Microsoft: X360 HD DVD's fate hangs on Toshiba
updated 10:35 am EST, Mon February 18, 2008
MS No Plans to Drop HD DVD
Microsoft will not make any decisions about the fate of its Xbox 360 HD DVD player until it hears from Toshiba, the former company said today. Although rumors have pointed to the Xbox creator developing a Blu-ray add-on for the spring, its official stance will hinge on whether Toshiba continues its own hardware, which is believed to rest inside the Microsoft-branded drive. Microsoft has often followed Toshiba's moves closely and recently dropped its Xbox 360 HD DVD price to match similar discounts for Toshiba's line.
However, Microsoft does not believe that the outcome for the add-on player or HD DVD as a whole will have an impact on the Xbox 360's standing, according to the statement. In addition to a primary focus on games, the console is said to be independent of the success of any one HD movie format through the Xbox Live Video Marketplace, which currently supplies 720p downloads of some of its movie catalog.
"We believe it is games that sell consoles," Microsoft said, alluding to Sony's commonly understood efforts to use Blu-ray as a selling point for the PlayStation 3.
