Microsoft Planning Blu-ray Xbox 360 Add-on?


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It seems Microsoft hasn't given up on adding high-definition movie playback to the Xbox 360.

In an interview with Gizmodo, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was asked if we'll ever see a Xbox 360 with a built in Blu-ray disc drive.

"Well I don't know if we need to put Blu-ray in there—you'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories," said Ballmer.

Whoops, looks like this is another case of Steve letting information slip out a little too early. Microsoft quickly tried to cover Ballmer's statement saying, "Our solution for HD quality video on an Xbox 360 is coming this fall with Zune Video and 1080p instant-on HD streaming. As far as our future plans are concerned, we're not ready to comment.

Microsoft previously supported the now extinct HD-DVD format by releasing a drive add-on in November 2006.

Ballmer earlier this year mispoke during a conference in Chicago, saying a 'new' Xbox 360 was coming next year. He would later retract his statement, telling IGN, "I confused the issue with my poorly chosen words. There is no news in my comments. Things are as reported after E3. Sorry," said Ballmer.

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Sounds good. I wonder what the price would be? I have no use for it, but if priced right, it could be a great pick up for 360 owners in the market for a Blu-Ray player.

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I don't know. Microsoft seems pretty set on digital distribution. I chock it up to misinterpretation. Ballmer probably meant that Blu-ray has become so ubiquitous that you'll be able to get it in any new multimedia device. Never know, though. It would be nice to start using my HD gaming center as an HD video center.

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Sounds good. I wonder what the price would be? I have no use for it, but if priced right, it could be a great pick up for 360 owners in the market for a Blu-Ray player.

I can't speak for the actual quality, but you can get a blu-ray player now for under $200 without even being on sale. If they do it, and it's over $100, it'll be way too much.

I'm wondering if this is because MS has a deal with Toshiba to do drives (possibly?, they did the HD-DVD add-on), and Tosh is now finally releasing blu-ray players?

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I can't speak for the actual quality, but you can get a blu-ray player now for under $200 without even being on sale. If they do it, and it's over $100, it'll be way too much.

I'm wondering if this is because MS has a deal with Toshiba to do drives (possibly?, they did the HD-DVD add-on), and Tosh is now finally releasing blu-ray players?

I could see it being worth it if it's sub $150. I would be smaller than a full blown unit, so there's that. Anything more though and you're right, you'd be better off just getting a cheap stand alone.

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Can't wait to see the comparison charts from Sony once they add a $150-200 Blu Ray drive on top :p

I'd probably just go with a standalone if it's that price, the 360 is quite noisy, unless the drive is cheap, like $100, it can get quite annoying when watching a movie. That would be some serious whack pricing though if a BR drive costs $100 and a hard drive $150.

I think if MS do this they'd be best to add an internal drive to the elite and keep it at $299 for new buyers, that's value against the PS3, a $299 elite with a $100-150 drive on top isn't so much. Leave the accessories for the cheaper Xbox 360's.

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Think this might be less of a case of Bellmer giving out unreleased product info by accident and more of a case of him not knowing what he's talking about.

Also seems pretty clear that Microsoft's focus is on digital distribution of media, and I'd say, games as well.

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like... forza 3 required a hard disk to install.... whos to say that some game in the future will require the bluray drive cuz it comes on a bluray disc...

It would never be for games, at least not until the next Xbox.

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it does?

how big is the mandatory install?

It's not mandatory but if you don't install you don't get all the cars. I think it's around 2GB.

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I think Bellmer is just talking without knowing. If they were going to do a bluray addon they would've done it this year. Instead we get a "super elite" limited edition bundle with a bigger HDD. That just shows they'd rather sell you a bigger hDD and have you download videos/music and so on over Live than pay out money to build/package and ship another drive.

I don't even think the next Xbox will use bluray quite frankly. Not if we're talking 2013.

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I think Bellmer is just talking without knowing. If they were going to do a bluray addon they would've done it this year. Instead we get a "super elite" limited edition bundle with a bigger HDD. That just shows they'd rather sell you a bigger hDD and have you download videos/music and so on over Live than pay out money to build/package and ship another drive.

I don't even think the next Xbox will use bluray quite frankly. Not if we're talking 2013.

With RPGs on 3/4 discs this generation, Forza 3 coming on 2 discs, you expect the next Xbox to go another "10 years" with a DVD drive, starting in 2013? Blu Ray readers will be peanuts in 2013.

MS will add HD audio support to the next Xbox, you are not getting HD audio on a DVD. Multiplatform devs already do 7.1/HD audio on PS3 games, it's not as if it's just Sony 1st party doing it.

It would be a pretty silly move not to put Blu Ray in the next Xbox, it's the industry standard, they'll have HD movie support, HD audio in games, and bigger discs for games. Blu Ray readers in the next consoles will be faster before anyone moans about game installs.

The only people I can see being against this move are those that hate anything related to Sony, or the bunch on here who argued tooth and nail HD-DVDs would be a good choice for the next Xbox :laugh: It's just natural progression, nothing else, MS will keep up with the current trend, they may have tried to stunt Blu Ray by supporting HD-DVD but they're a business, they aren't going to think twice about including Blu Ray if it will benefit the next Xbox/Developers.

And if anyone replies to me by saying the next consoles will be fully digital (no drive at all), :laugh:

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And if anyone replies to me by saying the next consoles will be fully digital (no drive at all), :laugh:

no disc drives at all next gen - quote me

spinning discs are done by the time next gen is here. its old tech, not energy efficient, loud, causes heat and therefore failures, longer loading times

physical media will still be around, but in the form of sd cards or something like that

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Maybe the next XBOX would have USB like storage where it's based on Flash Memory, so it loads faster (Assuming we still use SSD/Flash) with more, cheaper storage space, and pushing the SSD prices even lower.

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Maybe the next XBOX would have USB like storage where it's based on Flash Memory, so it loads faster (Assuming we still use SSD/Flash) with more, cheaper storage space, and pushing the SSD prices even lower.

usb flash/sd cards prices are cheap now... imagine what they will be in 2012?

tech moves on... vhs and tapes had its run, spinning discs has almost had its run

other benefits for the gamer are that multiple games can be loaded in at once (just more sd slots) and games are less likely to break (no scratched discs)

Edited by g~man
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no disc drives at all next gen - quote me

spinning discs are done by the time next gen is here. its old tech, not energy efficient, loud, causes heat and therefore failures, longer loading times

physical media will still be around, but in the form of sd cards or something like that

The biggest selling point of a console is it appeals to everyone from those with little money, to those rolling in it. Consoles are cheaper than PC gaming, and the consoles themselves come down in price fairly quickly. The PS3 is at $299 from $599 in 2.5 years.

Not everyone can afford fast broadband, and not everyone even has broadband.

Neither Sony/MS or Nintendo are going to close off segments of their potential audience by removing the disc drive next generation, they'll supplement it with digital downloads, but not replace. So yeah I will quote you on this, the removal of a disc drive is not happening next generation.

Your idea of us going to SD cards isn't happening either, Blu Ray discs are at 50GB, a 32GB SD card costs about ?70. Discs will be the cheaper option still for next gen, not to mention as I've already pointed out, using Blu Ray gives you another tick box feature on your console, HD movie playback.

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The biggest selling point of a console is it appeals to everyone from those with little money, to those rolling in it. Consoles are cheaper than PC gaming, and the consoles themselves come down in price fairly quickly. The PS3 is at $299 from $599 in 2.5 years.

Not everyone can afford fast broadband, and not everyone even has broadband.

Neither Sony/MS or Nintendo are going to close off segments of their potential audience by removing the disc drive next generation, they'll supplement it with digital downloads, but not replace. So yeah I will quote you on this, the removal of a disc drive is not happening next generation.

Your idea of us going to SD cards isn't happening either, Blu Ray discs are at 50GB, a 32GB SD card costs about ?70. Discs will be the cheaper option still for next gen, not to mention as I've already pointed out, using Blu Ray gives you another tick box feature on your console, HD movie playback.

only the last paragraph is relevant to my argument

discs have had a good run, but its over next gen... 3yrs is a long time from now and discs are already looking outdated

and why cant hd movies come on sd cards or similar storage devices?

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only the last paragraph is relevant to my argument

discs have had a good run, but its over next gen... 3yrs is a long time from now and discs are already looking outdated

and why cant hd movies come on sd cards or similar storage devices?

Because the industry standard is discs, the whole industry would have to change to SD supported media players for that to even be viable, over the next few years people are going to be flocking to cheap blu ray players which play.... you guessed it, discs.

Why would they start selling HD movies on expensive 50GB SD cards when millions of people own Blu Ray players?

By then Blu Ray discs will most likely be in the same cost region of todays DVDs, dirt cheap, whilst SD cards are still fairly expensive. A developer/publisher pressing 1,000,000+ copies of game wants to do it on the disc which might cost them say I dunno, 64p a disc in bulk, compared to an SD card which will probably be pounds.

I really don't think you're putting much thought into your argument at all.

Edited by Audioboxer
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If it's the same price as the standalone units (e.g., not less than $100 or so), I'll just get a standalone. No point getting an accessory.

Agreed. You can get a good blu ray player these days for $165 if you know where to look. A year from now they'll probably go as low as $100.

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The whole purpose of moving to disc media starting with the PS1 was for the cheapness of the media. All the benefits listed are the exact benefits Nintendo was pushing when they stuck with cartridges for the Nintendo 64. At the end the cartridges were too small to fit all the information they needed compared to discs.

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Now did he mean "We will be releasing a Blu-Ray add-on" or "If we ever do decide to support Blu-Ray, it will be an accessory rather than built-in"?

His statement is pretty confusing.

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