A End To HD-DVD Rumors

X2 · 07-31-2005

>> I honnestly have no idea what's up ... but the last few days several sites posted an article about the HD-DVD drive being confirmed by Bill Gates for later ('after launch') versions of the Xbox360.
Several of these articles seem to link to an article on softpedia.com as source. Not only is this article over 1 months old (28th June - see bottom of article - back when Bill Gates was in Japan), it's also a bad interpretation of what Bill Gates said that day. I did not really plan to post anything about it, but now the story is even on slashdot (causing a mass amount of people submitting us this story).
On the 27th of JUNE, we reported here on xbox-scene that the Xbox 360 Might Incorporate HD DVD Drive. 'Might' is the essential word here. The HD-DVD is NOT confirmed for the Xbox 360. Bill Gates' exact words were:
"The initial shipments of Xbox 360 will be based on today's DVD format. We are looking at whether future versions of Xbox 360 will incorporate an additional capability of an HD DVD player or something else."

Does this mean the Xbox 360 will never have an HD-DVD? No of course not, it means what Bill Gates said: they are still looking into it and future builds of the Xbox 360 MIGHT include a HD-DVD drive OR another next-gen format (blu-ray for example).
What if later versions of the Xbox360 will have a next-gen DVD drive?
First of all I think (not confirmed or so ... just common sense) that Xbox 360 games will always be available on DVD9 discs, so the hardcore gamers that bought an Xbox360 the first day will always be able to play all games. I can't really know this for sure, but it would be a real bad marketing move from Microsoft to suddenly put games on HD-DVD discs, and f*** all early "hardcore" 1st-day buyers.
If there's ever an Xbox 360 with a next-gen DVD drive it'll be only to play High Definition movies I'd guess.

http://www.xbox-scene.com/xbox1data/sep/EEkklkAlEuvylaSaef.php"

**Mastur Debater** · 07-31-2005

This, wouldn't make me all that happy if I buy, a Xbox 360 at launch. Only to have a improved version released say a year later. Though if this is true, I bet the price of the 360's with the regular DVD drive would go down in price. Then again Microsoft, will probably just sell the HD-DVD drive 360 for fifty bucks more, and not lower the price of the original at all.

**Amadeus** · 07-31-2005

It's been said before, and i'm saying it again here:

If Microsoft wasn't this money hungry, they wouldn't have rushed the console to be out by this Christmas. They would have waited until they could actually finalize their game system.

**Shrinnan** · 07-31-2005

Well they also wanted to get it out before the PS3 which they did accomplish but I don't mind having 2-3 disks for my Xbox 360 games, I actually like it for some strange.

**The Shah** · 07-31-2005

I wouldn't say that I would prefer to swapping disc instead of having all the content on one disc. But it wouldn't bother me either

**Shrinnan** · 07-31-2005

I don't know, maybe swapping disks makes it seem like a longer game to me, I don't know.

Not that I don't prefer it but I like it but I also like having one disk so it doesn't matter to me either.

**The Chocobo Kid** · 07-31-2005

I would just not worry. If they can get blu-ray they good for them.

**Aquanox** · 07-31-2005

I didn't notice the date, I thought they were talking about Bill Gates saying something in the last TGS (recorded, because he wasn't there).

Anyways, it's still intriguing the fact that they haven't officially given a word about HD-DVD after their announced alliance with Toshiba... and it's also a matter of speculation the fact that Toshiba guys expressed that they (MS) might only been delaying the announcement, in any of the cases, what is clear here, is that nothing would make us fans happier, than having the HD-DVD drive at launch.

**spiderman** · 08-01-2005

i well im happy for you xbox fans buying at lunch and i glad as i want BLU RAY to win and if xbox had HDDVD then that would not be good for sony

**Nomino** · 08-01-2005

If it is on record that Gates mentioned they might implement a next-gen drive some time in the future, then what rumours are there? It's fact, and the fact is, there is a chance that early adopters are going to be shafted later on by having a lesser-machine. Sure, games will still work, but that's not the point.

Even if there is the remotest possibility that the drive will be upgraded later on, as much as I want an XBox 360, I will forget it and get a PS3 where I know that the system has been thought through properly.