Is the “format war” over?

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I don’t know how much you gamers have been following the Blu-ray vs HD-DVD “format war”, but since every PS3 owner has a stake in it, I thought I’d share some interesting developments that have taken place recently…

If you *have* been paying attention, you’ll probably remember that about a month ago, Warner Bros. threw its considerable weight behind the Blu-ray Disc format. Then in the last week, both Best Buy and Netflix also chose Blu-ray as their format of choice.

This weekend, in what might be the decisive victory in this “format war,” Toshiba – leader of the HD-DVD camp – is reported to be pulling out of the HD-DVD business. Analysts had been saying that a lot of consumers are waiting for a clear format victor before plunking down their hard-earned money on a device. Based on this month’s NPD numbers, consumers had seen which way the wind was blowing even before this week.

Blu-ray’s benefits for gaming development are clear. For those of you who have seen their PS3 as the hub of their home entertainment center, I hope you find this piece of news reassuring as well.

Happy Presidents’ Day, and see you from GDC!

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186 Comments

  • Any word on when the PS3 will be updated to be able to decode DTS Master Audio tracks from Blu-ray discs?

  • It’s time to rejoice!!! ~_~

  • Great job Sony you’re long wait for the blu-ray diodes has finally paid off.

  • Yay just read on Engadget that Toshiba conceded defeat! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY—you guys rock keep it up!

  • I read that Toshiba was going to have a press conference at 17:00 JST (2:00am CST), and I knew that they were going to call it quits. I knew that this was the superior format, although beta was too. Sony has learning from the past, and they have prevailed.

    Now people are saying there is going to be a format war between Blu-ray and Downloadable content; I say that is a load of bull. The two will benefit from one another, and no format war will take place between these two.

    I recently wrote about this on Wired. Take a look. I wrote it late, so I hope my logic makes sense. :)

  • I think the writing’s on the wall- people unanimously think that now is the time to strike. Huah! :P

  • i was convinced ever since i bought my ps3 an shortly afterwards the 300 blu-ray. it’s been a long road for all of us, with the scores of people who were ps3 bashing, and comparing the ps3 with the titanic, we are at a tuning point everyone. The sense of redemption feels pretty damn good if you ask me..

  • 1)YEAH BLU-RAY WON . I CAN FINALLY BUY BLU-RAYS.

    2) MAKE THE INSTALLS ON PS3 GAME OPTIONAL,NOT MANDATORY.

  • Congrats to the whole Blu-Ray camp, I was confident in the format when I bought my PS3 and now my confidence has only grown. Here’s to a long and successful reign for Blu-Ray.

  • First thing I saw this morning when I turned on my workstation here at work was the official announcement. I’m so happy. BD movie prices can slowly start coming down(Amazon’s sales help a lot too) and now I can expect all my favorite studios to jump on.

  • Finally because I have been waiting for this for a long time.

  • Yes! We knew it all along. Blu-Ray IS the future. HD-DVD could never compete. You PS3 owners should’ve showed more support for the blu-ray format. why were you scared of buying blu-ray movies when your PS3 will still play those for years. And it’s not even like you would want to watch those movies again in 10-20 years when your PS3 died. (Probably less) Sony should keep the same prices, I know I’ll still buy blu-rays. You cheap people should be kept waiting for prices to fall… =)

  • @ Jesus_Wey what are you talking about the ps3 owners are mostly what what this format war numerous people bought ps3s just for the blu-ray. No need to even call us ps3 owners out because we made the biggest difference in the format war.

  • Playstation Network Cards, please!

  • We will see a surge in ps3’s sales becuase of its player. This is perfect… bet there is a price cut at GDC.

  • probably not because sony isnt haveing a key note. im hopeing home is realeased soon and in celebration they have thier keynote on thier instead lol. doubt it though

  • @Zorox (first post)

    The HDD installation is only for Capcom games, it seems. Sorry, but your post only applies to one brand.

    Look at Uncharted, one of the best games I’ve ever seen, it has practically NO loading times.

  • @167

    Not so fast!. Hot Shots golf will require a long install when it’s released. Maybe Capcom showed Sony their trick.

  • Bravo Sony…..Bravo!

    Now that we’ve won the format war, now let’s when the console war. It’s done, blu-ray has emerged as the winner just as we’d hoped. M$ is now basicly at our mercy and that just the way it is. Here is the deal, there are more than 10.5 million PS3’s sold globally and we aren’t even at the end of March yet. Thank you SONY for proving to the world that you are the “TOP” company when it comes to technology and entertainment. PSP is doing remarkably well and GOW should push sales into infinity and beyond! We’ve had some tough times SONY but now the fruits of your labor are finally starting to pay-off. It’s great that we’ve won and conquered this paticular area of business, but rest assured we CANNOT, I REPEAT, CANNOT DROP OUR GUARDS DOWN FOR ONE SECOND. We still have to get developers comfortable in be able to create software for our future-proof machine in the PS3! 2008 is our year of come back and let’s do our best in giving the consumers who have made the playstation brand the juggernaut that it is today by rewarding them with better games and better overall entertainment with blu-ray technology. Sir Howard Stringer, very good work. I don’t really like you, but your work in the company is definetly appreciated. SONY…..Let’s get things back to normal. 1. Let’s get our lost consumers back from the M$ camp, 2. Let us do our best to maintain the brand and quality that this company is famous and known for, 3. Let’s take playstation brand back to where it belongs, at the top of computer entertainment, 4. Let us not look down on Toshiba for we definetly know their pain, 5. Let us begin to prioritze our direction from hardware to where it really matters for the consumer, SOFTWARE!, 6. Let’s finally unleash our brand of online gaming with HOME and Little Big Planet, 7. Let’s reclaim Japan and our lost consumers to Nintendo, 8. Let us REESTABLISH why the playsation brand was, is, and will be market leader, 9. Let us not become conceited, we have learned our lesson in being proud and haughty, and 10. Let’s absolutely pumble our competition that they may NEVER again try to oppose us!!!

    2008 is the year that officially marks the rise of the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system!

    SONY……..Like. No. Other.

  • @151
    There is debate whether the HDMI 1.3 output version installed on the PS3 can output dts-HD MA tracks.

  • yeeah,
    of course every ps3 owner has a stake in it!
    we all have blu-ray player integrated
    and thats awesome

  • All Hail to BD, now show us some benefit, PLZ! =)

  • I want transformers and American Gangster on Blu-ray… then i will be happy :o)

  • I just BEARLY jumped ship from regular dvd’s to hi-def, good thing I went with blue ray. And having the PS3 really helped!!!……

    but how about sony help the PSP a bit and let it play DIVX movies like the PS3!!..that would be AWESOME!!!……althought I’ll admit that I think it might not be possible.

  • Rated Very Low. Not interested in Blu-Ray (news, or reviews) at all. Didn’t buy the PS3 for the Blu-Ray Trojan Horse.

    I might be alone here, but I’d ratehr not have BR news on the Blog. Gaming only please.

    However, I do understand that other might like it, and I have the opinion of not reading it too.

  • Well if only Toshiba and Microsoft had stayed with the blu-ray group in the first place they would not have caused so much customer problems and grief. But Microsoft alway thinks that they can sway the public with a load of bull and Toshiba should have known better that CD and DVD were so successful because there was only one standard from the beginning. People need to know that if they were not so greedy and tried to go it alone with a different product they would have not made customer problems. Maybe Microsoft and Toshiba should buy back all the players and movies back and pull there tails back in and hide in a corner for a while.

  • Was there ever really a war?

  • HECK YEAH!!! I KNEW WE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE!!!!!! May I also point out that vgchartz.com has reported ps3 has sold over 10 million units worldwide at week 67 from initial launch, while the xbox 360 didn’t hit 10 million units until 80 weeks after initial launch. We won the format war, but now lets win the console war. GO PS3!!! (give us home)

  • Uh guess what… Blu-rays aren’t that expensive. You can commonly get one brand new at Wal-mart for $25–just five dollars more than DVDs were for MANY years. Very commonly you can get them on sale at Best Buy for $15 or less. Just watch the Sunday ads for sales and you can clean up with a little patience. Past that, the prices are obviously sure to drop… if you want to be among the first people to have new technology, plan on paying for it… stop being a lite [DELETED]!!!

  • You know the one comment i read a long time ago that keeps swirling in my head.

    Back in the summer of 07 when I bought my ps3 I joined the Playstation Forums, and some people had a comment to the effect of

    Sony is like a 2ton ape come to squash the MS fanboy

    then it went on to say

    “This time next year all those MS fanboys will be pissing in the wind”

    It hasnt even been a year yet :p

  • Alright.. a lot of hype about Sony’s win over Toshiba, but people have not been paying much attention to the sleeping Giant (which has awakend), APPLE. With the recent update release of Apple TV, you can purchase and rent movies directly to your TV, so whats the big deal, you can do the same on your Cable or Satelite box.

    Here is the big news, Apple will be offering movies in HD format as well. All major studios are on board. It seems while these two major companies were fighting it out for the new format, Apple leap frogged them both. You can easily buy and rent but not only from your TV, but your laptop, iPod, and you can also save movies on your PSP.

    So, if you think these discs are really the future, think again. The possibilities are endless. I am telling everyone this so they dont go out and blow every cent they have creating a huge library of Blu-Ray movies. I did it with VHS, then with DVD (I currently own over 2000 movies). I am in no way affiliated with Apple, I am just a fan of technology and it seems Apple has looked ahead.

  • this news helps me sleep easier at night knowing that i have invested in not only a great game console but an awesome ever evolving blu ray player. digital downloads won’t take off just yet i think because i know i still prefer something physical in my hands, something i can touch and look at. something real. but thats just me, im sure there are more people who would agree. (anyone?)

    @spidycl – yeah im sure people will enjoy the ease of use with the apple tv and i know someone who has one but i dont think its going to become mainstream. not just yet. theres not a big enough market for digital downloads yet. sorry.

    cheers,
    Lh

  • When will xbot fanboys realise just how inferior the console is?. They keep banging on about digital downloads being the future. The xbox can only handle “megabit networks”, while the ps3 supports a “gigabit network”- for faster larger file downloading. When it comes to the future and digital media their is only one console built for the future and xbot fans are heading for more disappointment.

  • I can say I agree in a way, I too want something tangible. For a while, I would go out to the store and buy my cds and dvds. Now I am accepting more and more the idea of digital downloads. As I mentioned before I own over 2000 dvds, thats a lot of storage space. CDs forget it, I dont know the exact number, but I am sure its well over 5000.

    Now with digital downloads, and all the portable devices, you can have something tangible. I am an iPod nerd, I own a few of them. For example, on my iPod 5G I currently have 78 movies, and those are just my favorites (Scarface, Gladiator, stuff like that). When I travel, it is so easy to carry my entertainment with me. I don’t have to worry about DVDs or CDs. Additionally, I have the cable that connects to a TV. So while on vacation I have a good portion of my movies and music with me.

    Just give it a shot. Open an iTunes account and give it a try. Just purchase a couple of things. It makes things so easy, you dont even have to leave your house.

  • Maybe now we might have the blue ray drive “upgraded”. Myself and a growing number of people have been having disk read errors. With the price of a ps3 you would think all the bugs would have been fixed by now, but the problems continue to grow.

  • this is bad news for ppl with the HD-DVD on there 360 what a waste of money lol whos laughing now

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