Microsoft Drops Xbox HD DVD Drive Price

By Geoff Duncan July 26, 2007

Microsoft Drops Xbox HD DVD Drive Price

Microsoft has announced it will lower the price on its external Xbox 360 HD DVD Player from $199 to $179 beginning August 1—and, furthermore, the company will offer five free HD DVD movies with players purchased between August 1 and September 30, 2007. The free movie deal closely parallel’s Toshiba’s recent promotion of five free HD DVD discs with Toshiba HD DVD players—when purchasing an Xbox 460 HD DVD player, customers will be able to choose five free movies from a selection of 15 HD DVD titles via a mail-in offer.

“With the price reduction to $179, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player continues to be the most affordable way to enjoy high definition,” said Jeff Bell, corporate VP of global Marketing, for Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices Division. “From the beginning, we set out to offer Xbox 360 owners an unrivaled high-definition experience, with a choice of optical discs on the HD DVD format and digital downloads through Xbox LIVE Marketplace—both of which have a selection of the best content Hollywood has to offer.”

Microsoft also announced promotions to tie in with the HD DVD releases of the film 300 and the first season of the NBC television show Heroes. Microsoft will offer 300 on demand via Xbox Live Marketplace beginning August 14, and will offer the Heroes pilot episode as a free high definition download for a limited time. Microsoft will also offer teasers, trailers, and other Heroes promotional materials as free downloads.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Gaming

Microsoft to pay $20M over Xbox child privacy violations

Microsoft signage at the Meridian Building (formerly CompuWare) in Detroit, Michigan.

Microsoft has agreed to pay $20 million to U.S. regulators for violating the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

The breach involved the computer giant collecting and retaining personal information from children who set up an Xbox account prior to obtaining permission from their parents.

Gaming

Microsoft pledges to bring Xbox PC games to Nvidia GeForce Now

geforce-now-og-no-text-1200x630

Microsoft has announced a 10-year partnership with Nvidia aimed at bringing Xbox PC games to its cloud gaming service competitor Nvidia GeForce Now as part of its ongoing efforts to win over companies skeptical of its potebtial Activision Blizzard acquisition.
This means that players can use Nvidia GeForce Now to play the Steam, Epic Games Store, or Windows versions of titles like Halo Infinite, Redfall, and eventually, Call of Duty through the cloud on GeForce Now. Third-party publishers with games on the Windows Store can also now grant streaming rights to Nvidia. This announcement came during a European Commission hearing where Microsoft tried to convince regulators that its impending acquisition should bne allowed.
Microsoft has been under a lot of regulatory scrutiny even since it announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard in January 2022. It's trying to win over industry peers with deals like this one with Nvidia. This week, the Communications Workers of America voiced its approval of the deal, and Microsoft has signed a binding agreement to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms as well. Previously, Nvidia had raised concerns about Microsoft's Activision Blizzard acquisition, but the press release announcing this agreement states that the deal "resolves Nvidia's concerns," and that Nvidia now gives "full support for regulatory approval of the acquisition."
Regulatory bodies in the U.S., U.K., and Europe are worried that Microsoft acquiring Activision Blizzard will hurt the game industry and sabotage Microsoft's competitors in both console and cloud gaming. Nvidia GeForce Now is seen as one of the biggest competitors to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate's cloud service offerings, which makes it surprising that it reached an agreement with Nvidia. However, this deal also demonstrates how Microsoft is willing to make concessions so that its acquisition of Activision Blizzard is approved.

Gaming

The best Xbox exclusives of 2022: 6 Game Pass greats that saved Microsoft’s quiet year

Characters from Grounded stand in front of text that says 2022 Best Xbox Exclusives.

The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S's second year on the market was rough. While the consoles continue to sell well and Xbox Game Pass is still a great deal, the delay of Redfall and Starfield into 2023 decimated the Xbox consoles' first-party 2022 lineup. While the lack of heavy-hitting AAA titles might initially make a list like this seem frivolous, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S still had quite a few compelling exclusives.

Many of these games are highly experimental, pushing the boundaries of narratives in video games. All of the titles launched on Xbox Game Pass on day one, highlighting the strength of that subscription service. If you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription or are just wondering what 2022 Xbox exclusives are worth playing, these seven console exclusives stand out.
Immortality