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Microsoft Responds to Blu-Ray Comments
Next Generation reports that Microsoft's willingness to support Blu-Ray on the 360 was highly overrated. From the article: "The question of whether Xbox 360 has the flexibility to adapt to consumers' needs is a different issue entirely. Xbox 360 is a future-proofed system - one that allows us to add features as consumers demand them - as evidenced by our offering of the HD-DVD drive as an accessory. Current reports indicating that we have a back-up plan, which includes Blu-Ray support are incorrect. At this point, we're fully committed to HD-DVD and have absolutely no plans to support other optical formats." IE: They have the option of adding Blu-Ray if it turns out HD-DVD is a flop. We've reported on this claim earlier.
If Sony decides to heavily DRM the PS3 and, by extension, the Blu-Ray discs, Microsoft won't have to worry. I'd rather pick up an Xbox 360 w/ HD-DVD than a heavily-DRM'd PS3 that I can't let friends borrow games for.
I know this is pure fantasy, but I wish someone could make a damn universal format player so we can all say "sorry, guys, we won't take part in VHS/BETA wars part deaux."
A format war- anyone old enough to remember VHS and BETA sections in the rental place (with different selections) will know what an utter pain in the arse awaits consumers. With Sony owning a movie studio this time around things will no doubt be interesting.
http://www.xbiz.com/news_piece.php?id=12735
The 120+ million PS3s that are going to be sold over the next five years + near 100% movie content + porn support means that any talk of a 'format war' ARE OVER.
Thank you for playing HD-DVD and Microsoft - but YOU LOSE. Stop wasting your time with an expensive add-on to a failed console to play content for a losing format.
BluRay + Java - it's always nice when the superior technology wins.
On the whole, I can't say. I am fairly confident in saying that MS and their "accessory" drive for the 360 most likely will not sell and you will not see one next to every 360. Why? SegaCD, 32x, etc. Addons to console that create confusion for consumers and in the case of this HD-DVD drive, use up more entertainment center space, usually do poorly. Add to that that real audio/videophiles probably would consider it a sin to have an "accessory" to a game console as their HD-DVD player and there goes that segment of potential buyers.
Secondly, if it isn't used for games, parents will not see a reason to plop down more $$ just so their kids can watch HD-DVDs. Gamers will see no use for it. Only completist gizmo nerds and clueless shoppers who a Best Buy rep. is able to convince into plunking down cash, will buy this drive.
No sig for you!!
"Add to that that real audio/videophiles probably would consider it a sin to have an "accessory" to a game console as their HD-DVD player and there goes that segment of potential buyers."
Which is the reason 360 will be so successful.
PS3 will have the Blu-Ray player by default. This will push the console price to 600+ and will not effectively reach any market. Pure gamers will take the cheaper 360 and home theater enthusiasts will buy a separate player.
Having a Blu-Ray player over a 9gb dual-layer DVD is Sony force-feeding us a new format.
"We have no plans" is corporate weasel wording for, "We're probably going to do that, but we don't want to announce it now and lose face or have to argue with someone about it."
"We have absolutely no plans" means, "Heck yeah, we're gonna do that as soon as you forget that we promised not to."
After all, not having a plan to do something is very far from having a plan to not do something. The proper journalistic response to such an announcement is, "So, you don't have any plans yet. When do you expect to have some? Or are you just going to wing it?"
Also, with higher res and more power, developers are going to want to build bigger, more detailed worlds. It would be nice if they had more room to store all the assets needed (yes, 9GB is huge, but you can never be too rich or have too much memory). But, with the cost of the NextGen of storage being so high right now, either you ignore it (like Microsoft) or you risk making a console too pricey for your average gamer (Sony).
I *love* seeing new technology, but even I'm starting to think that everybody would have been better off waiting 1-2 more years for the tech/cost to come together.
Spell cheek you've failed me four the last thyme!
Sony, on the other hand, *may* be committing the PSP blunder again. While the PSP has excellent support for various media, it hasn't translated into game sales -- people are happy with emulators and self-ripped DVD files (neither of which lines Sony's pockets). Similarly, people who have a PS3 Blue-Ray player may not buy games for it. Sony is definitely taking the riskier route.
IMHO, it all comes down to the PS3 price point. If their target is gamers, I think anything over $400 is a mistake.
It's almost guaranteed to be a flop. I've seen mega-bucks poured into BD infrastructure at the top DVD manufacturing facilities and almost none into HD-DVD production. We are going to see extremely few HD-DVD titles released. Oh, and the BD titles and players are coming to consumer markets by late spring.