I know that it doesnt use HD DVD and that it uses standard DVD so how can the games on it be HD?

HD DVD is merely a larger form storage facility, HD content can still be played from DVDs

HD Media simply allows for larger storage space. The HD output of the console is a factor of how the graphics are generated by the video system and not at all related to the amount of storage space. Additionally, HD content *can* be stored on regular DVDs, just not enough for a whole movie.

Hope that helps.

360 is hd because it can be upgraded to run on hdtv's. however 360 can run on sdtv's too.

Wow, I thought the was a flame bate thread when I got here, not someone who really wanted an answer to a valid question. We get so jaded at times.

Everything said (other then from Rock_on_2008) is accurate. HD means the games play in HD format. The 360 never needed to be "upgraded" to achieve this.

High resolution data requires more space but with compression techniques and multiple discs you are able to overcome the issue of the DVD's smal capacity.

DVD is not SD, it's ED (enhanced definition, 480p like the Wii). But you can store HD content on anything, even a floppy disk.

In any case, games are not like movies. The images you see are dynamically generated, only textures and stuff like that is actually stored as an image. The rest is generated by the CPU/GPU according to the program code (which is often the same size no matter the resolution of the graphics it generates).

There have been PC games with HD resolutions (or higher) stored in DVDs and even CDs for a long time.

   Now that's magic

as an aside to the what's mentioned the Xbox was also a high definition capable mechine and it used regular DVDs also.