MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

[Altimus]

We have no confirmation or sourcing of our own on this, so, we don't vouch for its accuracy. But we will be watching the clock at 10 am Crecente time tomorrow, as CrunchGear is rumormongering that Microsoft will announce Blu-Ray Xboxes will be shipping by Christmas, at that time. Rumor has it they'll cost less than an Elite. The announcement would apparently be timed to upstage Apple's Worldwide Developer's Conference which kicks off an hour later in San Francisco. Here's the full rumor from CrunchGear's tipster:

I’m told MS will upstage Apple with a Monday 9am PDT announcement (1 hour before WWDC) via press release that the Xbox 360 will get Blu-Ray before Christmas. Price was “under the current Elite," but i could get any more details.

We'll be pursuing this tomorrow as our means of pursuit are limited today. Carry on.

If true, I don't understand why. They can't use the BR drive for gaming and they are pushing for digital downloads anyway.

[Knight165]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

If true, I don't understand why. They can't use the BR drive for gaming and they are pushing for digital downloads anyway.

I guess too many people are realizing that when looking to buy a quality Blu-Ray player...they can also get a great gaming machine and are opting for the PS3. I guess MS is hoping to stem that tide a little.

M.K.
Knight165

[thmst30]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

I hope not. This is just pointless on many levels for the 360. The next console maybe, but not ANOTHER 360 hardware change. Also Blu-Ray 360's would never upstage iPhone 2.0 within tech media. If this is true it could be a serious backfire, media praising Apple for iPhone 2.0, and blasting MS for a mindless move that does nothing for their console. IMO

[Knight165]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

So the 360 is going to have it's gaming media and a Blu-Ray?

M.K.
Knight165

[Altimus]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

I hope not. This is just pointless on many levels for the 360. The next console maybe, but not ANOTHER 360 hardware change. Also Blu-Ray 360's would never upstage iPhone 2.0 within tech media. If this is true it could be a serious backfire, media praising Apple for iPhone 2.0, and blasting MS for a mindless move that does nothing for their console. IMO

If people are going to want a Blu-Ray player first and gaming console second, you go with Sony everytime. This is their business. BR 2.0, everything. The best BR player in the market today.

This does nothing for the gamer and won't really impact the media market either. The only hardware revision left to do was add WiFi in every 360 here on out which what is should be instead a BR drive.

Plus, the drives MS picks for their consoles are usually bad. I remember the orginal Xbox had problems with the Thompson drive, the 360 has problems with the drives as well. Plus a BR drive playing a gaming application in DVD9 format causes other problems as well.

If they really wanted to go BR, just make it a add on.

We'll see if this is true tomorrow.

[TarHeelsUNC]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

I hope they have to pay an out-of-this-world royalty. Blu-ray is the one advantage PS3 has over 360.

[bkfount]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

How pointless, why not just make an addon drive like the HD-DVD drive. So it's a 360 that only plays bluray movies for "less than an elite". If bluray is a major selling point for people, then even if it's $399, you can just get a ps3 that actually uses it for everything. It would seem to me that having the ability to play bluray movies but only DVD games would make your console look worse in comparison to the ps3 every time.

To me, this just seems like another reason to keep console prices high. Instead of revising the manufacturing and making them easier to price drop, we get BS trash like this that keeps the prices up. After 3 years, the 360 should be selling for what the Wii does. Does MS not realize that a $249 xbox 360 would sell far more consoles for them than some internal bluray drive model, and it wouldn't even cost them in royalty fees they have to pay to use bluray.

[Spectre]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

If this happens, I'm going to get rid of my PS3.

[Flightwhite24]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

I know I'm not wasting another dime on a MS product. I promise you it will be buggy/RRod as hell. And it is gonna cost less than the Elite? Failure waiting to happen. Come on MS just focus on truely fixing the system you have now. Peace!!!!

[The Chef]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

Personally I think its a good move for BR movies though, the more people that have it the quicker the prices might come down to a reasonable level, and that would make my life easier.

[CS10029]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

http://www.joystiq.com/2008/06/08/rumor-microsoft-to-announce-blu-ray-360-tomorrow/

Little more news on it.

[Altimus]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

This seems to be debunked already.

As for the old chestnut about a Blu-ray-equipped next-gen Xbox, he said, "That is so far out that there isn't anything to talk about." (He probably won't change his mind by tomorrow.)

From the MS President of entertainment and devices

http://gizmodo.com/5014393/robbie-bach-denies-blu+ray-xbox-and-zune-phone-but-hints-zune-platform-may-expand-to-other-devices

[thmst30]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

This seems to be debunked already.


From the MS President of entertainment and devices

http://gizmodo.com/5014393/robbie-ba...-other-devices

Robbie Bach sounds like a clueless idiot in that article. Especially the part about their plan for future mobile phones.

On the future of handhelds:

We think the market is going to evolve to people having their favorite device that they are going to carry around with them. That device is going to do multiple things, one of which is going to be music...We call them mobile phones but in fact they are going to become much more than mobile phones.

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!? How far back in the future is this guy?

[JohnDoe8865]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

I will believe it when I see it. I could see an add-on somewhere down the road maybe ... but not this.

[Scott]

Re: MS to annouce Blu-Ray on Monday

If true, I don't understand why. They can't use the BR drive for gaming and they are pushing for digital downloads anyway.

Nothing will upstage the iPhone