Nero

http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/4816/53/

A Toshiba senior executive has predicted that Microsoft will release an Xbox 360 model with an internal HD DVD drive before the end of the year.

According to the general manager of Toshiba Information Systems Division in Australia, Mark Whittard, the high definition video war between Toshiba’s HD DVD and Sony’s Blu-ray formats will spill over into the games console market within months.

“One looming potential war extending from this is the Xbox versus PlayStation,” says Whittard. “The Xbox is coming out with an HD DVD player towards the end of this year. With Microsoft’s marketing engine behind HD DVD, who knows what will happen.”

The Xbox 360 is coming out with a HD DVD player? This is news to us. We were under the impression that there would just be a HD DVD plug-in available.

“I would imagine that there are plans in place to put an HD DVD drive internally in future revisions of the product,” says Whittard. “They’re not speaking about it publicly at the moment but I would expect them to do that and fairly soon.”

Whittard repeated his expectation that an Xbox 360 with an internal HD DVD drive will be available soon during an interview where he refuted claims that Toshiba is selling its HD DVD player at a loss.

Nimbus

sounds more like a maybe....

Augustes

If that happens AND they keep it at the $400 price point, I'd get one without hesitation.

redford

Even at 500, I'd guarantee a 360 purchase.

Nimbus

Microsoft just denied this rumor. I don't know why Toshiba even said this. In theory it could slow current sales of the 360 AND the HD-A1.

Some people are rumoring that come Christmas they will bundle the add-on with the system for the same price as a premium now.

Augustes

I think MS is denying all rumors about XB360 so that sales don't slow. They don't want people holding off for a price drop or better package deal, they want them to buy now, and perhaps, buy again later. Sneaky, but par for the course.

Nero

I think it's really too soon for MS to be including an HD-DVD drive internally in their players. It would require an HDMI output in the system, and I don't think they would want to make those kind of changes to the system yet. Not only that, it's way too soon to be upgrading the system in that manner, and it would piss a hell of a lot of people off.

redford

Why? If ICT doesn't take effect until 2012, that gives the 360 6 years of uncompromised HD via component.

Nimbus

Even if it doesn't include HDMI, MS would be a spreading a lot of ill-will for all the people who bought it up to this point.

Sony brought out the slimline PS2 a long time into the overall life of the system, so early adopters had years of use on their systems and probably needed to replace them, anyway. It would be a dangerous precedent if Microsoft upgraded the system only one year after launch. And with Sony execs talking about releasing memory upgrades for the PS3, it seems like console gaming is moving closer to PC gaming in a bad way.

Augustes

But if they plan to use the HD DVD drive for software, then no matter what they do there will be ill will, since anyone who has already purchased a 360 will be unable to use that software without purchasing an upgrade.

I'm sure that Microsoft is thinking out all of the possible scenarios, but I am guessing that they have a pretty strong desire to incorporate the new drive into the base unit.