Xbox 360 support to last to 2016 with over 100 new games

If you're not getting a next-gen console, don't fret; Microsoft will still support Xbox 360 owners to 2016. Eurogamer reports that Xbox chief marketing and strategy officer Yusuf Mehdi explained during the Citi Global Technology Conference that the Xbox 360 should see over 100 new games before 2016. He stressed that the Xbox One launch would not be the end of the Xbox 360, and that the two can co-exist until 2016. 

Mehdi said, "If you look at 360 that platform lasted for seven to eight years and it's going to go for another three years. It's incredibly profitable now in the tail.

"We're going to continue to invest in Xbox 360, and the two devices can work in concert," continued Mehdi. "So it's not like the day we ship Xbox One your 360 won't work. We'll continue to support it."

Seeing as how there's tons of Xbox 360 owners, and there will be significantly less Xbox One owners at launch, it doesn't make sense to stop supporting a console that has 48 million Xbox Live members now. 

"We've seen our Xbox Live subscription service continue to grow. We're up to 48 million members now. We're shipping more games than we've ever done before. Those are things I look to to say, 'hey we can grow not just top line revenue but also profitability.'"

Yearly games like Call of Duty from Activision and Madden NFL from EA Sports will no doubt be among the games continuing to come to the 360. So that's at least four games — only 96 more to go…

You can follow Senior Editor Lance Liebl on Twitter @Lance_GZ. He likes talking sports, video games, movies, and the stupidity of celebrities. Email at LLiebl@GameZone.com