Microsoft Posts New Hardware / Xbox Related Jobs: What's Next?

So, what's Microsoft up to? Isn't that a question that you'd love an answer to! Rumblings have been all over the place lately, with "Ventura" targeted as a replacement for the Zune, a future Windows Phone 7 update possibly pushed out, and now, lots of new hardware development jobs. Microsoft has just listed a handful of Xbox-related job listings on LinkedIn, and one has to wonder: why would you hire a load of Xbox engineers when the 360 has been around for a good while, and is pretty seasoned as-is? Well, what is a new Xbox is coming?

The new listings have some very interesting language in them. Things like "responsible for defining and delivering next generation console architectures." That sounds pretty clear-cut to us; next-gen means next-gen, and we doubt the 360 will see another major refresh. At this point, Microsoft simply has to be looking to the future, meaning a new console altogether. It's obviously impossible to tell how soon the 360 will be replaced. But considering the age, it's not crazy to think that a new revision is on the way. But here's another thing: why hire a new team when the current Xbox team could just shift their focus?


Does this insinuate that something entirely new, in addition to the new Xbox, is in the waiting? Might Microsoft's hardware team be thinking of doing something radical? We'll have to sit on pins and needles waiting, but honestly, we're excited to do just that. Oh, and you might as well apply while you're at it!