While haven't seen this much side stepping since our annual Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance tournaments ended, it looks like HD DVD is a few steps from being officially gone and a rehash of an old rumor isn't helping the situation. Reports are coming in from Australia's Smarthouse citing "insiders at Microsoft in the USA," claiming that a Blu-ray add-on is already well in development and could be ready to launch in as little as three months.Microsoft has yet to comment on the validity of the report but according to a story on Engadget they've said, "we will wait until we hear from Toshiba before announcing any specific plans around the Xbox 360 HD DVD player." Since Microsoft has little to do with this format war it wouldn't be surprising to see a Blu-ray add-on in the mix sometime in the future, they've even said it could happen a few times already.
[via Joystiq]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-18-2008 @ 1:40PM
EVANGELION NERV said...
HUH?
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2-18-2008 @ 1:46PM
BigJerm said...
yes please
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2-18-2008 @ 1:51PM
mike said...
how much is this going to cost?
They are going to have use a cheap player because if they don't you might as well by a PS3 too
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2-18-2008 @ 1:51PM
Bob said...
Or better yet, how about a Blu-Ray/HD DVD combo drive? They are getting cheaper by the minute. It wouldn't be hard to do.
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2-18-2008 @ 1:52PM
Mike Staino said...
buy*
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2-18-2008 @ 1:58PM
Project Ekim said...
I would buy this 100% i was going to get a PS3 for a cheap blueray player but i rather use only my 360 and not have another console just to play blue ray.
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2-18-2008 @ 5:22PM
pkilla said...
Well looking at current Blue Ray prices it will be better to just get a ps3. Which is what I will do.
2-18-2008 @ 2:02PM
Adam said...
Bad Idea
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2-18-2008 @ 2:04PM
Adam said...
There not gonna release a bluray player when there selling consoles for 450 without one built in.Maybe we will see price cuts.We have to see price cuts altho maybe not as there not using bluray as there game storage which also means i dont think they would even bother.
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2-18-2008 @ 2:06PM
Anthology said...
It would have to cost 150 to be worth it. If it is true, and is 200 bucks, i would rather just put 200 more down and get a PS3 in addition to the player.
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2-18-2008 @ 2:12PM
Kizzle said...
"Since Microsoft has little to do with this format war"
...huh?
They were the most noteable backer after the daddy (Toshiba) and two exclusive studios (Universal & Paramount). Fairly reputable rumor says they ponied up the 150 million for the Paramount deal as well.
I'd buy this if it's under 200. Would be damn nice to have a game system, HD DVD player, and Blu-Ray player (essentially) all in one device.
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2-18-2008 @ 2:14PM
Michael Paul said...
Relying on having a working 360 still seems like a risk. However, if it does come in dual-format and still plays on a PC I'll probably take one.
I'd still prefer a dual-format LG once they include the Blu-Ray 2.0 standard, which hopefully Microsoft's drive will support too even if not dual...
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2-18-2008 @ 2:18PM
Robert said...
I am sure MS will release it when all the HD-DVD dust settles, the only problem I see for XBox OS developers, is that the OS will become a little bloated: they have already a HD-DVD player on the system that runs a EcmaScript (name of the standard that is the base of JavaScript and JScript), and now they will need to bundle Java too. Two different runtimes on the same firmware. They can not remove the HD-DVD functionality because the owners of the add-on will be affected.
Do not know much about the internals of the XBox firmware, but firmware space limits are always a factor to consider
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2-18-2008 @ 2:21PM
Nathan said...
Here is my standpoint on this.
1. It has to be affordable like the HD DVD add on.
2. Blu-Ray needs to have profile 2.0 be the LAST profile.
3. The add on NEEDS to have profile 2.0.
If it does all of those, I will actually jump the wagon.
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2-18-2008 @ 6:56PM
Rususeruru said...
The drive will be just that, a drive. The 360 matches the specs required for any profile update (just as the PS3 does) as long as they can optimize the code to run the system. Think of a BD-ROM in a PC, the BD-ROM will always be able to access all content on the disc it's whether or not the PC has the software to utilize the profile that becomes the issue.
2-18-2008 @ 2:21PM
DaStuph said...
I'd totally buy one. I bought the HD-DVD add-on and I've got several movies as well. I just couldn't wait it out and wanted to enjoy HD movies now (deleting content on my drive blows so I don't have room for HD marketplace content).
It'd be nice to see them dropped in the same case as the HD-DVD players where. For those of us who have the HD-DVDs too they'd fit together nicely and look sweet in the entertainment center.
I'd imagine they'll be just like everything else M$/Sony are doing right now and there'll end up being several versions by the times its all said and done. 1) standalone BD 2) standalone BD/HD-DVD 3) internal BD/HD-DVD in the Elites or whatever the future equivalent to the Elite will be.
I'd love to get an Elite with a combo drive and a fat HD. I always thought eventually M$ would have one of the HD formats included in the systems and you'd end up seeing games shipped on both DVD and BD just like you've seen PC games on both CD/DVDs for the past several years.
Just my two cents.
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2-18-2008 @ 6:57PM
Rususeruru said...
Xbox360 Games would remain on the DVD9 standard, regardless any plans to incorporate a BD-ROM in the console. They can't afford disenfranchising the current install base by switching game formats.
2-18-2008 @ 2:24PM
Anticrawl said...
As long as we never have these pointless formats bundled in and forced onto gamers I'm cool with whatever add-ons they want to release. Game consoles are unique in that they are designed to play games for relatively cheap because that is all they are intended to do. You add in all these bullshit extra features and we might as well buy a PC. I like my consoles to do what they were designed to, and that is to game, nothing more if the costs are passed onto me.
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2-18-2008 @ 2:26PM
Anticrawl said...
This was my biggest issue with the PS3. Sony was abusing it's gamer consumer loyalty to back a new format for the movie industry. Sony fans footed the bill for Sony to make a killing with their proprietary format in the movie industry.
2-18-2008 @ 2:25PM
Digital Limit said...
I'd buy one, if only because it'd inevitably work with my PC as well.
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