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HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?
HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?
MCVUK - October 19, 2007
Submitted by welshbloke (60) at 9:22AM PST on October 19, 2007
Apparently Toshiba and Microsoft are working on a revised Xbox 360 with a HD DVD drive at its core and an improved media center. Also it states that both Toshiba and Microsoft are not happy with the sales of the 360 HD DVD addon.
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1Animate posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 10:00AM PST on October 29, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@welshbloke,
I could care less about the quality of an internal HD DVD in a future 360 in comparison to the current HD DVD add on. I'm not interested in HD DVD. It's just the principle of the matter to me.[ Oracle ] [ Level 26 ] [ Rank: 241 ]bids
3welshbloke posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 1:38AM PST on October 29, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@Joe80,
I have always stated that I believed this to be inevitable. That said this is still rumour control.
I think a lot of folks are placing a lot of stead in the previous incarnations. This may be useful when trying to gauge sales numbers with software but I am not so sure it is useful with the new generation.
I have also gone on record saying that MS will keep this platform going as long as Sony keep the PS3 going. One of my reasons behind this was the flexible nature of the current platforms. Already we have seen both manufacturers making moves far beyond what may have been originally expected by an early adopter. MS has introduced content online and in partnership with BT in the UK will introduce an IPTV offering and the HD DVD Addon, Sony are introducing the PVR and Digital television services.
I fully expect these services to mature and in the case of the HD Addon that it becomes part of the machines and similarily the PVR functionality of the PS3.
This generation of gaming will not stand still the ultimate target for these new consoles is the consumers living room.
Also you may be dissapointed when and if an internal HD DVD version appears if you were hoping for it to be better than the addon.[ Oracle ] [ Level 30 ] [ Rank: 60 ]bids
1Animate posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 11:34AM PST on October 20, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@Laoldar,
You ignored what I posted. I said that past hardware revisions were minor, they basically only changed the size of chips and the form factor of consoles. The creation of a HD DVD 360, especially one with the other additions talked about is a much greater change than a console just becoming smaller.
Because a company had 2 SKUs at launch doesn't tell you that they would be making radically different SKUs later especially when they never mentioned it even though the competition did. Furthermore, the 2 launch SKUs showed a true premium version and a much watered down version of the hardware, giving the impression that the premium would be the best hardware available for 360.
HD DVD is a big deal because it is a new 360 that people would have preferred to have over their premium or elite, it is something that MS said they had no plans for doing, and to a lesser extent it makes things easier within people's entertainment centers. And the quality of the HD DVD will almost certainly be better in the newer HD DVD 360 than what you get in the old HD DVD add on.
The creation of an HD DVD 360 would also make early adoptors upset/angry because of the newer hardware used in comparison to their 360, this will anger elite owners the most who waited that long thinking they finally got the best deal. And if Toshiba also makes a version of the 360 that is more reliable than MS's people will resent MS even more.[ Oracle ] [ Level 26 ] [ Rank: 241 ]bids
1welshbloke posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 7:39AM PST on October 20, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@Laoldar,
I agree that I think it unecessary (now) but I would question whether it would not be a hit. I suspect that they could be selling this as the Elite version by the middle of next year.
As for the extra kit under the telly argument. I would say this is an issue and you are falling into the "we do not need BC because was can always stick the PS2 under the TV" agument.
If this equipment is to be used in the living room then it must act like it. That means silencing the 360 and pulling in the extra paraphinalia. They have already quietened it down now they are beefing up the media capabilities which is a sound move if you want to start pushing your system into the living rooms with media as a big plus on top of the gaming. Remember we already have BT in the UK looking like they are going to using a customised 360 for its DTV delivery system so I see this all as a natural progression.[ Oracle ] [ Level 30 ] [ Rank: 60 ]bids
1CriticalHit posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 1:04AM PST on October 20, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@welshbloke, MSFT was always on the HD DVD camp. Their .NET is used in the file system or something for HD DVD. I don't think they make that much money on it though.[ Speaker ] [ Level 20 ] [ Rank: 498 ]bids
2welshbloke posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 12:51AM PST on October 20, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?The introduction of a HD DVD console does not give the green light to HD DVD games. I suspect this move is for movie playback only, yes it might open the door for HD DVD game but I suspect we are some way off. A couple of games coming out on 2 discs does not mean that the DVD9 format is just going to keel over and die as some would have you believe.
Like I said previously some folks suffer with the "to posh to swap" syndrome.[ Oracle ] [ Level 30 ] [ Rank: 60 ]bids
1welshbloke posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 12:48AM PST on October 20, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@Kemkle33,
From what I understood about this when it first came about that Toshiba were to buy the cell plant was not that it was targeting PS3 sales rather it had its own agenda for cell sales.[ Oracle ] [ Level 30 ] [ Rank: 60 ]bids
1Laoldar posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 10:21PM PST on October 19, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@Joe80,
MS had different SKUs at launch. Anyone who honestly thought that they would get the best SKU for the entire cycle at launch was either ignorant or self-deluded. Consoles almost always update with better components or smaller designs (look at the PS/PS2, most handhelds, etc) and when a company launches with 2 diff SKUs, it's a safe bet they'll offer ever more.
Personally, I think offering one with HDDVD built in is a mistake. It just crowds the market with more unnecessary SKUs and there isn't a big demand for it.
But, again, how is built in HDDVD that big a deal? Because it will take up slightly less space than buying the add-on? That's a pretty minor concern. I would be more concerned about the temperature of the console and how the different chipsets will (hopefully) fix this for future users...that'll tick off early adopters more than anything. I can't see many people caring about a few inches of space in their entertainment center.[ Oracle ] [ Level 21 ] [ Rank: 182 ]bids
2Animate posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 10:11PM PST on October 19, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@Laoldar,
Yes they could have, but from their perspective they were going to win the case so they tried to. HD DVD 360 screws those who wanted the best version of the 360 at launch (MS didn't say they would make different SKUs, while Sony did indicate that up front), and the same people who picked up the elite, and those who bought the external HD DVD add on.
360 owners are more hardcore gamers, software tails show this, among other evidence, and a significant percentage of them will feel they got screwed as an early adoptor and that doesn't include only the buyers at launch, it includes the owners up to the day the supposed HD DVD console releases because users will still be buying elites and HD DVD add ons without knowing they won't have the best version of those products. It's not something as minor as past hardware revisions that basically only changed chips and form factor.
But Toshiba and MS may shoot themselves in the foot because price is going to be an issue.[ Oracle ] [ Level 26 ] [ Rank: 241 ]bids
2Laoldar posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 9:01PM PST on October 19, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@Joe80,
Sony is a multi-national corporation that makes billions in revenue each year. They could have easily paid the $90 million they owed to Immersion and avoided millions more in legal fees over the years. Besides, once you've spent years losing appeals, you should bite the bullet and not ditch a popular feature from a console that cost billions to develop...over $90 million.
How does the HDDVD "screw" anyone? It's a non-essential feature that will only matter to the incredibly tiny segment of the market that actually cares about high-def DVD.[ Oracle ] [ Level 21 ] [ Rank: 182 ]bids
1Animate posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 8:20PM PST on October 19, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@Laoldar,
Trying to avoid to pay Immersion money and trying to win a court case are 2 different things, and Sony was doing the latter. They didn't have the money like MS to just pay Immersion and settle out of court. And when MS settled they cot 10% of Immersion's stock, likely another reason why Sony tried to win the court case. And that has not been proven for the reason why PS3 did not have rumble until now, it could be the reason or part of it, but it may be or also be due to difficulties incorporating rumble with motion sensing.
You seem biased in favor of MS just as you see me biased.
The difference is Sony finally settled with Immersion in March 2007. They didn't realize how important rumble was to many people, but they also could not put it into PS3 while they're in court with Immersion, not to mention they didn't know what would happen in the resolution of the court case. It could've resulted in them not being able to use Immersion's technology again, or being put in a situation where using Immersion's technology would be impossible given the economics. So Sony did not plan do have rumble later.
While MS appears to have had an HD DVD 360 in mind all along, just as they did with HDMI and denied that. Sony is adding rumble because they're desperate. MS would be adding HD DVD because they want more money. Only by looking at each companies situation and other evidence does this become clear.
In the end both companies screw early adopters, but MS does as part of a longterm strategy for 360, Sony does out of poor performance in the market.[ Oracle ] [ Level 26 ] [ Rank: 241 ]bids
1Kemkle33 posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 5:31PM PST on October 19, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@welshbloke,
That's strange; what could be Toshiba's long term business strategy be now? They recently bought up the majority of the CELL chip manufacturing facilities from Sony, which we all know is the core of the PS3. Now Toshiba is pushing for HD360s? It could be to hedge their bets in case either takes off but really all it is going to do is put more stress on the less popular system or perhaps fire up the crowds with a PR backlash like what happened to Apple when they cut the iPhone prices after a couple of months. Imagine all those gamers out there that bought a console to play Halo only to find out that had they waited a bit they could play Halo and watch HD DVDs from their console as well.
This is a quagmire of corporate giants that will be interesting to watch play out in the coming months.[ Elite ] [ Level 14 ] [ Rank: 709 ]bids
1Laoldar posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 5:15PM PST on October 19, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@Joe80,
The Immersion lawsuit lasted for quite a few years. The only reason that Sony didn't have rumble until 2008 is because they kept trying to avoid having to pay Immersion their money. They had several years to settle and chose to wait.
Your view seems a bit biased in favour of Sony over MS. You claim that MS said "no HDDVD from the beginning", but Sony said the exact same thing about items such as rumble! What's the difference?[ Oracle ] [ Level 21 ] [ Rank: 182 ]bids
2Animate posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 3:18PM PST on October 19, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@Laoldar,
Sony did not have rumble at launch due to the problems created in their resolution with Immersion and the difficulty in getting motion control and rumble together in one controller. Their pricecuts are an action that has been required due to the success of competitors & primarily due to the unanticipated success of the Wii. And Sony had announced before the PS3 released that multiple SKU's would be part of their strategy. So in each case there were many variables at work pushing the actions that Sony has taken. And no company admits to upcoming pricecuts, not Sony, not MS, not Nintendo.
MS planned an HDMI 360 long before it was released, perhaps even from the beginning. They had HDMI 360's put together, in the same form that were released to public, less than a year after launch. They said they would not be making an HD DVD 360 from the beginning. While Sony's changes were made clearly out of desperate need, MS's are not. Yes, both companies screwed early adopters, but Sony had little choice to, while MS has done it more out of pure will.[ Oracle ] [ Level 26 ] [ Rank: 241 ]bids
2Laoldar posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 2:24PM PST on October 19, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@Joe80,
Screw job? MS doesn't exactly have the market cornered on burning early adopters. Sony's rumble/price-cuts song and dance for instance.
Besides, as long as games are still DVD9, why would this matter to early adopters at all? They can always buy the HDDVD addon.[ Oracle ] [ Level 21 ] [ Rank: 182 ]bids
0Animate posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 1:18PM PST on October 19, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?I don't see an even higher priced HD DVD 360 selling very well, particularly if their low priced HD DVD add on is not selling well at all. This would also be another screw job by MS to earlier adapters. They stated no HDMI later, no HD DVD console later, etc.[ Oracle ] [ Level 26 ] [ Rank: 241 ]bids
1welshbloke posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 12:22PM PST on October 19, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@Powertrade,
Microsoft have recently formed a HD DVD forum with Toshiba so they are have more involvement in this than simple deciding to use HD DVD add ons for the 360. I am not sure other than annoying Sony what MS actually get out of it, but if Blu Ray fails you have to wonder how that would leave the PS3 in the market place so maybe that is the underlying reasoning.[ Oracle ] [ Level 30 ] [ Rank: 60 ]bids
1Powertrade posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 10:54AM PST on October 19, 2007. RE: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?@welshbloke, I can agree that Toshiba wouldn't be happy with the current sales, but why would MSFT care that much? Ok, they have IP in HD DVD technology, but they make much more selling HD movies over XBL.[ Guru ] [ Level 21 ] [ Rank: 219 ]bids
32welshbloke posted on Xbox 360 (Xbox 360) at 9:22AM PST on October 19, 2007. Article: HD-DVD Xbox 360 already in the works?
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Sony also stated that they were not going to be doing multiple SKUs because of the low turn out of sales of the 20GB launch PS3 which sold out, and had many people on waiting lists.
Sony just has no clue what they are doing this generation and it shows in their hardware, games (that will eventually come out), programming, marketing, and press releases. Sony is having trouble on even categorizing the damn system. They dont know if they want it to be a Blu Ray player that plays games, or a game player that plays Blu Ray.
But enough of that. This HD DVD Xbox 360 rumor is just that, a rumor. Toshiba has come out and said they are currently not involved in making such a system. Does that mean MS isnt working on the possibility of making one? No, but this rumor is squashed because it claims Toshiba is working on the unit with MS, and Toshiba claims to have no part in any new Xbox 360s.