MS to piss Blu off just for fun

Look like Microsoft are going to offer the HD-DVD add on for $49!!!!

http://xboxfamily.com/xf/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1440&Itemid=2

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Imagine what the ill-informed will do when they see these prices in stores.

I'm not sure how this would piss off "Blu", but I can see it pissing off a few of those "ill-informed"!

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I'm not sure how this would piss off "Blu", but I can see it pissing off a few of those "ill-informed"!

With due respect Skyhawk - $49 for a half decent upscale dvd

Scotsman, to be honest I don't know much about the XBox 360, even though we bought my son one for Christmas. He never lets me play with it

But if I'm not mistaken, doesn't the XBox already come with a DVD player build-in? This was just an assumption, since the games come in optical format similar in look and size to a DVD...

I doubt MS is trying to piss anyone off, they are just trying to clear out their inventory before they can't. I seriously doubt MS is very butt hurt over Blu-ray.

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Scotsman, to be honest I don't know much about the XBox 360

Skyhawk - you got me too. We're a Wii household my nephew has a PS3. Our old Xbox however required an addon to allow it to play dvds - I may have mistakenly believed the 360 to be the same.

The thing about the price is when things come across the pond they tend to be dollar for pound. If I walked into a local store here and purchased a Blu-Ray film or for that matter a HD-DVD I could pay upto £30 for it which at todays exchange rate is around $58.

With the expected availability of cheap HD-DVD films on discount and ebay and upscaling $49 is a good buy.

I need 50 dollars NOW!!

Scotsman, our daughter got the Wii for Christmas too. It was part of the deal with the kids to keep them away from my PS3, since them playing games in my dedicated HT room using up my front projector lamp hours is not a great prospect - nor having them bug me all the time!

And that's probably the major sore point in using a PS3 for a Blu-ray player and media center for families. The damn thing plays games too. It's one thing allowing them to watch a Pixar movie with their friends, another thing to have them gaming for hours.

I did buy a couple games for the PS3 late last year so they could play occasionally before their Christmas presents arrived. And I wasn't impressed. Although I'm not a big gamer, I expected much more - at least something comparable to the old Half-Life 2 on the PC. I watched them play "Uncharted", and my 10 year old daughter got through the puzzle parts without even stumbling, and finished the entire game within a few hours over a couple days. How freakin' lame! And with that silly rope swinging that's supposed to be the "advanced/realistic" thing? That's why I'll never be a console gamer. I guess I'm getting old. Either that, or just picky.

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That's why I'll never be a console gamer. I guess I'm getting old. Either that, or just picky.

You and me both

My two boys (3 & 7) love gaming tho. I must admit - If they have to play games - I prefer to see them jumping around swinging their arms with the Wii - than just sitting there tapping away with their thumbs.

[Post edited by Scotsman on Feb 20, 2008]

Scotsman,

I don't have a 360, but why would you need a hd-dvd drive to do upscaling, as you implied in your response to Skyhawk? I can see getting it simply for the firesale in hd-dvd content that is coming, but not for upscaling. By the way, if somehow you can still get the five free, then it's really a good deal.

[Post edited by RudeBoy70 on Feb 20, 2008]

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I'm not sure how this would piss off "Blu"

"Why should this concern the Blu ray camp? Casual consumers likely still don’t even know the war is over. The casual consumer is like a Vietnamese soldier hidden in a spider hole somewhere. They’re cut off from info and are still waiting to attack despite a cease fire being called.

What can happen from this? People buy the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on and realize that the up-scaling of regular DVDs adds new life. Then the next-gen format war turns into old verse new instead of new versus new.

As I’m writing this and clearly know that HD DVD is dead, I can hardly wait to go buy a player for 50 bucks. Imagine what the ill-informed will do when they see these prices in stores."

Read it a few times if you have to

I already bought one today for $120 at Best Buy. Reason why, because BB matches the proce up to 30 days in case it goes down. So as soon as it goes dow, I'll be taking the receipt back to the store to get my $70 back.

I would like to point out a couple of things. The offer for 5 free movies is good until February 28th. (Should have been the 29th since this is a leap year, but oh, well). Also, most packages out there,
particularly at Best Buy, should still come with the "limited time" only bundle consisting of King
Kong HD DVD and $20.00 the Remote Control. I don't think I've ever seen the Add-On at Best Buy
that WASN'T the bundle. Not bad at all.

[Post edited by gmelgartex on Feb 21, 2008]

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Read it a few times if you have to

You read it again, but now with these thoughts in mind:

1. There are other (and better) upscaling alternatives available for standard DVD than buying an XBox HD DVD add on. Upconverting SA DVD players have been invented already and are now available in retail outlets.

2. The XBox 360 already comes with the ability to play (and upscale) standard DVDs without having to buy an HD DVD add on.

3. Deceiving the "ill-informed" as the article suggests will only hurt the "ill-informed" and MS's reputation.

Sounds like an inventory clearance sale to me. After all, it's not like XBox games come on HD DVDs, making the drive necessary for anything. The only people (except for the deceived ill-informed the article talks of) that should buy this are those that already have a SA HD DVD player, some movies, and an XBox 360 sitting at home currently without an add on. Or of course those already owning the add on and movies and wishing to obtain a backup player.

[Post edited by Skyhawk on Feb 21, 2008]

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3. Deceiving the "ill-informed" as the article suggests will only hurt the "ill-informed" and MS's reputation.

That's supposed to be funny right?