Rumours were circulating today (Monday, 18/02/2008) that Microsoft is set to dump HD DVD and bring out a Blu-ray Xbox 360 by as early as May 2008. The move will allow Microsoft to go head-to-head with the Sony PS3 gaming console which has been credited with being one of the main reasons that retailers have preferred Blu-ray over Toshiba's HD DVD.
David Richards reports that insiders at Microsoft in the USA has told SmartHouse that Microsoft have already configured a standalone Blu-ray player that can be connected into an Xbox 360, which could be on sale within three months.
ADD-ons rarely sell well, Sega cd and sega 32 x were add ons and they did not sell, i know those addons played video games but its still a addon. In order to buy the addon you first have to buy the console, none is going tobuy a 360 just for the blue ray adon.
I have the HD-DVD add-on, but I'm happy that all of this recent Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD is coming to a conclusion. We do need one format. I've heard so many stories of consumers who have either a Blu-Ray or HD-DVD drive and are still confused why they can't play Spiderman 3 or why they can't buy King Kong, or why Paramont and Dreamworks moved to the other side. it's confusing and annoying.
If this news turns out true, it will be really interesting. I personally think it might help both parties (MS and Sony) and Blu-Ray will just skyrocket to one of the most successful new movie formats ever. It will help boost sales of HDTVs even more. This is my wish, dont know if it will turn out true though.
If it did happen, the Pricing is what I'm worried about. Everything on 360 seems pricey. It's like M$ made the system cheaper so they could tack on add ons later.
That being said, it could slow the sales of PS3's if one wanted to remain loyal to M$, or get a Blu-Ray player cheaper than buying a PS3.
for 17 million people that don't have a blu ray player why not?Mad_Rhetoric
I'm wondering what the price would be.....I think $199.99 would be a low estimate for the price (it would be great for 360-only people if it was $199.99) But right now, probably more realistically it would be like $229.99 - $249.99
not unless they gave away free, cause people will think, why do i have to buy a 400$ 360 and if i want to watch a blu ray, i have to pay like an extra 200$? when all i have to do is buy a ps3 and i can watch them right out of the box
i wouldnt buy it, could careless about blu-rayTom_Brady860
You dont care about blu-ray?, you say that now. Most of the 360 fanboys said the same thing. All that trast everybody was talking about blu-ray, now a add-on, fanboys are funny.
With prices being as they are, it would be too easy for retailers to point out the PS3 has a built in Blu-Ray drive and the Xbox 360 can have one attached for an additional amount of money. At that point, in consumers minds, the PS3 would be the more valuable console. What MS should really consider doing is putting a Blu-Ray drive in future Xbox 360s without raising the price of the console.
First, what everyone ceases to remember is that Sony being a founder of Blu and being one of the main leaders of the Blu consortium have to approve Micro using the license to produce Blu products. If Sony doesn't want it, it won't happen.
First, what everyone ceases to remember is that Sony being a founder of Blu and being one of the main leaders of the Blu consortium have to approve Micro using the license to produce Blu products. If Sony doesn't want it, it won't happen.
Alan
scoobiesnackarf
Sony isnt the only company that owns blu-ray. They would be crazy not to approve microsoft, it would be turning down money.
First, what everyone ceases to remember is that Sony being a founder of Blu and being one of the main leaders of the Blu consortium have to approve Micro using the license to produce Blu products. If Sony doesn't want it, it won't happen.
Alan
Cobra1237
Sony isnt the only company that owns blu-ray. They would be crazy not to approve microsoft, it would be turning down money.
Yeah, Sony is gonna let the people who want to manufacture blu-ray manufacture blu-ray :P (that just felt funny typing)
First, what everyone ceases to remember is that Sony being a founder of Blu and being one of the main leaders of the Blu consortium have to approve Micro using the license to produce Blu products. If Sony doesn't want it, it won't happen.
Alan
Cobra1237
Sony isnt the only company that owns blu-ray. They would be crazy not to approve microsoft, it would be turning down money.
Yeah, Sony is gonna let the people who want to manufacture blu-ray manufacture blu-ray :P (that just felt funny typing)
First, what everyone ceases to remember is that Sony being a founder of Blu and being one of the main leaders of the Blu consortium have to approve Micro using the license to produce Blu products. If Sony doesn't want it, it won't happen.
Alan
MikeE21286
Sony isnt the only company that owns blu-ray. They would be crazy not to approve microsoft, it would be turning down money.
Yeah, Sony is gonna let the people who want to manufacture blu-ray manufacture blu-ray :P (that just felt funny typing)
Sony HAS to let anyone that wants to license their technology to be able to do so. It's the law. Discrimination and unfair trade practices and all..
What I wanna know is if they DO release a Blu-Ray add on so soon, will it mean that later 360 games will be in this format? Cause man, that would really piss me off. I'm not the kind of person to use a system as a multimedia centre, that kind of thing would totally rub me the wrong way.
What I wanna know is if they DO release a Blu-Ray add on so soon, will it mean that later 360 games will be in this format? Cause man, that would really piss me off. I'm not the kind of person to use a system as a multimedia centre, that kind of thing would totally rub me the wrong way.CFH90
Did games ever come on HDDVD after that add on was released?
No for 2 reasons. First who wants their Blu ray player getting RRoD while theyre watching a movie? and Second the 360 is wayyy too loud for smaller entertainment setups to be able to drown out the sound. So ull hear the fan going while watching Superbad on Blu Ray. But as for a selling point itll certainly boost the 360 to be able to even compete with the PS3. But As for a success, no.
No for 2 reasons. First who wants their Blu ray player getting RRoD while theyre watching a movie? and Second the 360 is wayyy too loud for smaller entertainment setups to be able to drown out the sound. So ull hear the fan going while watching Superbad on Blu Ray. But as for a selling point itll certainly boost the 360 to be able to even compete with the PS3. But As for a success, no.beinss
Ok, I think the RRoD is a 100% valid point I hadn't thought of. If your 360 doesn't work then your blu-ray player won't. The loudness (well the system is the loudest of the three) may only be a person-to-person concern, but RRoD is a concern for everyone.
If people want to play Blu-ray movies on the cheap, this will probably be a realistic option for them. @ $199, it'd be around half the price of most Blu-ray players...and might move now that there is a clear winner.
[QUOTE="beinss"]No for 2 reasons. First who wants their Blu ray player getting RRoD while theyre watching a movie? and Second the 360 is wayyy too loud for smaller entertainment setups to be able to drown out the sound. So ull hear the fan going while watching Superbad on Blu Ray. But as for a selling point itll certainly boost the 360 to be able to even compete with the PS3. But As for a success, no.MikeE21286
Ok, I think the RRoD is a 100% valid point I hadn't thought of. If your 360 doesn't work then your blu-ray player won't. The loudness (well the system is the loudest of the three) may only be a person-to-person concern, but RRoD is a concern for everyone.
There's a risk with everything. Be a man and take the risk. ;)
[QUOTE="beinss"]No for 2 reasons. First who wants their Blu ray player getting RRoD while theyre watching a movie? and Second the 360 is wayyy too loud for smaller entertainment setups to be able to drown out the sound. So ull hear the fan going while watching Superbad on Blu Ray. But as for a selling point itll certainly boost the 360 to be able to even compete with the PS3. But As for a success, no.kaos-hero
Ok, I think the RRoD is a 100% valid point I hadn't thought of. If your 360 doesn't work then your blu-ray player won't. The loudness (well the system is the loudest of the three) may only be a person-to-person concern, but RRoD is a concern for everyone.
There's a risk with everything. Be a man and take the risk. ;)
Lol, yeah I know....but not everyone is gamblin' man like myself 8)
If people want to play Blu-ray movies on the cheap, this will probably be a realistic option for them. @ $199, it'd be around half the price of most Blu-ray players...and might move now that there is a clear winner.
If people want to play Blu-ray movies on the cheap, this will probably be a realistic option for them. @ $199, it'd be around half the price of most Blu-ray players...and might move now that there is a clear winner.
200 $'s is a nice guess. Hopeful number will be 300 $'s. They will need to create their own blu-ray factory, and it is very difficult to make them cost cheap during the beginning stages. So it wouldn't be as successful, if you could buy a 400 $ ps3 instead.
The PS3 add-on would not (will not?) cost $300, theres already players in the works that cost less than $300 and they are standalones with all the necessary circuitry inside, the 360 add-on would be more or less like a PC drive and they have those for under $200 already (with 5x single-layer speeds).
The PS3 add-on would not (will not?) cost $300, theres already players in the works that cost less than $300 and they are standalones with all the necessary circuitry inside, the 360 add-on would be more or less like a PC drive and they have those for under $200 already (with 5x single-layer speeds).Aidenfury19
Eh, But sony has been in production with blu ray for years, Microsoft will be far behind Sony, at this stage. It will obviously cost more for them to make a blu-ray drive, then sony, samsung, and many other electronic companies.
Eh, But sony has been in production with blu ray for years, Microsoft will be far behind Sony, at this stage. It will obviously cost more for them to make a blu-ray drive, then sony, samsung, and many other electronic companies. numba1234
Microsoft won't be producing anything themselves, they'll get a drive from an OEM and rebrand it. They wouldn't release an add-on at a $300 price point, especially with standalones becoming cheaper all the time. The HD-DVD sold around 200K and thats with multiple price drops.
i thought 360 fan boys didnt give a damn about BluRay anyway, you know, the whole story about its useless, and its a gaming console not a movie player... im so impatient to see how much M$ will be charging for the new Br SKU, LOL...
so im wondring why M$ would kneel and put a Br in the x360 even if the 360 fanboys dont like it and dont want it, or do they?
i thought 360 fan boys didnt give a damn about BluRay anyway, you know, the whole story about its useless, and its a gaming console not a movie player... im so impatient to see how much M$ will be charging for the new Br SKU, LOL...
so im wondring why M$ would kneel and put a Br in the x360 even if the 360 fanboys dont like it and dont want it, or do they?
samiup
BR as a gaming medium is nothing but a big mess. Watching movies on BR is a wholly different thing. I am sure there are plenty of people that would by a BR 360 or add onn just so they dont have to buy a Sony branded machine.
Only if it were around $100. I know it won't be that cheap, but by the end of the year, standalone blu-ray players will be $200 or less. I'd much rather have a standalone than an add on.
My plan is to get a blu-ray player when they are $200 or less, ($250 or less if its a PS3) and $100 or less for an add on.
Another thing I don't like about the add on is I still have a launch 360, so I think I'd prefer HDMI built into my blu-ray player.
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