Blu Ray Confirmed For Xbox 360

thegoth

See this link. No prices or dates yet

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6237577.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;1

Burning Eclipse

thegoth wrote: »

See this link. No prices or dates yet

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6237577.html?tag=latestheadlines;title;1

No prices or dates because it's not going to happen...

thegoth

Thats not what Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer seems to say. Lets cross our fingers

NTMK

great news, shame it will only be for blu ray movies and not games.

amacachi

NTMK wrote: »

great news, shame it will only be for blu ray movies and not games.

Have to disagree, for a game to need more than a Dual Layer DVD would generally just mean it's bloated. There's still plenty to go with DVDs.

Chet T16

I would've bought one 2 years ago but i have a ps3 now so no need, i bet alot of people would be in the same situation

Oafley Jones

I really think this has been taken out of context, I assumed that he's referring to stand alone players. I doubt we'll see a Blu-ray drive like the old HD-DVD add on.

NTMK

amacachi wrote: »

Have to disagree, for a game to need more than a Dual Layer DVD would generally just mean it's bloated. There's still plenty to go with DVDs.

I think if the 360 is going to last as long as the ps3 its going to need a higher capacity format like blu ray because over the next few years develops will push Dl Dvds to their limits and On Demand is not an option as it isnt available to everyone

brian plank

it'll never happen. even if it did why would anyone buy a BR attachment for a 360 rather than just a normal BR player or a ps3?

Oafley Jones

NTMK wrote: »

I think if the 360 is going to last as long as the ps3 its going to need a higher capacity format like blu ray because over the next few years develops will push Dl Dvds to their limits and On Demand is not an option as it isnt available to everyone

Not going to happen. MS will not have games shipping on Blu-ray for this generation, it would result in fracturing of their base and be a massive headache for development. Unless you're using tons of uncompressed audio - MGS4 i'm looking at you - then DL DVDs are fine for the current generation.

ShaneU

Microsoft: We have no plans for Blu-ray on Xbox 360

During an interview yesterday, Steve Ballmer was asked about Blu-Ray and the Xbox 360. I wanted to clear something up. Steve was referring to Blu-Ray accessories for the PC. As we have said in the past, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-Ray drive for the Xbox 360. In fact, the future of home entertainment starts very soon when Xbox 360 becomes the first and only console to offer instant-on 1080p streaming HD movies. With a library of thousands of TV shows and movies to choose from, Xbox 360 owners can instantly watch the movies they want, when they want, in the highest form of high definition.

http://majornelson.com/archive/2009/10/22/we-have-no-plans-for-blu-ray-on-xbox-360.aspx

nicklauski

Beat me to it Shane.

DirkVoodoo

Surely MS will have to embrace Blu Ray if the console is going to be around for a few more years? Unless we are going to start seeing twin DVD games appearing.

EDIT: Ah, I just read ShaneU's post. Streaming content? Oh lord, I am with eircom.

bucks73

MS have been saying for a couple of years now they see digital distribution as the way forward. No way this was ever going to happen.

Royale with Cheese

bucks73 wrote: »

MS have been saying for a couple of years now they see digital distribution as the way forward.

Have to agree with them, can't be fúcked with discs anymore. DVD drive on my laptop very rarely gets used.

Fingleberries

ShaneU wrote: »

Microsoft: We have no plans for Blu-ray on Xbox 360

During an interview yesterday, Steve Ballmer was asked about Blu-Ray and the Xbox 360. I wanted to clear something up. Steve was referring to Blu-Ray accessories for the PC. As we have said in the past, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-Ray drive for the Xbox 360. In fact, the future of home entertainment starts very soon when Xbox 360 becomes the first and only console to offer instant-on 1080p streaming HD movies. With a library of thousands of TV shows and movies to choose from, Xbox 360 owners can instantly watch the movies they want, when they want, in the highest form of high definition.

http://majornelson.com/archive/2009/10/22/we-have-no-plans-for-blu-ray-on-xbox-360.aspx

This is funny - that's the second or third time that they've had to retract or clarify something Steve Ballmer has said about XBox.

In fairness, we all knew they were never going to release a Blu Ray add on - there'd be no point for them as it would cost as much as a cheapy one these days, there's still only small take up for the format in the general market, and they wouldn't be able to release games on it because it would fracture their existing install base.

Not to mention the fact that they are heavily pushing Digital Distribution (Games on Demand, Zune Marketplace, XBLA, etc.) ... Still, worth it to see how quickly all the tech news sites jumped on the story.

silvine

It's confirmed for Windows PCs NOT for the Xbox.

amacachi

silvine wrote: »

It's confirmed for Windows PCs NOT for the Xbox.

Why do they feel the need to "confirm" that? What are they changing like? They've been in PCs and laptops for ages already.

thorbarry

This thread title is really really misleading

Vegeta

DirkVoodoo wrote: »

Unless we are going to start seeing twin DVD games appearing..

Forza Motorsport 3

amacachi

Vegeta wrote: »

Forza Motorsport 3

Thanks to the huge amount of content. Word on the street is that GT5 is going to be a multi-disc game too thanks to the ridiculous number of cars.

Vegeta

amacachi wrote: »

Thanks to the huge amount of content. Word on the street is that GT5 is going to be a multi-disc game too thanks to the ridiculous number of cars.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with multiple disks either imho

Its not as seemless as digital distribution but it doesn't bother me at all really. It is not a deal breaker or anything close to it

well as longs as they don't do something stupid like making you change disks half way round the Nurburgring.

amacachi

Vegeta wrote: »

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with multiple disks either imho

Its not as seemless as digital distribution but it doesn't bother me at all really. It is not a deal breaker or anything close to it

well as longs as they don't do something stupid like making you change disks half way round the Nurburgring.

Ah yeah I've no problem with installing a few gigs, but I have heard the extra capacity of Blu-Rays being used as a reason to get a PS3 over an XBox when the only time a BD is necessary is when the developers are basically ttp.

smooch71

Vegeta wrote: »

Forza Motorsport 3

Haven't bought this yet.

Do you have to swap the discs half way through the game?

amacachi

smooch71 wrote: »

Haven't bought this yet.

Do you have to swap the discs half way through the game?

Course not. Once you have a harddrive you just install one of the discs (think it's under 2GB) that has a load of cars then play off the other disc. The installation disc isn't even necessary unless, like me, you'll be playing the game pokemon style. :P

LD 50

For all ye on mobiles or W/E

[UPDATE] Microsoft backtracks on CEO Steve Ballmer's apparent confirmation of hi-def video format for console, saying reference was to PC accessories; "no plans" to bring media player to 360.

When the HD DVD/Blu-ray war came to a sudden end in February 2008, it was quickly followed by word that Microsoft and Sony were discussing a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360. Now, 20 months later, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer appears to have confirmed that the Xbox 360 will be getting a Blu-ray player of some sort.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.

In a video interview with tech site Gizmodo, the outspoken executive was asked how the Xbox 360 could be the center of a modern entertainment system and not include Blu-ray. His response appeared to rule out an internal Blu-ray drive for the 360, but apparently confirmed it would be available as a peripheral much like the discontinued Xbox 360 HD DVD drive.

Speaking about the Xbox 360, Ballmer said, "Well, I don't know if we need to put Blu-ray in there. [But] you'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories." He offered no further details, such as a time frame or price, and Microsoft reps declined to offer further comment on "future plans" regarding Blu-ray.

Bill Gates' successor quickly pivoted to promote the Xbox 360's ability to download high-definition video. "I think the future of movies is on demand, as opposed to…via distribution of physical media. So we're going to just strive forward and try and make [the Xbox 360] the best entertainment--overall entertainment, and not just gaming, but overall entertainment experience we can."

The next step in Microsoft's hi-def video strategy is the addition of 1080p video downloads and Zune-compatible movies as part of next month's Xbox Live update.

A Xbox 360 Blu-ray drive might look similar to the discontinued HD DVD drive for the console.

Though fairly unequivocal, Ballmer's comments should be taken with a grain of salt. In June, his from-the-hip comments at an investor conference--disseminated by an incomplete blog of the event--sparked a rumor firestorm that an all-new Xbox 360 would be released next year. Those rumors were subsequently shot down by director of Xbox 360 product management and Xbox Live Aaron Greenberg, who said Ballmer was speaking about the console's previously announced motion-sensing technology, Project Natal.

[UPDATE] Alas, as with Ballmer's seeming confirmation of an all-new Xbox 360 in 2010, the Microsoft executive's Blu-ray comments were off the mark. In a post to his official blog, Xbox Live director of programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has clarified Ballmer's statement, saying that while Blu-ray accessories are available for Windows PCs, Microsoft has no plans to release a high-definition media player using the technology for the Xbox 360.

"During an interview yesterday, Steve Ballmer was asked about Blu-Ray and the Xbox 360," Hryb wrote. "I wanted to clear something up. Steve was referring to Blu-Ray accessories for the PC. As we have said in the past, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-Ray drive for the Xbox 360. In fact, the future of home entertainment starts very soon when Xbox 360 becomes the first and only console to offer instant-on 1080p streaming HD movies."

Klingon Hamlet

Why sell a disc you can copy when you can rent out a streaming film?

true there will be eventually a way to record said streams but believe me, film studios would rather streaming as the way forward.

Take the Blu Ray players with this newish streaming content---add-ons for existing blu-ray films. Extra documentaries etc. It's the film studios' way of (in their mind's) slowly progressively shifting away from physical media to online media.

Next to go will be buying films. instead, renting will garner more revenue. No more discount discs at a tenner after a few months. Fiver-tenner a pop, so watch it five times and they've made double the profit, plus no manufacturing costs.

Now if only thye could guarantee no faults with the media device. E.G My Xbox RROD'd the other day after 20 months. Urgh.

PS On-tap 1080p is down to bandwidth, so either they're saying 1080p MAX (with lower reses depending on bandwidths available to the user), or they're saying that they're going to use newer compression methods like MKV etc...

Rev. Kitchen

Well if blue ray drives work with PC's then i dont think it would take much to get them to work on a xbox if someone was technically minded. I dont know if microsoft wil release a official one it would seem strange. It would have to be cheap too which is unlike microsoft.

Streaming is a good idea but video capture is allready available and would make piracy even easier than ripping a dvd you would just have to sit throough the film.

docentore

Rev. Kitchen wrote: »

Well if blue ray drives work with PC's then i dont think it would take much to get them to work on a xbox if someone was technically minded.

Terribly hard, believe me. Nothing which is signed by MS is possible to run on Xbox - vide Datel cards. It is different architecture to PC, CPU is different (PowerPC), different bus's etc.

Sheepy99

just gt a ps3 too

bucks73

Sheepy99 wrote: »

just gt a ps3 too

Why? Stand alone Blu Ray players are now cheaper so unless you plan on using it for gaming also there are cheaper options.