Microsoft denies Blu-ray Xbox 360 for umpteenth time

64 Comments by Alexander Sliwinski May 5th 2008 5:25PM
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

We've absolutely lost count of how many times Microsoft has had to deny rumors of an Xbox 360 with Blu-ray drive, but here's another one. Following a resurgence in the rumor last week, GamePro was told today by a Microsoft official that the company continues to have no plans of introducing a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360.

The statement goes on to say that "games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles, and [Microsoft] remains focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available." OK, that's good and all, but if the Blu-ray thing is out, could the NetfliXbox 360 idea still be on the table?

[Via Engadget]

Tags: blu-ray, microsoft, netflix

Read

(Page 1) Reader Comments

Curtis the Claw:XBL - supapaypamawio: May 5th 2008; 5:28PM

I stop caring for the umpteenth time. If Microsoft releases one, great. If not, who cares?

rv: May 5th 2008; 5:33PM

Yeah, I probably wouldn't buy it.

Anonim: May 5th 2008; 6:13PM

No Blu-Ray for X360?!

INCONCEIVABLE !11!1one!

Wes: May 5th 2008; 10:37PM

I keep thinking for some reason, that we should care a bit. My 'theory' is that Microsoft has started designing the Xbox 720(or whatever the sequel will be called) with these blu-ray rumors from chinese communist offical newspapers and wii-style remote rumors from mtv etc.

My guess is they might release it sometime next year or the following year and just be working through prototypes but may be manufacturing the blu-ray drives in advance due to the low-yield of blu-ray diodes and other issues that have caused blu-ray player + ps3 shortages/delays before.

If you have a 1,000,000 blu-ray drives ready for when you finalize the design specs and start manufacturing, it would make manufacturing go more smoothly, versus if you put in an order for 1,000,000 blu-ray diodes and waited for your order to be fulfilled before beginning production.

Lorem: May 5th 2008; 5:29PM

Yes who cares. It's a 360 for christ sakes.

BIGGEN: May 5th 2008; 5:32PM

um, meaning?

btw, this may have been mentioned before, but wtf is the deal with clicking to make a comment and you get this "commercial" with hummingbirds about hi def intel shit?

Lorem: May 5th 2008; 5:36PM

Meaning the 360 won't benefit from having bluray. It's most likely going to be an external if anything. I don't think it will be cost effective for MS nor will it really boost their system.

SharpBlade: May 5th 2008; 5:37PM

Your right. It's a 360, it's a game machine and has a ton of great games so more time gaming less time watching movies. The "other" system is an over glorified movie player that happens to play some games as well.

BIGGEN: May 5th 2008; 5:40PM

got ya. thanks for clarifying

E.J.: May 5th 2008; 7:22PM

omg, BIGGEN thanks for mentioning that. I first thought Firefox 3 on my MBP wasn't handling joystiq properly and then I scrolled up and saw that annoying-ass ad.

'stiq, this is worse than that big-ass GTA5P ad. Please fix.

on topic:
Unless the internal BD-rom drive reads 12x DVD (the speed of the current DVD drives), there's no way this is plausible.

External Blu-Ray add-on is a lot more believable.

Korova: May 5th 2008; 10:43PM

at least you see something, even if its a f'n commercial. I just get a black screen and the back button doesnt work. It feels like skipping along a sunny meadow and all of a sudden black night falls and someone hits you square in the face with a frying pan and you try to turn back to the meadow ... but its not there anymore. AHHHHH! nightmare. not want

Anthony: May 5th 2008; 5:30PM

I wonder if they would continue to deny it if they really had no plans or just start to ignore it?

The more they deny it the more I believe the rumors.

Markez (MKWii 4339-2878-5120): May 5th 2008; 5:30PM

Joystiq posts about X-Box 360 Blu-ray for umpteenth time.

rTwelve: May 5th 2008; 8:01PM

This isn't 2002 anymore, it's spelled "Xbox", no hyphen, no capital B.

FNG: May 5th 2008; 5:30PM

and for the umpteenth time you make it another story on your blog.

samfish: May 5th 2008; 5:30PM

I hope they announce the Blu-Ray 360 at the same time they announce the Wiimote rip off.

Dance, MS fanboys, DANCE!

BIGGEN: May 5th 2008; 5:34PM

why do you do it? why?

samfish: May 5th 2008; 5:36PM

Internet meltdowns, like blood to a vampire, sustain me.

I'm also eagerly awaiting the news of "high level Sony defection" (I think it's FF13 going multi-plat) and Kingdom Hearts 3 exclusive to the Wii.

BIGGEN: May 5th 2008; 5:38PM

aaaaah, it is your lifeforce, it is. i understand. like hating rednecks is mine. it's an entertainment that both pisses me off yet calms me.

Curtis the Claw:XBL - supapaypamawio: May 5th 2008; 5:41PM

That would be epic if they released a bluray 360 w/wiimote rip off bundle. It would be high cost with the bluray player, but market to the casual gamer with the wiimote. So pretty much no one would buy it.

License to ill: May 5th 2008; 5:53PM

Don't get mad because you don't get the best third party games, enjoy those Gamecube and PS2 ports...

Just think wii2 or 3 you might get GTA4.

Matt B: May 5th 2008; 8:32PM

So no PSWii60?

TheOverlord#2 can has Mario Karts?(MK:2578-3517-9859): May 5th 2008; 10:06PM

Don't even kid about KH3 not going to the Wii!
Either it goes on the Wii or i'm saving up my job money and hopefully it'll be on 360.(Though it probably won't even think about the 360 >_

Gun Barrier (=Gamer Tag) SSBB: 3952-6696-7009: May 5th 2008; 10:55PM

oh man! i really hope KH3 goes on the Wii or 360.

Cesaria (MKW:2621-2994-1376): May 5th 2008; 5:31PM

It'll happen sooner or later.

goboColossus: May 5th 2008; 5:43PM

Don't care.

I'm waiting on the External VHS Player for Wii.

Shmil: May 5th 2008; 5:49PM

I want a UMD player for my ps3

DangerMouse: May 5th 2008; 6:32PM

I would love to see a UMD player on the PS3, myself. Too bad it won't happen, since it would be even more detrimental to the PSP sales.

ViagraFiend: May 5th 2008; 5:44PM

internal Blu Ray drive for Xbox 360 Confirmed!

343 Guilty Fart: May 5th 2008; 6:45PM

OMG XBOX BLU-RAY CONFIRMED BY ViagraFiend!!!

TheOverlord#2 can has Mario Karts?(MK:2578-3517-9859): May 5th 2008; 10:08PM

Has to be true if it's coming from a Man Bear Pig with a boner.

ViagraFiend: May 6th 2008; 10:01AM

barely discernable hairy Man Bear Pig boner added.

Rob Accomando: May 5th 2008; 5:52PM

Internal Xbox360 Blu-Ray = meaningless to xbox360 gamers

Kodros: May 5th 2008; 6:58PM

Yeah, devices should only do one thing. While you are at it, tell MS to remove the ability to stream stuff from your PC, play CD's, play DVD movies, and stream HD movies from their video service since they all have nothing to do with games.

Rob Accomando: May 5th 2008; 7:24PM

I meant, it can't be used for gaming purposes. Although I wish it could. Too bad.

Kodros: May 5th 2008; 8:56PM

Ahh gotcha. Yeah, they wouldn't be able to use it for gaming purposes.

TheDave: May 5th 2008; 5:57PM

The PS3 is ONLY gaining ground on the 360 right now because it it primarily being bought by many many people to be used strictly as a Blu-Ray player.

If MS was smart, they would come out with a Blu-Ray add-on (for cheap), otherwise, the PS3 will keep gaining ground for the wrong reasons. It can play Blu-Ray, not because the games are WAY better (not yet at least).

/me ducks for the fanboy arguments coming...

NATO_Duke: May 5th 2008; 6:04PM

You didn't say much new material there, hence their attacks not coming faster.

el serpiente: May 5th 2008; 6:56PM

"because it it primarily being bought by many many people to be used strictly as a Blu-Ray player."

Proof? Or just cause you say so?

Curtis the Claw:XBL - supapaypamawio: May 5th 2008; 7:30PM

If you need proof your beyond help, wake up and look around you. Even Sony markets it as the cheapest bluray player! That's not to say that it doesn't have good games and such, it's a great media system.

Kujel: May 5th 2008; 10:03PM

Maybe 1 good game for every 15 skid marks.

TheOverlord#2 can has Mario Karts?(MK:2578-3517-9859): May 5th 2008; 10:14PM

Blu-ray player with games, music, etc.-$600
Blu-ray player-$900

Let's see who buys which.

Korova: May 5th 2008; 10:53PM

I dont see how selling PS3 as a BD player at a loss is helping Sony, when they intended to recoup the money from game royalties which are not coming. BD trojan horse in the PS3 was important to beat HDDVD (yeah, remember that one), but now that it happened so quickly, Sony is stuck with having to sell a product at a loss for no good reason until PS3 production and marketing costs drop below price.

I dont think their BD royalties will recoup the loss for a long long time.

Source: logic based on absolutely no fact - i.e. speculation.

tc: May 5th 2008; 6:06PM

well get plans for it microsoft because its a good idea.

simcha: May 5th 2008; 6:14PM

The Dave:

Does it really matter why the ps3 is gaining momentum? People are buying the console, the player base will be there which means eventually developers will take the console seriously.

Devs go where the money is. Larger install base means larger chance of titles being developed for the ps3.

JizzyB: May 5th 2008; 6:22PM

I still don't see any real benefit for M$ to sell Sony's product. We know that it won't be used for games and I highly doubt that M$ would make any real money from selling these things. There is no way that Sony would allow them to sell the system with Blu Ray for less than a PS3. I really don't think it makes sense for THIS generation. Next is a whole different story.

Kodros: May 5th 2008; 7:04PM

Ugh...dollar sign replacing the "S". Anywho, it's not "Sony's Product".

pauljtaylor: May 5th 2008; 6:22PM

I'd be shocked if an Xbox 360 is released with with an internal Blu-ray drive because of the seek times. There might be some games previously written for the 360 that never took the load times on a 2x Blu-ray into account, and they'd probably take forever to load on a Blu-ray Xbox.

When I read a rumor about "Xbox 360 consoles equipped with a Blu-ray Disc ROM drive," I immediately tune it out. "Bundled?" Maybe.

Ninjakamster (PSN: Chin-Poh): May 5th 2008; 6:40PM

Microsoft would NEVER release a 360 with a built-in Blu-Ray movie player. It would raise the price by at least $100 and will greatly lower sales, as the PS3 has suffered.

I feel that Sony should have gone Microsoft's route and made the Blu-Ray movie player as an optional external add-on and put the games on DVD. DVD is still plenty for current-gen games as we have seen.

Back when the 360 was announced and I heard it still used DVDs for games, I laughed, but I turned out to be quite wrong.

cellulitis: May 10th 2008; 11:44PM

Wrong again...by making Blu-Ray "optional" on PS3 Sony would have very likely lost the format war against HD-DVD.

| 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 50 Comments

Add your comments

Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments.

When you enter your name and email address, you'll be sent a link to confirm your comment, and a password. To leave another comment, just use that password.

To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br> tags.