Pushed to the Edge #7: A Tale of Two Launches

That could be a problem for Microsoft. A $300 add-on means Premium 360 owners are paying a titanic seven hundred bucks for a system that might be technically less impressive than what Sony will sell for $500.

Making the situation more complex is the pricing for a standalone Blu-Ray player, which as currently announced is no less than $1000 for the cheapest model from Panasonic. Many consider Blu-Ray superior to HD-DVD; it certainly has more support from Hollywood. So an affordable Blu-Ray player built into the PS3 becomes even more attractive.

Still, this is a win, at least for current 360 owners. With hints of future HD-DVD compatibility, there was the lurking fear that a 360.2 would appear in 2006 to mock all the effort people put into buying a console at launch. Then there's the spec of the drive, which will play only movies. So unlike the PC gaming scene, which has become confused with CD and DVD-ROM releases of the same title, don't expect to see competing DVD and HD-DVD pressings of the next Call of Duty.

So our fears about future 360 compatibility with high-def video are allayed; just plonk more cash and everything will be cool. It doesn't even commit fully to the shaky HD-DVD format; if Blu-Ray wins, a new peripheral can always be released.

HD DVD Player The Sega CD

But that raises images in my gaming memory that are ugly indeed. As I contemplate the multiplicity of Microsoft's potential DVD peripherals there's something nagging in the back of my mind, and it looks a lot like the Sega CD. Granted, it's not entirely fair to compare any peripheral to that piece of kit, since Sega dropped the CD just as CD-ROM technology was becoming a viable aspect of gaming.

And yet there it is. The Sega CD failed in America largely because no one knew what it was or what it could do. That won't be the case with the 360's new add-on, but Microsoft will have to aggressively push the drive to consumers who could spend a little bit more on a far more versatile standalone component or an entirely different console system.

I also suspect that the 360 drive will face a steep climb because North American gamers don't seem to like peripherals. Quick: Name one that's in the home of one gamer out of four. (I'm discounting headsets, which are bundled with systems and Live kits.) A dance mat is the only answer that fits, not an extra disc drive that costs upwards of $200.

Microsoft obviously feels that this strategy is the best bet, and at this stage it's really their only choice. But in the long run, turning the 360 into a cutting edge Frankenstein isn't going to move consoles, only scare customers away.

Pushed to the Edge is a regular commentary covering elements of the video game industry that cause elation, dismay, outrage, or some combination of the above.

• Pushed to the Edge #6: Games 2; Movies 0
• Pushed to the Edge #5: Why We Fight
• Pushed to the Edge #4: Nintendo Stratego
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