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Blu-Ray drive for the Xbox 360? Nope

I can't believe I still get emails about this. :)

This week, rumors popped up again that Microsoft was working on a $100-$150 Blu-Ray add-on drive for the Xbox 360. And once again, the rumors are untrue.

Here's the official statement.

"As we've said before, Microsoft has no plans to introduce an Xbox 360 Blu-ray add-on. Games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available."

Moving on...

Comments

 

jeremy1029 said:

When will the Wii be in HD?  The Force Unleashed in HD... I might be able to talk my wife into a 52" TV for that.  Or possibly just sell a kidney and not tell her....

October 9, 2008 9:27 AM
 

Blu-Ray drive for the Xbox 360? Nope said:

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October 9, 2008 9:52 AM
 

BrightrevCarl said:

Why not?  It just seems like a good idea to me.  If you've already got an Xbox 360, buying a $150 Blu-ray drive is much better than having to buy a completely separate player for $350.  

My guess is that Microsoft is waiting to see if Blu-ray actually succeeds in the market, which right now it apparently isn't.  It may be that Blu-ray becomes this decade's Laserdisc and we continue with regular DVDs until HD downloads become viable.  

October 9, 2008 11:57 AM
 

Anthony Cook said:

It wasnt so long ago that Microsoft was hyping up the Xbox 360 as a central media machine, Blu-Ray 360 would sell as many people dont want to pay £300 for a PS3 purly for Blu-Ray use.

Also if it was between $100-$150 it would take over the PS3 as the cheapest Blu-Ray player on the market. Even if you dont own a 360 you would save a fair bit.

October 9, 2008 12:39 PM
 

subzerohitman721 said:

The reason why Microsoft isn't jumping head first into Blu-Ray is because the platform isn't really taking off with consumers. 8% of the total DVD market belongs to Blu-Ray. The actual blu-ray market shrank 13.39 percent in September. Standard DVD sales are up .15 percent. So why should Microsoft go through all the headaches of creating a stand alone Blu-Ray player when the market is so small?

Its just so much cheaper and easier to buy an upconvert DVD player and get the actual movies cheaper. Scanning a 35mm negative into a computer actually has higher definition than the current HD format. Thats why many of the televsion shows from the 1960's and 1970's can easily be made for HD. So save yourself the expense and buy standard DVD. All you need is the hardware and you've had HD the entire time.

Also the fact that world economies are crashing and burning, makes that $200 stand alone Blu-Ray player not so economical. When Wal-Mart sells an upconvert DVD player for $40 bucks, it really makes Blu-Ray irrelevant. Standard DVD's just might kill Blu-Ray, if the trend continues. How ironic.

October 9, 2008 1:32 PM
 

re: Blu-Ray drive for the Xbox 360? Nope said:

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October 9, 2008 2:44 PM
 

lotsamystuff said:

Translation:

"WTF, are you kidding?, Microsoft has no plans to introduce an Xbox 360 Blu-ray add-on. We will not give SONY a win no matter what consumers want. For months now--ever since the stunning failure of HD-DVD--our mantra is that Games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles. Not fun, not the user experience, not some "Toy Machine"...just big, complicated, loud, violent games for big men with little "units". We're going to focus on "real" gamers even if it breaks us."

October 9, 2008 6:29 PM
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