CES '08: 360 could do an 180 on Blu-ray

mattxavier, what people aren't realizing is that MS never utilized HD-DVD for gaming purposes. And they most likely won't use Blu Ray for it either. Blu Ray gives developers more room to play with. If MS does come out with a Blu Ray drive it most likely will still be an add on. Meaning that you're going to have to shell out an additional $200-$300 for the drive. What's the reason to get a PS3? The machine already has the drive BUILT IN. You'd be getting the same thing you're paying extra for on the 360 however it will already be included in the PS3. And recently Ubi Soft had said that it was having trouble fitting Assassin's Creed on to a DVD9. Games will be getting bigger. Not smaller or staying the same. It won't be long before the DVD9 format won't be big enough to store games on.

ok, i'm going 2 reply 2 a lot of people here: 1- whoever says that the 360 is starting 2 decay because of this is completely wrong cuz microsoft can add an external BD player same as they did with HD DVD ($150 or so) though the total price of the 360 will be more than what it's original price is. 2- whoever said that this war is not important can by all means stop using any technology, because this war actually determines which format will be used 4 the next few years plus it is us consumers that benefit from this and not losers like some said, in fact humans nature tends to develope technologies like these 2 make life easier and more comfortable, in the case of BD it is what we all want in a media storage till now. 3- BD are more valuable than HD DVD becuz of it's capacity cuz from now on size won't be an issue till later years,& yes BD is not fully owned by sony but by a lot of other corporations (get ur info straight), on top of all that its higher definition which must please all consumers not think of it as a waste. 4- to some who asked what is the lifespan of consoles well the ps2 was 5 years the ps3 was predicted to last till 8 years or so more or less since it plays a format that will last 4 a long time but i won't say much about 360 cuz i have no idea and i'll leave that to the 360 owners. 5- ps3 is a console that combines both a player and a game console, i'm surprised that people say that ps3 sucks cuz it's more of a player the gaming and if they wanted 2 c movies that's why BD players r 4, well i think it's bull****, why would u ever want to buy a player that costs around $400-600 for a player while u can do that and more on the ps3 which till now i heared only 6 out of the 8 SPEs where used for gaming and it's hard for developers to achieve full access to it, which i think till they know how to use them the ps3 will last 4 a long time 4 it's speed and BD built in reader. 6- i don't know why people say 360 has better games than ps3, why do u even compare till now 360 has better games since it was out one year b4 ps3 though i didn't like halo 3 and it's hype (final boss being a ball) but Gears of war rocked and i admit it to be a game of a lifetime with intense graphics sure is an action packed game, anyway ps3 is catching up to the race and exclusives will come out and i do remember when ps2 and 360 where out, not a lot of people liked them at first but look at them now. but in the end we gamerz should be happy becuz BD is Comin 2 life & will last longer instead of DVD...... peace 2 all gamerz out there........

If Blu-Ray does "win" the format war, I do not think that it would be that strange for the tech to be licensed to MS. It happens with pharamceutical companies all the time, when the rights to manufacture a drug that they have discovered is sold to other companies. Collecting licensing fees is easier, and usually more profitable, than holding on to the patent and trying to meet demand on your own.

well I'm gonna wait until it's over and done with before I buy either

"If anything it's alot harder for us consumers to drop our current DVD formats for HD or Blu-ray." Do you want to be stuck using DVD forever? If not, then there has to be SOME point where some format will replace it? If not today, then 5 years, 10 years, 20 years from now. Where do you draw the line? Unless you want to use DVD forever, you're still going to have to do it some day. Even if it's VOD.

I'm not wasting my money on a super DVD. They are fine as is I don't really need that much more definition. Not worth my money.

ChickenHounk911: It's not that simple, the Blu Ray system uses a different type of laser than the HD-DVD one. That's why production costs of blu ray discs are higher than those of HD DVD, since it requires new technology wheareas HD DVD can be produced using the same technology used to create the original DVDs

I got an idea.... release a patch or an update that will make my (now worthless) HD DVD player add-on for my 360, so it can read those Blu Ray discs. Ain't that a thought? This way it doesn't become a paper weight and I don't have to buy a brand new add on. This format war makes me want to stay with current DVD...

Even if Microsoft gets a Blu-ray player attachment, it'll still probably cost as much as the HDDVD attachment for the 360 right now, which is over $150, so if one was to get a 360 with that attachment, it's basically the same price as a... wait for it... a PS3 to begin with! M$ getting a Blu-ray attachment won't ruin Sony at all. Last I checked the PS3 sold 200,000 more units than the 360 did in Japan this x-mas alone, so Sony is in no danger of loosing anytime soon. But for the most part, who actually buys the HDDVD add-ons for the 360 in the first place?

okassar Lol,Microsoft is awesome and that move would own Sony.If Microsoft makes a $150 add-on blu-ray drive plus free movies and a 360 remote,I'm in for it ------------------------------- They charge $200 for an hd-dvd addon, what makes you think you will get a blu ray player and free movies/remotes for $150. They have to make money you know. If you have to pay say $200 for blu ray, it would make the 360 more expensive than the ps3 even the ps3 blu ray player would be BUILT in.

Blu-Ray will probably share the same fate as the Beta movie format. The Beta was superior than the vhs in everyway except the the vhs was cheaper. So in the end the expensive but better format lost to the cheaper one. Atleast I hope so lol. I'm cheap and if the blue-ray is just a tiny bit better than hd dvd then I'd rather have hd dvd cause its cheaper. Yes, I'm a cheapskate and I like microsoft lol.

At least this shows M$ is willing to give in to Sony for the Format War, but that's mostly because they don't care about a losing format, the High Definition format isn't profitable at the moment, give at another 2 years or so.

If anything it's alot harder for us consumers to drop our current DVD formats for HD or Blu-ray. The last time we changed was smoother because it was VHS - DVD. Would u rather watch a movie in a big clunky box with tape in it? Or watch it from a slim, super lightweight cd disc? The advantages were: *Better sound and picture quality *The option to skip certain movie scenes without having to wait for the tape to rewind or fast forward. *And lastly we had BEHIND THE SCENES extras witch are always great. So u see, what does HD or Blu-ray offer us that we don't already have currently? Nothing much. Most people here like myself hardly notice any difference in picture quality witch from what I see is the ONLY major selling point of these new formats. Some people truly don't care, others like the resolution numbers just so that they can show people how cool they are.....(sad) But a few actully see a difference and believe it warrants them to ditch DVD. So as u can see, this transition is much harder than last time. If this was VHS vs HD/Blu-ray you'd see crowds of people fighting for an HD or Blu-ray player but it's not that case. Just stick with DVD if your finding it difficult but hate to admit to having hesitant transition issues with the new formats.

I don't think Sony will let them have Blu-ray.

thats a good thing. microsoft is smart. ditch HD DVD and go to blu ray. It is the superior format.

It's still gonna be a while before I choose a new format. But by the time I take the plunge the HDDVD or Blu-Ray players will be around $100 or less.

Lol,Microsoft is awesome and that move would own Sony.If Microsoft makes a $150 add-on blu-ray drive plus free movies and a 360 remote,I'm in for it.I'm going with the winning format,which isn't a 100% clear yet.If Blu-Ray wins,then I'll get it,but both Blu-ray and HD-DVD are amazing compared to DVD,especially with the resolution and memory capacity.

(PC Gamer) The way I see it, by making he HD DVD player an "add-on" MS played it safe pending a final or victorious format. But look at it this way if MS does come out with a BlueRay drive what would be the reason to get a PS3? The 360 has a better catlogue of games and is going to be refitted with a new processor so if anything a BluRay drive on a rival system is the last thing Sony needs.

Suuure. After selling millions of consoles to us the and claiming HD as the way to go, go ahead and back out. Did you ever think about the people who already bought the external DVD player? Of course not! Microsoft has a nerve!

This is just rediculous, quit shuffling your feet and pick one format and ditch the other.

Yuck_Too...let sony fans go without reading your nonsense for once

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While it would be something else to see MS back up Blu Ray over HD DVD, its good that they are willing to change for the consumer.

I use DVDs, i'll wait until theres a winner in the format war to commit or buy a format but I hope they do add a bluray player never hurts to have more options

just end the war already

--Ash_Korsair -- While it may be true that DVD sales increased in Japan when the PS2 was released the fact remains the first PS2's in Japan did not have DVD drives.

i dont see how the HD-DvD thing is realy hurting X-box. the drive is a n optional add on which i am betting most people dont have. the X-box is a good system in it's own right other than the hardware problems it has had. which kind of pissed me off when my AV port went out last month and i havent been able to play it because it isn't coverd by their 3 year warenty. but it is still a fun system to play. but the same thing goes for the PS3 is it a great piece of hardware but is lacking a bit on the game side. i still enjoy the games i do have for it but it could use some more good ones. i guess what im saying is that this probably wont have a big impact on X-box.

idk if im wrong, but i think MS dosent want to take it to the next level.

actually, when the ps2 was relaesed in japan dvd sales nearly grew tenfold.

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Reading all these posts it seems like my hd-dvd's are going to stop working in a few months. That probably will not happen. The Matrix Trilogy looks spectacular now and will look spectacular next year. I've been enjoying hd-dvd for a year and have a small collection of movies that I enjoy, King Kong by default, but a good movie just the same. The annoucement does not render any player obsolete, it just means that at some point, I'll have to shop for a new one. The Dark Knight in Blu-ray might put some fire under me, but in the meantime, I'll be watching Planet Earth in HD on my 360 add-on drive, all the while wanting to jump into the screen.

Good to know. But since I didn't buy the HD-DVD add on, there that same slim to none chance I'd be looking to get the blu ray one. When I buy a game console, I tend to look at video games, not movies.

No surprise here, but I there are way too many fanboy comments on this. Amen to everyone who made logical sense.

blu-ray is definately going to be the winner and that's just better for consumers Period. I don't think it's a coincidence because it's a fact that dvd took off when the PS2 played dvd. Many people had their first dvd player with the PS2 including myself. The XBOX helped out later on as well. Microsoft made a mistake not including the HD-DVD within the box otherwise it could have been different. I have both and am no fanboy like some of you clowns in here but I know the facts and the future will be blu-ray since many people have a blu-ray player only because of the PS3 and it's finally picking up.

VAS86 glad a lot of people don't think like you otherwise we would be still watching movies on VHS

hmm dosen't surprise me.

I like MS. :)

i don't give a crap about blue ray or HD-dvd's. i just buy regular dvd's and they will do

Sony has been for the last 40 years particularly the most innovative company when it comes to consumer electronic. I grew up with Sony products and even if in the 90's they made some bad choices by moving some of their production lines from Japan to cheap labor countries and reliability took a hit, I always looked first at Sony for my high tech gears. I did buy a minidisc in the 90's even though the format died when mp3 became the format of choice to steal music from the web. I have played pretty much on all the console since the introduction of the Atari 2600 in the 70's and when it came to choosing a new console last year I looked once again at Sony first and saw the best value for my bucks. The ps3 was never overpriced, maybe expensive but not overpriced. People laughed at Sony poor sale figures the first year and I read everywhere that the Blue player feature was a mistake. It is the key feature in the console that makes it the true next gen console. Microsoft has done a fantastic job with Xbox live (even though it's not free) but it's a software company, Sony has build a better machine but it's a hardware company. I am glad people are starting to recognize that with blue ray becoming the next high def disc format. And I would rather buy a console from a company that still support a platform ( the ps2 ) after being on the market for more than 7 years rather than buying from Microsoft who has dropped the Xbox months before the release of the 360, I know my money will go a long way . Note: I don't work for Sony; I am just a big fan of companies that truly innovate.

--DXGreat1_HGL -- How about a dual format add-on? ~~~~~ My bet is sooner rather then later MS will release a dual player add-on for the 360, why wouldn't they. Protects the HD-DVD adopters and gives them something Blu. $295 -- LG GGC-H20L BLU-RAY / HD-DVD Reader / DVD burner << LINK REMOVED >> Next Christmas could very well see a $200 dual reader

Can anyone say DEATH BLOW for HD-DVD

all you ps3 fan boys who are saying x box got ownd because of the hd dvd are absolutely stupid and you are also pointing out that fact that ps3 is ONLY GOOD FOR BLU RAYS! Own your self some more please....

Seriously... I don't see much difference between a DVD that has been upscaled over an HD format.

I still buy DVDs... but it is nice that MS gives the consumer a choice instead of force feeding it.

Rabbid - Thats because everything is jacked up at Sears, including their prices in the first place lol :) Generally, HD-DVD discs are cheaper, as are the players.

Loucetios you're right, it has nothing to do with the current format war but it's ironic that you can now get full porn movies on Sony's PSP It seems they learned their lesson ;)

"The only format to deliver quality experiences at affordable prices".....WTF? I work at Sears and HD-DVD is ALWAYS more expensive then blu-ray. Our Blu-ray movies are always 29.99, and our HD-DVD's are 35.99-39.99 so wtf where is the quality thats affordable?

Thing2 but that doesn;t affect this format wars, because surey says, everyone downloads it now!

Yea, I think sony refused to to make Adult movies on their beta format.