RUMOR: Universal decides to go Blu-ray [update 1]
by Nick Doerr 
{ May 9th 2007 at 11:30AM }
[Update: The President of Universal Studios, Craig Kornblau, has dismissed the following rumor as "totally false". Read on for fun, though!]Now here is a piece of news worth getting excited about. Wait, wait ... it's just a rumor, so let's not all get up in arms yet. The news is this: apparently, at a press conference, Pioneer spoke to some individuals about Universal's exclusive ties to HD DVD and how they might just be breaking. Universal, they said, is going to go neutral and distribute on both formats. That would mean we get to see our lovely Children of Men on Blu-ray after all.
This statement hasn't been confirmed by Universal themselves, but if they've not yet issued a statement that points in the exact oppposite direction, it's fairly clear that they're just stalling with silence until the exclusive ties actually do break and they come out of the closet, so to speak. If the rumors of compensation for staying an HD DVD exclusive company were true, this means they see more benefit in passing on that "free money" and selling their movies on Blu-ray. That's a kick in the pants if you're the one paying off Universal. But that's just a rumor, too. We'll keep you posted on this event as it may dictate the end of this meaningless war.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mccomber @ May 9th 2007 11:34AM
If Universal does this, I will instantly reward them with my American Dollars.
kingofwale @ May 9th 2007 11:40AM
OUCH!
Does this mean King Kong is coming to Blu Ray?
Mishi @ May 9th 2007 11:50AM
that's awesome news! maybe we can get Dawn of the Dead (remake) on blu-ray!! woohoo!
Stef Geiger @ May 9th 2007 11:52AM
I think most will agree that this would be the final nail in HD DVD's coffin.
The Dude @ May 9th 2007 12:18PM
You know, given the nature of all this new s**t, you know, I-I-I-I... this could be a-a-a-a lot more, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, complex, I mean, it's not just, it might not be just such a simple... uh, you know? This means we'll get to see The Big Lebowski on Blu-Ray, and that's cool... that's, that's cool.
lenny0487 @ May 9th 2007 1:46PM
pwnt...
Galley @ May 9th 2007 12:29PM
That would be awesome. Many of my favorite films are from Universal.
matt @ May 9th 2007 12:33PM
@ 6
I can see why Stef would say its the final nail. With this every studio will now be backing blu-ray while hd-dvd still has only universal. Not good news for hd-dvd. As a consumer if i can buy one format and be gaurenteed every movie i want will be eventually available why would i chose the other format?
kingofwale @ May 9th 2007 12:43PM
this isn't the final nail, The final nail came when xbox refused to put HD-DVD drive in Elite.
well, more accurately, when Microsoft said that they 'could' go Blu-Ray if it wins the way.
Now, when your major backer is sitting on the face like Microsoft is doing, the war is over.
In short, Microsoft killed HD-DVD. :)
Aaron @ May 9th 2007 12:47PM
w00t! Jurassic Park 1,2 & 3 Blu-Ray Collectors Edition here I come!
Fredster @ May 9th 2007 12:52PM
Dream on fanboys, that's not going to happpen...Oh please!
Colin @ May 9th 2007 12:55PM
And pr0n is coming too....
http://www.computing.co.uk/vnunet/news/2189490/pornographers-put-blue-movies
LFP Video Group announced today that it will partner with New Media Adult Entertainment to distribute the first pornographic video on the Blu-ray DVD format.
kingofwale @ May 9th 2007 1:02PM
>11. Dream on fanboys, that's not going to happpen...Oh please!
with comments like that, who are you to call others 'fanboys'? ;)
seedaripper @ May 9th 2007 1:11PM
lol...well if it does come to fruition its a major coup on behalf of blu-ray! (and more movies to watch on my lovely 47in 1080p tv....mmmmmm)
p.s and that does include the pr0n ;)
blasphemizer @ May 9th 2007 1:13PM
"Now, when your major backer is sitting on the face like Microsoft is doing, the war is over."
Sitting on the face? Kinky.
Devils Advocate @ May 9th 2007 1:25PM
"with comments like that, who are you to call others 'fanboys'? ;)"
This comment coming from you is like the pot calling the kettle black. ;)
kingofwale @ May 9th 2007 1:26PM
>Sitting on the face? Kinky.
well, it would tie into the whole 'porn' thing nicely, wouldn't it? ;)
kingofwale @ May 9th 2007 1:27PM
>This comment coming from you is like the pot calling the kettle black.
got any analogy that's from this century? ;)
KillarClown @ May 9th 2007 2:14PM
Sweet! Ghostdad on blu!
Space_Butler @ May 9th 2007 2:38PM
So a rival company at an unaffiliated press conference which was about a completely different issue in a different country without any context claims that Universal just decided to give them a ring and let them know they were going neutral. If you wanna keep tabs on this story, feel free, but this is about as without substance at that rumor that Disney was gonna go neutral a few months ago because Toshiba said they were thinking of adding region support to get a few more studios over (all of it turned out to be completely untrue).
naruto007 @ May 10th 2007 1:22PM
giving the back to the blu-ray format is dumb universal cant lose the oportunity to gain some $
Stef Geiger @ May 9th 2007 4:07PM
@6: Thanks for being an ass and assuming I didn't read the article. I did read it, and that's how I formulated my opinion. Universal's exclusive support is pretty much the ONLY thing HD DVD has going for it. If HD DVD loses exclusivity, that's REALLY going to hurt them.
Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 9th 2007 5:05PM
"Now, when your major backer is sitting on the face like Microsoft is doing, the war is over."
Microsoft is the "major backer"? They barely put any effort into the format. An external HD-DVD player? Give me a break. HD-DVD has a good chance of dying, but its not on Microsoft.
"with comments like that, who are you to call others 'fanboys'? ;)"
Who are you to even be discussing this topic? Every time you say something about a company/product that isn't Sony/PS3, you get your "facts" wrong. I'm not defending Fredster, but come on. Neither of you have a clue.
"got any analogy that's from this century? ;)"
Have anything intelligent to say?
What a joke.
Titty Pink @ May 11th 2007 9:19AM
One question...what format will 300 be on?
Colin @ May 9th 2007 6:08PM
Not to pick at scabs here but yes...MS is a major backer of HD DVD (though they try to stradle the line by offering codec support for both)
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20050927-5355.html
Quote:
Published: September 27, 2005 - 12:59PM CT
Industry giants Intel and Microsoft announced today that they would endorse Toshiba's HD DVD standard over rival Sony's Blu-ray format. This marks the end of a long dry spell for HD DVD, which as of late has had to sit quietly while Blu-ray gained more and more backers. In fact, early last month is looked like HD DVD was on the ropes, with Blu-ray as an obvious victor. Adding insult to injury, Toshiba scrapped plans for a holiday 2005 launch, after it became clear it would be more sizzle than steak.
Microsoft's decision to back HD DVD isn't entirely surprising. The company has talked about buddying up with Toshiba for some time, although they have been careful not to pledge full allegiance. That is, until now.
alex @ May 9th 2007 6:22PM
It's too bad the sales numbers for Blu-Ray and HD DVD are so insignificant right now, with the majority not owning a player for either format.
massive_98 @ May 9th 2007 7:05PM
I would love to see The Gladiator on BRD!!! Best movie ever!!!
Reever @ May 14th 2007 8:44PM
WOOT! JURASSIC PARK IN BLU-RAY!!!
Bangbang... @ May 9th 2007 7:27PM
What does the dvd format war have to do with the ps3 or any next gen console? The failure of UMDs didnt hurt psp sales, so why is blu rays success so vital to the ps3?
Colin @ May 9th 2007 7:45PM
The PS3 is losing $ on every unit sold in order to establish Blu-ray as the dominant next gen format (so that Sony can earn licensing fees).
If HD DVD goes away the PS3 becomes a great choice for those looking for a BD player.
The more PS3s sold the better it is for PS3Fanboys who want more / better / exclusive games.
mccomber @ May 9th 2007 10:24PM
Just to add to Colin's post, think about what would happen if hddvd were to win and bluray went away; ps3 games would be the about only thing mass-produced on bluray, and it would be the one of very few products using the drive... prices would be affected for sure.
I hope it starts showing up in computers en masse soon, that's where we'll really appreciate the storage difference.
Bangbang... @ May 9th 2007 10:31PM
@30
I dont agree with that. UMD is dead for everthing but the psp and it hasn't affected psp sales or psp game prices.
Jettic @ May 11th 2007 5:03PM
Funny how you all are praising Blu-Ray now that it's winning before, everyone was hating it and saying there was no way it could win....Shame on you people...
BTW, I was supportive of Blu-Ray since the beginning...
Andir3.0 @ May 9th 2007 11:41PM
Haven't any of you figure this shit out yet? Sony doesn't give up on formats. They have probably THE best support for every single format they have ever released. Beta/Betacam/BetaMax, UMD, MiniDisc, MemoryStick...PS2... they all have (had) long productive lives even though they didn't meet some artificial line drawn in the sand. Sony didn't just give up on all it's customers like some other companies do.
How's the XBox 1 doing now? What about that PlaysForSure format? How's that new Microsoft Antivirus update? When was the last time you received an update for DirectX on Windows 2000? (hint: dec 2005). Oh, and how's that DirectX10 update for XP coming along? Oh, that's right. They want you to throw XP away (even though it still runs ok) and buy their new format!
Where is the latest batch of Gamecube titles? How many Gameboy Advanced games have you seen recently? (Ok, I'll give Nintendo cred on that one. That system just continues to live on!)
Don't you see my point? UMD will never be a failure because it will always have a use, and a supply of materials(discs) because Sony won't stop making them tomorrow because they didn't do so hot in the movie front.
kingofwale @ May 9th 2007 11:41PM
>UMD is dead for everthing but the psp and it hasn't affected psp sales or psp game prices.
and maybe if UMD movies are selling very well, don't you think it would drive the production of UMD down? So, instead of paying 39 for a game, we'd be looking at 29 for all games. that'd be AWESOME.
anyway, if Blu-Ray win, the production price of blu-ray drive will come down in a major way, driving PS3 cost down. same goes for Blu-Ray disc.
Next-Gen-Gamer @ May 10th 2007 12:48AM
#27
Microsoft saying they "fully" support HD-DVD is a joke. Its easy to say that when the format is starting out. However, we're not even that far into it's life, and Microsoft has gone from pledging support for HD-DVD, to saying they'll support whichever format wins.
Colin @ May 10th 2007 8:04AM
@TPink,
Rumour has it as July 31 on both formats from Warner.
Bangbang... @ May 10th 2007 4:44PM
"Don't you see my point? UMD will never be a failure because it will always have a use, and a supply of materials(discs) because Sony won't stop making them tomorrow because they didn't do so hot in the movie front."
Your theory has 2 huge flaws.
1.)Sony did stop supporting beta max and other failed technologies.
2.) UMDs and memory sticks are still supported by Sony because they have to support it. They are primary components to two of their most popular products.
Where would the PSP be if they completely stopped supporting UMDs. What about the Ps2 without memory sticks?
This whole rant makes no sense:
"How's the XBox 1 doing now?"
New xbox games are still coming out(although few and far between). I know your trying to say that MGS stopped developeing games for the original xbox, but so did SOE.
"What about that PlaysForSure format?"
The 360 just got an update for better compatibility with PlaysForSure media and it's still being supported by every non apple mp3 player on the market, including the zune.
"How's that new Microsoft Antivirus update?"
Windows Live Care? updates weekly and has been for quite some time.
"When was the last time you received an update for DirectX on Windows 2000? (hint: dec 2005)."
(hint: dec 2005 was the last update for DX 9)
Oh, and how's that DirectX10 update for XP coming along? Oh, that's right. They want you to throw XP away (even though it still runs ok) and buy their new format!
Welcome to the world of PC gaming. In fact welcome to the world of gaming. If your gonna bitch about DX10 being vista exclusive, then why not bitch about Gears being 360 exclusive, or MGS4 being PS3 exclusive. Like you said they want you to throw away your ps2 and xbox to play those games (even though they still run ok).
"Where is the latest batch of Gamecube titles? How many Gameboy Advanced games have you seen recently? (Ok, I'll give Nintendo cred on that one. That system just continues to live on!)"
Zelda TP is a fairly new release, and if im not mistaken, it sold more copies on the cube than it did on the wii.
To sum things up, Your Wrong. :)
Pete @ May 10th 2007 11:16PM
300 = Warner Bros. movie
Warner Bros. supports Blu-Ray
Scarface = Universal movie
Universal supports HD-DVD
Really hope that Universal comes to it's senses and just goes free format (at least).
Pete @ May 10th 2007 11:19PM
@BangBang
1 thing that I am sure I remember seeing an article about is that Sony stopped producing betamax just recently. Could be wrong but I swear I saw the article before.
Colin @ May 11th 2007 7:57AM
The day that Beta Died:
http://www.betainfoguide.com/Betadied.htm
By the way...supporting a format for 27 years sounds pretty good to me.
Geoff Gibson @ May 11th 2007 3:54PM
Warner Bros. is not a Blu Ray exclusive. 300 will be on both formats. In fact its quite likely that 300 will be the first TotalHD disc they release, which is a cd that contains both the Blu Ray and HD DVD versions on it.
Geoff Gibson @ May 11th 2007 3:56PM
P.S. I used the term cd in the manner of a general statement of a disc, before any rabid techies jump on me about that. Sometimes I forget where I am posting.
jeremy.d.howell @ May 12th 2007 5:35PM
I knew I was getting a PS3 since before it was announced, simply cause I knew it's where I would get to play MGS. So when blu-ray was announced for it, I was a supporter for that as well. If the ps3 didn't have an hd movie player, I would not even own an hdtv(yet).
I hope Universal starts swinging both ways, I am currently missing out on a few really good titles. I read quite a bit on HDDVD and didn't find it particularly appealing b/c it seems like a transitional tech(since it still has a DVD on it).
I'll probably give Universal another 6 mos and if no change I'll pick up a HDDVD player that upconverts, since my PS3 still doesn't do that(which is complete and utter BULLSH!T) I've got over 2,000 DVDs that are almost unbearable to watch :(
vizunary @ May 12th 2007 5:37PM
32 blu-ray titles and counting
James @ May 21st 2007 10:25AM
HD-DVD still has one weapon up it's sleeve. Wal-mart. The largest retailer in the world is going to carry HD-DVD players and HD-DVD movies exclusively. They will not carry Blu-ray. And anyone that understands retail knows just how important Wal-mart is in the larger scheme of things.