Article Taken From gamesindustry.biz
Article Written By tom bramwell

Mark Whittard, general manager of Toshiba's Information Systems Division in Australia, believes that Microsoft will release an Xbox 360 with an internal HD-DVD drive in future.

"I would imagine that there are plans in place to put an HD DVD drive internally in future revisions of the product," he told IT Wire in Australia.

"They're not speaking about it publicly at the moment but I would expect them to do that and fairly soon."

Microsoft has previously indicated that it plans to offer the HD-DVD - a rival to Sony's Blu-ray technology, which will ship as part of PlayStation 3 - as an add-on peripheral this Christmas.

But it has rejected suggestions that it will revise the Xbox 360 hardware in the manner Whittard suggests, believing it will confuse the market.

Last December, prior to the announcement of an HD-DVD add-on, the company said it had no current plans to release an Xbox 360 equipped with an internal HD-DVD component - although some would highlight its use of the word "current" as important.

Then again, Microsoft will also be acutely aware of the reaction to Sony's pricing for PlayStation 3, which will cost considerably more than its next-generation counterpart largely thanks to the use of components like Cell and a Blu-ray drive.

Furthermore, Microsoft has repeatedly asserted that games will not be allowed to run from HD-DVD discs.

Meanwhile, describing the battle between Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 as "one looming potential war" in the HD-DVD/Blu-ray confrontation, Whittard clearly feels the comfort of Microsoft's backing for HD-DVD - a project that Toshiba is also intimately involved in.

"With Microsoft's marketing engine behind HD DVD, who knows what will happen," he told IT Wire.

Microsoft had yet to respond to Whittard's comments at the time of going to press.

Article Taken From gamesindustry.biz
Article Written By tom bramwell

Microsoft has shot down reports, based on comments made by an Australian Toshiba executive, that Microsoft plans to release an Xbox 360 with an internal HD-DVD drive.

"We have no plans to release the Xbox 360 with an internal HD DVD drive," the company said. Its full statement:

"At E3 we showcased our Xbox 360 HD DVD player that is an external drive. Since launching Xbox we have retained a games first emphasis, but we also offer consumers the ability to build on our powerful platform, such as in combination with a Windows Media Center Edition PC. We feel that offering the drive externally is the best way to give consumers the ultimate choice to create their own high definition experiences. We have no plans to release the Xbox 360 with an internal HD DVD drive."

Earlier on Cesar Menendez, one of the contributors to official Microsoft blog Gamerscoreblog and Microsoft's online community manager, said the company had "no plans" in line with the prediction made by Toshiba's Mark Whittard.

"Saw a few stories online about an Xbox 360 with a built-in HD-DVD drive: not true," wrote Menendez on Friday. "We have no plans to release an Xbox 360 with an internal HD DVD. What we showcased at E3 was an external HD-DVD drive, and we're sticking with that."

"We've always had a games-first emphasis with the Xbox, but some consumers can build on the platform - like by adding a Windows Media Center Edition PC. By keeping the drive external, we're offering consumers a choice in creating their own hi-def experiences. So: no plans for an internal HD-DVD."

What Toshiba has said sounds right to me even though Microsoft deny it.

Maybe X360 games won't run off HD-DVD discs but whats to stop them releasing another model into the market and pitching above what is now the Premium Pack just to supply an all in one unit, or dropping the Core Pack from the range, reducing the price of the Premium Pack to the Core Pack price and pitching it there (this could be the rumoured price cut [Only Registered users can see links . Click Here To Register...])

This makes perfect sense to me and would really help Microsoft get a strong foot hold against Sony in the Next Gen Console Wars.

But this is just my opinion.

What do you think?