Microsoft: No Blu-Ray for Xbox 360
- March 13, 2008 06:16 AM PST
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On Wednesday, Microsoft categorically denied that a Blu-Ray Xbox 360 SKU -- external or internal -- would ever see the light of day.
This is all the HD drive I need, baby
Contrary to popular rumors and comments made by one Sony executive, Microsoft on Wednesday vehemently denied that a Blu-Ray Xbox 360 SKU was planned or in the works.
Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360, also denied that Microsoft was "in talks" with Sony over a Blu-Ray drive for the console.
"Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience," Greenberg told Reuters in an interview.
The remarks would appear to put to rest the rampant speculation that surrounded the XBox 360 in the wake of HD DVD's death earlier this year. When Toshiba, the final backer of that HD disc format, pulled their support in February, Microsoft almost immediately slashed prices on its external Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive before ultimately discontinuing the peripheral. Commentary about the possibility of a speedy Blu-Ray replacement was not far behind.
Microsoft chairman Steve Ballmer also fanned the fires a bit when he told attendees at the Mix08 conference earlier this month that his company had come to terms with the end of HD DVD and would "support Blu-ray in ways that make sense."
In that light, apparently an Xbox 360 Blu-Ray system doesn't make any sense. Maybe it's too small, eh Kojima?
