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Blu-ray Xbox 360 coming for Christmas?

2 May 2008 17:44 by Andre "DVDBack23" Yoskowitz | 44 comments

Blu-ray Xbox 360 coming for Christmas? Despite repeated denials over the past couple of months, more and more reports are surfacing that a Blu-ray integrated Xbox 360 is coming, before Christmas of this year.

Last month Microsoft denied rumors that the optical drive maker Lite-On was developing an internal Blu-ray drive for the console, but made sure to avoid excluding other producers. The latest report has Pegatron Technology, a subsidiary of ASUS as the manufacturer of the drive and claims that the new Xboxs will ship in the Q3 2008.

This is of course not confirmed by Microsoft and the report had no leads on how much the console would cost when launched. North America would be the first market to see these Blu-ray 360s.

Many in the video game industry believe Microsoft needs to include a Blu-ray drive to stay competitive in the future, especially against Sony's PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. Each of those consoles have unique selling points where as the 360 does not aside from having the best online service available. PSN and Wii Online are both free however.

We will keep you updated.




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    Discuss this article!  There are more user comments available, read them here
    lxhotboy (Member) 3 May 2008 0:11 Send private message to this user   
    Quote:
    Not til they fix it mate, sorry MS has been moronically slow to fix it and has annoyed millions of consumers and games with their ineptitude.
    @ Zippy

    I thought they did fix it with the newer version of the Xbox 360. The console with the serious problems are mostly the older models arenot they. I have a friend and a cousing who both had older Xbox360 and had RROD within this past month. My cousin sent his in and it was rt in about 10 days with no cost from his pocket. Are a lot of the new consoles overheating too? If they are, I was unaware. I have one of the newer consoles bought this year and it never seems to get hot at all. Has anyone with one of the newest versions of the 360 noticed any serious heat?? Please post.
    lxhotboy (Member) 3 May 2008 0:11 Send private message to this user   
    sorry. double post.

    This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 3 May 2008 0:12

    o0cynix0o (Newbie) 3 May 2008 0:51 Send private message to this user   
    Originally posted by varnull:
    I don't think anybody cares.. This machine isn't a suitable device for a high quality entertainment centre.. It sounds like a bloody tank or something. Not a player you would want to watch high quality films on unless you shove it in another room.
    You have a real good point there. The 360 is F#$%^&g loud. If thats the way the cooling system sounds now, can you imagine what it will sound like with a hotter drive in it. Another room might not do....outside maybe!

    stupid are you this read you if

    This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 3 May 2008 0:54

    TBandit (Member) 3 May 2008 2:00 Send private message to this user   
    It might end up like the dreamcast since it didn't have a dvd player BUT they shouldn't have to worry about it if more people move to just downloading media
    mike.m (Newbie) 3 May 2008 3:01 Send private message to this user   
    I would like a Blu-ray 360, so they can finnally catch-up with the PS3. As most of you would agree, the Xbox is a year-behind in technology from the PS3.

    What Microsoft should of done in the first place was to put a HD-DVD Drive in the FIRST xbox 360, and games on HD-DVD discs, then there may have been a different outcome in blu-ray hd-dvd war, since there were at the time, more 360 owners than PS3.

    Blu-ray mostly won the battle because of the PS3. (PS3 owners didn't have to decide between HD-DVD and blu-ray, because they already had a blu-ray player.)

    Microsoft came out too quick with their new console, and then later came out with a whole bunch of different 360's (Pro, Elite, Halo Edition) trying to catch up with Sony. Sony was smart to wait a while, and build in their minds, the perfect console for the future.

    Many 360 owners, such as myself, have been screwed over by Microsoft. Yes the 360 is a great console NOW, but in the future, when games need more space (hint hint blu-ray), the PS3 will prevail. Let's just hope that the next console from Microsoft will have 'tehchnology for the future' as the PS3 did.
    core2kid (Senior Member) 3 May 2008 9:40 Send private message to this user   
    Quote:
    Originally posted by bdoggie08:
    RROD...

    GET OVER IT.

    No, I think MS should eliminate that first before they go and put in a Blu-Ray drive. First off, the problem is due to heat, we all know that. Second, why put in a Blu-Ray drive, which will cause the system to heat up more when playing movies? I personally can see more RRODs with a BluRay drive inside, just because of the heat a BD Drive will make while reading BluRays. Im also pretty sure that BluRay drives are slower in reading DVD-ROMs so does that mean slower game loading for Xbox?
    21Q (Senior Member) 3 May 2008 10:15 Send private message to this user   
    Depending on if a Blu-ray Xbox is made, I will have to decide on wheter getting a 360 or a PS3, if the PS3 has a better line up of game in the near future.
    chaos_zzz (Junior Member) 3 May 2008 10:55 Send private message to this user   
    blu-ray only for movies, they cannot switch to blu-ray games unless they make a free trade-in program wich will only wokr in some countries by the way. ANd I don't think free is a word MS is familiar with.

    ppl ho have been already patient enough with the red light issue they just rushed into a console one year before, they don't care for the customer, they gave this unique image to 360with live, I won't be suprised if dvd games won't be able to hold it anymore.

    Unless games come in 2 dvd's one you copy to the hd and the other one for playing, could be, still most ppl own 20gb wich is really small
    (Just pirctured in my mind "Microsoft 320gb Xbox 360 Cache HD featuring 10 000 rpm" ;))
    ZippyDSM (AfterDawn Addict) 3 May 2008 12:16 Send private message to this user   
    Originally posted by chaos_zzz:
    blu-ray only for movies, they cannot switch to blu-ray games unless they make a free trade-in program wich will only wokr in some countries by the way. ANd I don't think free is a word MS is familiar with.

    ppl ho have been already patient enough with the red light issue they just rushed into a console one year before, they don't care for the customer, they gave this unique image to 360with live, I won't be suprised if dvd games won't be able to hold it anymore.

    Unless games come in 2 dvd's one you copy to the hd and the other one for playing, could be, still most ppl own 20gb wich is really small
    (Just pirctured in my mind "Microsoft 320gb Xbox 360 Cache HD featuring 10 000 rpm" ;))
    I donot buy the whole ZOMG the world would end if they make BR games

    1.the 360 as a HD console NEEDS a better space management.
    2.the devs have to way profits, you make a BR title on the 360 you'll be lucky to sale 10K titles, they need to use it sparsely while the BR units get to a certain saturation point but by then MS wil probly need a new console.


    you can not just deb BR titles on the 360 they have to be done with a normal DVD release, there is just so much agisnt it they do not have to force devs to say no to it.
    rosedog (Member) 3 May 2008 12:23 Send private message to this user   
    I'm all for the internal Blu-Ray drive personally but the thing that pisses me off to no end is that its another freakin upgrade that you have to pay for.

    MS thought they were being kewl and all cause they came out first with limited hardware and lots of extra $$ add-ons (who do they think they are? Apple?!?)

    Sony and Nintendo were up next and as always the market (consumers) had their say in what they wanted and that left poor ol' little ms playing catch up.

    MS your system is still the most expensive (*waits for some fanboy to cry WHAT DO YOU MEAN!!*) under achieving system on the market, boo on you MS.

    *owns: PS3 80gig, XBOX360 Pre., Nintendo Wii*
    ZippyDSM (AfterDawn Addict) 3 May 2008 12:25 Send private message to this user   
    Originally posted by rosedog:
    I'm all for the internal Blu-Ray drive personally but the thing that pisses me off to no end is that its another freakin upgrade that you have to pay for.

    MS thought they were being kewl and all cause they came out first with limited hardware and lots of extra $$ add-ons (who do they think they are? Apple?!?)

    Sony and Nintendo were up next and as always the market (consumers) had their say in what they wanted and that left poor ol' little ms playing catch up.

    MS your system is still the most expensive (*waits for some fanboy to cry WHAT DO YOU MEAN!!*) under achieving system on the market, boo on you MS.

    *owns: PS3 80gig, XBOX360 Pre., Nintendo Wii*

    even if there are games on it you wont need it unless your 360 goes belly up and you need a excuse to get a new one.
    L-Burna (Senior Member) 3 May 2008 18:49 Send private message to this user   
    Quote:
    Quote:
    Originally posted by bdoggie08:
    RROD...

    GET OVER IT.

    No, I think MS should eliminate that first before they go and put in a Blu-Ray drive. First off, the problem is due to heat, we all know that. Second, why put in a Blu-Ray drive, which will cause the system to heat up more when playing movies? I personally can see more RRODs with a BluRay drive inside, just because of the heat a BD Drive will make while reading BluRays. Im also pretty sure that BluRay drives are slower in reading DVD-ROMs so does that mean slower game loading for Xbox?
    I agree 100% with this comment,because how can you ignore the RROD for the XBox 360.They still don't have a permanent fix for this issue even with the new consoles they redesigned.The support they give is really bad,and why the hell do people have to pay for M$ screw ups.You have to pay to ship in your console if it messes up,and all they do is replace it with a refurbished console which is just as bad.Your just throwing your money away when you invest in this console.I can imagine if they get a Blu-Ray internal drive the system will probably catch fire.I own all the next gen consoles,and the PS3 is the best system in my opinion the way it is designed but they don't have very many games that are exclusively for the PS3 that are any good.I like the Nintendo Wii as well,but I wouldn't call it next gen at all.Its more like a revamped GameCube to me,but with a different controller scheme.I hate M$ with their multiple add ons,and poor support services.They should probably let the console die like the dreamcast,because M$ can't fix the major issues.I'm not going to exchange a fubar console just to get another fubar console in return.If it comes down to the consumer redesigning the system to perform like it should in the first place by replacing the fans,heatsinks etc...then screw it you can spend your money on better things that actually work the way they are meant to.
    Hunt720 (Junior Member) 3 May 2008 21:49 Send private message to this user   
    It may just be cheaper for MS to start buying PS3s and spraypainting a big green X on them and call them "Ultra Elites" or whatever phrase they want to coin in an effort to continue to compete. This would at least take care of the RROD issues, and proprietary hard-drive issues... and locked USB issues... and the 100$ wireless adapter BULLS#!T... etc.

    On a serious note:

    For the sake of arguement we'll assume that this console is actually going to appear around Xmas time..

    The price of a "NEW" console with Blu-Ray built in, will be substantially more than the other versions, Elite included. So at that point one might as well just buy a PS3 if you are looking ot watch Blu-Ray films.

    I'm still up in the air on the issue of 360 games coming to Blu-Ray.
    Not sure if that would be fair AT ALL to the people who bought the original.
    ZippyDSM (AfterDawn Addict) 3 May 2008 22:00 Send private message to this user   
    Originally posted by Hunt720:
    It may just be cheaper for MS to start buying PS3s and spraypainting a big green X on them and call them "Ultra Elites" or whatever phrase they want to coin in an effort to continue to compete. This would at least take care of the RROD issues, and proprietary hard-drive issues... and locked USB issues... and the 100$ wireless adapter BULLS#!T... etc.

    On a serious note:

    For the sake of arguement we'll assume that this console is actually going to appear around Xmas time..

    The price of a "NEW" console with Blu-Ray built in, will be substantially more than the other versions, Elite included. So at that point one might as well just buy a PS3 if you are looking ot watch Blu-Ray films.

    I'm still up in the air on the issue of 360 games coming to Blu-Ray.
    Not sure if that would be fair AT ALL to the people who bought the original.
    since the 360 is overpriced by as much as 120 currently....for the sake of argument what I want to see is a price on premiums of 300 and a price on the elites at or around 400, send it to 480 for all I care just get the premiums to 300, they can even be 350 without being moronic.....
    lxhotboy (Member) 4 May 2008 0:27 Send private message to this user   
    Games on BR will never happen on the xbox360.
    ZippyDSM (AfterDawn Addict) 4 May 2008 0:31 Send private message to this user   
    Originally posted by lxhotboy:
    Games on BR will never happen on the xbox360.
    if they put a BR drive in it and try and get 4 more years out the 360 I think it will have a handful of BR titles, the main trouble is they can;t tap the 10 million units sold so it wont be worth their time.
    snowlock (Junior Member) 4 May 2008 2:05 Send private message to this user   
    there's no question in my mind that switching to blu-ray would void dvd-based 360's.
    unless publishers become all of a sudden willing to spend even more money
    just to put out the same games on two different media formats.
    the current customer base would be left out in the cold, unable to play big multi-platform releases on their obsolete hardware.
    hardware rendered obsolete by the manufacturer releasing a new model under the same brand label.

    it just wouldn't fly, especially in our litigious society.
    i can tell you from experience that consumers are quick to form class-action suits.
    it may seem silly now, but when nintendo came out with the snes there was a suit for them making the nes obsolete.
    mom had registered both our nintendo's, so we reaped the (smallish) benefits of a free game voucher.
    i wonder what a similar case would look like in this situation.
    ZippyDSM (AfterDawn Addict) 4 May 2008 2:16 Send private message to this user   
    Originally posted by snowlock:
    there's no question in my mind that switching to blu-ray would void dvd-based 360's.
    unless publishers become all of a sudden willing to spend even more money
    just to put out the same games on two different media formats.
    the current customer base would be left out in the cold, unable to play big multi-platform releases on their obsolete hardware.
    hardware rendered obsolete by the manufacturer releasing a new model under the same brand label.

    it just wouldn't fly, especially in our litigious society.
    i can tell you from experience that consumers are quick to form class-action suits.
    it may seem silly now, but when nintendo came out with the snes there was a suit for them making the nes obsolete.
    mom had registered both our nintendo's, so we reaped the (smallish) benefits of a free game voucher.
    i wonder what a similar case would look like in this situation.
    Well MS can mandate no BR games since they have the power to do that, but I think letting devs via for it is a good thing, look at the dev houses out now and how many of them would be willing to to do it because they will only have aces to a few 10K worth of units and not the 10M+ of 360s on the market.

    I see the good here but frankly I wont be surprised if they cock it up.

    For all the console/game fanboys out their.
    http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles...Console-Rundown
    Oh god I can't stop laughing!!!
    ---
    And for the format nazi's I bring you HHD DVVD BVD's!!
    tyrant897 (Newbie) 4 May 2008 8:54 Send private message to this user   
    I've lost count, if this happens will it be the third or fourth 400 dollar launch of the 360? I'm not buying till the 8th 400 dollar little add on/upgrade happens. joke, I'll avoid for a long time, all my friends have to mail it away too often. All the above is based on needing to buy a whole new 360 to get it of course =)
    Jake_C (Member) 4 May 2008 10:23 Send private message to this user   
    Yeh Micro$oft is money hungry e.g making But the fact is there are ad-ons which means you dont need to buy them and youll still always get to play every game that comes out if you want. They dont force you to buy them!

    And everyone who says yeh but RROD is crap and to be honest yeh it is. BUT you only get it if you play the xbox for hours on hours at a time so why not get a life or just have a break from playing every few hours then youd never get RROD.

    Im agaisnt them putting BR into new 360s as it screws everyone who bought one before plus it would bump the price up a bit. BUT if they made an ad-on BR for say £150 I WOULD buy it, as its cheeper then any other blue ray, doesnt mean i need a whole new system.

    Sony is better but if you ever want to play online you get tons of lag, and you have to have the money in the first place AND there isnt a great selection of games out there for it.
    But i Admit you get best graphics and everything but do you profer graphics or gameplay?

    Wii is great expect it doesnt even have a DVD player. But its great fun with mates. No other company even tryed anything new expect for Nintendo and incase no ones noticed but the Wii is still doing much better then the other consles.And whoever says the Wii isnt a game console, well you buy it, then you buy games, controlers and it plugs into the tv. And like i said eailer its doing better then the 360 and PS3
    tyrant897 (Newbie) 4 May 2008 11:43 Send private message to this user   
    Yes as I said this is only crap if you need to buy a whole new one again.

    As far as the RROD , turn it off every few hours! I find that totally silly, thats like buying tv's and being told turn it off every few hours, let it cool for 1 hour then you can watch again. This sort of problem shouldnt be accepted or excused by anyone. Maybe gates could try that with his next operating system, yeah it was 500 bucks, but if you crash to reboot, just turn your computer off for awhile!!
    Hunt720 (Junior Member) 5 May 2008 17:17 Send private message to this user   
    Originally posted by tyrant897:
    Yes as I said this is only crap if you need to buy a whole new one again.

    As far as the RROD , turn it off every few hours! I find that totally silly, thats like buying tv's and being told turn it off every few hours, let it cool for 1 hour then you can watch again. This sort of problem shouldnt be accepted or excused by anyone. Maybe gates could try that with his next operating system, yeah it was 500 bucks, but if you crash to reboot, just turn your computer off for awhile!!
    I agree!

    I think the reason nobody is "over" the RROD is because of the fact that MS expects people to treat their console like it has a learning disability or something. "Don't take things too fast" or "give it a break once and a while". Meanwhile while you are "taking breaks" your time on LIVE is still costing you money. As much fun as I used to have on the 360, I can't express the amount of time missed on LIVE for taking "breaks" and waiting for my system to be mailed back to me.... its like the cable company charging you while your DVR is turned off in the corner taking a break - meanwhile your favorite shows are being played without you being able to watch them.. but don't worry you still get to play FULL PRICE for the cable bill.
    iluvendo (Senior Member) 6 May 2008 2:57 Send private message to this user   
    Bill Gates says no. But that is not a definite NO.

    If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck!
    "The flimsier the product,the higher the price"
    Ferengi 82nd rule of aquisition
    gleone (Newbie) 7 May 2008 2:50 Send private message to this user   
    It seems like only yesterday when Microsoft was denying rumors about XBox Elite.

    We all know how that turned out.
    core2kid (Senior Member) 7 May 2008 13:18 Send private message to this user   
    Xbox 360 Media Center Edition/Home Theater Edition?
    iluvendo (Senior Member) 7 May 2008 20:04 Send private message to this user   
    Nahhh !!!!!

    If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck!
    "The flimsier the product,the higher the price"
    Ferengi 82nd rule of aquisition
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