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RE: Business is complex.
By Belard on 2/24/2008 3:54:22 AM , Rating: 3
er... no.

While yes, the xbox360 might have HELPED the HD-DVD format, it would have been deadly for microsoft.

There are lots of factors that determine the success of a product. The xbox pretty much failed against the PS2, it came out 1.5years after the PS2 and was replaced 1 year earlier than the PS2. So M$ wanted to beat SONY to the next gen console and they did... and are finally in the black... kinda.

IF the HD-DVD drive was built into the 360 - at the very start of this format war, things might have gone badly for MS and this format war might have ended up even messier.

1 - Timing: The 360 is already unreliable with a 16% failure rate with current models. The heat from its tech has damaged mobo and drives. Imagine the repair costs for replacing a $200~300 HiDef Drive? The 360 would have missed the 2005 Christmas season (Released Nov 22 2005) and perhaps wouldn't have made it to market for another 3-6 months... Within striking distance of a PS3.

2 - Costs? No, going my Microsoft's original pricing and cost of tech. If the 360-HD version was released 6 months later and without HDMI (which didn't come out until the summer of 2007) it would have been the WEAKER console than it already is. The most likely price would have been $500~550 WITHOUT the Hard-Drive. ($280+$225) And unlike the PS3, it didn't come with wireless networking ($100 add-on). Also, the 360 chassis would have to be designed differently and most likely a more powerful PSU would have been required.

The PS3 was over 6 months late... but it didn't matter too much, they got in before Christmas... But *IF* the 360 missed the 2005 Christmas season, and gamers thought that both consoles were coming out at about the same time, not as many people would have bought the 360 - especially if it had the $500 price tag vs the $500 PS3 with 20GB drive.

They might have had a better console, but much harder time against the PS3. Microsoft went with the most logical plan for their goal. Of course, if they spent more $$$ and hired a better team to TEST it before the release of the 33% failure rate design, the 360 would have MISSED christmas... it was a gamble and they WON and LOST at the same time.

The cost to build the PS3 would have always been cheaper as SONY owned Cell & Blu-Ray. Microsoft had to BUY their CPU from IBM and their drives from Toshiba.

RE: Business is complex.
By FITCamaro on 2/24/2008 12:00:58 PM , Rating: 2

Original models might have had the higher failure rate. Current models do not have this problem. I however have an Elite from before the 65nm shrink and have had no problems.

RE: Business is complex.
By Belard on 2/24/2008 4:36:03 PM , Rating: 1
Original models have a 33% failure rate.

The 3 year warranty only applies to RROD

Other failues include drive death - usually caused by exess heat from the CPU/GPU.

The 16% figure is for the current line - a big difference, but not great... But does the new models come with a 3 year warranties.

RE: Business is complex.
By hduser on 2/24/2008 4:39:10 PM , Rating: 2
I doubt if Microsoft would've changed from a built in DVD to HD DVD mid stream. Ultimately it would've alienated the original people who had bought the 360 if there were games to be released especially HD DVD. If it chose to wait for HD-DVD it wouldn't have gotten the lead that it enjoys right now and ultimately the 360 would've costed more. Ultimately Microsoft move to release the 360 ahead of PS3 was a double edge sword, less reliabilty, no inherent HD content but a good sales lead and lower price.

RE: Business is complex.
By Belard on 2/25/2008 1:52:11 PM , Rating: 2
I didn't think I said anything about MS building in a HD-DVD in midstream. But that MS still has to buy their drives from someone else like Toshiba HD-DVD or DVD.

Of course, the HD-DVD or HiDef side is only usable for watching movies, there is NO way to change this. No developer would/could work with it. The 360 would have been far more expensive than the PS3 (more so than it ever was)... so yes, MS went the better route for a console, not HiDef movies/largeformat disc medium for games. If I was MS, I would have done the same thing, but would have made a better design chassis - but since I'm not THAT greedy, I would have made it more customer friendly. $100 for a 20GB HD, $200 for the 120GB? Come on!?

