XBOX 360 Finally Getting Blu-ray
After months of rumors and denials, the XBOX 360 with a Blu-ray disc drive is due to be manufactured soon and shipped in Q3 of 2008. Pegatron Technology, an OEM subsidiary of Asustek Computer, is reported to have received the winning order from Microsoft for a Blu-ray equipped XBOX 360.
Earlier reports cited Lite-On as the company with the privilege of building the new console for Microsoft. Lite-On is also currently one of the suppliers of the internal DVD drive fro the XBOX 360.
One of the strong points for Sony’s Playstation 3 has been the integrated Blu-ray player. The PS3 had the ability to draw both gamers and audio/video enthusiast, and this was proving to be a major advantage over its XBOX rival. It is estimated that 85% of Blu-ray players in use are PS3s. Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer had admitted that Microsoft had been working on support for Blu-ray under Windows during this year’s Mix08 conference. Rumors began to swirl and many began to expect Microsoft to announce a Blu-ray peripheral for the XBOX 360.
However, Microsoft came out and denied all rumors, stating that they were not exploring any kind of Blu-ray add-on or in talks with Sony about integrating Blu-ray into the XBOX experience. The software giant stated they would continue to invest in its XBOX Live online service as the means of high-definition content delivery. Toshiba received a crushing blow earlier this year at CES that Warner Brothers would be Blu-ray exclusive. This eventually led to Toshiba withdrawing from the HD format war and the demise of the XBOX 360’s HD-DVD add-on. It is interesting to note that sales of the XBOX 360 lagged behind Sony’s PS3 in the month of February, the same month Toshiba withdrew.
Many expected the death of HD-DVD would trigger a growth in Blu-ray hardware sales. However, to the dismay of the industry, acceptance and adoption of Blu-ray has been dismal.
The PS3 is one of the cheapest (relatively speaking) Blu-ray players available — and you get the console thrown in for good measure.
cant sony do anything about it? it might kill ps3s sales unless there at the same price range.
I believe that in the future discs will no longer be neccessary, downloadable content will rule the day. Why clutter my small apartment with discs and boxes when I could just fill up a hard drive.
Downloadable content is the way Microsoft wants to go, and I will fight it all the way. They would love downloadable content, no longer giving a person a hard copy. Hey I haven't seen that movie can I borrow it? Nope it on my hard drive, so you'll have to watch it here and only on this t.v. Oh wait, my hard drive crashed last week so I'll have to buy it again before you can see it. People are idiots if they buy into downloadable content. It's not meant to improve your experience, it's to increase profits. Any small benefit to the end user is negated by its drawbacks.
Personally, I have NEVER, EVER had a hard drive crash. Not even the 10 year old one in my 1992 Packard Bell computer.
People who have hard drives crashes are an infinitesimal amount of people, and frankly.... I thought Microsoft allowed you to redownload things if you have bought them as long as you are using the same console. It was supposed to be locked to the CONSOLE, not the hard drive because Microsoft knew that people would have catastrophic failures of them sooner or later.
This is not true I share files (movies, pictures, etc.)
Well personally I do not care about GIANT CORPORATIONS like Bestbuy, GameStop. I plan on downloading Age Of Conan before it release and before I the box and disc. Hence I pre-ordered it and will be able to play 3 days before the retail release. Download WINS...
If Microsoft build a 360 with an integrated blu-ray it may dent sales of the PS3 but Sony will be getting a share of the sale of 360. You don't think people can just start building blu-ray drives and shipping them without some kind of licensing agreement from Sony (LOL). I would love to see the faces of the chief's at Microsoft though for getting it all wrong and knowing that in the future everytime someone buys a 360 a percentage goes to their bitter rivals. If they had shipped the 360 with an integrated HD drive to start with I doubt Sony would have won. Just think how many people would have a HD drive and would therefore be buying the HD disks.