• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Peter Moore on Blu-ray and the illusion of choice

Z

Zombie James

Banned
From this month's EGM:

EGM: in regards to HD-DVD as an optinal add-on, you said in the past, "We're not forcing movie technology on game players, but instead are letting them choose how to personalize their experiences." If this is true, why not sell a Blu-ray player as well?

Perter Moore: Well, because... when we look at HD-DVD, we're looking at a superior format. Microsoft is a backer of HD-DVD for a number of reasons, and I don't see any reason why we should support something that we don't believe in. We believe in HD-DVD.

EGM: Why not give customers the choice, though?

Peter Moore: Because the consumer's choosing HD-DVD. [Laughs all around] Look... we're not going to get embroiled in a movie-playback war. We're very clear on this. If you've already got your 360, $199 put you in the high-def movie playback scenario, but i'm not burdening the box with it as our competitor's done. This is about games. It's not about movies.

EGM: Does that mean you wouldn't include a built-in HD-DVD player in future iterations of the Xbox 360?

Peter Moore: No, no, it's about choice. We're absolutely focused on consumers that want to play games, and if they're fortunate enough to be the small minority right now that have the equipment to take advantage of the new generation of high-definition movie playback, then at their choice they can buy an HD-DVD player for $199.
Click to expand...

A couple of contradictions there, saying they're backer of HD-DVD and believe in HD-DVD yet they don't want to get into the format war (?), and isn't that same "minority" the exact same group that has the equipment necessary (HDTV, surround sound) to take advantage of the 360 and PS3 in the first place?
 
L

leehom

Member
EGm is great.

EGM: in regards to HD-DVD as an optinal add-on, you said in the past, "We're not forcing movie technology on game players, but instead are letting them choose how to personalize their experiences." If this is true, why not sell a Blu-ray player as well?
Click to expand...
LOL
 
C

crazyscreenwriter

Banned
_leech said:
A couple of contradictions there, saying they're backer of HD-DVD and believe in HD-DVD yet they don't want to get into the format war (?)
Click to expand...

They are backing a format war like the French back a cavalry charge...."No, that's okay, go on ahead and we'll catch up..."
 
Y

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
In Before the Stupid

MS should sell a Blu-Ray add on too. It'd be kewl. Then everyone could have a Blu-Ray playing, HD-DVD spinning, game monster of a white box. I'd call it Concave Box of Awesome 360.
 
L

leesmapman

Member
_41396733_09_xboxdvd_ap.jpg
 
Woo-Fu

Woo-Fu

Banned
It seems kind of silly to even ask Peter Moore questions about HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray and why Microsoft went the way they did.
 
A

AltogetherAndrews

Member
Woo-Fu said:
It seems kind of silly to even ask Peter Moore questions about HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray and why Microsoft went the way they did.
Click to expand...

Well, it makes for some fun, and stupid, answers that we can all smirk at. PR dudes say the darndest things.
 
D

DSN2K

Member
wait isnt having the ability to have HD movie playback the same as having HD gaming ? :lol :lol :lol

seriously MS should just shut up about the HD-DVD addon, its there, they ticked the HD movie playback box.... just leave it at that.
 
Z

Zen

Banned
On the grand scale of things Peter Moore is still really consistent with not putting his foot in his mouth.
 
K

kenta

Has no PEINS
wtf, is he aware of what the word "choice" means?

"What about giving consumers an option?"
"No, it's about choice."
"Right, why not give them the choice?"
"Because it's not about that, it's about choice."
 
P

Pristine_Condition

Member
Yeah, there really is no reason why MS shouldn't give it's customers a Blu-ray option as well. After all, Vista is supporting both formats. MS's position that "it's all about choice" would be a lot more understandable if the choice was a REAL choice and not a "my way or the highway" choice.

I'd love it if I could get a Blu-ray player for my 360. I'm not buying an HD DVD player, but that, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Then I could have the PS3 as my player in the living room with the HDMI hookup, and the 360 in my bedroom.

Make it so, Peter Moore. Stop talking about choice in "nuanced" terms, and give us a real one.

...

I criticize EGM/1Up a lot, but I'll give credit where it is due. Whoever asked this question deserves a pat on the back.
 
Y

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
Pristine_Condition said:
Yeah, there really is no reason why MS shouldn't give it's customers a Blu-ray option as well. After all, Vista is supporting both formats. MS's position that "it's all about choice" would be a lot more understandable if the choice was a REAL choice and not a "my way or the highway" choice.

I'd love it if I could get a Blu-ray player for my 360. I'm not buying an HD DVD player, but that, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. Then I could have the PS3 as my player in the living room with the HDMI hookup, and the 360 in my bedroom.

Make it so, Peter Moore. Stop talking about choice in "nuanced" terms, and give us a real one.
Click to expand...

Reminds me of Ford's early consumer choice philosophy.

You can get any next-gen drive you want for your 360, as long as it's HD-DVD.
 
A

AltogetherAndrews

Member
Zen said:
On the grand scale of things Peter Moore is still really consistent with not putting his foot in his mouth.
Click to expand...

Actually, I think it's more a matter of the messages from the mothership being consistent with the message of its PR reps than it is a matter of Moore being more than a PR tool. This one is down right stupid though. It's damned near Bushism, this one here.

And wtf was that line about consumers choosing HD-DVD? What's the leadtime of these magazines, because the BRD/HD-DVD charts don't seem to reflect his comments very well. Unless he was specifically talking about consumers choosing the HD-DVD add-on over the options, which would be even dumber seeing as how an option isn't in the cards. Yeah, this one ranks up there with the loudest of the PR brainfarts.
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
I don't understand the mystification here. The choice isn't between the formats, it's whether or not you want to use your console to watch HD movie discs.
 
Y

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
kenta said:
wtf, is he aware of what the word "choice" means?

"What about giving consumers an option?"
"No, it's about choice."
"Right, why not give them the choice?"
"Because it's not about that, it's about choice."
Click to expand...

Well, :lol, but it'd be nice if he was being that stupidly honest. He's saying consumers ARE making the HD-DVD choice (wrong), so why even bother including the OTHER choice (the one consumers actually are choosing).

"Choice" is such a deceptively intriguing concept anyway. He'd be better off just saying, "We're providing consumers with what we think gives them the best experience, optimal utility," which is probably true.
 
A

armubaba

Member
EGM: in regards to HD-DVD as an optinal add-on, you said in the past, "We're not forcing movie technology on game players, but instead are letting them choose how to personalize their experiences." If this is true, why not sell a Blu-ray player as well?
Click to expand...

6772637c.jpg
 
S

SlaughterX

Banned
Hey guys why doesn't Sony make an HD-DVD version of the PS3? Why does the PS3 have Linux instead of Windows? Ohh, because it would be stupid. The choice comes in spending $200 for the HD-DVD drive or not, where as with the PS3 you have no choice. If you want the choice of playing Blu-Ray discs then buy a PS3, simple!
 
L

leehom

Member
BenjaminBirdie said:
I don't understand the mystification here. The choice isn't between the formats, it's whether or not you want to use your console to watch HD movie discs.
Click to expand...


EGM: in regards to HD-DVD as an optional add-on, you said in the past, "We're not forcing movie technology on game players, but instead are letting them choose how to personalize their experiences." If this is true, why not sell a Blu-ray player as well?
Click to expand...

Read the bold.
 
Y

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
SlaughterX said:
Hey guys why doesn't Sony make an HD-DVD version of the PS3?
Click to expand...

Because Sony isn't trumpeting choice. Sony has been pretty straightforward about which format they are actively supporting (duh) in the "war."
 
Z

Zen

Banned
m0dus said:
To say nothing of the fact that, whether they like it or not, overt support of a Blu-Ray drive would serve as little more than a supportive nod to the strategy of their fiercest competitor. And would sony not recieve a sum of every bit of blu-ray technology sold?

And it seems that his message was lost in the flurry of kneejerk 'lols' in this thread--the issue of choice he mentions is not between 'blu-ray' and 'hd-dvd', but rather the consumer's choice between paying for a dedicated game player, and shouldering the additional cost of a hi-end optical video drive. I, personally, am glad I don't have to, because I don't watch movies on my game systems--I have dedicated hardware for that (media center pc).
Click to expand...


In other words he tried to twist and dodge the question. :p
 
T

TTP

Have a fun! Enjoy!
Don't be hard on Peter. He's totally a good guy. Funny, ouspoken and competent. I've got to interview him a copule of times and it was very funny, very passionate about his work.

I did interview Masa Chatani once, and it was as funny as a job interview.

Another time, with Harrison, was like talking with a slightly more human version of Agent Smith. He has the incredible ability to formulate perfect sentences and pick the right words on the fly like some Superior Entity his feeding his brain with press releases that would normally take a year to write and polish, but here he creates them in real time (at 120fps). Awesome mind.
 
K

Kolgar

Member
The HD movie market is very small. Offering a separate HD-DVD add-on that will sell to a small segment of the installed base is one thing. Confusing this miniscule market by adding yet another choice is something else. Especially when that other is supported by an arch rival in Sony and PS3.

Microsoft has chosen to back HD DVD for strategic reasons, not least of all to slow acceptance of BD and bleed Sony. So it really makes no sense for them to release a BD drive.
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
leehom said:
Read the bold.
Click to expand...

I did. I still think fundamentally, their approach is that the CHOICE is whether or not have your game machine play HD movies, regardless of what question your asking. It's the equivalent of asking "Where's my Laserdisc add-on?"
 
A

AstroLad

Hail to the KING baby
m0dus said:
To say nothing of the fact that, whether they like it or not, overt support of a Blu-Ray drive would serve as little more than a supportive nod to the strategy of their fiercest competitor. And would sony not recieve a sum of every bit of blu-ray technology sold?

And it seems that his message was lost in the flurry of kneejerk 'lols' in this thread--the issue of choice he mentions is not between 'blu-ray' and 'hd-dvd', but rather the consumer's choice between paying for a dedicated game player, and shouldering the additional cost of a hi-end optical video drive. I, personally, am glad I don't have to, because I don't watch movies on my game systems--I have dedicated hardware for that (media center pc).
Click to expand...

Winner. Agreed on not plunking down another $200 for playback tech (BR or HD) I don't give a crap about right now.
 
E

empanada

Member
MS is a major backer of HD-DVD. It's pretty obvious they won't release a Blu-ray drive for the 360. Just like Sony will never support HD-DVD in anyway.

Anyway, Peter Moore is a funny guy. :lol
 
B

BenjaminBirdie

Banned
m0dus said:
You seem to be missing the forest for the trees--in 'personalizing the experience,' he is referring to deciding WHAT your 360 is to do for you. A game player, or a game + HD movie player. pretty simple and straightforward.
Click to expand...

Thank you.
 
P

Pellham

Banned
Pope Benedict XVI said:
"We're not forcing movie technology on game players" ----> If this is true, why not sell a Blu-ray player as well?

Nice logic, EGM
Click to expand...

Wait a sec, are you blaming EGM for what Peter Moore said?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Peter Moore: The Final Console Generation, MS going Third Party, and MS debated putting the original Halo on PlayStation
2 3
140
10K
Astray replied
  • Poll
Why Xbox Abandoning The Traditional Console Business Model, Makes Business Sense
Business Analysis Platform 2
72
5K
WitchHunter replied
  • Poll
SONY/SIE: The Balance Of Chasing Margins, Multiplat Expansion, And Maximizing The Console
Opinion Business Analysis 2 3
101
6K
vaibhavpisal replied
As Microsoft and Sony target PC and mobile to grow their audiences, what does that mean for the future of the console? - GIBiz Opinion By Chris Dring
Opinion Astroturfing 2 3
139
6K
Topher replied
Baldur's Gate 3 PC - DF Tech Review - Graphics Analysis + Optimised Settings
Opinion Analysis
25
5K
Mister Wolf replied
Top Bottom