The question is not to HD or not to HD, but when. The Wii is still sold out everywhere, and no price drops yet even. Are we talking 2011 or 2012 for HD.
Sony is already rumored to only be making small modifications to the PS3 to get the PS4. They could launch as quickly as 2011.
When will the 360 successor come? My guess would be 2011 for a 6 year life cycle of the 360.
It would be funny if both used HD DVD, CBHD, HD VMD, or any of the other also-ran formats, on the grounds that they give the capacity but aren't readable in any mass market computers.
I'd be surprised though if they bother with optical disks. By 2011, a 32Gb SDHC card should cost less than $5. While this may be more expensive than a pressed disk, the console itself can suddenly have $20-30 taken off of its manufacturing cost - assuming blue laser readers drop to that level in two years. Between that and downloads, the only reason to have an optical drive would be backward compatibility, and it might work out easier to just have backward compatibility be provided by an accessory especially as it all kind of went to pot for everyone except Nintendo this time around.
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The question is not to HD or not to HD, but when. The Wii is still sold out everywhere, and no price drops yet even. Are we talking 2011 or 2012 for HD.
Sony is already rumored to only be making small modifications to the PS3 to get the PS4. They could launch as quickly as 2011.
When will the 360 successor come? My guess would be 2011 for a 6 year life cycle of the 360.
Here's a better question, how will games be stored on the next gen consoles? Blu-Ray on anyone other than Sony?
It would be funny if both used HD DVD, CBHD, HD VMD, or any of the other also-ran formats, on the grounds that they give the capacity but aren't readable in any mass market computers.
I'd be surprised though if they bother with optical disks. By 2011, a 32Gb SDHC card should cost less than $5. While this may be more expensive than a pressed disk, the console itself can suddenly have $20-30 taken off of its manufacturing cost - assuming blue laser readers drop to that level in two years. Between that and downloads, the only reason to have an optical drive would be backward compatibility, and it might work out easier to just have backward compatibility be provided by an accessory especially as it all kind of went to pot for everyone except Nintendo this time around.