CES 2008: Xbox 360 To Support Blu-ray?
It seems even Microsoft itself is making contingency plans should HD-DVD die in the face of the landslide victories for Blu-ray lately. A Microsoft manager said on Tuesday they would consider making a Blu-ray add-on for the Xbox 360:
"It should be consumer choice; and if that's the way they vote, that's something we'll have to consider," Albert Penello, group marketing manager for Xbox hardware said when asked whether Microsoft would support a Blu-ray DVD accessory in the event that HD-DVD failed.
When a major partner and proponent of HD-DVD starts talking about making a drive for a competitor's format, you know HD-DVD is in trouble.
The same manager was quick to say that should the death of HD-DVD happen and Microsoft releases a Blu-ray drive add-on, it would have no effect on console sales (as Sony is the main proponent of Blu-ray):
"I fundamentally don't think ... this has a significant impact on Xbox 360 versus (Sony's) PlayStation 3," Penello told Reuters in an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas."With the PlayStation 2, DVD was a big part in the beginning, but over time, people were not buying it as a DVD player after first year or two."
I do agree that should HD-DVD die and Blu-ray become king, it will not ultimately affect the overall placings in the console installed base race (Wii #1, Xbox 360 #2, and PS3 #3), but I can see it boosting PS3 sales so that they are not so far behind. After all, the PS3 is the best Blu-ray player out there, has upgradeable firmware for future proofing, and also happens to play games (which due to the slow death of platform exclusive titles, means PS3 owners should be able to play many of the same hit games that the Xbox 360 will have.)
Now hurry up and die, HD-DVD, so Paramount can move on and I can get my hands on some Blu-ray Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica seasons. Mmmmm Jamie Bamber covered only by a towel in HD...
Microsoft's Xbox could consider Blu-ray support [Reuters]
[via: Kotaku]
Den Den Boy
Posted to In Your House, In the News on 9 January 2008
· Comments (1)
Other stuff like this: Blu-ray, CES, CES 2008, format wars, HD-DVD, Microsoft, Xbox 360
If it ain't broke... cease production. Right?
Just to clarify, this is simply a re-iteration from MS. They've said this all along about the HD DVD Drive and Blu-Ray. That's one of the reasons why they chose not to include a HD DVD drive in the system to begin with (which in hind sight may have made a bigger difference).
I think it's pretty clear that MS is placing it's bets on the digital distribution method over the physical method if you ask me, so to them it doesn't really matter.