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Xbox 360 may support Blu-ray on condition it wins the battle
Posted on 12/01/06 00:00 by Seán Byrne
While Microsoft was originally going quite strongly against the Blu-ray format, it seems like they may be finally deciding to go with the flow. Recently, Peter Moore, the Xbox 360's company gaming division boss has announced that Microsoft may possibly add Blu-ray support to its Xbox 360 later on. However, to start with, they will launch an external HD DVD drive later this year that will allow an Xbox to play HD DVD movies. As a result, this will mean that existing Xbox owners will not be left out.
When Sony decided to offer Blu-ray support for the upcoming Playstation 3 from the very start, they are taking quite a risk, since if for some reason Blu-ray turns out as a failure, their console could be put at a disadvantage. By Microsoft only supporting DVDs on the Xbox 360, they can wait to see how each format takes off and then give the consumer a choice on which to take on for their console. However, according to what Moore said with the Japanese website ITMedia, a Blu-ray drive will only be released if Blu-ray wins the battle, while a HD DVD drive will definitely be released regardless of the turn-out. Thanks to Herbert for sourcing the following news:
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Speaking with Japanese website ITMedia at the huge electronics show in Las Vegas last week, Moore said that a Blu-Ray drive for the Xbox 360 could be released if the Blu-Ray standard, which is backed by Sony, wins the next-generation DVD format battle. Microsoft currently supports Toshiba's rival HD-DVD specification over Sony's Blu-Ray, but the company uses standard DVDs for Xbox 360 games and will only support HD-DVD movies with the release of the new external drive later this year. The full story can be read here. |
While Microsoft appears to be taking a better approach by waiting to see which next generation DVD format wins the battle first, unfortunately the console is still at a disadvantage by being limited to the DVD-ROM's capacity for games. For example, even if Blu-ray fails to take off as a movie format, this does not mean it will fail to do well as a format for holding games. The original Playstation 1 done exceptionally well, yet it cannot play movies.
Feel free to discuss about the Xbox 360 on our Console forum.
Source: GameIndustry.biz
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Very poor HD DVD strategy for Microsoft to admit this!!!!
I wonder if Peter Moore 'slipped up' here??? 
Why would anyone want an external drive on a console? Come on...
If I really wanted to watch a movie on a Blu-Ray disc I would buy a dedicated player...StarGhost wrote:
"Why would anyone want an external drive on a console?".
I somewhat agree. Here are a few reasons I can see why someone would by the Microsoft XBox 360 HD-DVD external drive:
1. First HD-DVD to market. This is good if you have product (aka movies) to play. But nobody is going to by it if you don't have product.
2. Reasonable pricing. If the XBox 360 HD-DVD drive is a good buy compared to other HD-DVD players and you already own a XBox 360, then this could be the way to go for HD-DVD movies.
I am personally waiting until all of this has stablized (HD-DVD vs. BluRay, XBox vs. PS3). I believe that M$ has come out to early and that the lack of built in HD-DVD (or BluRay) support is going to hurt in the long run. I believe that the PS3 is going to do for BluRay what the PS2 did for DVD (When the PS2 came out it was one of the cheapest DVD players on the market and some people bought it for that reason, and it played games-BONUS.). I think M$ by tacking on a solution, which they seem to do a lot, will only confuse people and cause them to seek a simplified and intergrated solution (PS3 and BluRay). The only thing I really see as M$'s ace in the hole is XBox Live. This is what Sony needs to defeat.
Sorry for the rant but I think all the major players have forgotten the consumer. The manufactures are tring to make everything so proprietary (patents as far as the eye can see) that they are confusing the consumer. I know I'm confused and I'm a tech savy person. I wish they (manufactures) would pick one (HD-DVD or BluRay) and get on with it.
Again sorry for the rant.
1. Can't wait, so release XBox 360 with DVD drive.
2. Release external HD-DVD drive.
3. Release new revision of console that has a built in HD-DVD drive.
4. All (blockbuster) new games are on HD-DVD. Early adopters must buy the external drive. The DVD space problem is gone and MS got to launch a year earlier than Sony.
The support for HD-DVD were planned from the start but only to watch movies. M$ knows he simply cannot go out with a console that turn to be incompatible with future games for a different media format so the developers will stuck on the DVD format. But who cares? With the latest video codec supported by the 360 a DVD-9 or even a DVD-18 will be enough for the majority of the games, and we are all used in finding more than one disk on a few games.
To use a blue ray or HD-DVD for games packing it to full length will simply be a marketing move from supporters of this format driven by Sony who wants to use the PS3 as a lever to put a BD player in million of houses. The real battle is on movies and not on games…
Aspect to see an XBOX 360 with a built in HD-DVD drive or BD drive (just for movies) only in a future (at last 2008) hardware renew of the machine.
Before we surely need a bigger hard drive and probably we will see it soon…
i wonder if i can buy one and plug it into the comp ..... [provided that there are no other drives available and it's cheaper]
"I believe that M$ has come out to early and that the lack of built in HD-DVD (or BluRay) support is going to hurt in the long run."
Nope.
Few will buy a box based on the drive in it. You'll get the odd lunatic 
but he or she will be a rarity, mostly because there's no advantage to it this time because there's no meaningful product available. Game makers won't bite either - they'll want mass acceptance and so will use the lowest common denominator - DVD. They're not stupid enough to jump on a bandwagon without wheels either.
MS took a chance by shipping early - and it's paying off in spades. That's called brand recognition and early adoption and the product is indeed a superlative one. Any early glitches will be forgotten - that's very basic marketing savvy.
"I believe that the PS3 is going to do for BluRay what the PS2 did for DVD (When the PS2 came out it was one of the cheapest DVD players on the market and some people bought it for that reason, and it played games-BONUS.). "
A one shot deal in the market - CD was one of those too, which is why SACD and DVD-Audio are falling flat on their collective asses. XBox arrived later and still racked up significant sales. Also, the lack and expense of Blu-Ray titles and equipment make this a non-issue. Finally, the VAST majority of people don't have (and at those prices won't buy) video equipment that can even begin to take advantage of high-def. See above for game maker strategy. in short, this premise is completely invalid.
"I think M$ by tacking on a solution, which they seem to do a lot, will only confuse people and cause them to seek a simplified and intergrated solution (PS3 and BluRay). "
LOL - this one's very funny.
Um, no. The XBox360 is already modular by design with drive add-ins and this will be just one more. Big Hairy Deal.
"The only thing I really see as M$'s ace in the hole is XBox Live. This is what Sony needs to defeat."
Live online gaming with rental fees is THE future of gaming - period. Sony's late to that party which means they've already lost there. Naysayers will howl but time will prove this one out. Also, given the above arguments, none of the so-called "aces" in Sony's hole are actually aces. Looks to me that MS is holding more aces than Sony overall - by a healthy margin.
[edited by Roj on 12.01.2006 14:08]
but he or she will be a rarity, mostly because there's no advantage to it this time because there's no meaningful product available. Game makers won't bite either - they'll want mass acceptance and so will use the lowest common denominator - DVD. They're not stupid enough to jump on a bandwagon without wheels either.
MS took a chance by shipping early - and it's paying off in spades. That's called brand recognition and early adoption and the product is indeed a superlative one. Any early glitches will be forgotten - that's very basic marketing savvy.
"I believe that the PS3 is going to do for BluRay what the PS2 did for DVD (When the PS2 came out it was one of the cheapest DVD players on the market and some people bought it for that reason, and it played games-BONUS.). "
A one shot deal in the market - CD was one of those too, which is why SACD and DVD-Audio are falling flat on their collective asses. XBox arrived later and still racked up significant sales. Also, the lack and expense of Blu-Ray titles and equipment make this a non-issue. Finally, the VAST majority of people don't have (and at those prices won't buy) video equipment that can even begin to take advantage of high-def. See above for game maker strategy. in short, this premise is completely invalid.
"I think M$ by tacking on a solution, which they seem to do a lot, will only confuse people and cause them to seek a simplified and intergrated solution (PS3 and BluRay). "
LOL - this one's very funny.
Um, no. The XBox360 is already modular by design with drive add-ins and this will be just one more. Big Hairy Deal.
"The only thing I really see as M$'s ace in the hole is XBox Live. This is what Sony needs to defeat."
Live online gaming with rental fees is THE future of gaming - period. Sony's late to that party which means they've already lost there. Naysayers will howl but time will prove this one out. Also, given the above arguments, none of the so-called "aces" in Sony's hole are actually aces. Looks to me that MS is holding more aces than Sony overall - by a healthy margin.[edited by Roj on 12.01.2006 14:08]
As a current 360 owner , I really hope their is more to Nex-Gen consoles that what I currently exhibited on the machine I own. Yes Live! is setup well, and DoA4 looks like it will be a big hit along with Gears of War, but I honestly don't view the 360 as a 'nex-gen' system, it was merely a baby step in the right direction, imho. I will prob end up owning the Revolution for my kids and getting the PS3 as well just for my own sanctity of telling myself I don't really need that 500-600$ gfx card every year to play the best games, I can merely pick a slightly downgraded version on one of the consoles I own. Honestly I think the PS3 will be slick , have some neat attributes, but it won't be anything 'revolutionary' in terms of the video game industry. Maybe in 2009-2010 we will see something mind blowing from one of the victors from this battle.LOL
People some of you seem to be missing the point.
"The XBox360 is already modular by design with drive add-ins and this will be just one more."
The main reason for buying a Console is:you go,you buy,you plug it in,you play or watch movies(either way it's still entertainment).
If I would wan't to buy any aditional components I would have bought a PC in the first place,it's faster(or will be),it's always upgrading and the multiplayer sure beats the hell out of XBOX live.
And even if MS would launch an external drive(be it HD or BluRay) it will cost a whole lot more money than you initially intended to pay for the XBOX...which brings us to the begining.
Either risk it and do a perfect job from the start or play it safe(like the good old MS) and lose a whole lot of money.Time will tell.
And Roj like you said:"XBox arrived later and still racked up significant sales".So the same thing could happen to PS3...so sit down and chill...don't get all flushy and start explaining "basic marketing".
Either way I really don't care cause I'm not a console fanboy.
"If I would wan't to buy any aditional components I would have bought a PC in the first place,it's faster(or will be),it's always upgrading and the multiplayer sure beats the hell out of XBOX live."
...and is prone to glitches, driver incompatibility issues, terminal upgradeitis and is otherwise a vast black hole for throwing money away. There's a billion-dollar industry that has great interest in keeping the word "sucker" fimly embedded in your forehead.
Consoles are FAR more stable in every conceivable way and considerably more cost effective.
Also, I take it you never upgrade you sound system? Buy a new DVD player? Upgrade your car stereo? Change the carpet iny our house?
Riiiiiggghhhhtttt....
Life's full of upgrades. Deal with it.
So my xbox will have a power source the size of the console itself, it will have a power source to power the hd dvd and a power source to run the Blu-Ray drive. Will I have any plugs left to power my television, dvd, vcr and sat receiver? Should I just use my PC for games?
"...and is prone to glitches, driver incompatibility issues, terminal upgradeitis and is otherwise a vast black hole for throwing money away."
Man every time something flyes out of your mouth I'm positively amazed. Have you seen anything made by MS that works flawlesly?Have you ever heard about BSOD(Blue Screen of death)?Computers are more complex therefore more hard to manage by the average consumer.
Google XBOX360 problems,glitches and you'll see what pops out.Yeah my friend...BIGGGG list.Now how do you explain that...since consoles are soo much mooore stable.
"There's a billion-dollar industry that has great interest in keeping the word "sucker" fimly embedded in your forehead."
Oh this was even better. Aside from playing games I like surfing the web, visiting diferent interesting sites like this one before you, or even trying to make one myself,talking to friends over the net etc,etc,etc.
As for the billion dolar industry part .... ask MS they know how much they make by selling XBOX's to millions of consumers all over the world...+ detachable hard drives that aren't even included in the Core System + other useless accesories that people buy and all of this for playing games and watching TV.A whole lot of money don't you think.So who'se the "sucker" now.
Anyway I don't wan't to start a console vs PC debate because it's pretty pointless and prety much of subject.
I like to think about life as a continuos evolution(software side of course )towards a higher level of knowledge and not a simple upgrade but if you say so it's you're oppinion and you're entitled to it.
)towards a higher level of knowledge and not a simple upgrade but if you say so it's you're oppinion and you're entitled to it.Computers are open architecture. It doesn't matter WHO writes stuff for them, it's gonna screw up because of that. consoles are closed architecture. the playing field is dead flat. Not very hard to understand why it's a lot easy for devs to lower costs writing games (no patches for Dragon Bitch From Taiwan hardware) and drivers to be stable (no variation). Which part of this painfully obvious progression escapes you?
As to "sucker", buy a car lately? That ain't a "higher level of knowledge".
A lot of that experience is just plain "sucker fodder".
Kind of like Blow-ray and HD DVD are now (and will remain).
But hey, some lemmings and gadflies will lap it up.
[edited by Roj on 13.01.2006 03:58]
[edited by Roj on 13.01.2006 04:01]
[edited by Roj on 13.01.2006 03:58]
[edited by Roj on 13.01.2006 04:01]
"consoles are closed architecture."
Yeah...now you finally get it.So if you screw it up from the begining like you forgot to add something that the "arhitects" missed or a flaw somewhere in that "complex" production assembly,you end up my having to retrieve all the consumers product.
Open arhitecture for an open mind thats what progress means.Look at the first XBOX now...it can't compete on any level to a PC because it's closed arhitecture.As for patches to games...I always considered that an advantage(in the Driver 3 case ouch) a way to keep improving games and adding new content to the soft...take HL2 for example.
My concept about upgrading was that you had to change some parts in your car...or change the look,put on a spoiler or anything like that...buying a completely new car when you already have one that you like is kind of stupid to me.
I don't mind "Blow-ray" and HD DVD....a new concept always makes the old ones sell cheaper so it's good for the average consumer. And what I meant was that PS3s example to add an new generation optical drive(on a new generation console )has no disadvantage except for a higher price but since MS and Sony are really pulling the big guns out in the field of marketing the prices will be reasonable...for those who intend to buy a next gen console.
)has no disadvantage except for a higher price but since MS and Sony are really pulling the big guns out in the field of marketing the prices will be reasonable...for those who intend to buy a next gen console.wow, it's starting to get brutal up in here.
I see both sides of the story, however if I was making 100k a year I might consider keeping up with the latest PC gaming hardware but I don't - so I utilize the less expensive alternative for gaming (the game console) and leave the work-load to the computer.
That way I don't have to spend $500+ for a video processor or $1k for the latest CPU to simply play the lastest game on my computer. Sure the graphics and options ar not as extensive however I figure that patience means that eventually I can play that latest/greatest game at the fraction of the cost and do something more contructive with the money -- like make more of it. 
So for now I remain with systems that will not degrade rapidly in value and keep my games at a more reasonabily priced margin, which to me is the more sensable option. Likewise people who believe in buying $2k plus computers (the latest and greatest) means that my hardware will remain widely available and considerably cheaper as people keep throwing away money to keep up.
Game consoles are no different, so don't stop gentlemen and keep spending that money so I don't have to.
So for now I remain with systems that will not degrade rapidly in value and keep my games at a more reasonabily priced margin, which to me is the more sensable option. Likewise people who believe in buying $2k plus computers (the latest and greatest) means that my hardware will remain widely available and considerably cheaper as people keep throwing away money to keep up.
Game consoles are no different, so don't stop gentlemen and keep spending that money so I don't have to. Top news
Written by Michael Barkoviak
Written by Michael Barkoviak
Written by Michael Barkoviak
Written by Seán Byrne
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