Hi-Def Games Income Could Outstrip Blu-Ray Movies in Three Years, According to Industry Leader

Spokane, WA (PRWEB) July 26, 2008 -- The recent avalanche of movie studio quality titles at the E3 and upcoming Comicon conventions have shown that Hollywood no longer owns a lock on preteens, with games like Halo, Grand Theft Auto and even retro-oriented Mario Brothers can earn as much as any blockbuster movies, according to industry figures, and industry pundit Erick Hansen.

Since the sea change since industry leader Warner Bros support of Blu-ray over rival HD-DVD format, all assumed it would be PS3 world since it plays PS3 film and games.

In fact, Hansen assumes that the richness of graphics, speed of processor and massive storage (from 25GB to 50GB depending on number of layers) - and up to 400GB in near future according to the latest tech reports -- are what is required from many of the new generations of games - unless you want to change disks every number of scenes - whether you are playing online or offline.

Which is why he strongly believes Microsoft's' Xbox decision not to go with a Blu-ray drive will hurt it seriously as major game developers from need more graphics, options for players and video back-story.

"It is tragic they have chosen this. Tragic for players and tragic for the industry, which will want one disc that makes their fantasies come to life," said Hansen. "There is a semi-magic 'depth of immersion' that BD can provide that will be - that is becoming--the definition of gaming."

"This is a greater mistake for Microsoft than picking the wrong format in the first place -- or is the the death nail in the Xbox coffin?, Hansen said.

Hansen went on to say Microsoft, who chose the now defunct HD-DVD format over Blu-ray for its Xbox - and now hopes the Internet connection will make up for smaller capacity -- "Microsoft picked the wrong format in the first place, and the world of larger drives for games will make things more and more difficult for Xbox to be competitive. They are hoping online gaming will make up for Xbox having small drives, but you just can't send 100 gigabytes over the Internet.

"This could be the nail in the coffin for the Xbox," he said. "Game are evolving as quickly as memory and chip speed, -- and all of us in the industry rely on the leading software company MS to come up with solutions better than horse-and-buggy attempts to hold on to slow, old technology."

However even Hansen, who made the first three-million selling "Wing of Commander" for Creative Labs, sees more in the future.

"I have some misgivings--there can be a better level of consumer experience - the chips they are making use of, and the next gen - can give the players an ever better sense of the game -- a transport away from reality that's more than a movie, a richness in graphics that not been seen of a chip in PS3 codecs and compression, and multiple layers - and that is what Blue Ray Technologies has been working on for years."

He has a few more predictions: "The video game industry will exceed movie industry on BR. This is one of the largest evolving in the world. Entertainment always does excel in tough economic times -- since the depression. Blu ray music movies, games and software, will do well, sporting themselves will price themselves out of market, -- when it costs $150 to go to ballpark, and gas end everything else involved."

###