Speaking in a recent interview, Microsoft entertainment executive Robbie Bach said that it is “too early to tell” if the company will debut its next-generation console ahead of the competition, as it did with the release of the Xbox 360 in 2005.

Too early to tell. Our view is we will be selling Xbox 360 for a long time. We are always working on new technologies. We have people working on those. People ask me how many people I have working on the next generation. On the one hand, it’s everybody. On the other, it’s nobody. People are continuously working on new technology.

Looking at the numbers, has going in first helped Microsoft this gen? It’s hard to say. The 360 has without a doubt performed better sales-wise than the Xbox and thanks to the early launch, is outpacing the PS3 by large margin in North America. On the other hand, rushing in first has caused problems, most notably the whole RROD debacle, which could have been avoided with additional hardware testing before launch.

Interview with Microsoft’s Robbie Bach, part 2, on Xbox 360 [Venture Beat]

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