Microsoft today repeated its past denials that the company is developing a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360. Following a report on Friday which said Microsoft had contacted ASUS for drives to be used as add-ons for the game system by the fall, Microsoft has echoed its past approach and says that it has "no plans" to launch a Blu-ray reader add-on in the near future. The company prefers to focus on the core gaming of the Xbox, according to a statement.

"Games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available," Microsoft claims.

Microsoft has dismissed these claims twice before but is widely believed to be contemplating a replacement for its defunct HD DVD movie drive, which it has had to pull from the marketplace after the demise of the HD DVD format. Part of this motivation is likely to stem from Sony's success in using the PlayStation 3 to promote Blu-ray and control HD movie formats.