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Microsoft Corp's Xbox video gaming unit still fully backs Toshiba Corp's HD-DVD high-definition DVD format but could consider supporting Sony Corp's rival Blu-ray technology should consumers want it, an executive said on Tuesday.
"It should be consumer choice; and if that's the way they vote, that's something we'll have to consider," Albert Penello, group marketing manager for Xbox hardware said when asked whether Microsoft would support a Blu-ray DVD accessory in the event that HD-DVD failed.
Microsoft does not believe the surprise decision last week by Time Warner Inc unit Warner Bros, the top seller of home movies, to abandon HD-DVD format in favor of Blu-ray should affect sales of its Xbox 360 video game console, Penello said.
"I fundamentally don't think ... this has a significant impact on Xbox 360 versus (Sony's) PlayStation 3," Penello told Reuters in an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
"With the PlayStation 2, DVD was a big part in the beginning, but over time, people were not buying it as a DVD player after first year or two," Penello said.
The Xbox 360 supports a plug-in HD-DVD accessory that is bought separately, while Sony, hoping to give its next-generation video format a leg up, built a Blu-ray player into its PlayStation 3 machine.
"You can't say it's not a bummer, not a setback, but I've seen this battle declared over so many times," Penello said of Warner's decision.
"I want consumers to have a voice in this and I think there are a lot of consumers who bought HD-DVD who are going to have a say in how this shakes out."
This is a no-brainer, the entire reason to release the HD-DVD drive separately is so they could change formats easily depending on who won the war. Microsoft was in-effect hedging it's bet on HD-DVD.
I predict that if (when) one of the last 2 major studios ditches HD-DVD that we'll see an external Blu Ray drive for the 360 within 6-12 months, and a 360 with integrated Blu Ray within 12-18.
Yep - agree 100% with comments above. Microsoft wanting to go against BluRay (coz it's Sony) - but HD-DVD is losing the battle.
The old VHS v BETA style war is nearly over. HD-DVD is down for the count.
Can't wait for a Blu-Ray-360 - or would it be an XBox-720 by then ?!
A bluray add-on like the hd-dvd drive is easy to do, and that's what they'll probably do. Hell, it might be a hybrid drive that can play both HD-DVD and Bluray.
As for a internal bluray 360? I doubt it. That adds costs that MS doesn't want to add to a unit that it's in the process of making cheaper as we speak. Games are also DVD9 and will stay on DVD9 discs until the next Xbox is ready in 3, maybe 4 years.
As for when the next Xbox is ready, I still, at that time, don't beleave MS will use a bluray drive for games like the PS3 does now. It could, because it's so close with Toshiba right now, use the HD-DVD optical disc tech for future Xbox games. Anything from 17GB to 34GB dual layer HD-DVD discs are more than enough for even next-generation games.
Why do I think it's enough, because as things stand now, games don't need to fill up discs with pre-rendered HD FMV anymore. That takes up most o fthe space. With the power of todays systems, they can do all the cut-scenes in-game in real-time. That just leaves sound and the high quality textures. Both of those can be compressed better and better as time goes on without any major quality loss.
So, as for the future, 34GB or hell, since it's HD-DVD it can have a 3rd layer, so 51GB max is enough for games in 2010.