Gamertell

Well, it looks like Microsoft is throwing in the towel when it comes to their support of the HD-DVD format. IGN is reporting that after dramatically reducing the price of the Xbox HD-DVD player from its original $179.99 down to $50, and dropping the HD-DVD player’s manufacturer Toshiba back in February, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that Microsoft was throwing its support behind Blu-ray. The news is coming from the Las Vegas Mix08 Internet conference.

From a post at IGN: “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,” Ballmer went on to say.

However, Ballmer did not actually mention the Xbox 360 and how this move would affect gamers. Whether or not Xbox owners can expect to be able to buy a portable Blu-ray player isn’t known at this time, nor is the cost of such a device. But, after the recent boost in Sony’s PlayStation 3 sales, due in great part to the imbedded Blu-ray player within all PS3’s, it is likely that Microsoft will sooner, rather then later, include a portable driver.

The failure of HD-DVD marks the biggest loss for Microsoft to date, who little over a year ago, seemed to be on their way to becoming the new gaming console champion. At least though, they aren’t one to hold grudges and recognize what their audience wants. In the end, it is the consumers that will win out.

Read [IGN] Also Read [Joystiq]

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