Ask the Insiders: Putting the Last Nails in the Coffin

[jon s]

can't believe the number of worry warts out there. None of the BR studios want this format war to continue so why wud they jump ship? Universal and Paramount are contractually stuck with HD until Toshiba abandons ship.

As the Sicilian said, "it is inconceivable" that someone would jump onboard a sinking ship when you are safe in a bigger boat...

[spicynacho]

Can we try to recruit a panasonic insider to the forum?

[juanleche]

PS3 hardware question:

Is there any reason Sony can't develop cables for analog multichannel audio that output from the multi/av port? That port is capable of passing audio we know becuase it outputs analog, s-video and componentw/ analog 2 channel. Is it limited to 2-channel audio? Why can't the ps3 route the linear multichannel anaolg signals out thru that port if the hdmi port is being used for the video signal?

[Gremal]

Originally Posted by jon s

can't believe the number of worry warts out there. None of the BR studios want this format war to continue so why wud they jump ship? Universal and Paramount are contractually stuck with HD until Toshiba abandons ship.

As the Sicilian said, "it is inconceivable" that someone would jump onboard a sinking ship when you are safe in a bigger boat...

Well, Toshiba does make more money than Sony in total revenue and so does Microsoft. They throw around a lot of weight, and it would be easy for them to make studios see more dollar signs in signing a deal than in releasing BDs at this early stage of the game. I feel confident the other studios won't stoop to that level since Warner didn't. But Graffeo seems beholden to HD DVD and one never knows. It ain't over till it's over. Barring some killer rumor or hint from our insiders, that is.

[jon s]

Originally Posted by Gremal

Well, Toshiba does make more money than Sony in total revenue and so does Microsoft. They throw around a lot of weight, and it would be easy for them to make studios see more dollar signs in signing a deal than in releasing BDs at this early stage of the game. I feel confident the other studios won't stoop to that level since Warner didn't. But Graffeo seems beholden to HD DVD and one never knows. It ain't over till it's over. Barring some killer rumor or hint from our insiders, that is.

I always hear that from people, but checking the financial records for Sony and Toshiba shows this...

Sony 2007 revenue 70 billion, profits 1.07 billion
Toshiba 2007 revenue 60 billion profits 1.1 billion
Sony 2006 revenue 63.5 billion, profits 1 billion
Toshiba 2006 revenue 53 billion, profits 665 million
Sony 2005 revenue 66 billion, profits 1.5 billion
Toshiba 2005 revenue 54.2 billion, profits 428 million

So Sony has been making more money than Toshiba in the last three years...

[blitz6speed]

Originally Posted by spicynacho

Can we try to recruit a panasonic insider to the forum?

There already is one. You just have to look carefully!

[DaViD Boulet]

I feel confident the other studios won't stoop to that level since Warner didn't. But Graffeo seems beholden to HD DVD and one never knows. It ain't over till it's over. Barring some killer rumor or hint from our insiders, that is.

With Warner gone, the best that the remaining HD DVD holdouts could hope for is a slow trickle of dwindling software sales for the handful of consumers willing to shell out money on an additional player to play a few titles. There is no financial incentive to (life-) support a format in this way: it's not profitable. Software sales have already shifted and the consumer voice has spoken. The market has heard. Be patient while Toshiba and their partners work out the best exit strategy that they can given how much they are losing in the process.

[TheRealBob]

Originally Posted by Gremal

But Graffeo seems beholden to HD DVD and one never knows.

Honestly, what do people want Ken Graffeo to do? Let's say he's a nice guy who believed in HD DVD at one point and now, like most rational people, he can see it's a dead format. So what do you expect him to do?

Should he say, "Yeah, I'm head of the HD DVD group at the moment, but I must confess my heart really isn't in it anymore, and my company Universal is preparing to go Blu as soon as they can"?

He probably legally cannot say that. There are contracts, and I'm sure as long as he's head HD DVD rep he can't disparage the format. Also, Universal probably has some legal issues as far as announcing a change, so until it's official they'll just keep repeating their official stance.

Once you accept that he probably cannot say anything about a Universal jump to Blu-ray or anything negative about HD DVD, now what do you want out of him?

Should he keep saying the HD DVD party line, but maybe wink at us while he's doing it? Should he drop a bunch of hints for us that he knows what he's saying about HD DVD's eventual success is, to put it charitably, unrealistic?

I guess I don't know what people are expecting in this situation and why they keep getting infuriated every time he's asked the question and repeats the only answer he can give.

Do you think he should quit, because it is just horribly unethical? Step out of the bubble where the format war is the most important thing in the world today and think that over. I mean, come on, he's hooked up with companies that are building players that look like they're not going to catch on and discs that work in those players. It's not as if they're building torture devices or something.

The bottom line is there's no compelling reason for him to resign, and while he's still there all he can say is good things about HD DVD. That doesn't mean he's delusional or beholden or a zealot. It just means he's doing his job. Even if he knows for a fact that Universal is preparing to jump (and I suspect very strongly that is the case), this is still all he can say.

Penton-Man vouched for him and said he was a nice guy, and there have been plenty of hints that Universal is at least going neutral by the end of the year. That's apparently all we're going to get.

[BillCable]

Originally Posted by TheRealBob

Do you think he should quit, because it is just horribly unethical? Step out of the bubble where the format war is the most important thing in the world today and think that over. I mean, come on, he's hooked up with companies that are building players that look like they're not going to catch on and discs that work in those players. It's not as if they're building torture devices or something.

They may not be torture devices, but every lie he tells that compels some unsuspecting soul to spend their hard-earned money on a dead format should trouble him. I could never do that. I'd ask to be reassigned, or I'd just stick to the "We continue to support HD DVD" line followed by "No comment." In his recent interview he really pushed HD DVD as if it was still viable, which I feel is just untruthful.

[TheRealBob]

Originally Posted by BillCable

They may not be torture devices, but every lie he tells that compels some unsuspecting soul to spend their hard-earned money on a dead format should trouble him. I could never do that. I'd ask to be reassigned, or I'd just stick to the "We continue to support HD DVD" line followed by "No comment." In his recent interview he really pushed HD DVD as if it was still viable, which I feel is just untruthful.

I understand this argument, but I think ironically the more ridiculous it gets for him to say HD DVD is still viable, the less I have a problem with it. At this point two minutes of research should tell people that they shouldn't buy an HD DVD player.

How is Joe Average even going to get anywhere near a Ken Graffeo quote these days to be misled by it? If he's doing research, he'll see that, in context, the KG quote is just silly. If he's not doing research and just ran across it, it's pretty much 100% that the quote is in the middle of a story about how HD DVD has effectively lost the format war.

The impact Ken Graffeo is having on the format war today is pretty much nil.

[DaViD Boulet]

How is Joe Average even going to get anywhere near a Ken Graffeo quote these days to be misled by it? If he's doing research, he'll see that, in context, the KG quote is just silly. If he's not doing research and just ran across it, it's pretty much 100% that the quote is in the middle of a story about how HD DVD has effectively lost the format war.

The impact Ken Graffeo is having on the format war today is pretty much nil.

+1

[mycroft]

Originally Posted by jon s

I always hear that from people, but checking the financial records for Sony and Toshiba shows this...

Sony 2007 revenue 70 billion, profits 1.07 billion
Toshiba 2007 revenue 60 billion profits 1.1 billion
Sony 2006 revenue 63.5 billion, profits 1 billion
Toshiba 2006 revenue 53 billion, profits 665 million
Sony 2005 revenue 66 billion, profits 1.5 billion
Toshiba 2005 revenue 54.2 billion, profits 428 million

So Sony has been making more money than Toshiba in the last three years...

Aah, but:
Microsoft 2007 Revenue: 51 billion, profits: 14 billion
Microsoft 2006 Revenue: 44 billion, profits: 12.5 billion
Microsoft 2005 Revenue: 39 billion, profits: 12.2 billion

In the last three years, microsoft has made over 10 times as much money as Sony, which translates roughly to $35 billion more in profit. The benefits of a high margin business...

[jon s]

Originally Posted by mycroft

Aah, but:
Microsoft 2007 Revenue: 51 billion, profits: 14 billion
Microsoft 2006 Revenue: 44 billion, profits: 12.5 billion
Microsoft 2005 Revenue: 39 billion, profits: 12.2 billion

In the last three years, microsoft has made over 10 times as much money as Sony, which translates roughly to $35 billion more in profit. The benefits of a high margin business...

i did not mention M$ as it is obvious they are probably one of if not the biggest money making machines out there (with the exception of oil companies and i really don't want to go there!!!)... but Sony is bigger than Toshiba. With HD-DVD's spiral into oblivion, it's obvious than the its' death throes will more than dent their profit margin unless they throw in the towel. After, $2.7 million for a 30 second Super Bowl ad is not going to make that much of a difference for their HD-DVD cause.

[malwa]

Originally Posted by malwa

Max I have made 3200 on my ladbrokes acct this year. I'm thinking of putting a 1000 on spurs for the carling cup. I have a good feeling.

So would you join me on putting a g note on spurs or would you hesitate? LOL.

Oh crap I actually did this. Max you locked your thread lol. Well thats the last I'm betting drunk. Crap you better at least send me a free blu-ray if they lose!!!

[lucas122478]

Who do we message for information on Sony Games? Specifically I'm wondering if Sony has any plans on making Legend of the Dragoon II. I don't know about anyone else, but it ranked up there with one of my favorist 1st Gen PS RPGS along with FF7 and Chrono Cross. I'd really like to see an RPG made by SONY that completely utilizes the full potentional of the hardware in the PS3.

[juanleche]

When the fox exec comes back please remind me to ask for :

Short Cuircuts 1&2
Flight of the navigator

[Razzy]

Originally Posted by juanleche

When the fox exec comes back please remind me to ask for :

Short Cuircuts 1&2
Flight of the navigator

Please don't:

Originally Posted by Iceman

avoid asking "chicken little" questions or asking when unannounced titles will come out.

[ezcobar411]

Originally Posted by lucas122478

Who do we message for information on Sony Games? Specifically I'm wondering if Sony has any plans on making Legend of the Dragoon II. I don't know about anyone else, but it ranked up there with one of my favorist 1st Gen PS RPGS along with FF7 and Chrono Cross. I'd really like to see an RPG made by SONY that completely utilizes the full potentional of the hardware in the PS3.

I loved that game too

[juanleche]

Originally Posted by Razzy

Please don't:

true but I could express that I would like to see those titles one day

[WickyWoo]

No, you shouldn't. He just quoted you the rules

And Navigator is a Disney title anyway