Microsoft Denies Rumors of 360 HD-DVD Enabled Games

[Adam LaMosca]

Microsoft Denies Rumors of 360 HD-DVD Enabled Games

A Microsoft manager denies rumors that the Xbox 360's external HD-DVD drive may be utilized in upcoming games.

In a recent post [http://gamerscoreblog.com/team/archive/2006/08/16/536859.aspx] at Microsoft employee blog Gamerscore, 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." Porcaro went on to state that Microsoft stands by its previous announcements that the 360's HD-DVD will be used exclusively for movie playback.

The rumors about the drive's usage were originally prompted by a recent report in Consumer Electronics Daily, a trade newsletter published by tech industry news provider Warren Communications. The newsletter referenced statements by Dave Luehmann, general manager for Microsoft Game Studios, purportedly indicating that Microsoft hadn't yet determined whether the drive would play games.

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[Virgil]

I still don't get what the ambiguity was - they've been saying that it won't be used for games since the original announcement. It's like an internet rumour that just won't die.

 

[Goofonian]

I'll agree that there should never really have been any ambiguity about this, but despite what microsoft has said, they may still change their minds.

While they will never release a game that REQUIRES the drive, it will be interesting to see if, a couple years down the road, HD-DVD versions of games will be available for 360 games that would otherwise come on multiple DVD's due to lack of space. It happened with CD/DVD games on the PC, I can't see why it couldn't happen here.

 

[Russ Pitts]

While they will never release a game that REQUIRES the drive, it will be interesting to see if, a couple years down the road, HD-DVD versions of games will be available for 360 games that would otherwise come on multiple DVD's due to lack of space. It happened with CD/DVD games on the PC, I can't see why it couldn't happen here.

Console games do not install onto hard drive like PC games.

 

[Goofonian]

While they will never release a game that REQUIRES the drive, it will be interesting to see if, a couple years down the road, HD-DVD versions of games will be available for 360 games that would otherwise come on multiple DVD's due to lack of space. It happened with CD/DVD games on the PC, I can't see why it couldn't happen here.

Console games do not install onto hard drive like PC games.

I was more talking about circumstances such as RE4 on the gamecube. The game comes on two discs and when you get to a certain point it tells you to change the disc. If the gamecube had come with an external dvd player (and assuming I had purchased it) I would certainly have been hoping for an optional DVD version of the game that didn't have the disc swap half way through. Call me lazy, but that gave me the sh*ts.

 

[Russ Pitts]

While they will never release a game that REQUIRES the drive, it will be interesting to see if, a couple years down the road, HD-DVD versions of games will be available for 360 games that would otherwise come on multiple DVD's due to lack of space. It happened with CD/DVD games on the PC, I can't see why it couldn't happen here.

Console games do not install onto hard drive like PC games.

I was more talking about circumstances such as RE4 on the gamecube. The game comes on two discs and when you get to a certain point it tells you to change the disc. If the gamecube had come with an external dvd player (and assuming I had purchased it) I would certainly have been hoping for an optional DVD version of the game that didn't have the disc swap half way through. Call me lazy, but that gave me the sh*ts.

The Gamecube discs hold significantly less data than a full-sized DVD. I think once we start to see games getting so large that a single DVD can't hold them, there might be a reason to utilize the external - and therefore slower - HD-DVD drive, but it just doesn't make sense right now. Which is Microsoft's point, I think.

 

[Demiurge [deprecated]]

While they will never release a game that REQUIRES the drive, it will be interesting to see if, a couple years down the road, HD-DVD versions of games will be available for 360 games that would otherwise come on multiple DVD's due to lack of space. It happened with CD/DVD games on the PC, I can't see why it couldn't happen here.

Console games do not install onto hard drive like PC games.

Someone tell that to Final Fantasy XI. And while you're at it, can you help them find the fun?