360 HD DVD to be $200

[LOBO2999]

Taiwan game industry favors Microsoft's adoption of external HD-DVD dives for Xbox 360
Yen-ting Chen, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DigiTimes.com [Monday 14 August 2006]


Microsoft will launch external HD-DVD drives for its Xbox 360 at a retail price of US$200 by Christmas of this year, and Taiwanese games developers and gaming services providers indicated this this is a smart marketing strategy as compared with Sony's adoption of built-in BD drives for its PlayStation 3 (PS3).

External drives have more flexibility than built-in models, the companies pointed out, while adding that despite BD having a much larger storage capacity than HD-DVD, pre-installation of BD drives may decrease the market competitiveness of PS3 units.

Microsoft adopted HD-DVD instead of BD mainly because HD-DVD is compatible with existing DVD formats while also having much lower production costs, the Taiwanese companies noted.





http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20060814A5023.html

 

[DaveyBoy26]

Yeah, $199.99 was my guesstimate....

 

[JoeSp]

Will this drive have a hdmi output?

 

[T2k]

I doubt it, just like PS3 won't have any.

 

[Derwin0]

External drives have more flexibility than built-in models, the companies pointed out, while adding that despite BD having a much larger storage capacity than HD-DVD, pre-installation of BD drives may decrease the market competitiveness of PS3 units.

HUH?!?!
How can an external drive be more competititve than an internal drive?
Why don't we all ask Sega how that worked out.

Sounds like cheerleading for Microsoft by the author.

IMO, Microsoft screwed up by not waiting until they could have included the HD-DVD built in. Now most developers are just going to write their games for standard DVD's, since most of the base won't have HD-DVD, and likely never will (as with most game console add-ons before).

 

[JoeSp]

Uh, the $599 PS3 comes with the newer 1.3 hdmi standard.

 

[ebonovic]

IMO, Microsoft screwed up by not waiting until they could have included the HD-DVD built in. Now most developers are just going to write their games for standard DVD's, since most of the base won't have HD-DVD, and likely never will (as with most game console add-ons before).

So hold the unit for a minimum of another 6 months (missing a crucial holiday selling season), if not longer, in addition to probalby having to increase the price of the unit as well.....

For a feature that a small portion of the XBOX360 community would tap into... Given the volume of HD-DVD movies out there....
Heck so now that they have the HD-DVD one out there... once blu-ray figures out their issues, there is really nothing stopping MS for offering that as well in the long run....

 

[Brewer4]

Keeping HD DVD seperate was an extremely smart business decision. The format war is a mess right now, it would add to the cost of the unit (remember this is a GAMING machine), technical support, keeping separate gives flexibility to offer a different unit in future (BluRay), and what percentage would take advantage of HD DVD anyways. BluRay is one of the causes for Sony's delays and technical issues and not to mention cost. Cost to them and cost to the consumer.

 

[minorthr]

HUH?!?!
How can an external drive be more competititve than an internal drive?
Why don't we all ask Sega how that worked out.

Sounds like cheerleading for Microsoft by the author.

IMO, Microsoft screwed up by not waiting until they could have included the HD-DVD built in. Now most developers are just going to write their games for standard DVD's, since most of the base won't have HD-DVD, and likely never will (as with most game console add-ons before).

Its my understanding that the HD-DVD is not going to play games its strictly for watching movies. However I could be 100% wrong on that one.

 

[Derwin0]

Its my understanding that the HD-DVD is not going to play games its strictly for watching movies. However I could be 100% wrong on that one.

That would defeat the whole purpose of the thing. Might as well just buy an HD-DVD player instead.

 

[Kevinw]

That would defeat the whole purpose of the thing. Might as well just buy an HD-DVD player instead.

except that a stand alone player is 500 dollars..

 

[Ilya]

Its my understanding that the HD-DVD is not going to play games its strictly for watching movies. However I could be 100% wrong on that one.

Yes, that's what Microsoft keeps saying. Here is the latest quote:

John Porcaro, group manager of online marketing communications wrote, "I'm seeing lots of speculation about our upcoming HD DVD Player, and whether we have plans to publish HD DVD games. The answer is no."

So, at least initially the HD DVD drive is not necessary for playing games.
But it is going to be a least expensive way for millions of XBox owners to get an HD DVD player.

 

[T2k]

Why would they do it? From a technical standpoint there's no difference between HD-DVD and DVD. Both are optical disc, one bigger capacity than the other and has more bandwidth - which extras are completely worthless when it comes to gaming.

There's no game - especially not for a console - on Earth which wouldn't fit onto DVD9 and won't be anytime soon, period.

 

[T2k]

Up

 

[JoeSp]

M$ is all about the add-ons. They always have been and are that way with the software side of the company too (wait till you see what Vista is going to cost PC gamers). If their HD-DVD drive coupled with the XBOX360 is comparable to Toshiba's $499 HD-DVD drive and they do not have to sell it at a loss then M$ can start seeing more profit from the XBOX360 sooner.

By adding a HD-DVD drive in the production of the XBOX360 M$ would have to wait longer to start seeing profits on the XBOX360 (just like what is going to happen to Sony.) Also, my hat is off to them on this, they can go with whatever format they want in the future (they can even bring out a BluRay drive if they wanted too). On this one I think M$ did the right thing.

 

[Kaydigi]

There's no game - especially not for a console - on Earth which wouldn't fit onto DVD9 and won't be anytime soon, period.

Isn't that what they said about the CD for the Sega Saturn and PSONE? It's just a matter of time..

 

[sceavis]

I think it was smart to make it and option.it seems to me people forget that the 360 does much more then play video games it is an amazing media hub.I am lucky to have media center and have every single CD I own at a push of a button.It makes a great pvr.Pretty soon I will be able to play DVD with it. It takes the place of many items.I have been reading about TV shows that will be put up on live to download.Many more other things to come with this unit. If your a gamer that that's fine just play the games. That's why making the DVD player the best thing they could of done.If your a gamer there is nothing more to buy but if you play a bit but love your media the option is there to upgrade.Plus Toshiba is making the drive for the 360.In my eyes its win win.I think the drive is gonna be about 150 because all the work is done though the 360 it just passes the video.If it is 200 still a good deal where a stand alone is 500 bucks.

 

[T2k]

Isn't that what they said about the CD for the Sega Saturn and PSONE? It's just a matter of time..

Umm, depends on what's "matter of time"...
It's actually pretty well predictable: you have the maximum output resolution/color depth of your unit which should give you a well shaped idea about the need for big files (high/low rez textures, some other objects etc), probably few gig total. Then you have maps - those tend to take up a lot of space over time but only in your *installed folder* and only if you have downloaded, say hundreds of them: my *installed* UT2k4 folder size is about one HD-DVD but it contains total of 477 maps which are ~7GB total, half of it - these things will go to the hard drive, not the setup disc, that comes with pretty small 'kit' usually. Then you'll have cinematics but even in case of a full HD movie in MPEG4 - highly unlikely within a game - won't be bigger than 4-5GB... Sounds, engine etc are in the hudred MBs range.
So if you think about it the displays won't be much bigger, have better color space anytime soon - means it's unlikely that a DVD9 won't be enough for 2-3 years. Later HD-DVD should be dirt cheap and HVD will be the new king, so they could transition painlessly.

 

[Derwin0]

Isn't that what they said about the CD for the Sega Saturn and PSONE? It's just a matter of time..

Yeah, I believe Nintendo went that route with the N64 against the PS1. We know where that got them.