AIAS' Olin: Blu-ray Not Long-Term Advantage For PS3 Options

[PS3Scene]

AIAS' Olin: Blu-ray Not Long-Term Advantage For PS3 Posted by XanTium | 28-8-2008 22:28 EST

From gamasutra.com: [QUOTE] Speaking to Gamasutra recently, Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences president Joseph Olin -- whose organization puts together the DICE conference and Interactive Achievement Awards yearly -- pegs another console advantage that might lose its relevance as the space evolves. "I look at Blu-ray being the obvious short-term differentiator, but if everything goes to digital download -- and over time, it will -- then the Blu-ray device no longer has the same competitive advantage, or the benefit is not as strong as the feature is," says Olin. But how long will it take for digital distro to be a large enough force in the space that it blunts the advantage of a disc player, and how long will the growth of downloadable games keep accelerating? "Perhaps maybe five years? Maybe seven years? I think the challenge with digital distribution is more because of piped-to-the-home bandwidth than the technology within the systems," says Olin. [/QUOTE] Full Story: gamasutra.com

[Zod5000]

Why does everyone thing that its going to go to online downloads?

ISP's keep throttling connections and imposing caps to reduce bandwidth consumption so they don't have to upgrade their networks. And people think were going to be able to download full HD movies?

I'm pretty skeptical. I know xbox live can reduce file size, but they're still 5-8 gigs for an HD movie, and they're alot more compressed than a bluray.

And if you buy from xbox live, its a limited license.

So even if a service came around that let you download a movie in full hd, and you're isp had no cap, they're going to put DRM on it.

i kinda figured they'd want to make files as big as possible, to prevent downloading so people would buy them in stores. but i guess thats me.

its not like pirated HD movies aren't going to have DRM on them and be a superior product to what people would pay to download.

[lmaolmao]

i agree with what was said above.

with current bb infrastructure and no real plans to update the communications in this country, downloadable games and films arent going to happen.

The UK could not cope with digital distribution, some ISPs wanted BBC to foot the bill of the bandwidth used by its iPlayer service. and thats only slightly better than youtube quality.

If many people wanted HD films, with all the extras and TrueHD sound, etc, at 25-50gb per film, the bandwidth costs alone are probably close to buying the discs (some bb packages have a generous 30gb monthly limit), then you would have the cost of the film as well.

i think storage comes into this as well at 25gb per film that probably somewhere around £2 in hdd storage costs, something many people dont trust, i've had several hdd failures and never had a bought dvd fail from age or deterioration.

it's not viable for a lot of people. i dread the day a console comes along which supplies games purely online.

This post has been edited by lmaolmao: Sep 1 2008, 12:11 PM

[pdx98]

Who ever said people want HD? I don't care about HD. 98% of people probably don't even see the differance between 480i and 1080p.

[chorizo1]

I don't care about HD.

That says it all.

Note: 98%, come on. my grandma, can see the difference.

[Chancer]

Who ever said people want HD? I don't care about HD. 98% of people probably don't even see the differance between 480i and 1080p.

You would need to be registered blind to see no difference.

[Elemino]

You would need to be registered blind to see no difference.

Or using a 7 inch TV screen. My wife can tell the difference. I don't even have to tell her what's in HD and what isn't.

[cat100]

Well I see no long term advantage because of what Sony is doing. If you are promoting the Blu-ray player as the best option for movies and games and it`s one of the companies reasons as to why it is better than the xbox 360 and standard dvds then why would you feed into Microsofts digital distro. Not that MS is the only company that is trying to push it, but if Blu-ray is the end all for Sony why would they sell HD movies online? Do they not think that if and when digital distro gets popular ( in some place it is popular for movies and pcgames) if could kill the blu-ray. We got the Wii that sells games online. The xbox sells movies, videos, tv shows and games online. Now Sony is doing this and it makes no sense to me that is. Rachet and Clank a update to the blu-ray title being sold on playstation network. I`m just being smart here, but sony said a game of that caliber could only be done on blu-ray but its on the network for download. They are going to destroy the blu-ray by trying to keep up with the Jones.

[Chancer]

It won't destroy Blu-Ray simply because it is not as practical, not as good quality without huge downloads and people don't ever get to have the Physical media. Time limited viewing on downloads is also not what everyone wants. Download caps and ISP costs all need factoring in.
Digital downloads will still come through and many people will make use of the service, but it is parallel to physical media formats and will be for some time to come yet.

[cat100]

Hey you may be right Mr. C but you still got a lot of people who are kind of lazy and won`t leave their homes for movies or games (netflix, gamefly). If it catches on... look out. I know me, I don`t buy dvd or bluray movies any more because its just impractical. Unless its a good comedy I won`t buy but I will rent and rip a movies to stream thru my Ps3 or 360. I know everyone does not have my views but I don`t see the point of buying a movie I will watch one time and then it sits for a long time and I don`t lend out movies. Game wise because of space reasons it`s good. Don`t tell me a game will look and play better because of blu-ray because that`s bull. Rachet and clank is online and Im sure it plays great and looks great. You know the best thing that could ever happen is a PsWii60. AWESOME!!!!!!!!

[chorizo1]

I will rent and rip a movies to stream thru my Ps3 or 360.

See, NOT everyone is a thief.

[cat100]

Dude call me what you want (you should have not even replied, waste). All I know is that we are on a site that supports modding, so if you did not want to hear that then don`t waste your time here. Chancer I do agree with you. In the long Blu-ray will be around, but I don`t think they should support what MS is doing, you never know what may be up someones sleeve. Netflix already has online viewable movies. Now if some reason they can do it in HD and all of the bandwidth stuff is taken care of watch out. I don`t see that anytime soon but you never know. If I was doing Blu-ray then I`m doing blu-ray especially if it any kickin in hi gear. People know about it but just have not treated it like the dvd yet.

[chorizo1]

we are on a site that supports modding,

Modding, yes.

PIRACY/STEALING = NO

Forgot to give you a WARN last time, thanks for reminding me......

[cat100]

Hey remember when I said somebody might be streaming movies in HD one day but we don`t know who or when, well from what I just saw on xbox scene I guess it`s coming November 19th to netflix over xbox live. Now I know they said you would would have to have a good bandwidth, but ? Chancer what kind of bandwidth would you need to acheive 1080p? How high of a resolution do you think MS and Netflix will allow over live? Now if they can acheive 1080p over live and like now.. Sony follows the course of MS and put HD movies on PSN can we say they will kill Blu-Ray? Oh and while i`m asking questions, knowing that MS is allowing games to put on the HDD and seems to giving away 20gig HDD`s for $19.00 are they about to let dev`s to program using the HDD as extra storage?