Sony, Microsoft Discussing BluRay Player for the Xbox 360

Posted by Deadly Cyclone at 2:04 PM

UPDATE: Seattlepi.com covered the Mix08 event in which Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer spoke reguarding Microsoft's position on many issues. One which included the future of the company and BluRay.

"We've already been working on, for example, in Windows, device driver support for Blu-ray drives and the like, and I think the world moves on. Toshiba has moved on. We've moved on, and we'll support Blu-ray in ways that make sense."

So what does this mean for the Xbox 360 and it's future? Well I think it is safe to say that some kind of BluRay will make it to the console. It what form is the biggest question.

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Stan Glasgow, Sony Electronics US president, has stated that Sony is in talks with Microsoft to bring a BluRay player to the Xbox 360. This comes after the fall of HD-DVD, the format Microsoft previously backed.

According to the Financial Times, letting Microsoft take advantage of the technology would not only make Microsoft more competitive with Sony, but also bring extra revenue to their electronics division.

The inquiry now would be whether Microsoft would add the drive as an internal or external player. Internalization would most likely bring more costs to production of the 360, and thus institute higher prices in the systems. It seems that Microsoft has thought of this problem, being that their HD-DVD player was an external peripheral.

Glasgow, who spoke at a media dinner, also discussed a partnership with Apple.

Source: Financial Times