What happens if HD movies and Blue Ray movies end up on the same discs (ie one format per side)? I'm not sure if that is possible or not...but if it happened.. Who would be hurt more Sony or Microsoft?

It has been attempted a few times, I think the way bluray discs are fabbed this cant happen, however in the freakish occurence it did happen... the royalties would cost out the ass. Sony would win. Micorosoft... why would it help microsoft if HD-DVD sells? Every BluRay discs bought puts money in sony's pocket. Microsoft is a investor on HD-DVD, and is the biggest name beside it. But microsoft gets nothing for each disc sold. It helps Sony. How could it hurt OR help microsoft?

Would hurt the customers that got a BR or HDdvd player. aint happening, no one is really jumping on that idea. Plus i dont see Sony making and PS3 or Br players that would read such disks.

I really dont think it'd happen. IF it did it'd help whatever studio ends up selling more units. Microsoft isn't in the format wars, they are in the console wars. They aren't going to lose a dime if HD-DVD loses.

Once agian. It would help sony, and it wouldnt effect micorosoft. Why? Every BluRay compatible disk/player that comes out. Sony gets some cash. Wether it has HD-DVD on the back or not. Sony still gets the same chunk of moolah. Sony wins hands down. The question is, does toshiba win or loose.

Alright, then next question: Who was helped more by the departure of Sega in the hardware market? Sony? Microsoft? Nintendo? I would say Microsoft, Nintendo, then Sony. Microsoft learned alot from Sega before launching the Xbox (read: Dreamcast). Nintendo benefited by moving back to the number 2 position by default in Japan (after being 3rd to PS1 and the Saturn).

It depends on your market. I say sony, becuase they were on the up-swing. then Nintendo, becuase that puts them in #2. And microsoft in #3. Because they were the new-comers. This is debateable at least.

Microsoft - it allowed them to be the 3rd competitor in the market instead of 4th. Not only that, Sega ported a few games to Xbox, so that helped out (slightly) in the s/w department Then Sony, as it helped them secure more of a hold against MS/Nintendo. All it helped Nintendo out with the whole Sega v. Nintendo debate.

Sega's implosion (along with Nintendo’s mistakes) in the 90s allowed Sony to enter the market and become the dominant player … Sega leaving the market benefited Microsoft and Nintendo because I suspect that neither the Gamecube nor the Xbox would have performed as well in the previous generation had the Dreamcast survived …

1st question: You can't the design of the discs themselves are different between bluray and hddvd. However, there are and will be many dual format readers. As for who would win, MS. MS is a software company with a little dabbling in hardware. They don't really care which one wins. Why do you think they have an external drive for the 360. They didn't want to put too much money into the HDDrive should it fail. They could just as easily, even said so themselves last E3, put out a bluray drive. 2nd question: Probably no-one. Sega's market share had already plummeted to the point they were not a threat to anyone when they left. If anything all have gained since, because they can now publish games on all systems. You could say sony, since most of the time they get Sega exclusives; or you could say Nintendo because of the VC exclusives.