Xbox 720 Must Include Blu-ray, says MorrisXbox 720 has been in the rumormill quite a bit this holiday season, and while no one on this website knows exactly what Microsoft's plans are for the next console, we felt compelled to offer some advice. Since digital isn't taking over just yet, one important move Microsoft must make with Xbox 720 is to include a Blu-ray drive. But will Microsoft swallow its pride and do so?
Veteran journalist Chris Morris feels it's absolutely necessary, and we're inclined to agree. "A DVD drive as a medium for storing larger and larger games is outdated – and it steps on the toes of a system that bills itself as the high definition leader," he said. "Microsoft resisted the move to Blu-ray this generation without any ill effects. It even survived picking the losing side in the format battle between Blu-ray and HD-DVD, but it can't rely on the DVD to take it into the next generation."
While Microsoft has done a fantastic job with compression technology, squeezing as much data onto the DVD discs as possible, many game developers are still stuck putting out certain titles on 2-3 DVD discs - all of which easily fit onto one Blu-ray. Blu-ray is now the standard high-definition format for movies, and realistically it ought to be for games as well.
There's no shame in this for Microsoft - the battle for the next-gen movie format was lost years ago, and Microsoft would better serve its own Xbox customer base by upgrading to a more robust disc format.
