Following something of a disastrous week for backers of HD-DVD technology, with the announcement of Warner Bros defecting to its chief rival and murmurings of Paramount going the same way, Microsoft has revealed that should the tide turn towards Sony's technology it would consider supporting the Blu-ray with the Xbox 360.
Speaking to Reuters, group marketing manager for Xbox hardware Albert Penello said, "It should be consumer choice; and if that's the way they vote, that's something we'll have to consider." Microsoft has previously aligned themselves to Toshiba's technology, offering an HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360 and having been rumoured to be implementing a HD-DVD drive for future incarnations of its console.
Warner Bros's recent defection to Blu-ray technology sent shockwaves through the industry, even forcing Toshiba to cancel its Consumer Electronics Show presentation earlier this week. However, Penello was ultimately supportive of HD-DVD, stating that "…I've seen this battle declared over so many times. I want consumers to have a voice in this and I think there are a lot of consumers who bought HD-DVD who are going to have a say in how this shakes out."
Microsoft has since clarified its statement, claiming that pieces of Penello's comments were omitted by Reuters. "Microsoft currently has no plans at this time to consider Blu-ray as an option," Microsoft's statement read. "We continue to believe that HD DVD is the best optical solution for consumers, since it's the only format today that delivers quality experiences at affordable prices."
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Speaking to Reuters, group marketing manager for Xbox hardware Albert Penello said, "It should be consumer choice; and if that's the way they vote, that's something we'll have to consider." Microsoft has previously aligned themselves to Toshiba's technology, offering an HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360 and having been rumoured to be implementing a HD-DVD drive for future incarnations of its console.
Warner Bros's recent defection to Blu-ray technology sent shockwaves through the industry, even forcing Toshiba to cancel its Consumer Electronics Show presentation earlier this week. However, Penello was ultimately supportive of HD-DVD, stating that "…I've seen this battle declared over so many times. I want consumers to have a voice in this and I think there are a lot of consumers who bought HD-DVD who are going to have a say in how this shakes out."
Microsoft has since clarified its statement, claiming that pieces of Penello's comments were omitted by Reuters. "Microsoft currently has no plans at this time to consider Blu-ray as an option," Microsoft's statement read. "We continue to believe that HD DVD is the best optical solution for consumers, since it's the only format today that delivers quality experiences at affordable prices."
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