Xbox 360 to become Blu Ray compatible?

360 News | Moore says it's a possibility

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas may be over, but the news is still finding it's way onto the web. It was but a week ago that Microsoft announced their latest HD-DVD add on for their new console, and now Peter Moore has revealed that Microsoft are open to the possibility of providing an external Blu-Ray drive for the system.

Moore explains to Japanese electronics website, ITMedia that if the HD-DVD format looses out to the Sony backed Blu-Ray architecture, Microsoft could release the add-on to remain competitive with Sony's PS3. He justifies the use of external drives as opposed to having it built internally like the PS3's Blu-Ray drive by stating that it is yet unknown which format will eventually win, and by having the option to provide for either outcome leaves them with enough breathing room to maneuver; a luxury Sony may not have if the outcome doesn't fall into their favour.

Chances of that happening however are slim. Those good old anaylsts are predicting that Blu-Ray has the edge over HD-DVD for the time being, and with many major film studios already planning to release content on Sony's propreitary format, they just may have a point. But with Microsoft now willing to provide for the format, it might not be all bad news for the new kid on the gaming block.

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12 Comments

ObsoletE

7 years ago

i read on GamePRO that the HD-DVD drive for the X360 is specifically designed to block Blu-Rays, but at the same time, as you say, if the format wins, it makes it easier to remain competitive by using external drives.

i also didn't know that the HD-DVD drive is for movies only, not games. (yes, it's mentioned in your other article, i must've missed it before though). it's tipped to be about $400 extra though.

themak

7 years ago

VHS and BETAMAX
Allll over again- except this time I have to witness it. Bugger.

ZNMS

7 years ago

He justifies the use of external drives as opposed to having it built internally like the PlayStation 3's Blu-Ray drive by stating that it is yet unknown which format will eventually win, and by having the option to provide for either outcome leaves them with enough breathing room to maneuver; a luxury Sony may not have if the outcome doesn't fall into their favour.

Come to think of it, that's not a bad plan.

realitybites

7 years ago

Yes I suppose in hindsight it was a low risk option by MS to have optional add ons. As long as the optional add ons don't cost more than a standalone unit. The downside will be when developers max out the DVD storage for a game (i.e. you will need multiple DVDs to play).

I don't think Sony would be delighted if they lose. Although putting games on blu ray won't inhibit their ability to move PS3s. I seriously doubt someone will say hey I won't buy a PS3 because it doesn't support HD-DVD. The reverse argument will be I'll buy a standalone unit instead.

Anonymous

7 years ago

Since the 360 has a 20GB hard Drive instead of having multile DVDs have one zipped one, unload it all (first time laoding screen would belike 20 minutes mind you) and let some of the HD space goto saving the extra game files.

Scorn

7 years ago

Like most addons it will probably fail. I know I won't have an addon attached to my X360 when I could just buy a (quieter/easier to use/better form factor) standalone player.

Also, I don't think thats a possibility Whitegreek. The Xbox360 HDD only has 13GB usable, so won't hold much, and isn't standard with the system (and its a ripoff price to purchase one seperately). Of course most people will initially get the premium pack (myself included), but later on the more casual gamer won't.

EA is a member of the Blu-ray association, Rockstar said they wanted a bigger disc capacity...I wonder how not having one will affect X360 (if at all). Sony did the right thing including it standard.

jojota

7 years ago

boy microsoft annoy me sometimes, had they not all of a sudden chosen to back hd dvd blue ray would have probly won by now. if there is a battle between the 2 new formats we can all blame microsoft this is not to say am not keen on the 360 cant wait for it!

also i dont belive that the ps3 blue ray will not be used for games ha sony will have such an upper hand if and when they release blue ray games purely cause of the size!

i agree with scorn if microsoft had intentions of the the games being riped on to the hard drives then they should have released a bigger harddrive with the demo downloads and the arcade downloads and all the other stuff you would not have room on the 20 gig!

Jellyfish

7 years ago

Scorn wrote

EA is a member of the Blu-ray association, Rockstar said they wanted a bigger disc capacity...I wonder how not having one will affect X360 (if at all). Sony did the right thing including it standard.

I think it'd be more of the developers being lazy, 9 GiB is quite large and really, do you see many computer games take multiple DVDs? And PC games are more demanding space wise (They have to include support for most graphics cards, CPUs, soundcards).
Amongst my friends, the only ones supporting Blu-Ray are ones who want to do things not mentionable on this site... HD-DVD with it's managed copy ability (allows to you legally rip DVDs to your HDD) would IMO lower the rate of piracy, and that's what the content companies really want isn't it?

tootie_kicks

7 years ago

jojota wrote

boy microsoft annoy me sometimes, had they not all of a sudden chosen to back hd dvd blue ray would have probly won by now.

It would also be possible to justify in the opposite direction, saying if it weren't for Sony, we wouldn't have to worry about Blu-Ray interrupting HD-DVD.

Anonymous

7 years ago

Blu-ray like all new CD formats will only be used for4 DVD or movie applications at first, no real data useage for the BL-DVD until 6 months down the road at least, don't believe me?
Look a CDs and DVDs, HD DVD will be the same also.

Thor

7 years ago

Thats the way billy, come crawling to the godstation for help.

Scorn

7 years ago

nikack wrote

I think it'd be more of the developers being lazy, 9 GiB is quite large

Give developers space, they'll fill it.

nikack wrote

do you see many computer games take multiple DVDs? And PC games are more demanding space wise (They have to include support for most graphics cards, CPUs, soundcards).

No but then again you do see many 6GB+ games and its just going to get higher. Compression takes up precious CPU cycles and is already used in current-games, so thats not really going to help significantly.

nikack wrote

Amongst my friends, the only ones supporting Blu-Ray are ones who want to do things not mentionable on this site... HD-DVD with it's managed copy ability (allows to you legally rip DVDs to your HDD) would IMO lower the rate of piracy, and that's what the content companies really want isn't it?

Well, I think your friends are morons, first for being pirates, and second for thinking that Blu-ray doesn't support MMC. It does.
(http://www.blu-ray.com/). Thirdly for assuming that not having MMC would allow you to pirate movies. If anything, its even more restrictive as the entire purpose of MMC is to allow you to make a legal copy to be used over home networks.

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