Xbox 360 Finally Getting Blu-ray [Slashdot]

[DP ServBot]

Starturtle writes "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. 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."http://games.slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&op=image&style=h0&sid=08/05/03/2113247 (http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/05/03/2113247&from=rss)
Read more of this story (http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/05/03/2113247&from=rss) at Slashdot.
http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdotGames?i=z9dWDa</img> (http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdotGames?a=z9dWDa)
http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotGames/~4/282963961

More... (http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotGames/~3/282963961/article.pl)

[coreys429]

Can I say too little to late on this one? I might be wrong but I remember a time that you bought a game system to play games.

[Kitsune Sniper]

I dunno, I still feel this is a load of bullshit. :|

I don't believe Microsoft will add a Bluray drive... *shrugs*

[Kejoriv]

I dunno, I still feel this is a load of bullshit. :|

I don't believe Microsoft will add a Bluray drive... *shrugs*


I agree with you.

[ProgrammingAce]

Fun Fact: Microsoft wants *all* disc formats to die so they can sell you their own downloadable content.

[Kitsune Sniper]

Fun Fact: Microsoft wants *all* disc formats to die so they can sell you their own downloadable content.

Are you sure you don't mean Apple?

[NayusDante]

Are we SURE it's an XBOX? Asus makes a lot of different things, but mostly MOTHERBOARDS. For all we know, it could be a DVR or a souped up Media Center Extender box, with Xbox support thrown in on the side.

[MrRoboto19XX]

Hm, if this is true it appears this console war continues to be an interesting one with yet another twist.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

If Microsoft wants me to pay for digital movies, TV shows, or other video content via download on my 360, they need to do the following:

1.) Lower the cost of the product -OR- make that content a NON-MS POINT product, i.e. assign a DOLLAR VALUE per item.

2.) Allow downloaded video media to be shared with other devices such as iPod or other portable video players.

3.) Supply a proprietary 360 hard drive at retail that is not outrageously over-priced. You can get a TERABYTE HDD for LESS THAN $200 ... why are we paying close to that for 120 GIGS?

Digital movie/video content on 360 will NEVER be an attractive prospect to me if the above issues are not addressed.

[Stark]

As soon as the first 360 with a Blu-ray drive (technology from Sony) hits the shelf the "war" is over. :)

[graciano1337]

YES! I can't wait!

[slip81]

ug, I know I'm in the minority here, but I want my game consoles to play games. I don't need a bunch of added shit in there to jack up the price.

Well, I guess I'd better get that 360 arcade sometime this summer before they do away with it to introduce ANOTHER sku with blu-ray and ramp up the price.

I know the Wii isn't thre greatest thing since sliced bread, but thres a a reason you still have a hard time finding one two yeas after it's release, there's only one to choose from and they're cheap. I'm sure if MS wanted too they could make one with no memory card or HDD, a wired controller and composite cable to retail for $199, then I'm sure the thing would probably even surpass the Wii in sales.

[NayusDante]

I'm sure if MS wanted too they could make one with no memory card or HDD, a wired controller and composite cable to retail for $199, then I'm sure the thing would probably even surpass the Wii in sales.

It's viable, and it would increase sales, but it wouldn't make non-gamers want one.

[c0ldb33r]

Are we talking a 360 with an bluray add-on or a built in one? If its built in, then I'm gonna call B.S. After all the shit MS gave Sony about forcing players to watch movies, I can't see 'em doing this.

That being said, if its true, and released at a decent price, I'll buy it. If it's too expensive (which is likely the case), then MS can forget it.

[vegi-saurus]

So will this mean that the RRoD will be BluRoD?

[NayusDante]

So will this mean that the RRoD will be BluRoD?

I vote that we use that as the official community name for whatever product it ends up being.

[NE146]

The last thing I ever buy.. is stupid movies. They suck. I play videogames.

Now that being said, let me know when bluray or hd-dvd is nice and cheap for data.

[Ponyone]

360 getting a wiimote and bluray? Now all they need is a spiderman font and an exercise platform and they'll be all set.

[nate1749]

If its built in, then I'm gonna call B.S. After all the shit MS gave Sony about forcing players to watch movies, I can't see 'em doing this.

This is the same company that said the internet was a phase and they would not invest any resources into it.

They've never been known for being the first into or something or picking the right technology - just known for copying whoever is #1 and getting their market share.

[Nikademus1969]

I know the Wii isn't thre greatest thing since sliced bread, but thres a a reason you still have a hard time finding one two yeas after it's release, there's only one to choose from and they're cheap. I'm sure if MS wanted too they could make one with no memory card or HDD, a wired controller and composite cable to retail for $199, then I'm sure the thing would probably even surpass the Wii in sales.

Wasn't that what the "core" x-box was?

[NayusDante]

Wasn't that what the "core" x-box was?

Very close. Still, the core unit was $299, and the arcade unit has taken its place at $279. Since the arcade unit includes more extras, they could get closer to that magic price, but not quite. A 256mb memory unit, Pac Man, and Uno do NOT add up to $80, last time I checked. As for cables, I don't THINK they include anything but a composite set, but I could be wrong.

[Half Japanese]

Buying a 360 without a hard drive is foolish, plain and simple. The memory cards are puny and expensive to the point that not buying a unit with a hard drive is the retail equivalent of punching yourself in the face. Microsoft shouldn't have even offered the consoles without the hard drive. I know they were trying to make a point by offering a lower-priced unit, but it's getting to the point now of hindering upcoming releases and making developers bend over backwards to appease folks that were short on both cash and foresight.

As for Blu-ray in a 360, I'm sure it's not totally out of the question, but Microsoft must be gritting their teeth paying Sony for a license when they had a viable movie and storage format that they left for dead.

[NayusDante]

I use my hard drive because I play FFXI and download an occasional demo. None of the 360 demos have proved to be very interesting, so I could probably live without them. For saving games, 256mb seems more than adequate. I can see a lot of people buying the 360 just for games, and that's what it's for.

However, I'm already over 20gb used on my Elite with just FFXI and a few demos. If you plan to buy DLC, that's hit or miss. Beautiful Katamari's DLC unlocks more stuff on the disk, so not much to store there. Rock Band DLC is pretty hefty, so a 256mb drive alone would probably fill up for the average user.

I want to see USB hard drive support, with full read-write-transfer permissions. I should be able to transfer my legal music collection onto my 360 without having to rip everything again and burn all the free independent/fan-made content I listen to. Network streaming does the job, but I have to have the source computer on.

Microsoft did not leave HD-DVD for dead, Toshiba did. Microsoft just jumped on the wrong bandwagon at the wrong time, unless they're going to use the format for data instead of video. This would actually be a GREAT move, as it could be an exclusive format, making piracy a bit more difficult.

[Poofta!]

i was visiting hell earlier, and it was mighty cold... bill gates was printing money while reggie was freezing in a pool of ice.


this was obviously going to happen. M$ will do anything for marketshare for its future endeavors. including pay/side with competitors while its beneficial to them.

[Half Japanese]

Microsoft did not leave HD-DVD for dead, Toshiba did. Microsoft just jumped on the wrong bandwagon at the wrong time, unless they're going to use the format for data instead of video. This would actually be a GREAT move, as it could be an exclusive format, making piracy a bit more difficult.

Actually, Microsoft was key in the development of HD DVD (Having developed the HDi component that allowed HD DVDs to have better features that Blu-ray is just now catching up to), they just sort of twiddled their thumbs when it came to putting out a 360 with a HD DVD drive in the console itself.

[MeTmKnice]

Actually, Microsoft was key in the development of HD DVD (Having developed the HDi component that allowed HD DVDs to have better features that Blu-ray is just now catching up to), they just sort of twiddled their thumbs when it came to putting out a 360 with a HD DVD drive in the console itself.

Ms sided with the HD-DVD concept to fight against Sony. And finally when push came to shove.. Blu-ray reigned supreme. Blu-ray discs themselves hold almost twice as much data opposed to HD-DVD discs. And MS shot themselves in the foot when they did not offer built-in HD-DVD capability for games. Now, MS has to take it in the butt and pay a % to Sony for Blu-ray capability.

[Slate]

I don't think there will be a Blu ray drive for the 360, But this could end up being the Xbox 720.