MS: 'Consumers don't want Blu-ray Xbox' (CVG 9/1/09)

Microsoft's E&DD boss Robbie Bach has once again shot down rumours of a Blu-ray-enabled Xbox 360, claiming that "consumers aren't asking for" Blu-ray and "[360] developers can't use it".

Speaking to TechFlash he once again iterated that Microsoft has "no plan" to utilise the HD disc format - and this time he sounds serious.


"It's not a feature we get a ton of requests for," Bach said. "We really don't. When you ask people the list of things they want to see us spending time creating in Xbox, Blu-ray is way, way down on the list.

"The second thing is, from a technical perspective, it doesn't help us in the core of what Xbox does, which is in gaming. We can't have publishers produce games on Blu-ray disc. Because then they won't play on the 28 million Xboxes we've already shipped. So it doesn't help us in the core gaming space.

"The third thing," he added, "and this maps to all three of those, is that it costs a lot of money. And so the scenario is, OK, let me get this straight: I'm going to add something to the product that's going to raise the cost, which means the price goes up, consumers aren't asking for it, and by the way, my game developers can't use it.

"Oh, and by the way, I have an even better way for you to get high-definition content straight to your TV, between the combination of what we're doing with Netflix, what we're doing with (video on demand), we have a great Xbox Live solution. In a way it's a little bit of a technology looking for an answer. We just have no plans in that space."

Rumours of a Blu-ray disc-enabled 360 have refused to die since the format beat out HD DVD last year.

Listening to Bach's comments, in really does sound like Microsoft's made up its mind - and it makes sense. After all, no one's going to a appreciate a pricier box during a recession, eh?

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Since Sony decided to lay out its cards in the light of CES 2009, it's only fair Microsoft does too. In a recent interview, Microsoft's Robbie Bach explains why they'll never introduce Blu-ray on the Xbox 360.

The biggest reason? Xbox 360 gamers just aren't that interested. But let's let Bach do the talking:

It’s not a feature we get a ton of requests for. We really don’t. When you ask people the list of things they want to see us spending time creating in Xbox, Blu-ray is way, way down on the list.

The second thing is, from a technical perspective, it doesn’t help us in the core of what Xbox does, which is in gaming. We can’t have publishers produce games on Blu-ray disc. Because then they won’t play on the 28 million Xboxes we’ve already shipped. So it doesn’t help us in the core gaming space.


The third thing, and this maps to all three of those, is that it costs a lot of money. And so the scenario is, OK, let me get this straight: I’m going to add something to the product that’s going to raise the cost, which means the price goes up, consumers aren’t asking for it, and by the way, my game developers can’t use it.

Oh, and by the way, I have an even better way for you to get high-definition content straight to your TV, between the combination of what we’re doing with Netflix, what we’re doing with (video on demand), we have a great Xbox Live solution. In a way it’s a little bit of a technology looking for an answer. We just have no plans in that space.

Fair enough. A lot of multiplatform games were delayed simply because programming was that much harder on the PlayStation 3. It can be argued that a great game needs proper time to develop, but when a mediocre game gets delayed on both consoles because of programming issues on the more sophisticated console, that bites.

Then again, sticking with the DVD format has its downsides. The most obvious one is that you just don't have the advantage of space, as proven by games like LittleBigPlanet and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. A big reason why both games couldn't appear on the Xbox 360 was because of the lack of space on the DVD.