Poll: Microsoft's Next Gen Game Format?

[TPiddy]

Let's try again since the forum decided not to create my poll last time.

With Sony winning the HD format war against Toshiba's HD-DVD, it kind of leaves competitors Microsoft and Nintendo in a sticky situation. The current generation of games is starting to push the boundaries of what is possible on a 4.7 GB DVD (well, not Nintendo at least), as we've seen such 360 releases as Final Fantasy XIII and Mass Effect 2 requiring multiple DVD's, while Sony's Blu-Ray format is expandable into the area of 100-200 GB per disc.

However, today's current bandwidth penetration and high-speed internet adoption and usage rates still make it very difficult for 100-200 GB downloads to be commonplace. So what, then does Microsoft do to deliver their games with the next generation? Here are some options I've thought of:

1. They could acquire the rights to HD-DVD from Toshiba, which holds anywhere from 15 to 30, and that could sustain them until bandwidth adoption is better.

2. They could acquire a license from Sony and the Blu-ray board for Blu-ray technology. But do they really want to give royalties to the competition on every game they release?

3. With the advancement in storage technology, could we see Microsoft develop a flash drive based 'cartridge' system that installs the game to the hard drive but requires the cartridge connection to play it? The best Flash drives have been able to achieve so far is 256 GB.

4. They could go with complete digital distribution, counting on the bandwidth and adoption rates.

5. They could run XBox Live service 'on the cloud', in computer terms. Basically, host the game content on servers and have users purchase licenses to access them rather than physical copies.

6. They could stick with DVD or go in an entirely different direction.

TL;DR - Vote on what format you think Microsoft will go with, or offer your input / suggestions below!

 

[LooK iTz Jinjo]

Well we are not yet at the point (and won't be for a while) where 100% - or even anywhere close - of the market are comfortable enough to completely abandon phyical copies of games and go for pure digital distribution.

I also doubt that M$ would want to be paying Sony any kind of royalties, so it's my bet that we see either a continuace of DVD's or they go their own way and use HD-DVD. i just don't think that enough of the consumer market have embraced digital distribution, not every 360, Wii and PS3 is hooked up online. Until then, physical copies are the way to go.

 

[crimson5pheonix]

I want to see cartridges (in the form of flash drives) make a comeback, but the Blu-ray likely killed it.

 

[thanatos465]

MicroSD cards seriously they say they'll have a 1TB SD card in the next few years

 

[migo]

I don't see any point to HD-DVD, it's a dead format. MS would be better off making something new. They also don't really have a choice but to go towards Blu-Ray - it's the future, and the PS3 already has a big advantage over the 360 with it. Do that with the PS4 vs the 720, and Microsoft will just look pitifully behind the times. They'll have to swallow the licensing costs.

 

[Blemontea]

Well seeing as though blu-ray is already out, then next gen laser will be Red-ray, and they will have to use a new type of HD so it will have to be HGTBEVAD video... bonus points for origin. but realistically they probably going to use blu ray becuase it holds the most data right now.

 

[Thunderhorse31]

I don't see any point to HD-DVD, it's a dead format.

The format my be "dead," but it's not like other systems haven't used unique formats before (Dreamcast's GD-ROM, whatever the hell Gamecube disks were called, etc.). Plus it might allow them to sell games cheaper. I agree that not going the Bluray route would seem to hamstring future developments, but it wouldn't shock me (M$ is pretty damn stubborn, after all).

Personally I'd be fine with digital distribution, if it weren't for the fact that they could get away with keeping absurdly stupid prices regardless of a game's age. Right now you can get Mirror's Edge for $4 in some places, but the digital copy will never ever be less than $20. It seems like a purely digital medium is coming eventually (when we can no longer cram landfills full of retired technology), though we're definitely a long way off.

 

[Volafortis]

I could see some form of flash card cartridge, or the use of HD-DVD dual layered, or something of the kind.

 

[migo]

I don't see any point to HD-DVD, it's a dead format.

The format my be "dead," but it's not like other systems haven't used unique formats before (Dreamcast's GD-ROM, whatever the hell Gamecube disks were called, etc.). Plus it might allow them to sell games cheaper. I agree that not going the Bluray route would seem to hamstring future developments, but it wouldn't shock me (M$ is pretty damn stubborn, after all).

Look at what happened to the Dreamcast and GameCube though. Using proprietary formats isn't good for a system. There's apparently some DVD technology to increase the space on a disc while still using a regular DVD drive, so they could do that, but it's either DVD or Blu-Ray.

Personally I'd be fine with digital distribution, if it weren't for the fact that they could get away with keeping absurdly stupid prices regardless of a game's age. Right now you can get Mirror's Edge for $4 in some places, but the digital copy will never ever be less than $20. It seems like a purely digital medium is coming eventually (when we can no longer cram landfills full of retired technology), though we're definitely a long way off.

I don't think it will happen with the next generation yet, for one there's still bandwidth concerns. No way they can do purely digital distribution when some people have bandwidth limitations. I've got 110GB download per month, which is higher than some people I know, and with current BR discs topping out at 50GB, next gen games could hit 200GB. If that takes a couple days to download and takes up my month's bandwidth (it would be more than 110 by then) it won't work.