Rumor: MS to 'Upstage' Apple WWDC with 360 Blu-Ray Announcement? Options

[Xbox-Scene]

Rumor: MS to 'Upstage' Apple WWDC with 360 Blu-Ray Announcement? Posted by XanTium | June 8 11:42 EST | News Category: Xbox360

From gizmodo.com: [QUOTE] Microsoft's on-again, off-again relationship with an Xbox 360 Blu-Ray drive looks set to be on again this Monday. As you all know by now, Monday marks the beginning of Apple's annual WWDC, and a little bird told us something is going to be announced by Steve Jobs there during his keynote. Microsoft doesn't care; a tipster told CrunchGear it's going to "upstage" Jobs, Apple and the entire known tech-using world by announcing an Xbox 360 with Blu-Ray drive one hour before [9am PDT] the beginning of the conference. [/QUOTE] Full Story: gizmodo.com | crunchgear.com

[utopaline]

HIGHLY doubt this, but doesn't matter to me either way. games won't be on BD so who gives a SH1T. Anyone who wanted a BD player ..ummm. bought one so that I don't think will be a huge thing for most gamers. See I use my BD/HDDVD combos to watch movies, I use my 360 to ...well.. play games. Strange, cause that's what it's for. I mean don't get me wrong, I hope they do it for real, then anyone who is on the fence casue they want a BD player now can actually make a decision.

I still think it's not true, but we will see.

[Lezlyte]

From the people who brought you advance word of Lips!!!

Seriously though, I'm sick of people trying to wish a 360 Blu-ray player into life.

[Shod]

Yet another Xbox 360 Blu-Ray drive rumour, which will no doubt turn out to be false.

The major issue with this on is that it mentions an "xbox 360 with Blu-Ray drive", which says to me a 360 with built in BR drive. We can pretty much guarantee that this is never gonna happen, as games simply cannot be released using a BR (as the millions of existing owners wouldnt be able to play it), and MS have constantly said that digital doenloads are the future as far as they are concerned.

A Blu-Ray addon drive could be a different matter, but after the "success" of the HD-DVD drive and the digital downloads thing I doubt this will happen either.

MS would be better off concentrating their efforts on the storage situation, because if they want people to download stuff they are gonna need somewhere to put it. And 20 gig is nowhere near enough (and with 120giggers going for £129.99 here in the UK I dont think they are a good option)

MS have hundreds of people on a ridiculous salary whos job it is to decide such things as this, so they will know all this already (or at least I hope they do....)

[Tiuk]

This is just stupid, a 360 Blu-ray drive and the 3G iPhone are not competing products in any way.

[mksoftware]

and MS have constantly said that digital doenloads are the future as far as they are concerned.

Don't believe all they say, remember they said the HDMI pictures were fake

[G3iST]

a blu ray in the 360 would have the same problems like the ps3 that coming games would need a installation i dont think that this will happen

[0794]

This is just stupid, a 360 Blu-ray drive and the 3G iPhone are not competing products in any way.

its not about competing products (unless MS has another announcement planned) - but rather the impact of the announcement. either way, the new iPhone and the markets that it opens with the 3G, enterprise solutions, and native apps (basically expanding it across Asia and Europe high-speed networks) would still trump a blu-ray add-on (or internal) 360 option.

don't get me wrong, a blu-ray 360 option would be nice, but i probably still would much rather have a stand-alone blu-ray player any day...

[tutu]

I wish people would get over the "it's just for games" because the 360 is not. A significant amount of people watch DVDs, stream content off their PCs, download videos.. it's a multimedia device not just a console!

XBMC shows just how popular this can be as this is what I brought a Xbox 1 for in the first place.

If Microsoft want to be No. 1 they know they need to offer the same things the competition do - that being a Blu-Ray drive to compete with Sony and a Wii-like remote to compete with Nintendo.

The 360 is doing a pretty good job at the moment but it could do better. and they know that!!

So lets see a blu-ray drive. It wont be used for games so please stop bringing that old crap out again. Do you really think they would alienate the millions of customers already? No they wouldn't. It's for 1080p high-bit rate video with HD audio.

If it is going to come out (which like all the other rumours probably not) then I would see it is a very positive thing and it would mean I would not have to buy a PS3 just to watch blu-rays! (my PC has a blu-ray drive but I can't get DTS Master HD Audio or Dolby True HD audio because Windows Vista's protected audio path is code incomplete..).

[madjackal]

i think i'd rather spend a little extra money and get a ps3 as opposed to a blu-ray addon, but i guess that would depend on the price.

[Reaper527]

i'm happy with my 360 and hd-dvd add-on. honestly, i probably wouldn't have gotten the hd-dvd player if it wasn't for the fact that i got such an awesome deal on it from amazon (180, w/ 9 free movies). i'll be content with my current dvd's until the price on blu-ray movies is at the same price point as regular dvd has been for the last few years. it may be a good idea to introduce a blu-ray addon, but only from a PR stand point. i know i personally won't be getting one any time soon if they release it.

This post has been edited by Reaper527: Jun 8 2008, 08:14 PM

[Anth]

I hope it does not come.

I was initially excited at the prospect when it was suggested in March of this year.

However I realized that an internal Xbox BR drive wont be flashable, thus no backups playable on there no more.

The Xbox 360's do not do LPCM over HDMI, and I doubt the Blu-Ray including one, if it does come, will do either so it will be a total waste of time as a Blu-Ray movie player as the whole point to Blu-Ray is having both Hidef images and Hidef sound.

Just bring the Jaspar ASAP as I hate this overly hot running beast I have now.

[HotKnife420]

We can pretty much guarantee that this is never gonna happen, as games simply cannot be released using a BR.

I can't believe how many people assume a BD drive means BD games.

[leo5150]

Don't believe all they say, remember they said the HDMI pictures were fake

you forget 1 VERY important fact to add the hdmi cost probably 5 to 10 bucks a console the bluray drive will add at least 100 bucks to cost and stand-alone bluray player prices are starting to drop so its not realy that good of idea to do it now

This post has been edited by leo5150: Jun 8 2008, 08:19 PM

[Hopeful]

I was gonna call "total bullshit" but it looks like about 10 people beat me to it.



I don't know why rumor sites can't even comprehend plain basics:

1) A BD option would cut into ms's pay-to-download monopoly, DECREASING their profits.
2) The first HD addon flopped hard
3) MS not only squashed every rumor but emphatically stated they intend NOT to do this, basically explaining that it would only drain profits.

=Not gonna happen. Ever. (Short of a miracle. An unneeded one at that.)

Here's to hoping the 360 Blu-ray topic dies off VERY soon.