MS's next XBOX already looks to have several disadvantages in terms of cost

[mrstickball]

dallas said:

Most of us are basicallly assuming that MS will have to incorporate a Blu ray drive in its next console, right?    

Well, both MS and Sony will have to pay patent fees to Panasonic/Samsung/etc for the right to use it, BUT, Sony has the modest advantage of manufacturing Blu-ray drives due to a new joint venture with NEC and therefore won't have to pass on money to other manufacturers in order to make these drives.  

http://www.sonynec-optiarc.com/products/index.html

http://www.sonynec-optiarc.com/

 

If the 720 uses a blu-ray drive, then it will likely use Blu ray discs, correct?  Then, Sony, as the sole patent holder of the blu-ray disc will demand some $$$$ from MS and anybody else that wants to use a BD disc.

Also, if MS is in fact wanting to go this route, then they will likely want to have a relatively beefed up CPU/GPU combo in order to take advantage of the Blu ray drive, it doesn't make sense to pay for having a blu drive, and then receive unimpressive performance from the games played with it.

So, all in all, MS looks to not have the cost advantages that it has had with the 360, and therefore I might be able to conclude that this just won't help MS one bit.          

 

Thoughts?

The problem starts with your basic assumption that they'll choose Blu-Ray. If they don't, your entire argument falls to the ground.

*If* they do, the question becomes the actuality of the licensing fees. They could be very low, and offset by a cutback somewhere else. Everything in your argument is based on possibly flawed assumptions.

Also, the argument that BR-DVD takes a beefed up CPU/GPU combo may be valid, but I really, really doubt that a machine produced in 2011 is going to have any possible problems running a Blu-Ray drive. Moores Law would state that a next-gen system will have about as many problems as the X360 did with running DVDs, since it's using a last-gen optical device.

Personally, I think Microsoft will jump ahead of BRDVD and just chose another option that has better licensing fees, provided the BR-DVD fees aren't very large.