Admid cautionary tales from retailers and homeless men carrying cardboard signs decrying that the end is near for the HD-DVD format, comes news that Microsoft has already long since started work in-house on a standalone Blu-ray player for the 360. insiders at the big M claim that the unit could hit retail as early as May, and that the possibility exists we could even see a 360 with built-in Blu-ray capability.
Hearing that Sony may have managed to squeeze a successful format from the same womb that brought forth Betamax, MiniDisc and UMD is a bit like seeing Wile E. Coyote catch the Road Runner, with the rest of us looking on in utter amazement, scratching our heads and saying "Well whattaya know..."
Could this be why Microsoft has been so hesitant to release a console with a built-in HD-DVD player? Is it possible they've been waiting it out much like the rest of us? More importantly, how do you think this will affect PS3 sales if Sony can no longer pimp their black box as a movie machine?
[Via Engadget]
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Contest:
1:04 PM on 02.18.2008
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They will never "put a Blu-Ray in the 360." Ever.
One of the main selling points of the PS3s right now is that it plays BluRay movies. The second Microsoft releases an add-on BR player, how many people will just buy an extra drive over a whole new console.
Plus, with the (arguably) stronger list of games coming out for the 360 versus the PS3, this would honestly make buying a PS3 a decision based solely on the games. And, according to all the NPD attach rate data, would mean that a lot more people would go the way of the 360.
This could potentially be a huge DETRIMENT to Sony. Let's hope Microsoft is ballsy and business savvy enough to do it. The irony of Sony winning the format war only to lose the console generation to the 360 BECAUSE of Blu Ray would make me piss myself with glee (only as an early adopter of HD DVD, not as a console fanboy... come on, I hafta look for the silver lining SOMEWHERE at this point... my HD DVD collection is begging me, haha).
may not be the best idea, as Lightthrower suggested, as EVERYONE would have to buy a new console if games were being made on Blu-ray, well it would be good for MS. An add on movie player would be the smartest move.
:)
comment of the week,
good one
HD media and players normally follow the razors/blades buisness model. Sony and the other blu-ray partners would get royalties from every disc sold while MS would only get money if they sold the add on for a profit.
I think that MS will probably stick to digital distribution. They stand to make more money that way. Which kinda sucks since it only works as a rental option and in no way replaces disc based media.
Hate Blu-ray much? The big thing behind Blu-ray is the large amount of data it can store and for video games this is a bonus (see Lost Odyssey)
I don't see DLC becoming huge for video format for quite some time. I would, personally, rather own a hard copy of a video than having it saved on an HDD.
After that, it's only a matter of time before DVD movies are phased out too. Retailers aren't going to want to stock both Blu-ray and DVD movies any more than they wanted to stock BR and HD-DVD.
Besides, prices on Blu-ray movies can only come down so much before they are going to be the same price as standard DVD's. Then there will really be no reason to continue to distribute regular DVD's. It'll cost the studios more money than they'll take in from them.
This idea that Blu-ray has an uphill battle to supplant regular DVD is just silly. It's going to happen quicker than DVD supplanted VHS.
that's an Oxymoron
ya, Built-in Blu-ray player = bad idea, Add-on = good
yet another 360 SKU = GTFO!
Sony uses Windows Vista in its laptops, Microsoft can use Blu-ray in their game systems if they wanted to, too.
My thoughts exactly
way more bluray available here in europe because there are so many sony-whores around...
Anyway, I'd buy one.
They need to go BR to stay competitive. Built-in would be smart if they can keep the price similar to what it is now, and as an add-on if it's going to be more expensive.
BR games may be a less intelligent idea, unless they release on both DVD and BR.
Not everyone has the highspeed internet connections to make downloading HD worthwhile, and as Mix said, there will always be people who want to own a hard copy of the movie rather than a digital copy.
I am no fan of Sony but I see them getting a rise in sales now that this has gone official. Microsoft MAY try and compete with a Blu-Ray ATTACHABLE drive but it will look just as ugly as the HD DVD drive and will cost a fortune.
MS will stay away from having an internal Blu-Ray drive as well. They just won't do that and if they do, slap my ass and call me Charlie
Microsoft backs up stuff that's included in the PS3 (I can't remember what but as PS3s are sold, Microsoft are getting profit also.) and if Blu-Ray go on for the 360, the same could be said for Sony.
so all in all, no one's losing. Everyone's being a whore and getting that bread.
This new format will be around for at least 5 years, and at the time we'll see what will be next.