No Blu-ray player for Xbox: Microsoft
updated 02:00 pm EDT, Thu March 13, 2008
no bluray for xbox
It has been confirmed on Wednesday that Microsoft will not integrate Sony's Blu-ray high-definition technology into its Xbox 360 game console. Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360, made the statement in an interview, pointing out owners can still view high-definition movies on the Xbox via Microsoft's Xbox Live online service that allows renting movies, and is the only game console to do so. With the recent fall of HD DVD, Microsoft stopped offering an HD DVD add-on player for its popular console.
“We still think we have a great value, that we have significantly better value than Sony," Greenberg says, referring both to the price of the console and to the Xbox video offering. "Every month we've actually been in stock we've outsold them by a 2 to 1 margin."
Recent supply shortages meant Sony's Blu-ray-equipped rival, the PlayStation 3, outsold the Xbox thus far in 2008, though Greenberg promises a “very healthy inventory” by April. The timing may be ideal, as the fourth installment in the popular Grand Theft Auto series is due to launch for both consoles at the end of April and is expected to spur sales.
