• The name Xbox 3 is shorter than the current name, matching it's slimmed-down form factor. 
• It actually will be the 3rd iteration of the external device, albeit very similar internally 
• The Name shares a relativity to the original name 360, helping drive the notion that the 360 and 3 will run the same games and devices, just one is newer! 

 
So what do you think? Did I just save Microsoft spending $100,000 with Futurebrand for a new name?

73 Comments