VanMardigan
has calmed down a bit.
On the other hand, I had some contact with Amir, and he had some comments regarding the HD DVD situation, and how it relates to MS.
I asked amir why MS didn't include an HD DVD drive in their Elite console, which would have obviously pushed the install base the way Ps3 did:
One cannot force consumers to adopt something they dont want. Customers clearly dont want a $600 game console or PS3 would be ahead of us and they are not.
He didn't think the Elite would sell at Ps3's price:
Not if the box did not sell due to high cost (retail and manufacturing).
He says that his team would love HD DVD in the Elite:
as the guy responsible for HD DVD, I like to see even my toaster have an HD DVD drive in it. But for the same reason no toaster manufacturer is going to do that, I have to respect the decision of our gaming division to focus on what the customers primary want, which is a great gaming platform with great value.
I asked him what sort of spark HD DVD could receive now that it was a 3-1 underdog in the HD disc format wars:
I think the great spark everyone needs, is a viable market for HD optical disc which right now, does not exist for either format. With sales at 1% of DVD, we could keep going after each other, or focus on winning customers away from DVD. On that front, we are doing better than the other guys, by building dedicated devices for movie playback as lower costs.
Check out Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...766836-3448913. The #1 player is Toshiba HD DVD player. The only Sony player is at #6 and it is a $50 DVD player! All three Toshiba players are in top 10 whereas there is not a single BD player in there. If BD format is dominating, why is there no player in those rankings?
The answer is simple. Customers are used to paying $50 for a DVD player. Buying a $600 game machine is not going to do it for them. Nor does hype, or misleading headlines.
I stated that I would sell my HD DVD drive if Uni went neutral (lol) and he said:
Then you may be waiting a long time then . Remember, we dont get fooled by headlines that are not true. The core reasons HD DVD is doing better in the above regard is as much true as it was last Friday. It is still cheaper to make and deploy. It works. It is complete. We are not selling players which are already obsolete like they are when they rev their requirements this year.
Finally, I asked him if MS was still standing firmly behind HD DVD and supporting it or if they were willing to watch the format die:
We wont let it die. That word is not in our vocabulary. What it takes though is for you, our great customers, to stay the course and not believe hype. The BD folks want you to ignore reality so that they dont have to deal with their problems. For that, absence of competition is good for them. Dont let them get that tool!
So I asked him what they were doing and his response:
I cant say what we are doing. What I can say is that we are not standing still
Remember guys, these aren't official press release statements. These aren't interview notes. This is just his casual response in a message board environment. I don't mean that you can't critique the posts (feel free), but I want you guys to understand the context in which he made these statements. Everyone knows Amir, while it's his job to be an HD DVD evangelist, is still a VERY nice guy and loves to keep in touch with the community.
I asked amir why MS didn't include an HD DVD drive in their Elite console, which would have obviously pushed the install base the way Ps3 did:
One cannot force consumers to adopt something they dont want. Customers clearly dont want a $600 game console or PS3 would be ahead of us and they are not.
He didn't think the Elite would sell at Ps3's price:
Not if the box did not sell due to high cost (retail and manufacturing).
He says that his team would love HD DVD in the Elite:
as the guy responsible for HD DVD, I like to see even my toaster have an HD DVD drive in it. But for the same reason no toaster manufacturer is going to do that, I have to respect the decision of our gaming division to focus on what the customers primary want, which is a great gaming platform with great value.
I asked him what sort of spark HD DVD could receive now that it was a 3-1 underdog in the HD disc format wars:
I think the great spark everyone needs, is a viable market for HD optical disc which right now, does not exist for either format. With sales at 1% of DVD, we could keep going after each other, or focus on winning customers away from DVD. On that front, we are doing better than the other guys, by building dedicated devices for movie playback as lower costs.
Check out Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...766836-3448913. The #1 player is Toshiba HD DVD player. The only Sony player is at #6 and it is a $50 DVD player! All three Toshiba players are in top 10 whereas there is not a single BD player in there. If BD format is dominating, why is there no player in those rankings?
The answer is simple. Customers are used to paying $50 for a DVD player. Buying a $600 game machine is not going to do it for them. Nor does hype, or misleading headlines.
I stated that I would sell my HD DVD drive if Uni went neutral (lol) and he said:
Then you may be waiting a long time then . Remember, we dont get fooled by headlines that are not true. The core reasons HD DVD is doing better in the above regard is as much true as it was last Friday. It is still cheaper to make and deploy. It works. It is complete. We are not selling players which are already obsolete like they are when they rev their requirements this year.
Finally, I asked him if MS was still standing firmly behind HD DVD and supporting it or if they were willing to watch the format die:
We wont let it die. That word is not in our vocabulary. What it takes though is for you, our great customers, to stay the course and not believe hype. The BD folks want you to ignore reality so that they dont have to deal with their problems. For that, absence of competition is good for them. Dont let them get that tool!
So I asked him what they were doing and his response:
I cant say what we are doing. What I can say is that we are not standing still
Remember guys, these aren't official press release statements. These aren't interview notes. This is just his casual response in a message board environment. I don't mean that you can't critique the posts (feel free), but I want you guys to understand the context in which he made these statements. Everyone knows Amir, while it's his job to be an HD DVD evangelist, is still a VERY nice guy and loves to keep in touch with the community.
