14 DAY TRIAL // Back in mid-December 2007, Microsoft made available Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator, with an one-time license of $2,999. Just three months later, the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator is a free download, accessible through the Xbox Live Marketplace, via token requests at the product's official webpage. Ironically enough, the emulator is still being offered under the slogan "This isn't someday. This is now. This is HD DVD." The irony, of course, is that HD DVD is dead and without any future. A move that has prompted Microsoft to offer the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator for free.
"This decision was made in light of Toshiba's recent announcement that they are discontinuing their HD DVD business. The reasons for offering the emulator for free are two-fold. Microsoft is committed to interactivity and giving content authors the ability to create more compelling entertainment experiences. Offering the emulator for free allows a greater audience to experiment with interactivity with little to no cost. Second, the emulator beta program had approximately 80 participants across the industry who relied on the emulator for testing HDi content. Continued access to the emulator will assist those post houses and developers in completing their outstanding HD DVD projects," explained Amy Dullard, Program Manager, Microsoft HD DVD.
Microsoft is also looking to the customers that have already purchased the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator. According to Dullard, the Redmond company will offer full refunds to all those that have acquired the emulator since it was launched. There is nothing stopping you, and certainly not the price, to play around with the Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator. But at the same time, since HD DVD is dead, the emulator is quite useless. And yes, you do need a HD DVD add-on drive. "The Xbox 360 HD DVD Emulator allows you to run complete HD DVD projects - video, audio, and advanced interactivity - on your Xbox 360 from an external USB drive or networked PC," Dullard added.