MS to release Xbox 360 with HD-DVD in 2006

[one]

Holy ****! MSN Mainichi reports that Microsoft has decided to release a new model of Xbox 360 with HD-DVD in 2006 (MSN Mainichi is a joint news site by Mainichi Shimbun, one of the national newspapers in Japan, and Microsoft) The article says they decided to put HD-DVD to allow more hi-def games, but I'm not sure how accurate the article is on this point.

It's really incredible timing. There are still many retailers and net auction sellers in Japan who have a pile of the "old" Xbox 360 DVD model in stock!

http://www.mainichi-msn.co.jp/keizai/kigyou/news/20051215k0000m020143000c.html (machine translation)

This is the paper edition of Mainichi Shimbun reporting the same
http://ccfa.info/cgi-bin/up/src/up21408.jpg

 

[AlNom]

If all goes well, there may be 3 million+ angry users.... or maybe less than 1.5 million if the rest of the world decides to wait for HDDVD.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Can this be trusted one? If this does come to fruition then I have to say, HORRIBLE HORRIBLE decision if its also for games. You can't do stuff like this AFTER you just had a console launch. I hope MS is willing to replace all the consoles they've sold and sell up until the launch of the HD-DVD Xbox360.

They will fragment their userbase even more.

 

[rusty]

well now assuming that's true, there's a nice way to piss off your early adopters... not only do they have to act as a beta run for the hardware and suffer higher prices than later buyers, they now have a new stick to be poked with.

as it happens i was intending on trading my 360 in in a years time anyway for a newer model (before anyone asks, the extended 2 year warrenty was £60... i figure that in trading in against a new console at the end of 2006, i won't lose much more than 60 quid... will still get my "extra" year warrenty, and shoudl end up with a quieter and more reliable console too. So i guess in the end it doesn't really matter much to me.

still going to be a lot of pissed off people though - i wonder how that weighs against the advantages of launching early against waiting for hd-dvd to be a realistic proposition from the get go

 

[AlNom]

The userbase doesn't have to be necessarily split. They could just produce DVD and HD-DVD editions of the games (messy, but it would be an option).

 

[Pozer]

Bad idea for several reasons. Most importantly is HD-DVD's only chance of winning a nextgen format war was launching with xbox360 at $299 with wide availability in both hardware and software.. Neither came to fruition. HD-DVD would have a been a good software media for the x360 even if the movie media side didn't pan out. 20 gigs would have been perfect for nextgen gaming needs and left some breathing room.

As it stands x360 doesn't need anymore bad press after it's less than stellar launch. Backing a failed format would only make it look weak at an important time in its life.

MS best chance is a fall 2006 jet black redesign, with 65nm parts and a smaller form factor, and a BR integrated movie player.

 

[Pozer]

The userbase doesn't have to be necessarily split. They could just produce DVD and HD-DVD editions of the games (messy, but it would be an option).

Multiple SKUs for retailers to stock. Double the amount of certification time. Odd compatiablity problems with streaming based engines over xbox live. Sounds like a nightmare.

There was an article about 6 months ago where someone was able to produce hybride discs with a dvd-9 layer and a hd-dvd layer fused ona single disc. But whats the point. Devs aren't going to spend money making content that only a percentage of install base can use. How would that work on online games. I just don't see it being worth the hassle to publishers to support. Kinda like the ps2 hard drive.

 

[Dave Baumann]

Not being funny, but how is changes to the system much of a surpise to anyone? They've been saying they will follow the HD formats and potentially release one at some point in time.

Personally its always been my expectation that when the die shrink comes along they would offer a lower cost version at the current specs and an "HD" version (HD optical format, HDMI/HDCP capable) at around the current prices or a premium.

 

[Bad_Boy]

so will this be like
ps2 ---to---> PSX (the big white one with new features built in that the orginal ps2 did not have)
or
ps2 ---to---> PS2 network adaptor (meaning a addon)
?

 

[scooby_dooby]

if thus is true, which i doubt at this point, they must have a contingency plan for the early adopters.

 

[Dave Baumann]

I doubt it'd have much to do with game formats.

 

[scooby_dooby]

it's stated explicitly in the article though. bah, this is probably a typo, need confirmation!!

 

[winstonsmith1978]

this actually plays right into to Sony hands. It proves that the 360 was rushed and the PS3 wasn't.

I also don't think this helps the HD-DVD cause that much. everyone has already shifted their support to blu-ray mainly because Microsoft wasn't using HD-DVD.

Maybe this is the xbox 720, Microsoft is moving to a 1 year life cycle.

 

[one]

Not being funny, but how is changes to the system much of a surpise to anyone? They've been saying they will follow the HD formats and potentially release one at some point in time.

Personally its always been my expectation that when the die shrink comes along they would offer a lower cost version at the current specs and an "HD" version (HD optical format, HDMI/HDCP capable) at around the current prices or a premium.

Technically it's no matter for manufacturers, yes. But the brand image and the trust of consumers and retailer channels suffer huge mental and economic damage. A panic is already happening among loyal Japanese Xbox fans who bought a new console a few days ago, just like the disc scratching fuss for the original Xbox. J Allard repeatedly downplayed HD media and some consumers believed in it, and now this.

 

[Bad_Boy]

In a way, I kinda feel Nintendo does this a lot to their customers already with their GB/DS hardware; just maybe not to this proportion.

 

[winstonsmith1978]

i'm not sure about this, but i thought blu-ray dvd players are already being sold in Japan and have been for a while. Is this true?

 

[AlphaWolf]

i'm not sure about this, but i thought blu-ray dvd players are already being sold in Japan and have been for a while. Is this true?

recorder/players

They are mostly cartridge based devices, most if not all of them will not play prerecorded BD-roms.

 

[Dave Baumann]

Technically it's no matter for manufacturers, yes. But the brand image and the trust of consumers and retailer channels suffer huge mental and economic damage. A panic is already happening among loyal Japanese Xbox fans who bought a new console a few days ago, just like the disc scratching fuss for the original Xbox. J Allard repeatedly downplayed HD media and some consumers believed in it, and now this.

I fail to understand why there is an issue of trust or brand image here - they already offer multiple SKU's (Core / Premium) and if that continues to be the trend then I see no harm in offer an "HD" version with more "value add features" and costing a premium over the current prices of the other versions.

As for downplaying the HD media, I seem to remember them making fairly sane comments about the fact that it was being released before the formats were ready, so they couldn't really ship with one if they wanted to hit this ship date.

 

[Bill]

I fail to understand why there is an issue of trust or brand image here - they already offer multiple SKU's (Core / Premium) and if that continues to be the trend then I see no harm in offer an "HD" version with more "value add features" and costing a premium over the current prices of the other versions.

As for downplaying the HD media, I seem to remember them making fairly sane comments about the fact that it was being released before the formats were ready, so they couldn't really ship with one if they wanted to hit this ship date.

Then they shouldn't have hit this ship date, but instead gone with R580 and HDDVD. They launched a year behind last time, even launching only six months behind would have been a massive improvement, let alone at the same time as Sony.

They continue to try to mess things up.

I think they are more or less scared PS3 means a certain win for Blu Ray in the format wars. So they feel they have to do something..

Meh, it comes down to which games machine is more powerful, anyway, in the long run.

 

[Lysander]

oh there will definitive be more interest in 360 with hddvd; some ppl on other forums expressed their intention that they will not buy 360 until hddvd upgrade; surprise.