Xbox 360 Blue Ray is a go

[obladeo]

Took there time but getting there in the end thank god

Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer has promised that an external Blu-ray drive is coming to the Xbox 360.

During a recent interview on the future of Project Natal, the motion-control system for Xbox. Ballmer was asked if Microsoft plans to put Blu-ray into the games console.

Although he told website Gizmodo that he doesn’t know if Blu-ray needs to be integrated into the console, Ballmer added that “you’ll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories”.

Since the downfall of the HD DVD format, for which Microsoft famously produced a now defunct external Xbox 360 drive, the firm has been very cagey about the potential addition of Blu-ray to its console.

In fact, Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft’s Group Product Manager for the Xbox 360, stated back in October 2008 that Microsoft had “no plans to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience”.

Perhaps Greenberg actually meant that Xbox 360s with integrated Blu-ray drives will never be produced and that external Blu-ray drives will arrive for the console? Who knows - it's certainly been rumoured often enough that one is on the way.

One thing we can be certain of, though, is that – according to the horse's mouth – Blu-ray is coming to the Xbox 360. ®

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/10/22/ballmer_bluray_xbox/

Heres the interview

 

[obladeo]

hummmmm

http://kotaku.com/5388041/microsoft-no-blu+ray-add+ons-coming-to-xbox-360

 

[Cook$]

Isn't Bluray owned by Sony?

 

[AL21784]

Isn't Bluray owned by Sony?

Think so

AL

 

[john251282]

Just because they are caming rivals does not mean that Sony do not want to make more blu drives to sell and boost blu ray disc sales.

Works the other way too after all sony laptops comes with Windows on them

 

[Vegard]

This has later been denied by Microsoft. Apparently Ballmer says alot that never pans out.

 

[john251282]

Yes Ballmer does seem to get carried away sometimes and has made a few remarks about forthcoming xbox projects.

The way MS normally word it is that Blu ray will not become part of the console.

But that does not mean it could be an external accessory.

 

[Parksy]

Why would anyone buy one now though? Why buy a device tied to the 360 when the cost of standalone drives have dropped so much

 

[john251282]

I suspect it was something probably discussed in a meeting Steve sat in on a while back.

Then when the normal players got so much cheaper they did not bother going any further with it as it was not cost effective but forgot to let Steve know

 

[stongle]

I call Shen's. Microsoft are planning to roll out full HD (Blu-ray equivalent)download capbility for movies, but it's unlikely you will ever see a licensed drive. The latest OS roll out will block the use of 3rd party external HD's, so I would imagine that MS continue down the line of digital content / streaming, but increasing X Box storage capacity. I mean why have Blu Ray discs when you;ve got a Terrabyte of storage????