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Forums - Gaming - Next Xbox delayed due Sony blocking Blu-ray licensing?

Blood_Tears on 06 May 2013

Link: http://www.myce.com/news/next-xbox-720-durango-delayed-due-sony-blocking-blu-ray-licensing-67054/

 

 

Next Xbox delayed due Sony blocking Blu-ray licensing?

06 May 13 17:19 by DoMiN8ToR in category Blu-ray writers & players

The next Xbox (Durango, Infinity, 720) might be delayed because Sony has an exclusive license for the console market. This rumor comes from the website Mondbox which received the information from a source working in a large Italian commercial chain.

Apparently there is a clause in the Blu-ray licensing terms that gives Sony the exclusive rights to implement Blu-ray in game consoles. Sony’s Playstation 3 console supports Blu-ray, while the Xbox 360 lacks support for it.

Microsoft did release an external drive supporting the competing HD-DVD format but this never got popular and has been vanished. Sony’s support for Blu-ray is no surprise since it’s one of the initiators of the format and both the Playstation 3 and Blu-ray have been positively influencing each others popularity. Since Sony is heavily involved in Blu-ray it is a possibility that the company has exclusive rights to support it in game consoles.

So far it’s unclear if the release of the Xbox will only be delayed in Europe or that it will be a global issue. It’s also still unsure if the Xbox will actually have a Blu-ray drive or that Microsoft will decide to use a proprietary format like Nintendo implemented on the Wii U. A proprietary format could be used as a way of reducing of piracy, however the past has proofed that while it makes piracy more difficult it doesn’t actually stop it.

The next generation Xbox console will likely be announced on the 21st of May this year and was expected to launch during the holiday season. However Microsoft might miss this sales opportunity and launch long after the Playstation 4 becomes available. Sony’s upcoming next generation console in on schedule to release the holiday season of 2013. The new Xbox might not become available earlier than the first quarter of 2014.



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Zkuq on 06 May 2013

What about licensing fees Sony would get?

Also, if MS uses a proprietary format, it won't affect piracy at all. Consoles have HDDs these days so disc format won't be an issue.



cuberandgamer on 06 May 2013

But sony doesn't own bluray. just look it up



green_sky on 06 May 2013

Ahh these never ending rumours. Can't wait till 21st of this month and June 10th.



slowmo on 06 May 2013

Pretty sure such a clause would actually be illegal in both the EU and America.



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Nsanity on 06 May 2013
Zkuq said:
What about licensing fees Sony would get?

Also, if MS uses a proprietary format, it won't affect piracy at all. Consoles have HDDs these days so disc format won't be an issue.

Sony do not own Blu-ray.



Areym on 06 May 2013

May 21st can't come soon enough.



"Trick shot? The trick is NOT to get shot." - Lucian

bananaking21 on 06 May 2013

i read the article and it seems like the author is purely speculating



bonkers555 on 06 May 2013

Doesn't Sony uses M$ Windows OS for all their Vaio laptops and notebooks? This won't end well if Sony decide to go down this road.

But Sony doesn't own Blu-Ray so the article is just speculating.



My Video Games Collection/Set-Up.

Stinky on 06 May 2013

I seriously doubt MS would proceed with a hardware tech that was so encumbered. I also know that Sony and MS aren't flaming fanboys and are in fact, businesses with a long-standing business relationship: Sony has long shipped Windows computers and devices with MS owned tech, such as Skype. MS is a media partner with Sony shipping Sony's media to the Xbox and related platforms.