Peter Moore says that Xbox360 could possibly adopt a Blu Ray addon

[mrdarko]

not confused just taken out of context.

He was putting dow the PS3's inability to be flexible, and referring to the external drive as an advantage. He was stating that one of the advantages of having a external drive is that you can adopt the dominant format, meanwhile ps3 will be stuck with BR even if it's the losing format.

You could easily make an argument that for someone who wants a next-gen movie player in their console, the least risky option is the 360 since they will be able to adopt whichever format wins, whereas with PS3 if BR fails, you're stuck with a beta machine....

wouldn't it be better for microsoft to wait till there is a winner before offering a hd
player?

i'd be pissed if i had bought a hd-dvd add-on this year and then next year bd wins the "war"!

 

[Nicked]

He was putting dow the PS3's inability to be flexible, and referring to the external drive as an advantage. He was stating that one of the advantages of having a external drive is that you can adopt the dominant format, meanwhile ps3 will be stuck with BR even if it's the losing format.

Sony could just as easily adopt an external HD-DVD addon. Addons are by no means a "flexible" advantage to a machine.

 

[expletive]

Sony could just as easily adopt an external HD-DVD addon. Addons are by no means a "flexible" advantage to a machine.

If they provide additional functionality that only some would want, and dont fragment the market, i think they can be bothe flexible and an advantage.

 

[Diesel2]

If they provide additional functionality that only some would want, and dont fragment the market, i think they can be bothe flexible and an advantage.

But (what I think Nicked is getting at) how much of an advantage can it be, when your competitor is also able to do the same?

 

[Bigus Dickus]

i'd be pissed if i had bought a hd-dvd add-on this year and then next year bd wins the "war"!

Would you be equally pissed if you bought a PS3 and the next year HD-DVD wins the "war?" Would that change if Sony later offered an HD-DVD external drive? What if you could buy the PS3 cheaper with a standard DVD drive, and wait until one format becomes dominant before buying any external drive?

Just playing Devil's Advocate here. I think there are obvious advantages for both an integrated drive and an external one. With integrated, it of course looks better, but I think the biggest advantage is to the format supporters, not the consumer. With external, I think the biggest advantage is to the consumer, not the format supporters, though an external drive with cables connecting it to the 360 does seem like a bit of a kludge, and not as elegant a solution.

 

[speng]

I'm really buying a PS3 for the games. I consider Blu-Ray player a BIG bonus.

I wouldn't be pissed but more disappointed. I would still be buying a HD-DVD player when the prices come down, or an external device.

Speng.

 

[Nicked]

But (what I think Nicked is getting at) how much of an advantage can it be, when your competitor is also able to do the same?

Pretty much.

Would you be equally pissed if you bought a PS3 and the next year HD-DVD wins the "war?"

I wouldn't be. First of all the cost of it is probably going to be far less than this (say $100 more over what it would've been w/o BRD, and even then thats generously high), and second, Blu-ray will always see limited support from movie studios based on the strength of the PS3 alone, and will be used in games. Really that last point pays for itself.

The X360 add-on meanwhile will not be supported in games and if it loses the format war total support for the medium will be dropped.

I think there are obvious advantages for both an integrated drive and an external one. With integrated, it of course looks better, but I think the biggest advantage is to the format supporters, not the consumer

Wouldn't the integration of a next-gen media format to be used with both movies and games at an extremely low cost be more consumer friendly, in cost, ease-of-use, style and functionality?

 

[mrdarko]

Would you be equally pissed if you bought a PS3 and the next year HD-DVD wins the "war?"

no,i'd be pissed that blu ray had lost the war.i'd be happy with blu ray games

Would that change if Sony later offered an HD-DVD external drive?

would i buy an add-on drive for the ps3? no

What if you could buy the PS3 cheaper with a standard DVD drive, and wait until one format becomes dominant before buying any external drive?

my plan is to enjoy blu ray for 18 months (if the format lasts that long) then buy a standalone player when cheaper,whatever the format.

i can be a early adopter without the pitfalls (just ask people that own "hdtv's" )

i prefer the sony way.others will prefer the microsoft way.:smile:

 

[scooby_dooby]

Sony could just as easily adopt an external HD-DVD addon. Addons are by no means a "flexible" advantage to a machine.

They could, but they won't.

MS actually will release a BR player if HD-DVD loses, sony will never release a hd-dvd external drive, that's just loony talk.

 

[AlphaWolf]

They could, but they won't.

MS actually will release a BR player if HD-DVD loses, sony will never release a hd-dvd external drive, that's just loony talk.

Well if BR loses they will launch standalone HD-DVD drives. I have a Sony VHS deck as proof.

 

[scooby_dooby]

Of course they will, not the point.

If BR Fails: Pople who bought a ps3 are left in the dust, if they're gaming tails off, they no longer have a HD movie player. They need to start looking for a standalone...

IF HD-DVD Fails: People who buy a 360 (in 2008, 2009, 2010) can upgrade to BR for a fraction of the price of a standalone.

So in both scenarios MS comes out pretty clean with no real losses, and it's more futureproof in the sense that no matter what happens, it will support the winning format. So no big losses either way, and a true marketing advantage if HD-DVD wins(Sony could create a external hd-dvd drive, but there's just no way they ever will, so it's a pretty meaningless statement)

On the other hand, if BR wins then sony has a huge cost AND marketng advantage so I really doubt the BR addition is going to be much of a sales driver for 360 in that scenario. At the most it will probably give people one less reason NOT to buy the 360 if they were leaning towards it, they can trust that it's futureproof at least.

 

[one]

Peter Moore sat down with the Japanese site ITmedia after CES to talk a little bit about add on drives. With all the frenzied news about the new format wars slowly building Microsoft feel they are sitting in a good position to go either way.

At CES Microsoft announced an add on HD-DVD drive would be available for Xbox 360 for movie viewing purposes only. However in the interview Moore said that Microsoft would be more then willing to adopt a Blu-Ray drive if HD-DVD should lose the format wars.

Probably it's from this interview
http://plusd.itmedia.co.jp/games/articles/0601/10/news008.html
but Moore is not "more than willing" as opposed to what xboxcircle suggests.

The interviewer asks the possibility of a BD drive add-on for Xbox 360, and Moore just says HD-DVD is superior with MMC and Xbox 360 is more flexible than PS3 by its external add-on, without answering about the possibility of Blu-ray for Xbox 360. Then again the persistent interviewer recommends them to release a BD drive for Xbox 360 before the PS3 release, and Moore argues though the interviewer seems to think Blu-ray wins it's not clear as of now and Xbox 360 is flexible enough to wait for the winner.

Anyway in this interview Moore is grilled with questions about things such as the recent scoop in the Japanese newspaper about HD-DVD in Xbox 360, Blu-ray for Xbox 360, the lackluster launch in Japan, and so on. The last question is interesting, the interviewer says some Japanese Xbox users want them to bring all games released in the US without cherrypicking them, but Moore says games made in Japan sell better in Japan and they'll put emphasis on such games.

 

[seismologist]

you have to wonder what prompted MS to want HD optical playback on the 360 all of a sudden. I mean, I thought we were supposed to stream our HD movies from the PC?

If upgrading the drive had been the plan from the start they could have just equipped the 360 with a detachable DVD drive.

 

[AlphaWolf]

you have to wonder what prompted MS to want HD optical playback on the 360 all of a sudden. I mean, I thought we were supposed to stream our HD movies from the PC?

You still can, but I think they know that isn't for everyone.

If upgrading the drive had been the plan from the start they could have just equipped the 360 with a detachable DVD drive.

Except that it would increase the cost of the base unit.

 

[randycat99]

you have to wonder what prompted MS to want HD optical playback on the 360 all of a sudden. I mean, I thought we were supposed to stream our HD movies from the PC?

Yes, even MS is able to see the line being drawn in the sand. They are in full damage control, at this point. If an HD optical drive were really not an issue, there is absolutely no point in bringing up stories of external add-ons this early in the game, if at all.

If upgrading the drive had been the plan from the start they could have just equipped the 360 with a detachable DVD drive.

Yes, I absolutely agree. Just like the hdd, a detachable optical drive would have been the true "elegant" solution for their predicament.

 

[Tap In]

I diasgree.

DVD in the box is elegant and timely because the HDDVD or Blu-Ra stand alone are for movies only.

the games will (should) always be on DVD which will always be built in and never make a purchaser at any point feel as though he got ripped off for his purchase.

waiting for HDDVD would not have allowed them to get this head start on sony this Gen, which was *critical*.

 

[randycat99]

I'm simply talking about a swappable optical drive. It slides into the X360, so that the end configuration is essentially the same as an integrated unit. It would still play DVD games and HD movies only. That way, MS could have launched early with the "standard" DVD drive, and then later it could be swapped for an HD-DVD drive upgrade. Given the stock-limited launch, in conjunction with this latest bout of vassilations between "possible" external upgrades, it seems to suggest that the "early" launch strategy has been somewhat blunted and the advantage partially squandered. Possibly things could have been more simple had they simply launched later with an integrated HD optical drive. This realization simply cannot be ignored.

 

[tema]

PC hardware upgrades FTW. I called it. This flipping around is so not console gaming, MS have not learned one bit.

 

[London Geezer]

HDDVD/Bluray Thread No. 9834/b

*YAWN*

Wake me up when i can play HD movies in the UK either through HDDVD, Blufuckingray or *GASP**HERESY!!* HD broadcasts....

 

[wireframe]

Do you all consider this a good thing due to flexibility or a bad (worrisome) thing due to lack of vision on Microsoft's part? This just reeks of "me to" syndrome. Sure, that can be a good thing as "upgradable" is a key component in the PC industry, but isn't the real issue here that Xbox 360 has neither of these by default and MS is just trying to wipe this fact under the carpet? With something like this they get to put two more checkboxes on their product when really it deserves neither. If these technologies are not integral to the device and, more importantly, the "entertainment system," what's the point? Why not just buy a standalone HD-DVD or Blu-Ray player?

I think MS is just paying lip-service in a situation where their vision of networked media (their vision) is a bit farther off than they want and the World is being realistic and moving ahead with a new higher format disc technology. Suddenly they are caught between what they want and what is. As far as I am concerned the Xbox 360 is DVD format and these add-on games are silly. It just highlights the fact that even Microsoft thinks the Xbox 360, as delivered, is lacking. All devices lack something someone else has got, but why highlight this fact?