With the recent pulling out of Toshiba from the HD DVD project, it's future is very bleak indeed. With that said, and with the mass support Bluray has gotten from Warner, Walmart, and they big guys, will Microsoft ever change the XBox 360 to be a Bluray console like the PS3, or release an add-on DVD drive to support Bluray games? Will Microsoft continue to release new games in a defunct HD DVD format, or will they migrate?

Here's an article which may think that they will: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/01/09/ces_xbox_could_back_blu_ray/

Thoughts?

Since it's an attachment, they always COULD create a blu-Ray player attachment for it, as long as they're willing to pay all of the royalties...which, if Sony having stock or shares or whatever in blu-Ray means they get money for it, then they might not...don't really know.

X360 games are on DVD9-discs only...that's why the add-on drive was necessary for HD-DVD movies(but no games were planned for the format).  So that won't affect them, neither will they need a blu-Ray add-on for games(unless they wanted to alienate a LOT of people who might not want to buy the attachment to play any 'blu-ray games').

If we're just talking about an add-on, that's a whole different story, I can see that happening. Sorry, I just now read the article.

meh, digi-distro ftw.

That's what I said, they're not using HD-DVD discs for games.  They're using DVD-9 for X-Box 360 games, which is why they needed an HD-DVD player to be added-on.

From Wikipedia:

Media DVD, DVD-DL(DVD-9), CD,
Add-On: HD DVD

So really Microsoft doesn't NEED to do anything except possssssibly offer a blu-Ray player at the expense of paying royalties to the blu-Ray Disc Association(which could have some funds possibly going to Sony).  More than likely they're just going to shrug their shoulders and just say that they never claimed that HD-DVD would win out, and that people have themselves a brand new doorstop if they don't have movies they want to KEEP on the format.

But basically MS has no real deep ties that I'm aware of, unless they had HD-DVD Burners supported by Vista or something.  I don't see why they couldn't continue using that format for PCs really, just the same that DVI-D is still acceptable for computer-outputs even if HDMI won out for TVs.  *shrug*

ohh, so the 360 doesn't have a HD drive built in? Making me wonder then why it was sold as a HD console if it didn't come with all the necessary kit to fulfill it's advertised features. *shrug*

Guess that's one of the many things we'll never fully understand about M$.

meh, i think it's pointless. with broadband getting cheaper and growing everyday (fios), i think digi-distro will eventually take over. i mean, if you can dl w/e movie you want to watch in about an hour...why not? like with "steam", let it keep track of w/e you've bought and have it available for d/l anytime, anywhere, and delete once you're done. heck...i didn't even buy the orange pack from the store, i just dl'd it overnight from steam.

Sometimes I like the idea of digital-distro.  At first I hated the idea....and to some extent, I'd really rather have the original. Something physical I can hold in my hand.  But for 'small' things like old games or old movies, I don't mind it...and since you can sometimes pack them all into one place, or at least begin streaming it on a whim, I like it better than having to find the original, hook up the medium it uses, and start playing/watching it again.

For me it's on a case-by-case basis...for full-fledged games, especially GOOD games I want to keep and they don't REQUIRE internet connections, those I want to have a physical disc for.  I can still play my NES whenever I want, but there are online games for Dreamcast that(even if I had a dial-up connection that worked with it) I wouldn't be able to use ever again.  If by some strange chance Dreamcast had digital-content(they did at least have some free downloads for a few games), I wouldn't be able to get any of it now.  In fact, Sonic Adventure had a download for Metal Sonic if you collected all of the 'emblems', Skies of Arcadia had an extra 'island' to download that had the last "Cham" on it(without it, you couldn't upgrade the girl's weapon to its final strongest form), and Jet Grind/Set Radio had an Internet menu selection that I believe you could upload and download user-created graffiti tags to use in game.  And of course you had Phantasy Star Online I & II.  Now none of that works....you could have bought some of that stuff on the Gamecube and elminated the need for downloading anything, but then you'd have bought the game twice when you otherwise didn't need to(plus I don't think the Gamecube PSO games are supported anymore).

But for something small I don't REALLY care about, like older games/movies, I don't mind having it on a service that could one day disappear.  But for 'larger' things I'd still rather have the physical medium for now..