Xbox 360 Finally Getting Blu-ray

erichblas2005erichblas2005 Your Native TexanHouston,Texas Member
edited May 2008 in Internet & Media
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.

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Comments

  • JengoJengo Pasco, WA | USA
    edited May 2008
    i dont think this is true, microsoft has not confirmed anything, and in fact they have stated the opposite, that they have no plans for blu-ray on the xbox 360, wich makes a lot of sense, why would they support something sony? Sony is one of their biggest competitors right now, and if they use blu-ray on the 360 microsoft will just be putting money into the pockets of sony. And as far as business is concerned, that is not good business.

    im not saying its impossible, or it will not happen, but i AM saying that its improbable/highly unlikely.
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited May 2008
    Yea, I've heard the same thing Jengo. Although I did see this on www.xbox-scene.com a few weeks ago, I'm pretty sure it's false. Sony said they would not sell the blu ray technology to any other companies. Although it might not be a bad idea considering the licensing fee.

    It's definitely possible, actually it's probably fairly easy considering they'd be making a whole new system, and not just a software update.
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    Microsoft was the single largest technological contributor to the HD-DVD movement. Their WMV-HD technology, developed entirely in-house, was picked as <i>the</i> codec for HD-DVD. Will Microsoft really abandon this technology, which they can use on their HD Downloads initiative, and go blu?

    Unlikely.
  • GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    What sounds even more implausible is that the quote claimed "the Xbox 360 with a Blu-ray disc drive is due to be manufactured soon" - that just plain doesn't make any sense. Even if Microsoft would ever support Blu-Ray on the 360, I think they'd certainly release an accessory drive instead of building it in.
  • NomadNomad A Small Piece of Hell Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    GHoosdum wrote:
    What sounds even more implausible is that the quote claimed "the Xbox 360 with a Blu-ray disc drive is due to be manufactured soon" - that just plain doesn't make any sense. Even if Microsoft would ever support Blu-Ray on the 360, I think they'd certainly release an accessory drive instead of building it in.

    Better yet, why would Sony lend it's hand in developing a Blu-Ray player for its video game competition?
  • ZanthianZanthian Mitey Worrier Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    http://gizmodo.com/387281/microsoft-hits-fresh-blu+ray-xbox-360-rumor-with-a-fresh-denial

    Either Microsoft really isn't doing a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360, or Microsoft's PR are gonna be called out as gigantic liars in the near future. Their officials have just shot down the latest rumor saying that an Asus subsidiary was making Blu-ray hardware for Microsoft's console, saying "we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360." If this is true, Microsoft's really just letting the PS3 be the Blu-ray console, and shoving its stack of chips behind digital downloads. Is this smart? Consumers already half transitioned from CDs to digital music downloads, so we'll see in five years whether video will be the same.
  • TheLostSwedeTheLostSwede Trondheim, Norway Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    Sony is outelling Microsoft pretty much all over the world by a huge margin. I sell 50 PS3 before i sell one 360 and the 360 Elite is still a lot cheaper than the entry level of PS3. Why is that? It can only be 2 reasons really. Either Microsoft have worse/fewer games or the Playstation that have a pretty decent Blu-Ray player. Do you think Microsoft would go for the former reason? yeah, right....Course the 360 will go Blu.
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited May 2008
    TheLostSwede wrote:
    Sony is outelling Microsoft pretty much all over the world by a huge margin. I sell 50 PS3 before i sell one 360 and the 360 Elite is still a lot cheaper than the entry level of PS3. Why is that? It can only be 2 reasons really. Either Microsoft have worse/fewer games or the Playstation that have a pretty decent Blu-Ray player. Do you think Microsoft would go for the former reason? yeah, right....Course the 360 will go Blu.


    PS3 has 341 games
    360 has 1000 games + xbox live arcade games
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    (console debate)
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited May 2008
    Is that better thrax?
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited May 2008
    Your original post was better. I was just joining the fun.
  • tmh88tmh88 Pittsburgh / Athens, OH
    edited May 2008
    I'm just pointing out the facts and correcting errors.

    btw i have a 360 and ps3
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