Not that we ever expected anything different but Microsoft has re-iterated its non-Blu-ray stance this week, explaining in an interview that the hi-def disc format favoured by Sony and its PS3 is ‘being passed by.’
Microsoft has always defended its decision to not add a costly Blu-ray drive to the Xbox 360 system and despite the PS3's success there's no sign of a Microsoft backtrack.
They did however have 'a brief-but-doomed affair with HD DVD' but it seems that the Xbox is to shun physical discs from now on in favor of downloads which Microsoft sees as the future of how we consume our entertainment.
UK Xbox boss Stephen McGill, in an interview with Xbox Achievements, said about Blu-ray: “I think people may have spoken about [Xbox’s lack of a Blu-ray drive] originally, but that’s long gone. I think people now recognize what a smart decision it was to keep the pricing low, and actually Blu-ray is going to be passed by as a format."
After having recently added 3D Blu-Ray to their console Sony are showing no signs of moving away from Blu-Ray anytime soon.
McGill argues, “People have moved through from DVDs to digital downloads and digital streaming, so we offer full HD 1080p Blu-ray quality streaming instantly, no download, no delay. So, who needs Blu-ray?”
There's no dobt that downloads will play a huge part in future gameing and entertainment but there seems to be more than enough life left in Blu-Ray for the time being. So who is right here?
to Blu-Ray or not to Blu-Ray?
Source:msntech
10 thoughts on “Microsoft will not add Blu-Ray to next-gen Xbox”
Ok Stephen McGill, how long is it going to take me to download even a moderate size game? As each generation of machine has come out, the game size has increased. Some PS3 games are already over 50Gb so how big are games going to get? M$ have the right idea but it’s not going to be any time soon, unless there’s a significant step forward in the UK broadband system, which I’m not seeing? It takes long enough to download a 2Gb demo – going into a shop I’m passing is far more instant, I don’t have to leave a machine running 24/7 to download so saving the planet and I get to keep a physical library in the event of a hard drive failure. And digital download is going to work how?
Sony will drop blu-ray when we can all rely on digital download but I’m not aware of any blu-ray quality digital download out there – is it not all compressed?
M$ backed the wrong HD horse and are still crying about it. Bring back Aaron Greenberg, at least he was entertaining with the smoke he blew.
The problem I see with Microsoft’s Stance is that they are putting way too much burden on one have a high enough bandwith at home to get High Def gaming either downloaded or streamed to a console.
Though Hight Speed Internet costs are somewhat coming down. It’s too much of a burden. If I have a Blu-Ray Size Game (20GB+) I can play it reguardless whether I have internet access or not. Plus I can have access to it alot faster. (going to the store and buying it) Versus Downloading the game.
Now granted I know that Streaming and Downloaded Games are the future. I just think that for the Hard Core Games (due to the Size of Textures and the Games) Streaming Games and Downloaded Games will not just cut it.
I mean just look at the Famous Casual Game Farmville (or PetVille). If you don’t have a decent Bandwith from your ISP (1MB or more Down) then it is very painful to play these games. And these games are only being played on a PC. Not a Console trying to push 720P or 1080P level graphics.
blue ray is going to stay for a very long time.
There is one reason and one reason ALONE regarding why m$ want digital distribution and it is this:
To eliminate piracy and second hand game sales.
Piracy will still exist of course, and will be just as easy as current consoles (the PC always gets the bad rep, but more games are pirated on xbox 360 than pc). But the second part is what m$ are most concerned about. They will have been eyeing up steam and it’s success for a while now, seeing how much money valve makes off each sale and how developers/publishers are so keen to sell on it.
M$ like this idea, the like it very much, but this is no a PC we are talking about here. It is a console, a locked down, restricted platform where you WILL DO WHAT M$ TELLS YOU! If you want halo 76.2 you’ll need to shell out that £60 or get stuffed, because you’ll have no choice. Also, do you really think microsoft will do the same thing as valve does with their sales? Of course not.
I’m afraid all console gamers are in for a very, very bumpy and expensive ride. Personally, i’m ditching consoles entirely after this generation and sticking to my PC. I like choice.
hehe, i guess that was two reasons, although to be honest the pircay thing was added in as an afterthought and forgot what i’d written :P
You really do shoot yourselves in the foot when you put “M$” in your argument. It instantly marks you out as a Microsoft hater and a likely Sony follower. Such a distinct pre-determined stance makes your argument sound just a little bit childish, and weak.
However, there are grounds to doubt Microsoft’s words on the technical basis you point out: streaming is nowhere near fast enough or reliable enough in most homes in the UK, for a comparable experience to reading data off a disk. That though is only typically a one-off – once downloaded, the game is installed on a HDD and is then much faster than reading off a disk.
You are indeed inconvenienced if you have a HDD failure, but then you are too if you scratch your disk. In the latter case you’d need to buy a new copy; in the former, the rights to download it again for free are already yours.
right i dont want to start a console war or anything, but is it just me or is there not much difference in blu-ray and normal dvds on an hd monitor??
It’s just you. Either sit closer or get new glasses (or get a quality Blu-ray that hasn’t been slathered in digital noise reduction).
who wants physical discs? .. how about us that don’t have a super fucking roided out internet connection? or when we dont have access to a high speed connection? stop assuming things microcock and just put out games in physical formats as well as downloads you god damn twats. why does everything have to be so proprietary and closed off? btw that’s a rhetorical question, so suck it.
I have only ever bought 2 full price games in my life (I’m in mid 40’s now and been a lifelong gamer). To be able to play a wide variety of games I usually wait a while for the second hand ones to reach ebay at a price I can afford (for example I am itching to play the just released black ops but I will wait 6 months before I buy). If I had to pay full price every time I wanted a new game I would maybe buy 2 a year, birthday and xmas whereas now I buy maybe 10 second hand ones a year. I would personally ditch any console that forces me to buy only from them. I am an xbox fan by the way but at the end of the day its money leaving my pocket. I don’t like being forced to pay a fixed price for anything and I won’t ever buy anything that ties me to one supplier.