Whether you see it as a bargainous deal or a late-ditch attempt to boost sales of a competing disc format, Microsoft’s new offer of five 'blockbuster' movie HD-DVDs free when you buy the Xbox 360 HD-DVD (RRP of £114.99) seems like pretty good value to SPOnG.
From now until the 31st January 2008, anyone who buys the HD-DVD player for their Xbox 360 will be able to choose from 13 major film titles – specifically Serenity, The Chronicles of Riddick, Hulk, Children of Men, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Troy, Full Metal Jacket, Corpse Bride, The Prestige, Swordfish, Black Rain, Dreamgirls and World Trade Centre.
Stephen McGill, Head of Gaming and Entertainment for Microsoft UK said of the deal: “The HD-DVD player for Xbox 360 gives customers a high quality and affordable way to enjoy state-of-the-art HD-DVD movies. We’re delighted to enable everyone to enjoy the technology to the full and offer some fantastic movie releases, completely free.”
What do you reckon is the future? Blu-ray or HD-DVD or HD movie downloads? Let us know below.
From now until the 31st January 2008, anyone who buys the HD-DVD player for their Xbox 360 will be able to choose from 13 major film titles – specifically Serenity, The Chronicles of Riddick, Hulk, Children of Men, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Troy, Full Metal Jacket, Corpse Bride, The Prestige, Swordfish, Black Rain, Dreamgirls and World Trade Centre.
Stephen McGill, Head of Gaming and Entertainment for Microsoft UK said of the deal: “The HD-DVD player for Xbox 360 gives customers a high quality and affordable way to enjoy state-of-the-art HD-DVD movies. We’re delighted to enable everyone to enjoy the technology to the full and offer some fantastic movie releases, completely free.”
What do you reckon is the future? Blu-ray or HD-DVD or HD movie downloads? Let us know below.
Companies:
Microsoft
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Comments
Daemon 19 Oct 2007 10:13
1/9
Ah, what a shame; I'd only really be interested in two of those titles, and I own them on DVD already, which is good enough for me presently.
As for the future, I'm thinking it's going to be a difficult transition, but eventually downloads will win. Once the mainstream has become truly accustomed to downloading their iTunes and Virtual Console games, there'll be no going back to pre-written physical media. Why buy a stackload of Blu-ray or HD-DVD disks when all those movies can fit on something the size of a postage stamp*?
* Or, at least, will be able to soon enough.
As for the future, I'm thinking it's going to be a difficult transition, but eventually downloads will win. Once the mainstream has become truly accustomed to downloading their iTunes and Virtual Console games, there'll be no going back to pre-written physical media. Why buy a stackload of Blu-ray or HD-DVD disks when all those movies can fit on something the size of a postage stamp*?
* Or, at least, will be able to soon enough.
deleted 19 Oct 2007 10:35
2/9
Full metal & Children Of Men are all thats worth it on that list, got HD-DVD 360 Player already so doesnt effect me, but a pick of better movies would be good, 300 in that list would be good to show off the HD-DVD Quality & Features, but what would be even better would be Downloadable movies for the UK. NOW MS NOW!!!
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Joji 19 Oct 2007 13:40
3/9
Frankly they should start selling these players for about £80, they be under cutting PS3 a damn lot. Better yet give them away for £50, Blu ray would be dead in the water then.
Daemon 19 Oct 2007 14:11
4/9
Joji wrote:
Better yet give them away for £50
I know. Those damned companies and their obsession with "making profit". How dare they!
Seriously, though, I'm sure that would take a LOT of spare capital, and explaining that loss to stock holders is probably tiresome at best, and seriously risky at worst. It's a good gambit of desperation, though, I'll grant you.
config 19 Oct 2007 14:48
5/9
Wow!
Look at that selection! I just wouldn't know what to pick.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...because all but 3 of them are average to utter dross.
Look at that selection! I just wouldn't know what to pick.
.
.
.
.
.
.
...because all but 3 of them are average to utter dross.
Rutabaga 19 Oct 2007 14:56
6/9
Joji wrote:
...Better yet give them away for £50, Blu ray would be dead in the water then.
Why would you like to see BluRay dead in the water?
Daemon 19 Oct 2007 15:02
7/9
Rutabaga wrote:
Why would you like to see BluRay dead in the water?
Because if it's still alive, it might bite you while you're swimming.
thomasLogic 21 Oct 2007 12:48
8/9
Blu-Ray all the way. Too early for total digital downloads as the bandwidth isn't there. Besides only the PS3 can truly handle the 1gb downloads per second needed, not the gimped 100 mb limit on all 360s. Spec for spec the PS3 easily out classes the 360 in any SKU. Now with the price drop all gamers can come home to the Sony fold, as it should be, as it has always been.
LUPOS 21 Oct 2007 17:28
9/9
<edit> ^ shill much? "into the sony fold"? seriously? 1gig per sec vs 100(+50 btw)mb max dl SIZE for arcade titles. Like, what the hell? I'm just so confused.
Seriously man,' the "best" things in life aren't free'. Drive for a reasonable price + some free movies that may look shiny in high-def = a good deal. Then you can go buy the movies you actually want and, you know, support the format. Pointing out that the "free toy inside" isn't a Wii is like telling me the sky is blue. Sure your right and all, but no one really benefits from your outlay of time and effort. ;)
P.S. free pack-in king kong is still awesome weather you enjoyed the film or not. Being able to show people that bug scene in HD and watching em squirm is always good for a laugh. :-D
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config wrote:
Hi, yea i'd like 5 of the best things you have for free so that there is no reason for me to actually buy any more of your products for several months. What? No. No, I don't think that the price of the player is fair to begin with. I feel like I should always get the best of the best for free. Why just the other day I opened a box of cheerios and there was a free roller coaster inside. I assure you that, while I'll never actually buy any more roller coasters as I simply haven't the room, I will most certainly buy more cheerios on occasion in the future... probably.
Seriously man,' the "best" things in life aren't free'. Drive for a reasonable price + some free movies that may look shiny in high-def = a good deal. Then you can go buy the movies you actually want and, you know, support the format. Pointing out that the "free toy inside" isn't a Wii is like telling me the sky is blue. Sure your right and all, but no one really benefits from your outlay of time and effort. ;)
P.S. free pack-in king kong is still awesome weather you enjoyed the film or not. Being able to show people that bug scene in HD and watching em squirm is always good for a laugh. :-D
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