Xbox 360 Fanboy

We've officially lost count of how many times Microsoft has denied rumors of an upcoming Xbox 360 equipped with Blu-ray ... we only have so many fingers and toes.

And so comes another denial hot on the heels of the recent Blu-ray rumor, where Microsoft told GamePro that they "have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360". There you have it, said as black and white as humanly possible. But don't worry fanboys, we'll still report on every Blu-ray / Xbox 360 rumor we come across, not only because we feel obligated to keep you informed, but because we also enjoy annoying the pants off Microsoft. Yes, we're evil ...

[Via Joystiq]

Adding to the pile of Blu-ray rumors we've had the privilege of reporting on for the past few months, we get word that a Blu-ray equipped Xbox 360 is headed our way the third quarter of this year.

According to the Chinese Economic Daily News, Pegatron Technology (an OEM subsidiary of Asustek Computer who deals with computer component manufacturing) has been selected by Microsoft to assemble Xbox 360 consoles with Blu-ray drives which will begin shipping Q3 2008. And, as Joystiq points out, the report's wording hints at the Blu-ray drive being internal rather than an external add-on. So, how long will it take for Microsoft to deny this latest Blu-ray gem? We give them until 4:00PM eastern.

[Via Joystiq]

We didn't think HD DVD early adopters could get any luckier when Best Buy started handing out $50 gift cards, but we were wrong. Future Shop, Canada's largest retailer of consumer electronics, is offering a $100 trade-in promotion on all HD DVD players towards the purchase of select Samsung or LG model Blu-ray / HD DVD combo players (which retail for $499.99 CND each).

Future Shop has sweetened the deal to consumers by promising to donate returned HD DVD Players the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada for use in their after-school and evening programs. Charity and a discount in the HD format war? That's the Canadian hospitality we're accustomed to hearing about!

The promotion began on March 7 and will run until April 3 across Canada.

They may have to support it for some of their products, but Microsoft is being vocal about their non-support of Blu-ray technology when it comes to the Xbox 360.

Microsoft's own Aaron Greenberg flat out told Reuters that Sony's Blu-ray technology would not be integrated into the 360 saying that "Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience". So, can we now officially put to rest any rumors or talk of Microsoft releasing an Xbox 360 Blu-ray attachment? Please?

It's been bandied about before, but now we have real word from Microsoft that they are indeed going to be supporting the defacto winner of the format war. With Sony saying that they were "in talks" with Microsoft, and a clam-like strategy being adopted by Microsoft, no one was quite sure just how spited they were towards Blu-ray. This is jus the confirmation of things though, with Microsoft admitting that it is trying to figure out the best way to connect with Blu-ray, and that it is working on different ways to integrate the Blu-ray devices and technology into Microsoft products across the board, including Windows.

Yesterday our email exploded with news tips regarding the latest in the Blu-ray Saga. In an interview with the Financial Times, Sony Electronics US president Stan Glasgow proclaimed, "Sony is in talks with console rival Microsoft about offering a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360." While Microsoft has since denied any HD discussions are happening with Sony, we remember that a few MS execs let it slip that this could be an option if Blu-ray won the "war," which it did. One thing to keep in mind Xbox fanboys, this decision stems from wanting to offer multiple avenues to HD content to Xbox 360 users and doesn't mean we'll see that new SKU that slaps Master Chief's next outing on a BD disc. At least we think.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

It's official. After sidestepped inquires to retailers and unanswered questions during the Blogger Breakfast, Gamescore Blog sends the word that Microsoft has officially ended production on the HD DVD add-on drive for the Xbox 360. Citing the recent decision from Toshiba to shut the format down, Hollywood exodus and various retailer announcements, Microsoft is out of the HD DVD business. Current owners of the HD DVD drive, who haven't flooded eBay with their defunct format, will be happy to know that Microsoft will, "continue to provide standard product and warranty support for all Xbox 360 HD DVD Players in the market."

With the announcement Microsoft took the opportunity to reiterate it's statement that this format massacre war has little impact on it's Xbox 360 business and reminds consumers that the HD DVD was just one of the various ways the Xbox 360 offered HD content, another being through the Xbox Live Video Marketplace. On a side note anyone wondering what they can do with their HD DVD drive, this video might help.

[Thanks, OSpazX]

Our friends at Engadget Japan (English link) were able to live blog a press conference that ended a few hours ago where Toshiba president Nishida-san officially confirmed earlier reports that HD DVD had fallen for good in the console war. During the conference a lot of numbers were dropped on the overall impact of the HD DVD format, but instead of just dolling out the info like we've been doing all week long we thought we would write a letter to our downed friend and tell him how we really felt.

Dear HD DVD,
Hey, it's everyone here at X3F. So you had a good decent run in the high definition format war and it didn't go the way you hoped. Now, like all those ET cartridges buried in the desert, you've found a new home padding Nevada for some kind of future nuclear test. Take solace in the fact that you have around 730,000 HD DVD players worldwide taking up space in homes like an overweight passenger who has to buy two seats on a United flight. Our fans made up for 300,000 of those units by way of the Xbox 360 add-on and while we here at X3F tried to give you as many shout-outs as possible it just didn't look like you were getting on anyone's good side.

It's funny, this whole thing really has nothing to do with video games but we keep talking about you. Maybe it's because of the whole Xbox 360 add-on thing or maybe we're just trying to ignore the fact that a new optical format in the age of digital distribution makes about as much sense as controlling an escalator with a chicken-n-beef burrito. So will Toshiba start making Blu-ray players or begin work on a new format? They won't say. What we know for sure is that somewhere Michael Bay is licking the sweet tears off of an HD DVD owner's face while pumping a fist to the sky crying for the head of Mr. Bill Gates. Wow, that rhymed! We're poet's and we didn't even know it! Nice, two for two.

With love,
X3F

While haven't seen this much side stepping since our annual Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance tournaments ended, it looks like HD DVD is a few steps from being officially gone and a rehash of an old rumor isn't helping the situation. Reports are coming in from Australia's Smarthouse citing "insiders at Microsoft in the USA," claiming that a Blu-ray add-on is already well in development and could be ready to launch in as little as three months.

Microsoft has yet to comment on the validity of the report but according to a story on Engadget they've said, "we will wait until we hear from Toshiba before announcing any specific plans around the Xbox 360 HD DVD player." Since Microsoft has little to do with this format war it wouldn't be surprising to see a Blu-ray add-on in the mix sometime in the future, they've even said it could happen a few times already.

[via Joystiq]

According to Engadget, sources from across the globe are confirming earlier reports that Toshiba would be bowing out of the optical disc format war, but it will happen sooner than we originally heard. Reuters and the NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) claim to have inside sources that confirm that Toshiba is officially retiring the HD DVD format as soon as possible and will be shutting down its DVD factories in Aomori Prefecture located in northern Japan. The shutdown will reportedly cost Toshiba hundreds of millions of dollars.

The death spiral of HD DVD seemed to have been kick started in June 2007, when the corporate rental giant Blockbuster said they would only carry Blu-ray within it's retail locations. Then in early January 2008, Warner Bros. confirmed they would drop HD DVD in favor of the Sony backed - but not owned - Blu-ray format. Earlier this week HD DVD was knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked as Netflix and Wal-Mart chose to support Blu in this completely ridiculous interesting format war.

While we wait for official word Stateside from Toshiba it certainly looks like this format war is completely done-zos.

We could literally copy and paste the same news we've been reporting all week and just change the company names and this news story would make perfect sense. In a move that shocked no one, Wal-Mart has announced that they are exclusively backing Blu-Ray in the next generation optical disc war according to Reuters. Following nearly every major studio, Netflix, and Blockbuster retail locations, Wal-Mart is one of the last companies to choose a side and it's possible that their weight in the market may officially call this war off.

When contacted, a Wal-Mart representative also told Joystiq that the company would "exclusively carry blu-ray players," leaving us to wonder about the fate of the Xbox 360 HD DVD add-on. While Joystiq's Alexander Sliwinski said no confirmation has been made, cold calls made to 10 different Wal-Mart locations yielded zero no luck finding the HD add-on to our favorite machine.

[Via Joystiq]

As if the HD DVD news couldn't get happier today! After Microsoft slashed the price of the HD DVD add-on for the Xbox 360 only days ago, Amazon has undercut the MSRP by a cool $10, offering the player for $119.99. The savings don't end there mind you as a slew of HD DVDs have been discounted to up to 50% off the regular retail price. Is this another sign that the high-def format war is winding to a close and Amazon is letting go of its inventory or are they trying to make room for that Blu-Ray add-on that we've heard Microsoft talk about?

Our buddies at Engadget are reporting that snail-mail rental powerhouse Netflix has ditched HD DVD in support of the Blu-Ray format adding another nail to the coffin of the dwindling format. According to the story, Netflix justifies their decision on the majority of Hollywood studios taking sides behind the Sony-backed format.

Netflix will continue to offer HD DVD rentals until their current stock is phased out within the next year but with this news the chances of stocking new titles are slim to none. In the meantime, HD DVD owners can still get their fix from BlockBuster Online but it seems it's only a matter of time until that changes.

[Thanks, Bravo6]

As we continue to monitor the HD DVD and Blu-ray drama, today both HBO and New Line Cinema announced that they're leaving HD DVD behind and going exclusively Blu. The news shouldn't come as a shock to anyone though, seeing that both HBO and New Line's parent company is Warner, who made the Blu-ray jump last week. So, this means that starting now and through the foreseeable future, all HBO television shows as well as New Line releases will only come out on Blu-ray. We guess no more Sopranos HD DVDs for us.

[Thanks, DjDATZ]

The HD format war is an icky mess of ickiness, with numerous companies taking sides, making money, losing money and acting like hormonal teenagers in high school. It's bad. And Microsoft has always been a backer of HD DVD for its own business reasons, but what if the format were to fail?

That question was posed to the big M recently when they were asked if they would release a Blu-ray peripheral for the 360 (similar to the already released HD DVD player) if Blu-ray were to win the HD format war. Microsoft's answer, sure, why not. Group manager for Xbox hardware Albert Penello said that the HD format "should be consumer choice; and if that's the way they vote [Blu-ray], that's something we'll have to consider". That's a very open minded stance by Microsoft on the issue, but why are they so flexible? Well, because they don't see the HD format war affecting their gaming rivalry with the PS3 and Wii, so if Blu-ray were to win, they'd consider supporting it. And it wouldn't be like they'd have a choice, one company can't save a media format. Just don't bank on a 360 Blu-ray player anytime soon.

[Thanks, NukeAssault]