[MDX]

Yes or No and why?

Well we know Nintendo will eventually go High Def.
We know that Sony, and some developers, claim that DVD 9 limits the Xbox 360.

So what options do those two companies have?

DVD 18?
Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD)?
5D DVD?

Is it even necessary to drop DVD 9?

But there is another reason why Blu-ray might be an option.
If either system adopts Blu-ray wont they take sales away from the PS3 or PS4?

[Arwin]

If the system gets a disc, it may well be BluRay. I wonder though if it will be feasible for the system to get the disc as an option, much like the HDD now on the 360, and have the basic system be online only.

[TEXAN*]

Flash prices are rapidly falling.

By 2013 they might just use Compact Flash Cards.

You never know...

[Iron Tiger]

There's plenty of AAA software delivered through PSN. Titles like GT5P and Tekken 5R even deliver video "on demand," so as not to bloat the initial download.

The current gen doesn't seem to have enough hardware resources to exploit larger disc capacities in a way that meaningfully impacts the game. Who knows what the next gen will be like, but looking at what my PC is capable of through Steams's sub-DVD9 capacity downloads, I don't think a big shot of RAM and bandwidth is gonna make a whole lot of difference to storage requirements.

If downloads could be made modular, so you can start playing after downloading the first 10% of the game, I'd be fine with no optical disc at all. Give the console a big hard drive (and the option to add on), and I'll be happy.

[RudeCurve]

I don't see Nintendo adopting any blue laser ODD, their next console won't be powerful enough to need it. MS may go with BR or they may go with a proprietary HD DVD drive.

[Rangers]

I think MS could skate by without it this gen but next gen they need Blu Ray (or other high capacity disc).

Nintendo, I dont know nor care, they dont do high tech.

Any non-disc solutions are still too tenuous imo. Not everybody will even ever have broadband (just like some people will always not have cable TV), so you dont want to exclude that 20, 30% of the market.

[MDX]

How important is it for Microsoft, possibly Nintendo to have their
next console be able to play Blu-ray movies?

Nintendo has a track record of bypassing the ability to play movies by way of DVD. So I dont see them too worried about that.

But Microsoft has a track record of allowing their consoles to play movies by way of disks. So to be the multi-media console that they want to be, can they afford to ignore those who would want to play Blu-ray movies on the next console?

[StefanS]

Originally Posted by MDX

How important is it for Microsoft, possibly Nintendo to have their
next console be able to play Blu-ray movies?

Nintendo has a track record of bypassing the ability to play movies by way of DVD. So I dont see them too worried about that.

But Microsoft has a track record of allowing their consoles to play movies by way of disks. So to be the multi-media console that they want to be, can they afford to ignore those who would want to play Blu-ray movies on the next console?

As everyone agrees, Nintendo can get away with not carrying it easily. First of all they have a record of not supporting movie formats and thus, the consumers' expectations with regard to that is not an issue for them.

Secondly, their new console will probably be on a level with PS3, X360 at max, performance wise. Thus, their assets should fit on a DVD9 derivative quite easily.

Microsoft has to balance its decision quite well, though. Do the want the additional bullet point of having BR playback? How much more sales would that generate? Or do they want to stick with a download service structure for HD movie?

I think a lot of those questions really depend on BR market penetration by the time of the X720 release. Plus, how expensive BR player will be by that time, etc.

[Squilliam]

For Nintendo I would suspect they would support an HD-DVD format because they hate piracy so it wouldn't have media available and they prefer to have a quiet unobstrusive console and HD-DVD would give them the higher density to get a much faster data delivery rate at a relatively slow rotation speed.

For Microsoft, its hard to say! Though with their support of digital downloads and simplicity of keeping pirates away I suspect HD-DVD as well. They already have a relationship with Toshiba as they make their Zunes for them and they had a deal with HD-DVD already.

[Rockster]

I say no optical media at all next gen. Easily could do 2TB hard disks and all digital distribution. No one wants to have to get up and switch disks, listen to them spin, wait on the horrible access times, and be locked in to a fixed capacity limit. Pretty pointless unless you care about retailers, or don't have internet access (in which case you are "next-gen" anyway).

[SG79]

Originally Posted by Rockster

I say no optical media at all next gen. Easily could do 2TB hard disks and all digital distribution. No one wants to have to get up and switch disks, listen to them spin, wait on the horrible access times, and be locked in to a fixed capacity limit. Pretty pointless unless you care about retailers, or don't have internet access (in which case you are "next-gen" anyway).

Not exactly a viable solution since ISP's don't have the capacity to support massive game download services yet, and not every consumer worldwide has reliable services either. It's likely the reason why Sony offers disc solution for some of their PSN games in Asia and Europe.

Even when such a solution is available, I very much doubt that publishers won't set a limit on game sizes because of various distribution issues. HDD size being one and publishing games that are 30GB+ won't be cheap.

There will naturally be increased digital distribution in the next gen for sure, but we're still some way off from it being 100%.

BD drives will be faster and cheaper by the time next-gen consoles roll out so it's safe to assume that MS and Sony will go that route. Nintendo on the other hand may stick to DVD-9's.

[RancidLunchmeat]

Isn't there another option of some proprietary removable storage device that isn't an optical drive?

What about going back to carts? Perhaps save some console cost by increasing the game cost by offloading some of the hardware to the cart? I dunno, just asking.

Especially if you're only talking about reaching the 20% or 30% of the market that doesn't have access to digital distribution. Let's face it, most of the market that the 360 sold to and was able to get its lead over the PS3 had access to digital distribution.

In fact, has that 20% or 30% of the market that we're even talking about that wouldn't have access to digital distribution in 2 years even purchased a 360 or PS3 yet at this point?

[SG79]

Originally Posted by RancidLunchmeat

Especially if you're only talking about reaching the 20% or 30% of the market that doesn't have access to digital distribution.

It's likely much less than 20-30%, and I did include consumers in the west with decent but not fast connections (there is a lot of them out there). My point is, with current ISP infrastructures that aren't likely to evolve immensely in the next 2-3 years, can you honestly say that there are enough consumers on any market who would welcome a 100% digitally distribution of games for their consoles?

I love the perks but I won't be able to download a 5-10GB or more game fast enough without any hitches. Unless I spent another $25 per month on a better service that is.

[Mastperf]

With download caps becoming the norm in the US, I'm not expecting a download only system from anyone next-gen.

[liolio]

I would not want to steal away your fun but I think that a lot of this has been discussed in this thread and likely others.

[Teasy]

I doubt Nintendo will, they like proprietary technology.

MS?, bleh.. they probably will, they're boring and predictable like that.

[DeadlyNinja]

I'd also love to see a non-disc based system next gen as well. I just like the idea of the cart storing the save with it. I'd like to see DS like carts but bigger, maybe 16 gig flash carts. Imagine 10 gigs reserved for games while the 6 gigs reserved for DLC and save files. Now all the patches and whatever garbage can stay exactly with the game it was designed for instead of being shoved into a harddrive.

[Grall]

Originally Posted by SG79

It's likely the reason why Sony offers disc solution for some of their PSN games in Asia and Europe.

Europe overall has much better broadband coverage than US overall, since Europe is much more densely populated.

That said, there's no way it's feasible for non-physical media distribution in just a few years' time. Besides, games retailers would be rather miffed too.

[JPT]

Originally Posted by Grall

Europe overall has much better broadband coverage than US overall, since Europe is much more densely populated.

That said, there's no way it's feasible for non-physical media distribution in just a few years' time. Besides, games retailers would be rather miffed too.

Plus that some countries do not have access to a PSN store and in addition to the fact that PSN cards are not available in EU or ASIA I belive. And since not everybody got a creditcard to buy on PSN store, a disc version is probably a good idea.

[BRiT]

This thread really needs a Poll added to it.

[LunchBox]

I think it will depend on how much a blu-ray drive will cost at the launch of the system, royalties and other things. Personally, I don't think they will. I would rather see that amount of money go towards more ram or a better GPU, or CPU than spend all that money in a disk drive. Plus... comparatively speaking, PC games are still in it's HD infancy, The average gamer can't even play Crysis decently in all it's glory if the resolution is at 1920x1200 or higher...

If the consoles want to target true 1080P games at a constant 60fps, with the scope of graphics to rival the top end PC games, which still use DVDs... Plus streaming it through a disk drive is going to take forever. It seems a storage media such as HDs and or flash memory will be required. It's starting to become a trend where console games need to be installed to play with lesser load times... It will probably be the same on next gen.

Digital distribution seemed feasable before, but since most ISPs are now aggressively starting to put limits on bandwidth, it'll be harder to push. Unless, if game companies would start using kiosks like Japan does...

Honestly, this gen was such a letdown in contrast to the marketing hype it generated. This gen really fell short on a lot of things... It's like the Windows Me or the Pentium Pros of the video gaming indusrty.

I think next gen is going to be the real 1080P gaming goodness that the companies promised this gen was supposed to be.

[DeadlyNinja]

Originally Posted by LunchBox

Digital distribution seemed feasable before, but since most ISPs are now aggressively starting to put limits on bandwidth, it'll be harder to push. Unless, if game companies would start using kiosks like Japan does...

Yeah, I don't get why everyone has such a hard-on over digital download. Even with my 1 MB DSL speed, it'll take days to download blu-ray size content. I much rather spend a 20 minute walk to Toys R Us than waiting days for my game to download. Plus, it might kill my bandwidth with the ISP restrictions. I just don't think we're there yet, unless games actually reduce in size and goes back to 700 MB.

[tongue_of_colicab]

If you really have 1MB/s it would take like 14 hours to download 50gb and no game is really going to take a 50gb download. The biggest pc game is probably gt4 with its 16gb or so and if you would compress that for digital distribution I suppose it would be smaller. If your isp can offer you 1MB/s that I doubt 10 times or even 100 times that amount is going to be a big deal.

ISP's starting to rip off customers is a whole other thing. You should go against that because afterall without you their company cant live. No ISP in my country would even thing about capping bandwith as they would get the finger right away.

Personally im a big fan of digital content (as long as it has no DRM at all). I didnt had a optical drive in any of my pc's for over 2 years now. I try to do everything with images as much as possible. Works way better.

The download downside for games is that what your 10 years on and the console isnt produced anymore. Plus you cant sell your game.

[BRiT]

Originally Posted by DeadlyNinja

Yeah, I don't get why everyone has such a hard-on over digital download. Even with my 1 MB DSL speed

It's because most people have faster speeds. In my area most have 20 mbit/sec speeds. There's talks of upgrades at the end of the year to DOCSIS 3 offering upto 100 mbit/sec. In other really fortunate areas they currently have FIOS offering upto 100 mbit/sec speeds.

[Positively Kanyon]

Originally Posted by DeadlyNinja

I'd also love to see a non-disc based system next gen as well. I just like the idea of the cart storing the save with it. I'd like to see DS like carts but bigger, maybe 16 gig flash carts. Imagine 10 gigs reserved for games while the 6 gigs reserved for DLC and save files. Now all the patches and whatever garbage can stay exactly with the game it was designed for instead of being shoved into a harddrive.

I actually like this idea, that way when you take the game to a friends house it's not some unpatched or 'wrong' version etc.

As for the disc based systems... Since HD-DVD is considered a dead format, would it be 'dead' enough to say be used as a proprietry format by MS or Nintendo?