@golferal: Good point. Microsoft, although often inefficent, focuses on the long term, patience and enormous reserves of cash pay off in the end...

tamoko

Hmmm...

Given his "retraction" of the blog that was anti-HD-DVD and said 'No more Transformers 2 for you, Paramount!'...

How long before he says that he was fed bad information about Blu-ray and that MS is in no way part of a large conspiracy to control the digital distribution world.

You know... after some Paramount reps and some of Bill Gates' Golden Vista Enforcement Assassin Bots work him over some.

EvilJ

@golferal: Good point. Microsoft, although often inefficent, focuses on the long term, patience and enormous reserves of cash pay off in the end...

tamoko

Wait, wait, wait...

Michael Bay, the man who cannot create a movie with a story that can carry itself past act one. Creator of such POS as Pearl Harbor, Transformers, and The Island wants me to believe that there is a conspiracy involved here?!?

I think the problem with this article is that I don't believe that Michael Bay understands what a conspiracy is.

warf0x0r

Wait, wait, wait...

Michael Bay, the man who cannot create a movie with a story that can carry itself past act one. Creator of such POS as Pearl Harbor, Transformers, and The Island wants me to believe that there is a conspiracy involved here?!?

I think the problem with this article is that I don't believe that Michael Bay understands what a conspiracy is.

warf0x0r

i'm still distraught over the Beta vs VHS format war...

chopstickhero

i'm still distraught over the Beta vs VHS format war...

chopstickhero

Just waiting for a Michael Bay's SILICON VALLEY HD-DVD MASSACRE BY MICROSOFT!
Available in Dolby Digital THX

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

Just waiting for a Michael Bay's SILICON VALLEY HD-DVD MASSACRE BY MICROSOFT!
Available in Dolby Digital THX

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

@proxops-pete: HA

EMoShunz

Amen to Proxops.....SONY is lead by the CIA and the Japanese government!

mikeg112

Amen to Proxops.....SONY is lead by the CIA and the Japanese government!

mikeg112

You guys want to talk about a monopoly? You noticed that no one got mad at Sony for coming out with Blu-ray, and then....releasing Sony Pictures titles only on Blu-ray format and not to any other format, including HD-DVD. Any marketing money Sony spends goes right back to them, so it makes Microsoft look not that bad....

Who cares who wins? I got my HD-DVD player for $89, so at the worst-case scenario I got an upconverting player out of it!

mikeg112

You guys want to talk about a monopoly? You noticed that no one got mad at Sony for coming out with Blu-ray, and then....releasing Sony Pictures titles only on Blu-ray format and not to any other format, including HD-DVD. Any marketing money Sony spends goes right back to them, so it makes Microsoft look not that bad....

Who cares who wins? I got my HD-DVD player for $89, so at the worst-case scenario I got an upconverting player out of it!

mikeg112

What, and Blu-Ray isn't a "big Sony-Funded Conspiracy"?! WTF?!

proxops-pete

What, and Blu-Ray isn't a "big Sony-Funded Conspiracy"?! WTF?!

proxops-pete

@CruJones:
"downloading HD content will take TB's, not GB's"

Yet oddly my 360 manages to donwload HD stuff just fine with only 20GB.

ianken

@EMoShunz: The machines that people would be downloading those files to are primarily Windows machines. And then there's Windows Home Server to manage those files.

golferal

@CruJones:
"downloading HD content will take TB's, not GB's"

Yet oddly my 360 manages to donwload HD stuff just fine with only 20GB.

ianken

Micheal Bay....The Ed Wood of our day.

Oh yeah, if you fanboys looked beyond the SFX in transformers, you would have noticed the "style" that exists in all of Bay's music videos Movies.

Front_Towards_Enemy

@Kaiser-Machead: So was Big Momma's House. Does that mean it's good?

RalphWiggum

Downloadable HD Content is in the future, but not the next couple of years. A High Def DVD format will stick for a few years for three main reasons...

1. Storage isn't cheap enough (downloading HD content will take TB's, not GB's).

2. Current internet connection speeds suck and will not support HD downloads across the board. My Video On Demand for standard definition downloads are painful enough! I can't imagine HD downloads.

3. It may come as a shock to us tech, gadget freaks, but a lot of American still does not have broadband, or are even in markets that offer decent broadband. Yes, there is still a lot of dial-up out there.

A High Def DVD format will succeed. Maybe even both will (although I'm pulling for Blu Ray personally).

CruJones

@majortom1981: if that is true, the blu-ray group is stupid as $417

EMoShunz

@majortom1981: if that is true, the blu-ray group is stupid as $417

EMoShunz

Yes, downloads will be the future of HD video content. But until storage becomes cheaper (as is the trend) storing 200 HD movies on a drive is going to be expensive. No one seems willing to invest in a rental model for HD content yet. If I could download a movie in HD over my Tivo, keep it as long as I want, then delete it and get a new one, that would be perfect for me. Until then, we are stuck with physical media. Does Microsoft have a plan for that?

ulaq27

Yes, downloads will be the future of HD video content. But until storage becomes cheaper (as is the trend) storing 200 HD movies on a drive is going to be expensive. No one seems willing to invest in a rental model for HD content yet. If I could download a movie in HD over my Tivo, keep it as long as I want, then delete it and get a new one, that would be perfect for me. Until then, we are stuck with physical media. Does Microsoft have a plan for that?

ulaq27

I think MS funding some vast HD-DVD conspiracy is more believable than the fact that Michel effing Bay is "acclaimed". I just threw up in my mouth reading that.

bobman1235

The Island was way better than Bad Boys II. God I hated that shitty movie.

Kaiser-Machead

I think MS funding some vast HD-DVD conspiracy is more believable than the fact that Michel effing Bay is "acclaimed". I just threw up in my mouth reading that.

bobman1235

The Island was a smash hit? Are you serious?

i4ni

Making a movie as terrible as The Island removes any credibility this schmuck might have otherwise had.

RalphWiggum

The next generation of Microsoft and Sony consoles will just be hard drives and fiber optic connections...the next gen Nintendo console will finally play CDs.

daftrok

The next generation of Microsoft and Sony consoles will just be hard drives and fiber optic connections...the next gen Nintendo console will finally play CDs.

daftrok

He also is responsible for Armageddon and The Rock. Nevertheless, his insane ranting is starting to make him sound like the Jack Thompson of Hollywood.

omg-ponies

He also is responsible for Armageddon and The Rock. Nevertheless, his insane ranting is starting to make him sound like the Jack Thompson of Hollywood.

omg-ponies

I think it's a bit strange not to mention his latest movie. "Journalists"?

BTW, someone buy him a steadycam.

James

I think it's a bit strange not to mention his latest movie. "Journalists"?

BTW, someone buy him a steadycam.

James

@tamoko: I agree 100%!!!!

BostonPimpDaddy

@tamoko: I agree 100%!!!!

BostonPimpDaddy

So, does this mean that Bay will be directing AntiTrust 2?

Kaiser-Machead

So, does this mean that Bay will be directing AntiTrust 2?

Kaiser-Machead

MIcrosoft offered their services to both hd-dvd and blu-ray. Blu--ray said no and hd-dvd said yes thats why they are with hd-dvd. Blame blu--ray for microsoft not being with them dont blame microsoft themselves. Microsoft may be evil but not that evil.

majortom1981

MIcrosoft offered their services to both hd-dvd and blu-ray. Blu--ray said no and hd-dvd said yes thats why they are with hd-dvd. Blame blu--ray for microsoft not being with them dont blame microsoft themselves. Microsoft may be evil but not that evil.

majortom1981

@ DNA

I thought the same exact thing. Pearl Harbor bites a donkey... and hard too.

SheepCloner

@ DNA

I thought the same exact thing. Pearl Harbor bites a donkey... and hard too.

SheepCloner

Pssssst Gizmodo... he also directed that little movie "Transformers." Why mention The Island and Pearl Harbor? Trying to make him sound less significant or something?

dna

Wait a sec, didn't MS finance for The Island? Or was that the XBox division?

james-42

Pssssst Gizmodo... he also directed that little movie "Transformers." Why mention The Island and Pearl Harbor? Trying to make him sound less significant or something?

dna

Who is this guy?
Who cares what he thinks about HD DVD?
Why make three different posts on this, Giz?

I mean, why not...@strider_mt2k:

ANoel

where is the explosion?

Twenty5

Well, how much has Microsoft spent on the XBox as their ultimate way to "bring the computer into the living room"?

smitty1123

Well, how much has Microsoft spent on the XBox as their ultimate way to "bring the computer into the living room"?

smitty1123

Interesting story Micheal... All it needs is a thrilling chase scene followed by a massive explosion!

what a douche

Johnny Chimpo

Interesting story Micheal... All it needs is a thrilling chase scene followed by a massive explosion!

what a douche

Johnny Chimpo

@strider_mt2k: Do not mock the Grand Geometrician!

Windhawk

@strider_mt2k: Do not mock the Grand Geometrician!

Windhawk

just like his conspiracy to suck all character development and plot lines out of every movie he touches...

SharkByte

just like his conspiracy to suck all character development and plot lines out of every movie he touches...

SharkByte

But Like it's been said all the time as an end User i just wish theRe's just one formAt,.. are You all agree?.

Belief

But Like it's been said all the time as an end User i just wish theRe's just one formAt,.. are You all agree?.

Belief

Wow, Micheal Bay is really one paranoid dude. Stick to making movies, leave the conspiracies to the professionals...

tamoko

Wow, Micheal Bay is really one paranoid dude. Stick to making movies, leave the conspiracies to the professionals...

tamoko

That is a great plan by M$, but like you said, they as a company aren't that smart.

Joseph

well it is a giant conspiracy. Why do you think HD-DVD paid off studios? I mean come on. That right there says enough.

ImTheKing

That is a great plan by M$, but like you said, they as a company aren't that smart.

Joseph

those server that will upload all that digital contend will be likely over 50% linux/bsd/unix, so where does ms get the encouragement to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to kill both formats when all digital is going to happen down the road anyway.

EMoShunz

Someone should be paying to get digital downloads out there. This is where we are headed anyway.

Captain Angry

Biggest fanyboy ever?

ShaneO83

*Sitting behind desk, holding papers* "And this just in, Michael Bay is declared mentally challenged and we now have the answer to what the hell is wrong with all his movies. Now to weather."

SecondTomorrow

It's all controlled by the Stone Cutters anyway.

They dooooo!

strider_mt2k

Its not really a conspiracy when MS has pretty much controls a dominant position in desktop OS, setup cable boxes, game consoles, PDAs, Smartphones and is attempting portable media players. MS would rather have a subscription license model which guarantees income rather than one off sales.

Its sort of like saying the Nazis have a conspiracy to take over most of Europe in 1939.

songs

For those complaining about HD DVD paying people off, why do you think Blockbuster went Blu Ray exclusive, because they wanted to buy MovieLink and Sony had a big say whether it gets approved or not. Soon as they did it, their deal with MovieLink got approved, paying each other off is just another part of the business. No business is going to do something if it does not make them more money. Currently HD DVD stand alone players are outselling Blu Ray, and a majority of PS3 owners don't even know they have a Blu Ray player in their system.

xamarshahx

@ianken: You must have some magical powers. Your able to use a 20 gb xbox 360 to download HD content and then what? You delete it? Do you buy movies and throw them out after you watch them? Tell me kind sir what your magical power is that allows your 20 gb hard drive to magically store more than 2 hi def movies!

ImTheKing

If this is even half true you guys do realize how bad it is? A big corporation trying to manipulate the market and impeding other companies by causing consumer confusion?

Jitty

@MIKEG112 go easy on sony. Its there Disk and they were first, before HD-dvd.

zakeen

@songs: It's nice to see that even in Web 2.0 Godwin's law still rings true...

Loker

It's just not that complicated. If you remember the old days of the VHS/Betamax wars the same thing happened, and it dragged on for years. The makers of both HD DVD formats wants to win at any cost. They've both invested billions and they want to be the format that the other guy pays royalties to for all HD disks for a decade or more to come until the next thing comes out. Both sides know what's at stake and that's what's dividing them.

To blame MS for sabotage so both will fail and we won't use either, but download from Microsoft borders on hysterical. I hereby post a bounty. If you see Michael Bay, yell to him "You're a hysterical madman! Remember VHS vs. Betamax you fool!"
If you succeed in this mission and capture it on tape I will Fedex your choice of a 2 pack of Hostess lemon cupakes, Twinkie two pack, or Ho-Ho's. Sure you'll probably take a karate combo from his bodyguards, but I'll make it worth your while.

Hello_Newman

@ImTheKing: Compression. C-O-M-P-R-E.....

Why do you think that it doesn't take 4 gigs of space to store a normal, standard def DVD on your computer? Because MPEG-2 takes s*** for brains to decompress (i.e. your $20 DVD player) where as more advanced formats can be decompressed on the fly with a decent computer (i.e. your $400 X-Box 360.) Those more advanced formats also happen to take up much less space.

jamesuschrist

Actually, there can be a very reasonable explanation for hating HD-DVD.

Firstly, it's anti-studio. Without the region coding, studios cannot release an HD-DVD without making sure that the theatre run is over. After all, you can't have pesky people importing HD-DVDs while the movie's not even out yet, can you?

Secondly, he probably believes the internet is full of pirates. When HD-DVD only has AACS (broken, and optional support at that), Blu-Ray's superior DRM should look attractive at keeping pesky pirates at bay. No third-shift runs at Blu-Ray plants with ROMMark, and BD+ is the thing that'll keep Blu-Ray from being broken.

Oh yeah, and since director residuals are always good, Blu-Ray guarantees at least 3 releases. One for old "grace period" models, a new "collector's edition" that requires a full profile (Blu-Ray 1.1) player, and a super-duper "Director's Edition XTREME!!!" version that'll need a BD Live player to play. With HD-DVD players already having the equivalent of BD-Live, well, there goes the extra two releases and more residuals.

Of course, I suspected there was a huge cheer when he said there wouldn't be a Bayformers 2... Maybe there's a TransFan at Microsoft's HD-DVD division who felt strongly about the movie.

(And yes, I'm being sarcastic at points throughout this comment. I know BD+ is cracked.)

(Also, Microsoft profits whether or not HD-DVD succeeds - VC-1 is their codec and they get patent royalties since both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray use it...).

Worf