XBox360 with HD-DVD in 2006

[gunnerhkjp]

Hey. I just got this at msn Japan

msn Japan article

Roughly Translated:

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Microsoft indicated on the 14th that the game machine Xbox360 released on the 10th in Japan will have a new model with HD-DVD capability next year. Rival Sony is releasing PS3 with blue ray capability, which means there will be a next gen DVD battle also on the console gaming world.

The current 360 uses DVD drives but to compete with PS3, microsoft has decided that next gen DVD drives are a necessity to run high capacity high definition games. Microsoft will be adopting the HD-DVD standard which is the standard the company supports.

According to the publishing house EnterBrain(Tokyo) the sales figure in the first two days of sales in Japan is 62135pcs, which is below even the sales of the first xbox which was 120000pcs. The cause is blamed on delay in release dates of popular games.

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What can I say but WOW.

I think I'll be waiting for the HD-DVD version to buy my XBox360

[entropyx]

They'll add a replacement kit or an add-on version for the regular Xbox360's I assume. Also, no doubt the new Xbox360's will cost more than the current ones available.

[Cloud Constructors]

wtf? does this mean I have to sell my XBOX 360 and buy the new version? or will there be a replacement drive free of charge from Microsoft (which should be done)

[ziper]

I will be fine if they just make some addon for my current Xbox360. If they don't i will kill them with my own hands :)

[cau]

Even if this does happen it will only be for movies so yeah, if you want to watch HD-DVD movies on a 360 you'll have to buy a new one.

[gunnerhkjp]

I will be fine if they just make some addon for my current Xbox360. If they don't i will kill them with my own hands :)

:laugh:

I'm thinking Microsoft REALLY wanted to get the machine out before PS3, which comes out next spring.

They couldn't sit around and wait for the HD-DVD consortium to get their $hit together.

I wonder how this gamble will play out.

Even if this does happen it will only be for movies so yeah, if you want to watch HD-DVD movies on a 360 you'll have to buy a new one.

The article clearly states that "microsoft has decided that next gen DVD drives are a necessity to run high capacity high definition games."

Which means there will be games on HD-DVD.

[Cloud Constructors]

Even if this does happen it will only be for movies so yeah, if you want to watch HD-DVD movies on a 360 you'll have to buy a new one.

so you do not think an addon will take place? ****...

[cau]

:laugh:

I'm thinking Microsoft REALLY wanted to get the machine out before PS3, which comes out next spring.

They couldn't sit around and wait for the HD-DVD consortium to get their $hit together.

I wonder how this gamble will play out.

The article clearly states that "microsoft has decided that next gen DVD drives are a necessity to run high capacity high definition games."

Which means there will be games on HD-DVD.

Well then MS will make the most stupid move ever in the history of a company.

"Hey lets start releasing our games on a format most of our userbase won't be able to play!"

By the way, didn't Peter Moore call this "rumour" BS some time ago?

[OrangeSoul]

this wont be used for games, only movies

[Lingwo]

If they decided to use it for games aswell they'd have to allow current owners to upgrade for free because no way would i pay for another xbox360 just so i can play future games, it is as stupid as saying "you need HDTV"

[Rudy]

this wont be used for games, only movies

then it's pretty useless to have the HD-DVD then................

[Brandon Live Veteran]

They've already said there won't be X360 games on HD-DVDs. It just wouldn't make sense.

I don't believe the drive in the X360 is user-replaceable. So any upgrade option would probably be an external USB or LAN-based accessory. I would imagine that an X360 with an HD optical drive would mean a cost-reduced regular DVD version and that the HD disc model would replace it. Or something along those lines.

[The Teej]

I thought that the XBox 360 could play HD-DVDs already?

[Rudy]

I thought that the XBox 360 could play HD-DVDs already?

no, just regular dvd

[Brandon Live Veteran]

then it's pretty useless to have the HD-DVD then................

It would simply be a way to counter Sony's "PS3 can play HD movies" marketing. And it might end up being a good value - depends entirely on how the whole HD-DVD/BluRay thing plays out.

I'm skeptical, but you never know. They could have some trick up their sleeves (hybrid discs?) that would change things significantly.

[Rudy]

It would simply be a way to counter Sony's "PS3 can play HD movies" marketing. And it might end up being a good value - depends entirely on how the whole HD-DVD/BluRay thing plays out.

I'm skeptical, but you never know. They could have some trick up their sleeves (hybrid discs?) that would change things significantly.

it would have been a better idea for them to release the 360 with hd-dvd so that game dev can use it......i mean it's a GAME console right.....

[iconboy]

what a stupid idea, hasnt anyone learned yet that addons dont work? I mean, people bought a 360 and the hdd seperatley because there were so few at launch, watch- when there are plenty of 360s a couple of months from now, noone is gunna buy the retard pack. If M$ wanted HD games and movies, they should have put the drive in from the begining. rushed games and rushed hardware = stupid.

[gunnerhkjp]

what a stupid idea, hasnt anyone learned yet that addons dont work? I mean, people bought a 360 and the hdd seperatley because there were so few at launch, watch- when there are plenty of 360s a couple of months from now, noone is gunna buy the retard pack. If M$ wanted HD games and movies, they should have put the drive in from the begining. rushed games and rushed hardware = stupid.

Harddrives come standard on the 360s here in Japan.

So I presume Japanese developers will be using them quite a bit.

I guess US users will be buying the add-on Harddrive and now probably an add-on HD-DVD drive.

[MajinFix]

then it's pretty useless to have the HD-DVD then................

no its a Addon, optional, not forcing people to buy new one, not making people who bought it look like idiots nad never buy MS product and so on...and one more thing they plan 2 sell 3 million consoles in 3 months, yea they would really love to make 3 million replacements or even more

[Alter_Ego]

Even if this does happen it will only be for movies so yeah, if you want to watch HD-DVD movies on a 360 you'll have to buy a new one.

no the whole point of HD-DVD in the xbox or blu-ray in ps3 is because it can hold more data... so therefore games can have more data... and therefore they could or should be better... thats why they want it... not so u can watch HD-DVD...

but ps3 want that... cuz they own blu-ray patent... so they get money no matter what... (jus gd business sense)

[gunnerhkjp]

Oh man. The blogs in Japan are buzzing with this news.

The hard core XBox360 fans are going ballistic.

The biggest point is that HD-DVD player standard REQUIRES HDMI connection.

Since current Xbox360 does not and CANNOT have HDMI connection, it can't have an add-on HD-DVD drive.

Something to think about.

[iconboy]

Oh man. The blogs in Japan are buzzing with this news.

The biggest point is that HD-DVD player standard REQUIRES HDMI connection.

Since current Xbox360 does not and CANNOT have HDMI connection, it can't have an add-on HD-DVD drive.

Something to think about.

when you say buzzing it seems like a positive thing, but the lack of this connector, isnt it a negative thing?

[ahhell]

Until Microsoft's execs confirm that this is true...treat it as bull ****.

[gunnerhkjp]

Well, the morning newspaper here in Japan has an article about this.

The gist of the article is that this is a big win for the HD-DVD consortium and the format war has now spilt over into the gaming market. They say this move is necessary to fight PS3's blueray disc with higher capacity.

This is pretty big news here since MS and the XBox is now a HUGE ally of HD-DVD.

They focus less on how this may be a real hard kick in the nuts for current owners :laugh:

Edited December 14, 2005 by gunnerhkjp

[iamthelaw]

feel sorry for everyone who purchased an xbox360 already