Well, it's tomorrow, and despite yesterday's rumor that Microsoft would be announcing a Blu-ray equipped Xbox 360 today (that's yesterday's tomorrow, for those of you confused by that first clause), so far we've so far heard bupkis. In fact, we've heard less than bupkis if you take into account the San Francisco Chronicle interview with Robbie Bach, in which the Microsoft Entertainment & Devices president downplays disc-based movie formats and stresses Microsoft's HD video downloads.
"Xbox 360 has a great ability to deliver [high-definition experience] through the Xbox Live (online download) service," Bach said. "It's a great way to get the high-definition concept because it's right there. There's no additional media. There is nothing you need to purchase ... You have to look at how fundamentally compelling the difference is between a progressive scan DVD player and the picture that it can produce and what you get on a high-definition player. The reality is there is some difference, but most people look at it and say, 'I am not going to pay extra for that.'"
The full interview also includes Bach's thoughts on in-game ads, the next-next-gen Xbox, and motion-sensitive controllers. Check it out.
Amazon is joining the ranks of a few other retailers in offering a consolation prize to those who purchased an HD DVD player. Engadget HD has a letter from Amazon stating that customers who purchased an HD DVD player (including the Xbox 360 drive) prior to Feb. 23, 2008 are entitled to a $50 store credit. If you purchased an HD DVD player from Amazon be sure to check your email.
While we're on the subject, don't forget to grab that spiffy new update available for the Xbox 360 HD DVD player.
Major Nelson has informed the populace that the next time one of the surviving members of the defeated HD DVD army watch a movie they'll be prompted with an auto update. No, the update will not magically convert the dead format into a Blu-ray player, sorry.
Instead, the update will add "compatibility improvements with certain titles" and "additional support for network features." Xbox 360 owners without Live can download the update through Xbox.com later this week.
The Wii Sports on iPhone gag is nothing more than an unclickable banner ad, making us wish the joke was taken a bit further. The Betamax to HD-DVD converter, on the other hand, is quite the stroke of genius. The idea alone is brilliant, made even more so by the "promotional" video, viewable after the break.
In order to truly enter a format war, one must possess a number of things. The first, of course, is a viable format, unique from all others currently on the market. The second is the persistence to constantly push your format on as many film companies and consumer electronics producers as you possibly can, to ensure your victory. Finally, should said victory never come, you must possess a strong stomach and a wide wallet -- as losing a format war is a costly and heartbreaking endeavor.
According to the Nikkea Business Daily, Toshiba is learning this lesson to the tune of a ¥100 billion loss in revenue this year (to grasp the magnitude of this loss, here it is in numeric form: ¥100,000,000,000) or roughly $986 million in U.S. cash. We usually leave the economic speculation to the experts, but we're pretty sure that's a large sum of money that Toshiba would rather not part with. But as they say, in order to make an omelet, you've got to break a few eggs; though sometimes, you have to break 100 billion eggs, only to find that nobody wants to eat your omelet. Okay, nobody says that.
If Euro Xbox boss Chris Lewis is to be believed, a dramatic consumer shift to digitally distributed media is due to occur "sooner than any of us think." With talks of an Xbox 360 Blu-ray add-on now muted, the manufacturer appears to be distancing itself from the Sony-backed high-def format. "Going forwards, digital downloads is really where it's at," Lewis told GamesIndustry.Biz. "More and more people's ongoing and ever-increasing downloading of music and movies is becoming the de facto. I think that's going to happen in very short order; people want to consume that way."
We definitely don't want to consume anything past its sell-by date either, as Lewis suggested we'll "look back wistfully at shiny discs as something that was somewhat a historic phenomenon in a way that we kind of think about vinyl or VCRs today." Though we don't outright disagree with Microsoft's same ol' song and dance, predicting a large change within the "next 12-18 months" seems overly optimistic. DVD doesn't look to be going anywhere soon, and neither does the sales traction granted to the PS3 by Blu-ray's recent victory.
Sure enough, online retailers from Circuit City to Best Buy to Buy.com are listing the defunct accessory for 25 percent of it's original price. At that price, the remaining stock could go fast. Then again, with the prospect of more HD-DVD discs looking less than good, maybe $50 is still too expensive to unload.
We're certain there are plenty of Really Important things that have to be considered before summarily tossing failed hardware peripherals out the boardroom window, en masse. What else have they been up to for the last 4 days since Toshiba officially announced the format's death? No bother, because Microsoft's Gamerscore blog says, "Xbox will no longer manufacture new HD DVD players for the Xbox 360" though they "will continue to provide standard product and warranty support for all Xbox 360 HD DVD Players in the market." HD DVD eBay onslaught beginning ... now.
Just two days after Blu-ray apparently won the HD video battle, Microsoft has chimed in on the eulogizing. Unsurprisingly, the company doesn't view being on the losing side of the fight as particularly damaging to their platform, saying, "We do not believe the recent reports about HD DVD will have any material impact on the Xbox 360 platform or our position in the marketplace. As we've long stated, we believe it is games that sell consoles and Xbox 360 continues to have the largest next-gen games library with the most exclusives and best selling games in the industry."
The statement was silent on any other plans for the console's external HD DVD player, saying "We will wait until we hear from Toshiba before announcing any specific plans." So no, they're not ruling out an external Blu-ray player at the moment ... but don't expect them to interrupt the funeral to talk about it.
We've heard over and over and over how a Blu-ray movie player add-on for the Xbox 360 was a distinct possibility if the HD DVD format ended up losing out. Well, now that the Microsoft-supported format seems just one step away from dead, we're hearing rumblings of just how possible that Blu-ray player possibility is.
Citing "insiders at Microsoft in the USA," Australia's Smarthouse says Microsoft's Blu-ray add-on is already fully designed, and could be on the market within three months, "subject to internal marketing and sales approvals." Smarthouse also repeated the rumors of a built-in high-def drive for the system, although now that rumored drive plays Blu-ray discs instead of an HD DVDs. Regardless, the tech site seems to think Microsoft will focus on digital movie downloads for those who don't want an add-on.
As for Sony, they couldn't be happier that Microsoft is considering jumping over to the "winning" side of this HD disc battle. "We would welcome Microsoft to the Blu-ray stable," SCE Managing Director Michael Ephraim told Smarthouse. "In fact it is quite logical for them as the PS3 has been very successful in driving consumers to Blu-ray. In fact we believe that it has done more to win the format war than traditional Blu-ray player." Hey, they just won a format war ... they can afford to be a little smug.
The rumors were true. Japanese news source NHK (english translation and Reuters validation) is reporting that Toshiba is planning to drop support of HD DVD, striking a final blow to the format and conceding victory to Blu-ray. The Sony-backed high-definition disc has been gaining strides for some time, most notably after Warner Bros switched to Blu-ray exclusively. Toshiba is expected to face hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.
The so-called "format wars" seems to be at an end, and now we're left to ponder about the future, such as how big is the office party Sony is throwing in honor of its victory? More related to video games, might we see a future Blu-ray add-on (and subsequently rumors of a built-in drive) for the Xbox 360?
[Via Engadget; thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
Wal-Mart declared today that it will "exclusively" back Blu-ray in the high-definition movie format war. We know there's a lot of emotions about this issue still out there, but when Netflix, Blockbuster, Best Buy, almost all of the major movie studios and WAL-MART go Blu-ray, can we finally say this is the end for HD DVD? Wal-Mart stated that "in less than 30 days" customers will see the alpha-dog of retailers go predominantly Blu-ray.
Wal-Mart's release to Joystiq also states that the company is moving "exclusively toward Blu-ray ... players." We've requested clarification as to whether this means they will no longer carry the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on player. We'll update when we get a response. What we can say is that the 10 Wal-Mart stores we did call either had no idea there was an HD DVD add-on for the Xbox 360 or said they haven't had them for a while.
While the writinghasbeenonthewall as far as HD DVD is concerned for a some time now, today's Hollywood Reporter story takes that writing, highlights it in thick black ink, and draws some big red arrows pointing towards it. Citing "reliable industry sources," the entertainment newspaper predicts Toshiba will officially stop supporting the high-definition movie format "sometime in the coming weeks."
If true, the move would somewhat validate Sony's costlydecision to integrate Blu-ray technology into the PS3, and would give Sony a rather large stake in the future of the lucrative HD home movie market. While the death of HD DVD would obviously be a blow to Microsoft's external HD DVD drive (and everyone who bought it), Microsoft has said again and again they are open to the idea of a Blu-ray attachment if and when that format wins out. Which, at this point, seems like only a matter of time ...
Good evening internet faithful, Gossip Girl here, your only source into the scandalous lives of today's hottest format war. Top story on my home page? Turns out Reuter's saw Netflix proposing to Blu-ray today. Too bad for HD DVD, which was also on Netflix's play-list until today when it sent out an email explaining that the two were splitsville from here on in. Not only that, but Netflix cooed that by the end of the year all HD DVDs "will be changed to standard definition DVDs" on subscriber's queues. Meaning Netflix isn't just kicking HD DVD out, but burning all the memories in the bathtub too.
Netflix isn't the only company amorous about Blu-ray today. Best Buy also sent hugs and kisses in the form of an announcement that it would "recommend" Blu-ray from now on. Although the retail chain isn't choosing a definitive side just yet, Best Buy will "prominently feature Blu-ray hardware and software beginning in March."
There's nothing Gossip Girl likes more than a good cat fight, but sadly this one is looking almost done. With HD DVD taking hit after hit, not to mention the recent clearanceprice-drop of the Xbox HD DVD player, it's getting tough to imagine dear sweet HD DVD can stage a comeback. Blu-ray is working its magic and those with the power to decide the format war are following.
Update: Peep this sorry response from the HD DVD camp: "We have long held the belief that HD DVD is the best format for consumers based on quality and value, and with more than 1 million HD DVD players on the market, it's unfortunate to see Netflix make the decision to only stock Blu-ray titles going forward. While the Best Buy announcement says they will recommend Blu-ray, at least they will continue to carry HD DVD and offer consumers a choice at retail." [Via Engadget]
Read: Netflix chooses Blu-ray. Read: Best Buy to recommend Blu-ray.
[Thanks to all who sent us their Netflix letters!]
Effective immediately, the Xbox 360 HD DVD player add-on is now priced at $130 in the US and Canada. Even better, early birds managed to nab the player for a steal this morning on Amazon (though the $80 offer is now sold out). Depending on your perspective, today's price-drop either signals that HD DVD isn't about to go down easy or that it's grasping at building a user base amidst major setbacks.
For the last half year Blu-ray has had some high-profile victories. Now, we're not choosing sides, just saying that those who haven't pledged their allegiance to an HD movie format may want to wait a little longer (but Blu-ray is totally the winner, right?).
