Microsoft's Xbox Blu-ray Player for May?

The rumour cup runneth over.

Posted by Staff
Microsoft's Xbox Blu-ray Player for May?
The same Australian website which, back in May of 2007, reported that the PlayStation 4 would be with us in November 2008, is now claiming that Microsoft will produce a Blu-ray add-on for the Xbox 360, "as early as May 2008".

Apparently, "Insiders at Microsoft in the USA have told SmartHouse that Microsoft has already configured a standalone Blu-ray player that can be connected into an Xbox 360 and that subject to internal marketing and sales approvals the model could be on sale within 3 months."

Remember that this news comes from a site that also told us that Microsoft and Toshiba would be rolling out a 1080p Xbox 360 with in-built HD-DVD drive. Toshiba appeared not to agree, saying, "It’s got nothing to do with us. But we know Microsoft doesn’t want to include the HD DVD drive so as not to limit the user’s experience."

This was nearly as straightforward as Sony's quote to us regarding the imminent PS4; that was "Obviously, this is garbage".

Anyway, Smarthouse quotes what it calls the "Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment", Michael Ephraim saying, "We would welcome Microsoft to the Blu-ray stable. In fact it is quite logical for them as the PS3 has been very succesful (sic) in driving consumers to Blu-ray. In fact we believe that it has done more to win the format war than traditional Blu-ray player".

Nice piece of bitchery there from Ephraim, who is in fact, managing director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia and New Zealand.

We've contacted Microsoft today in order to receive the nicely worded, "We don't comment on rumour or speculation" - or possibly a "Yes, it's true, May will see a Blu-ray add-on for the Xbox 360"; possibly but highly improbably in the time frame.

This is, of course, not to say that Microsoft wouldn't see its way to adopting Blu-ray in the event that - as is being widely publicised - Toshiba is about to jump ship from HD-DVD. Doing so by May this year, however, is an enthusiastic prediction.

Stop Press: Microsoft has just told us: "'We don’t comment on rumour or speculation' for this".


Comments

deleted 18 Feb 2008 15:18
1/10
ahh who cares, whos going to pay £100-£150 for an add on again! as i suspect the only people interested in this is those that already had a HD-DVD addon, Blu Ray Purists will already have a player or a PS3.
HyperTails 18 Feb 2008 15:21
2/10
Well, fair play to Sony for looking to the future. Although I wonder what this will mean for 360 owners who have the HD-DVD add-on? They can't be very pleased.
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SuperSaiyan4 18 Feb 2008 15:26
3/10
I paid £125 for mine on import...Looks like I will have another drive hanging on the side of my console lol but the Wii is the in the way...What to do what to do!

Until anime/manga is released on blu-ray on ones I want then yeah might have to go poo-ray oh well.
deleted 18 Feb 2008 15:32
4/10
HyperTails wrote:
Well, fair play to Sony for looking to the future. Although I wonder what this will mean for 360 owners who have the HD-DVD add-on? They can't be very pleased.


Just unfortunate really, Microsoft or Sony, or Toshiba cannot be blamed for this no one knew which way it would go and at one point HD DVD had a big shiny new shoe in the door, MS gave the option and no one was forced to buy, the question is

would HD DVD of failed if it was built into the 360 from day one?
HyperTails 18 Feb 2008 15:44
5/10
Probably, purely because Blu-ray always had the backing from the majority of studios. But it would also have other factors into account, like whether or not Microsoft used it for games.

But I suppose we'll never know.
SuperSaiyan4 18 Feb 2008 15:54
6/10
Its funny Sony have always taken a gamble in different formats but Microsoft doesnt like to gamble so for Microsoft nothing lost but they have instead gained...From the sales of the add-on.

Remember the 2 types of recordable DVD? - and + that confused me then found out they were 2 formats!!

Well personally I am still confused on why HD-DVD is losing its support I mean it has a catchy name, it has great features...But then when you throw blu-ray into a PS3 well I guess its logical thinking from all the other companies...

If Microsoft had thrown in hd-dvd into the 360 from day one I then I think it would be very different...

Is it too much to ask for someone to make an affordable dual format player? Other than LG's or Samsungs which costs a huge amount?

Since blu-ray and hd-dvd use the same laser it would be cool if Microsoft could just upgrade everyones add-on to play blu-ray as well!
tyrion 18 Feb 2008 21:31
7/10
SuperSaiyan4 wrote:
If Microsoft had thrown in hd-dvd into the 360 from day one I then I think it would be very different...

A lot of people are saying this so I'm not just picking on you SS4, you just happened to be last to post.

The biggest differences that a 360 with a built in HD-DVD drive would have made would have been to do with launch date and price.

Both HD-DVD and Blu-ray laser diodes were in short supply, the 360 would have been unable to launch at the time it did. Although Microsoft should have been able to build units and wait for the drives to become available thus getting more consoles out at launch than they did.

In the same way, HD-DVD drives were expensive back then too. The 360 would have had to launch at a price a bit closer to the PS3's.

I think both of those factors would have made the 360/PS3 sales figures much more evenly matched over the last year and a bit. Of course, this is the reason that Microsoft went with an internal DVD drive, that extra year of sales has helped with a lot of exclusives.
soanso 18 Feb 2008 22:05
8/10
I think HD-DVD was always going to fail. Microsoft backing or not.
Look at how Sony use Blu-ray, it's as much an integral part of the PS3 as the Cell processor and diminishing backwards compatibility. ;)
They also had the backing of more of the powerhouse Hollywood studios, apart of course from the ones that they own.
If Microsoft had used HDDVD (damn I'm sick of typing both names by now!) from the start, I do agree that it would have slowed their progress and kept the cost high but I think overall in terms of a format war it'd have been not much more of an mipact than Nintendo using... what is it they use in the Wii?

And I hear what you are saying about DVD+-=xRws. I just stick to -Rs. The rest are just a pain.
Sheepy 10 Feb 2009 03:58
9/10
bollox!

this sucks! Microsoft better come out with a Blue Ray disc player if they decide to release a new line of Xbox 360's and get this red ring of death sorted!

SuperSaiyan4 10 Feb 2009 13:23
10/10
Sheepy wrote:
bollox!

this sucks! Microsoft better come out with a Blue Ray disc player if they decide to release a new line of Xbox 360's and get this red ring of death sorted!



If they did that would be awesome but since the PS3 is getting some cool updates of late and some interesting games that I wouldn't mind getting I would probably still get a PS3.

In some ways I think Microsoft are doing Sony a favour by not releasing a blu-ray player.
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