Blu-ray on Windows? Yes. Blu-ray on Xbox 360? No.
by Stevie Smith - Mar 13 2008, 19:08
Microsoft says Blu-ray will not appear on Xbox 360, although it may hit Windows. Credit: Blu-ray.
The speculative likelihood of Microsoft Corp embracing the Blu-ray HD standard in order to replace its obsolete Xbox 360 HD DVD player is looking some way beyond ‘highly unlikely’ following an official rejection of any such rumour by the American software giant.
More pointedly, Xbox 360 group product manager Aaron Greenberg has dismissed the arrival of Blu-ray HD on the company’s Xbox 360 videogame console, outlining to the Reuters news agency that group focus would be centred on digital distribution via the Xbox Live service.
“Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience,” said Greenberg before reminding industry watchers that Microsoft has “the only console offering digital distribution of entertainment content.”
While Greenberg’s comments would appear to finally put the ‘Blu-ray on Xbox 360’ rumours to bed, Microsoft is still in a position to embrace Sony’s high-definition platform through its Windows operating system.
Specifically, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer last week revealed that the Redmond-based company is currently in talks with Sony with regard to supporting Blu-ray via Windows.
“We’ve already been working on, for example, in Windows, device driver support for Blu-ray drives and the like,” said Ballmer during last week’s Mix08 conference. “Toshiba has moved on [since the demise of its HD DVD format]. We’ve moved on, and we’ll support Blu-ray in ways that make sense.”
A new and revamped version of the Xbox Live service, which should be better designed to deliver on Microsoft’s expanded digital delivery ethos, is expected to arrive before the close of 2008.
In related news, tomorrow will see the introduction of sweeping price reductions to all of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 consoles across Europe as the company strives to reinforce its market position against rivals Sony and Nintendo.
As of tomorrow, the Xbox 360 Arcade bundle will be the cheapest next-generation model available at retail, which has led to commentators suggesting pressure is now back on Sony to further reduce the price of its PlayStation 3 in order to stay in touch with the more pocket friendly Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii consoles.
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