Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: microsoft, xbox, blu-ray, ballmer, bluray | Themes: Home Theater, Digital Entertainment
Straight from the Ballmer's mouth.
We're well past the whole high-definition HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc thing, but there's always the lingering question about the Xbox 360. Out the gate, it was Microsoft behind HD DVD and Sony behind Blu-ray. Every PS3 can play Blu-ray Discs, and the Xbox 360 could handle HD DVD with the now-extinct add-on drive.
Would Microsoft ever come around to making Blu-ray possible on the Xbox 360? Steve Ballmer made a comment that could lead us to think so.
The Microsoft CEO said the telling line in an interview, "Well I don't know if we need to put Blu-ray in there-you'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories."
Of course, that's not a full-blown confirmation that a Blu-ray drive add-on is coming, but Ballmer's comment does appear fairly straightforward and confident.
Thus far, the only way Xbox 360 owners have been able to view new high-definition movies and shows is through the Xbox Live Marketplace with its on-demand rental system. That strategy won't be going away, Ballmer added.
"I think the future of movies is on-demand actually, as opposed to via distribution on physical media. So we're just going to keep driving forward and try to make [Xbox 360] the best overall entertainment experience, and not just gaming."
Will the Xbox 360 soon be able to play Blu-ray Discs? Perhaps we'll know as soon as CES rolls around.
-
Previous News Article
Google, Bing to Include Your... -
Next News Article
Shakira Loves File-Sharing; Says...
12 photos
16 photos
Meh. Honestly I could care less I don't need Blu-Ray for the 360 when my PC plays it just fine. And the chances that MS would make Blu-Ray games on the current 360 console when it's this matured are practically zilch. Not saying it's a bad idea to have an addon player--just that I'm not interested and really it won't be that big of a deal either way.
Wow! I never thought this would be a possibility in the minds of the Microsoft eggheads! Hell has frozen over!!!
Blu-ray drives as accessories..
On demand services will never be massively popular as distributed physical media will always trump it for Quality and Storage capacity, downloading a Bluray quality film would kill my internet limit.
Kind of late to the game. You can get a new stand alone blu ray player starting around $150 from amazon. I'd hope the addon would be competitive in price due to the fact you have to already have a xbox 360.
Why would anyone choose an accessory to the Xbox (vs stand-alone player) to play Blu-Ray Disc?
I still prefer some physical media for the movies i buy mainly as proof of purchase and if the disc is bad, you can return it and ask for a replacement. if i downloaded it, the burden of proof of legal purchase is much harder and complicated.
"Thus far, the only way Xbox 360 owners have been able to view new high-definition movies and shows is through the Xbox Live Marketplace"
Why would they want Blu-ray, they will make more money off of the above.
@radio_active: Because the people who they already make money off of with on demand, will continue to use that. But those who dont who do have bluray, will buy the drive (and maybe some of those on demand people as well), thus making them even more money.
"Thus far, the only way Xbox 360 owners have been able to view new high-definition movies and shows is through the Xbox Live Marketplace"Why would they want Blu-ray, they will make more money off of the above.
Because as much as people like to polarize the issue as black and white, there's a market for both.
You (us customers) need to purchase separate drive then attach it to the xbox360 as an accessory. Lol, same thing as buying a blu-ray drive.
Anyone knows how is it that trends like cloud computing and on-demand content will play out against all the bandwidth capping ISP's are talking about or have already implemented?
Some Netflix on Xbox is in HD.
Another $200 accessory that I wont use... Buy a PS3 at least you have the same functionality of a stand alone drive but have the added value of downloading movies as well as other content. Oh and Games.
I'll stick to netflix streaming on the 360 and watch the rare blu-ray movie on the PS3. Not sure the point of this thing unless they start putting it inside the 360 while not raising the price. Are people really going to buy an Xbox 360 because they now have the option to buy a $100+ blu-ray add-on? I think not.
Obviously the accessory would need to be much cheaper than a stand alone player for it to make any sense.
Anyone that's played Star Ocean 4 would appreciate having it on BD instead of three DVDs...
Too late. Bought a PS3 and so did everyone else. MS lost the market.
The 360 price must DROP and the price of the drive must be LOW (sub-$100). Otherwise, it would sell less than the HD-DVD ROM.
Personally, I already have a PS3, 360 HD-DVD ROM, and a HD-DVD/Blu-Ray drive for the PC (PS3 broke in Feb.)
heh........... yea the xbox can do everything but in order for it to do everything you have to keep buying add-ons. playstation 3 just does everything with no add ons
I'll stick to netflix streaming on the 360 and watch the rare blu-ray movie on the PS3. Not sure the point of this thing unless they start putting it inside the 360 while not raising the price. Are people really going to buy an Xbox 360 because they now have the option to buy a $100+ blu-ray add-on? I think not.
No, but if priced right they may buy a BD addon for the xbox they currently own.
Too little too late.
I'm sure Microsoft has teamed up, in there heads at least with ISP's to push on demand streaming of Full HD movies, just think about the bandwidth you'd be racking up each month if it's done over the net, which means the ISP's can charge you through the nose for overage fees... I wonder if Microsoft would get a piece of that, considering they helped generate the overage revenue for the ISP's in the first place? ROFL
overpriced bluray drive no thank u.
Too late. Bought a PS3 and so did everyone else.
Not me, not yet. Maybe soon, but then I'd have to find a reason to pay extra for a Blu-Ray movie that I can't watch in all its glory since my HDTV has no HDMI and I have NO plans to just junk it.
Besides, I understand that the PS3 needs an accessory so my Logitech remote can talk to it. How lame compared to my 360...
Too late. Bought a PS3 and so did everyone else. MS lost the market.
Too late for what? To lead the PS3 by 7 million units?
they'll put an MS sticker on it and charge you up the wazoo.
MS should have just put a blu-ray drive in the 360 from the beginning. I really don't feel like spending another $100 just so I can play blu-ray movies, and games won't even be blu-ray. Blu-ray would be good for multi-disk games like Halo 3: ODST, but I feel like not too many games these days would benefit from it. Next generation of consoles, DVD is definitely going out the door though.
MS should have just put a blu-ray drive in the 360 from the beginning. I really don't feel like spending another $100 just so I can play blu-ray movies, and games won't even be blu-ray. Blu-ray would be good for multi-disk games like Halo 3: ODST, but I feel like not too many games these days would benefit from it. Next generation of consoles, DVD is definitely going out the door though.
I agree, but if that made the price of the Xbox 360 too close to the PS3 at the time then they would have not been able to push that it was cheaper than the PS3. Next generation, DVD is gone and will be replaced by downloads and flash.
Blah ha, and the 360 fanboys will snap it up and say it is a deal, better than the PS3 because it has crapbox live.
I'll get one if it's $50 or less. I won't buy a $30 movie though. I rent the DVD's for $1 from redbox. I'd pay about $1.25 to rent a blu-ray.
I'm glad I have an xbox hd dvd player. I think I've spent a total of around $110 and I've got nearly 50 movies. HD DVD's on EBAY are selling for about $1.25 now.