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Xbox 360 could get Blu-ray - Sony News
Xbox 360 PlayStation 3 News by Ellie Gibson
A senior Sony executive has claimed Microsoft is in talks about bringing Blu-ray technology to Xbox 360 - but Microsoft says it has no plans to do so.
According to the Financial Times it all started when Stan Glasgow, president of Sony Electronics US, made a speech at a "media dinner". He said Microsoft and Apple are both having a chat with Sony about how they can incorporate Blu-ray tech into their products.
The news comes two weeks after Microsoft's corporate vice president of Live, Software and Services, John Schappert, told Eurogamer that the HD-DVD add-on's poor attach rate - just 3 percent - might dissuade Microsoft from releasing another high-definition disc drive add-on.
We love teh gaymes iz not tru, said Microsoft in a statement. Or more specifically: "We have made no such announcement. Games are what are driving consumers to purchase game consoles and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available." That clears everything up then.
Later in his speech Glasgow said he's not worried about digital downloads overtaking Blu-ray, what with bandwidth limitations and the fact consumers like having discs anyway. "Downloading will build over time, but this will be over a period of years," he observed. He also predicted the cost of Blu-ray players will drop to USD 299 before the end of the year, falling to USD 200 by 2010.
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Triggerhappytel
07/03/08 @ 07:45
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MS would probably claim it's a natural progression for the console, but if this happens it will be a bitter pill for them to swallow.
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RazorObsession
07/03/08 @ 07:47
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Well it makes sense. External drives for those that have old 360's, internal drives for some kind of super elite version.
If MS data compression is as good as they say it is, they will still be able to fit games on DVD dual layered or otherwise, if not then the space would be welcomed by developers, and early adopters will simply have to suck it. Having said all that, not even having a plain old DVD drive hasn't hurt Wii sales none. |
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squarejawhero
07/03/08 @ 08:08
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@Razor, exactly.
Anyhow, I'm looking forward to the tide of ignorant yet hilarious comments from people who know little about how the Bluray coalition works or MS' strategy. Oh look, it's started already. |
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Makes sense really, not too sure why the Sony man has come out and talked about it so early. at the moment the only thing that really has me temped by the PSŁ is the blu-ray play back (was thinking about picking one up this month as i just got a fat cheque i didn't know was coming my way and did a fuckton of OT last month) but i think i'll wait and see now if MS brings a blu-ray add on. So that's at least one sale lost before the end of the finance year, not like the PS3 in a place where they can be throwing them away.
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"Having said all that, not even having a plain old DVD drive hasn't hurt Wii sales none."
That's because most people already have a DVD player and using the Wii as one doesn't make much sense. Using a console for movie playback only makes sense if it does the job better than your current player (so upscaling features or a next gen format). |
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i cant belive any one would consider another clunky add on for the already clunky 360 over a nice shiny (reliable) ps3 (no im not trying to start an argument and yes i do know the x box is best for...) i think its obvious that the 360 is bought for gamers, the ps3 for those wanting a bit of everything and the wii for collecting dust after xmas (my experience).
i really cant see an add on coming anytime soon for 360 and i doubt it would match the spec of ps3's excellent player anyway, i feel that this story is more likely linked to either future consoles or pc application. oh and some people still seem to think ps3 is the new dreamcast, its not going away and its in a pretty strong position a the moment. |
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LeD, you'd *replace* your PS3 for a BD add-on for your 360? Their'd be no way I'd risk starting to watch a film on the 360, and it rrod on me making me have to wait for it to be fixed.
Buy a BD-ROM your your PC media center (if you have one) or a stand-alone BD player. Or just keep the BD player you already have, and not buy any of this years great games coming out for it. |
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Mentalist(air)
07/03/08 @ 08:42
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early adopters will simply have to suck it
Given Microsoft's continued vehement support of consoles without hard drives, I doubt they're going to abandon 18 million customers by releasing games on incompatible discs. |
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@Carlo - I agree with you, I certainly wouldn't sell my PS3 for an Xbox 360 with a BD add-on as I like the fact that its a self-contained unit, it's quiet and has a disc slot feeder; makes it seem like a quality piece of modern electronics equipment that belongs in the living room rather than a cheap plastic toy that doesn't. ;)
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most recently on 07/03/08 @ 09:30
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LeD, you'd *replace* your PS3 for a BD add-on for your 360? Their'd be no way I'd risk starting to watch a film on the 360, and it rrod on me making me have to wait for it to be fixed.
ARE YOU SERIOUS that is one of the mose itiotic comments I've read this year!!!! Will the world end if your watching of a film gets interrupted? In that case, better get a backup generator in just in case theres a power cut while your watching your uninteruptable film, and while you're at it better have the fire brigade on standby in case your house gets struck by lightening and burns down while you are engrossed in the movie, you can never be too sure!! |
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"It's just that from a gaming point of view, the PS3 has given me so very little so far, that I couldn't justify it keeping it for the sake of Blu-Ray playback."
Buy some fecking games for it then. These posts leave me incredulous. I've got a PS3 and PC and have been stowed under since November. How many games are you getting through? |
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farticusmaximus
07/03/08 @ 09:27
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"Buy some fecking games for it then."
If there were any decent exclusives, or even ports, on the PS3 I'm sure he would. As it is 360 still pisses over PS3 on the games front from a great height. |
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BadBoyBonner
07/03/08 @ 09:31
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SKY HD for the win.
/Goes back to watching all 6 StarWars films in HD. |
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GamesProgrammer
07/03/08 @ 09:40
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Due to the fact the 360 only has a HDMI 1.2 port on the back of it, theres no chance it will match the quality of the PS3 blu-ray player, unless of course they release a super-elite with built in drive, built in hard drive ( required for Blueray Live Features ) and a new HDMI 1.3a port.
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"Buy some fecking games for it then."
Gaol, I did buy a few: RFoM, HS, RR7, Folklore, and a couple of the PSN. Still nothing compared to the 30 games I own on my 360, and nothing that comes close to Mass Effect, Gears of War, Crackdown, Dead Rising, etc. I keep waiting for that elusive game that signals the PS3 coming of age. |
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@Gaol
List me some then? Because my PS3 has been surviving on nothing but FIFA for the last year, and that was a sympathy purchase for the system. In comparison I've something like ten Wii games and 15 360 games. As unrealistic as it is, I would love a new 360 to be released with Blu-ray, built in wifi, and 200+GB hard drive. |
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Of course Sony runs its divisions like separate companies.
It's quite possible that the arm responsible for Ps3 would be very unhappy for the 360 to have blu-ray tech in it. It's also possible that MS are keeping their options open and talks like this can take years to lead to results, so maybe it's just an option for the Xbox 720!? |
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A lot of people go on about the RROD issue and I honestly cannot see the big deal (I'm not being a fanboy, honest!), These guys never seem to add that if it did happen within 3 years it would be fixed for absolutely no cost to you. Most of my CD/DVD based consoles have developed some kind of problem within 3 years but this time I have a 3 year warranty so if it happens I'm covered and game/watch movies with no worries on my 360.
So what's the big problem with RROD again? |
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"Of course Sony runs its divisions like separate companies."
They're definitely working towards shared goals. Blu-Ray in PS3 can definitely be beneficial for games but being a trojan horse for establishing Blu-Ray as a movie format was just as (and maybe even more) important. A Blu-Ray add-on or internal drive for 360 will not be used for games. 360 is too far in its life cycle to warrant such a 180. If it's just an add-on, the lost potential PS3 sales for Sony might be relatively minor: people that already own a 360 are unlikely to get a PS3 as well unless they're really hardcore. But on the other hand it will lead to a bigger installed base for Blu-Ray and more movie sales. An internal drive might pose a bigger threat to PS3 sales though, as that would be mostly relevant to first time console buyers (though reading around these comments sections might lead one to think otherwise) and make the PS3 loose one of its advantages over 360. |
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"So what's the big problem with RROD again? "
The fact that it took over a year for MS to acknowledge the problem. The fact that IIRC the 3 year cover only applies to very specific instances of the RROD. The fact that some people have been through 7 machines. The fact that MS are still not doing anything about it (I'm sure they would have had new kit for GDC and some of these RRODed as previously reported...yes yes they were in booths where it gets hot but then again so were PS3s and Wiis but there were no reports of those melting down). |
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I don't think us 360 owners can claim that the build quality of the machine is in the same league as the Ps3s.
My PS3 definitely feels better put together, but if I could only keep one I'd keep the 360 at the moment and that has melted on me once! Just gives it character! ;-) As a Ps3 fanboy argument though, it's all pretty weak. A few of us might have a week or so without the console whilst it's repaired for free, but it's nothing compared to the hours of superb gaming it's provided so far and I no longer switch it on wondering if those dreaded lights will appear! Edited: For clarity
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"A lot of people go on about the RROD issue and I honestly cannot see the big deal (I'm not being a fanboy, honest!), These guys never seem to add that if it did happen within 3 years it would be fixed for absolutely no cost to you."
IIRC, they don't fix it for you, they send you back somebody elses refurbished unit. That's what I hate about it personally when I try to look after my stuff yet most other people seem to prefer their 360s bright yellow and smelly. TBF it's also a lot of money for something that (seems to be) made so cheaply. |
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"So what's the big problem with RROD again?"
The big problem is the big problem. That there are means to mitigate the issue is nice and makes the inconvenience a little more bearable but the issue shouldn't be there in the first place. The fact that people seem so eager to downplay the issue shows how successful the console manufacturers are in creating an emotional bond between the buyer and the console (as well as that people can survive a few weeks without it; imagine the same thing happening to your refrigirator or TV). |
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farticusmaximus
07/03/08 @ 10:30
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@Gaol
Hit a nerve there did I? Seriously, if you think PS3 exclusives and a bunch of shit ports come anywhere close the games available on the 360 then you are the misinformed little fanboy swearbox. Don't worry though, maybe next year or the year after your console will come of age. Or maybe the year after that... maybe.. |
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@ Salvia
Yeah but they DID acknowledge the problem and they DID extend the warranty and they DID redesign the machine. All companies make mistakes be they in their manufacturing, their service etc, in my eyes Sony have made a few whoppers (no rumble, price, PSN, lack of good exclusives etc) but for me any company that puts it's hands up and rectifies it's errors I put more trust in them not less. Sony are fixing their errors (slowly!) so I am now considering a purchase this year and the same applies to MS, yeah they rushed 360 out to combat Sony (let's be honest with the PS brand they had to) but they looked after us with the extended warranty so personally I have no problem with it. As for some going through 7 360s, I hear the same stories but never once MET someone who went through so many. I also find it hard to believe because my 360 get used hard (I play games far too much!) and I only got one RROD (last October) since buying at launch. Even that was due to 2 seven hour sessions on H3 (told you I play too much!), it always makes we wonder how they treat their consoles. |
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OK since November, off top of my head (I'm not at home) I bought Ratchet, CoD4, Uncharted, Assassins Creed, GHIII, DMC4, Oblivion GOTY. Still got Burnout to get. Some great games there. A lot of 'PS3 doesn't have enough games' posts read to me like 'I don't really need the two machines'.
I also have a PC and for what its worth agree that Gears is a class apart from all of those games except DMC4. I'll be picking up Mass Effect in May. So I'm really happy with my PC/PS3 combo. Anyone buying both a 360 and PS3 should realize that 90% of the games will be available on both. |
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It's funny how some Sony kids said "Sony would never let MS have a Blu-Ray on their games box"; like we don't know that Sony main goal was and is Blu-Ray.
It's also funny every time a "threatning news" spawns, so the RRoD post pop-up like mushrooms. It's passe, and you gotta admit better have a temperamental box than a shallow one.
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@ Les
"The fact that people seem so eager to downplay the issue shows how successful the console manufacturers are in creating an emotional bond between the buyer and the console (as well as that people can survive a few weeks without it; imagine the same thing happening to your refrigirator or TV)." Emotional bond? No it's just I accept things can and do go wrong ESPECIALLY in electronics and if I deal with a company the deals with those problems efficiently I tend to use that company more. If that is an emotional bond then I'm all for it! Let's not forget I can do without it for a couple of weeks because at the end of the day...it's just a games console, there are other things to do ;)
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most recently on 07/03/08 @ 10:47
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"LeD, you'd *replace* your PS3 for a BD add-on for your 360? Their'd be no way I'd risk starting to watch a film on the 360, and it rrod on me making me have to wait for it to be fixed."
Haha! yes because looking at it gives it a rrod! Tjees. My launch model has not crashed in over 1,5 years - all my attempts to make it go rrod so I have an excuse to buy a hdmi one have failed. The 360 has hardware problems but nothing like you pretend it to be. |
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I have to agree with Greebo, the majority of people certainly don't go through 6 or 7 systems, mine borked once, I received it back within nine days and MS sent me a free wireless pad in apology for the failure, the system they sent back has had no problems for the last year and has been left on over night on many occasions. The only people who actually seem to have a massive problem with RRoD are the few poor people who really have had extremely bad luck with multiple replacements and those who just want to use it in console pissing matches who've never even owned the system (Les springs to mind)...
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