Microsoft Adopting Blu-Ray?

With Microsoft's HD-DVD format 6 feet under, many are speculating about the possibility of a Blu-Ray drive on the 360.

In a recent article by the Financial Times, Stan Glasgow, President of Sony Electronics, reportedly stated that Microsoft and Sony are in talks about Microsoft adopting Blu-Ray. What could this mean? Maybe Microsoft is finally going to develop an external Blu-Ray drive for the 360, or this could mean proper Blu-Ray support for Microsoft's latest shovelware....erm....operating system, Windows Vista.



Financial Times Article After the break.

Sony is in talks with console rival Microsoft about offering a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360, according to a senior executive.

The Japanese electronics maker has until now touted Blu-ray as an advantage its PlayStation 3 holds over Microsoft’s console. Microsoft has backed Toshiba’s HD-DVD format and offered an HD-DVD drive that can be plugged into the 360.

But after Sony’s victory last month in the high-definition DVD format war, Stan Glasgow, Sony Electronics US president, said the two sides were now talking about Microsoft adopting Blu-ray.

A Blu-ray drive in a 360 would make Microsoft more competitive with the PS3, but it would also mean extra revenues for Sony’s electronics division. It would also add further cost to the 360, meaning a premium edition of the console could be necessary.

A Blu-ray drive could be incorporated in its top-of-the-range Elite Xbox, or Microsoft could again offer a drive as a plug-in peripheral.

Mr Glasgow, speaking at a media dinner, added that discussions were also taking place with Apple, which has not offered Blu-ray drives on any of its computers so far and has focused on digital media via downloads and streaming through devices such as its Apple TV.

The Sony president said he did not believe Blu-ray would be overtaken by high-definition content becoming available over the internet. Bandwidth limitations meant it was still available to only a few, he said, and consumers favoured disks they could own.

“Downloading will build over time, but this will be over a period of years,” he said.

Microsoft declined to confirm any talks, saying: ”We have made no such announcement. Games are what are driving consumers to purchase game consoles and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available.”

On Blu-ray pricing, Mr Glasgow expects prices of players to drop to as low as $299 by the end of the year. They currently cost $399 and higher. He feels the price of a player could fall to about $200 by the end of 2009.

The prices of Blu-ray players are not expected to fall as precipitously as they did with regular DVD players. The Blu-ray Association, the group controlling the standard, has yet to license it to Chinese manufacturers, who would be expected to drive down prices.

-Ryizzel

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Uber-box gets Blu-Ray Finally

Last year SE2 Labs unveiled the "ITC One" media center, a $25,000 monster that features an Xbox360, wii, HD PVR, digital amplifiers, surround-sound processor, touch screen, and an ipod dock. The only thing missing from this uber-box until recently was a Blu-Ray player. After neglecting to include the obvious choice for a Blu-Ray player(*cough*Ps3*cough*), SE2 Labs has finally decided to support Sony's hi def format, but not its console.


All in all this thing looks like a solid deal, it may have a hefty price tag, but then you could be paying up to $17,000 for a Blu-ray player. Its a shame they couldn't squeeze a robot that makes Ramen onto it somewhere...





-Ryizzel

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Video Games are Addictive, TV Builds Character?

Janice Turner over at the UK TimesOnline wrote a fairly interesting article where she gives her opinions about the state of children and their media. She makes some relevant points about television, but it's that last moment when she talks about video games...

I really don't have much to say about the article, she makes some interesting points and talks about what her feelings are on children and technology. but some of it seems a little bit over the top like this little excerpt,

Technology boggles us with its unfathomable black magic: what if Microsoft used its power for evil and patented spyware that could suck our brains out through our noses? But our children with their instinctive understanding of new systems, stroll with happy confidence through the techno garden.

It's easy enough for parents to relate to that wordy statement I suppose, the whole thing seems a bit eccentric to me though.

What really made me want to write about this article was the following paragraph,

I refuse to buy them portable gaming consoles, Xboxes, GameCubes, PS2s. These are Satan's Sudoku, crack cocaine of the brain. Even the crappiest cartoon or lamest soap teaches a child about character, plot, drama, humour, life. Playing video games, children are mentally imprisoned, wired into their evil creators' brains. And they play them - beepety-beep - on journeys, over family meals, any minute in which they find themselves unamused.

I think I would rather have my child play Age of Empires and learn about history while having fun playing a video game, than to let said child watch Spongebob Squarepants for hours on end. I can guarantee that the things learned from AoE will better the child in life much more than anything a talking sponge would. World history, time management, and multi-tasking skills. AoE would even better a child's decision making process, should I build another Barrack and up my military or should I build more houses so my villagers can gather resources to upgrade my city faster?

Age of Empires is only one example of course, ryizzel mentioned to me Metal Gear Solid which I completely agree with. Throughout the whole game you can talk to Natasha who will teach you about the history of nuclear waste and nuclear war.

Heck, I learned my cardinal directions by playing The Legend of Zelda! The secret lies on the easternmost peninsula.

One final thing. Game creators are not evil, and children are not imprisoned in the games at any point. The common goal for a lot of next generation game developers is to break away the linear plot lines and enable the player to truly immerse oneself in the game by going wherever and doing whatever he/she would choose. Of course however, we would never want our children to actually enjoy a video game, they'll grow up to be losers working for successful game companies and making lots of money doing something they enjoy. God forbid.


-Undrallio

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