Movie chronicling history of UK Video Games Industry now ‘free’ for UK schools after smashing Kickstarter goal in just five days!

From Bedrooms to Billions, the film that tells the incredible success story of the UK Video Games Industry has staggered its creators by both smashing through its Kickstarter crowd funding goal in just five days and also, due to partnering with UKIE, can now supply every school in the UK a copy of the film free of charge.

A cover picture of a Battle: Los Angeles Blu-ray with Resistance 3 game demo included - PS3

A cover picture of a Battle: Los Angeles Blu-ray with game demo included

PlayStation 3 3D video games tested by Sony PS3 move games and 3D Blu-ray

Not content with their new Move controller Sony plan to introduce 3D video games to their flagship PlayStation 3 console. The announcement, at the Tokyo Games Show, included news of 3D Blu-ray support due in a firmware update on 21st September.

September update for PlayStation 3 firmware will bring Blu-ray 3D to PS3 console and other players say Sony

Sony have finally promised (after promising before) that their September 2010 PlayStation 3 firmware update with allow the PS3 to play 3D Blu-ray disks.

Unfortunately the only disk available is Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs in 3D.

Sony to drop Blu-ray drive in PlayStation 4 plus everything you need to know about PS4

A PlayStation 4 without Blu-ray?

While the PS3 was instrumental in helping Blu-ray beat off HD DVD, there's a strong argument for dropping an optical drive from the PS4 altogether. Console owners are already downloading gigabytes-worth of game demos, video trailers, full-length movies and TV shows. With a giant hard disk in the PS4, games could simply be piped straight to the console on release day; long install/level load times would be eliminated.

The Blu-ray Disc Association launches first viral video game series!

The Blu-ray Disc Association has launched a series of viral games to promote the benefits of Blu-ray viewing to the public.

Viral and digital marketing agency TAMBA was appointed to create the series, which launched in August. As a result of the games, traffic to the European Blu-ray Disc website has increased thirteen-fold (1,366%).

The collection, called ‘Bluscape’ provides Blu-ray information to players; promoting the values of High Definition (HD) viewing and highlighting upcoming product launches. The games can be played at www.experiencebluray.eu/blu-ray-games.php .

Bluscape features a robot character named Ray who appears throughout the animation and hosts the home screen. Players can select one of four games - Titan Wars, Peakskill, Ro-Bout Tournament or Fusion Duct. The viral themes include a spaceship alien ‘shoot-em-up,’ a robot boxing match and a laser shooting space game. Players can submit their scores onto a Bluscape Hall of Fame and invite friends to beat their scores.

This is the first time The Blu-ray Disc Association has appointed a viral agency.

“The success of Bluscape reflects how popular Blu-ray Disc viewing has become. We chose a viral campaign as we wanted to boost traffic to the Benelux Blu-ray website, which has proven to be very successful,” said Sonja Wagenaar, Marketing Manager of Blu-ray Disc Benelux. “Following the games release we saw a significant increase in traffic reaching the website, and in three days the site achieved more unique visits than in an average month. As a result, awareness is growing around the Blu-ray Disc product and the superior viewing quality it offers.”

Blu-ray Disc is the new generation of high-capacity optical discs. Each disc can hold five times more information than a DVD, allowing users to store High Definition digital video, sound, pictures, games and PC files. Digital data is played at 40 megabytes per second, displaying better picture quality than any HDTV transmission.

“TAMBA has an excellent reputation for creating high quality viral games that both entertain and educate players,” said Kay Hammond, CEO of TAMBA. “The Blu-ray Disc Association is a high profile brand with advantages not all entertainment viewers are aware of. The series of viral games will not only build brand awareness, but will offer valuable information. We’ve produced innovative and attractive games that complement Blu-ray’s consumer image.”

Andy Simpson, Technical Director of TAMBA commented: “We took a futuristic approach with our animation to mirror the Blu-ray Disc Association’s visual technology. Bluscape offers a selection of unusual viral games, engaging with players and encouraging them to spend time on each individual game and re-visit to climb the hall of fame. TAMBA is currently seeding Bluscape across a network of popular gaming and consumer sites.

PlayStation 3 price cut with non Blu-Ray version?

Speculation that Sony will cut the price of their flagship console the PlayStation 3 by removing the Blu-Ray player are appearing all over the Internet.

They have been reported to be cutting $100 off the price by removing the high- capacity Blu-Ray players. That doesn't make much sense to me as this would limit the games and video output from the device. I know a lot of people who bought a PlayStation 3 specifically for the Blu-Ray function.

Sony refused to comment.

Sony Set To Releasing Hybrid Blu-Ray Movie - Game Discs

In a bid to reinvigorate the appeal of its PS3 consoles, Sony has announced that it is working on a technology to launch Blu-ray/videogame hybrid discs, which would let consumers to access their favourite movies and games using a single disc, sometime this year.

John Koller, director hardware marketing for PS3 consoles, said that the company is endeavouring to come up with a way to launch movies and games integrated on the same disc, so as to bolster offerings of its PS3 consoles.

Quoting the worth of this new venture, Koller said in a statement, “There are a lot of developers who say, we have this game based on a movie, wouldn’t it be great to marry these concepts? We will definitely see this stuff this year”.

Asserting the move as a “curious solution”, Daniel Dawkins, editor PSM3 magazine, said that the Sony requires “a Unique Selling Point” to distinguish its high-priced consoles from those of Microsoft’s Xbox 360.

More here on IT ProPortal...

Toshiba to update your DVDs to High Definition - fighting back at Blu-Ray

Reports that Toshiba will produce a new DVD player that will turn your existing DVDs into High Definition DVd have surfaced.

Toshiba hope to launch this Blu-Ray killing product before the end of the year. Player will be cheap and the chip will increase the resolution from 350,000 pixels on normal DVDs to 2 million pixels (HD) high definition.

Only time will tell if the results will match or better Sony's Blu-Ray.

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Microsoft say they have no plans for a Blu-ray Xbox 360

Microsoft has no plans to release a Blu-ray add-on for the Xbox 360 and is instead backing digital delivery, the head of Xbox in the UK has said.

Microsoft stopped production of its HD-DVD player following the decision by Toshiba, the format's creator, to concede victory to rival Blu-ray.

Microsoft's Neil Thompson said physical media would give way to downloads in the next two to three years.
"We have always said online is the way to go," he said.

He denied that Microsoft had abandoned customers who had purchased the HD-DVD add-on for their Xbox 360 consoles.

"We said to people they had the choice; we didn't force it on them as we didn't put it in the box,"

he said.

Shift focus

He said Microsoft had always planned to shift its focus to digital distribution of content.

"Our belief was that in the lifetime of the Xbox 360 we were going to move to this online world and online distribution for content outside gaming.

"If we didn't believe that we would have put a hi-def player in the console.

More from the BBC

An Innovator in Online Game Rentals Expands

With the availability of the internet for virtually any consumer purchase, the options have become virtually limitless for delivery to a person’s home of almost any item that they choose. WhyBuyGames.co.uk started offering the ability to rent video games in 2005, and has quickly become the UK’s leader in games rental subscription services. Now offering Blu-Ray DVD’s, their selections and services have become even better.

“WhyBuyGames.co.uk was started by gamers, for gamers, aiming to provide the highest quality customer service, at the most affordable prices to consumers within the UK. We have become the UK’s leader in games subscription services, offering to all consumers excellent customer service with the ability to rent video games online at affordable prices,” says one of the company’s founders.

The ability to rent video games online is appealing to many gamers as they are able to try a variety of video games without the expense of purchasing them, or the risk of purchasing them only to find that they do not like them. WhyBuyGames.co.uk offers gamers the ability to rent Xbox 360 games, PlayStation 3 games and Nintendo WII games, three of the most popular video gaming choices available on the consumer market today. Nintendo DS games, PlayStation 2 games and PlayStation PSP games are also available, making their online video selection the largest in the entire UK.

For any rental gaming need, this company offers the solution. For just a nominal fee of £9.49 per month, gamers have the ability to rent video games from the site on an unlimited basis and the process is quite simple. The consumer is then provided with an innovative website, quality customer service and able to choose the video games or Blu-Ray dvd’s.

The games or Blu-Ray films are selected by the gamers online, they are shipped in a pre-paid envelope to the consumer’s home, they can return them at their leisure without the worry of late fees and they simply return the game in the pre-paid envelope so that they can receive another one within 1-2 business days. The process is as easy as that! The service resembles in concept to several international movie services, appealing to anyone who has the desire and wish to rent many video games on an affordable budget.

The WhyBuyGames.co.uk video games rental service offers anyone the ability to try the newest video games at an affordable price.

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Amazon discounts Hot Shots Golf on PlayStation 3 to $49

Amazon discounted Sony Corp.'s Hot Shots Golf title for the Playstation 3 by 17 percent in the latest promotion for the Blu-ray backed hardware.

Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds on Sun. was price cut to $49.99 from a $59.99 MSRP. The latest entry in the franchise was released last week.

The title features larger, more detailed courses, multiplayer options, online play, and downloadable content.

The promotion is the latest in a slew of promotions to further sales of PS3 product, including adoption of the Blu-ray disc high-definition format.

Amazon earlier this month offered the new DualShock 3 controller for $49.99, $5 under the MSRP. The product, which includes rumble functionality, will be sold in mid-Apr.

Best Buy Co. Inc. this month began offering $100 the purchase of a PS3 and an HDTV $999 and up.

Sony's U.S. game division this month said that a new software update for the Playstation 3 will add new interactive Blu-ray features to the hardware in late Mar.

The new Blu-ray disc Profile 2.0, or BD-Live, will enable new interactive features, including downloadable video content, ringtones, games, and more.

The PS3 sold 280,800 units in Feb. U.S. sales according to NPD Group.

Hot Shots Golf video review here

Interactive Movies Come to Life on PLAYSTATION 3 with System Software Update Version 2.20

Interactive Movies Come to Life on PLAYSTATION 3 with System Software Update Version 2.20

Downloadable Movie Content and Interactive Games, available with BD-LIVE

PS3’s Interoperability with PSP (PlayStationPortable) Enhanced

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced that system software update v.2.20, for PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3), planned for release in late March, will add Blu-ray Disc (BD) Profile 2.0 (known as BD-LIVE). With the ability to take full advantage of interactive features, such as downloadable video content, ringtones, games, and more, BD-LIVE promises to offer PS3 users the ultimate interactive film experience. In addition to BD-LIVE, the system software update will enable photo and music playlists on a PS3 to be copied to a PSP (PlayStationPortable), as well as other new features.

To access Blu-ray Profile 2.0, users require an Internet connection and at least 1GB of local storage. Movies with BD-LIVE are scheduled for release next month.

The following features have been demonstrated to be possible with BD-LIVE and will vary depending on the title:

· A variety of downloadable content, including bonus scenes, shorts, trailers, subtitles, ringtones that can be sent to mobile phones, images, and more.

· Interactive movie-based games can pit players who are sitting in the same room, or are across the world and online, against each other.

In addition to BD-LIVE, system software update v.2.20 enhances PS3’s relationship with PSP, enabling users to copy their favourite music and photo playlists to their PSP and experience them on-the-go. This new functionality makes it easer than ever to share media content between the two systems.

The following new features will also be included in the system software update:

· “Resume play” will enable PS3 to start playing a BD and DVD video at the point it was stopped, even if the disc had been removed.*1

· “Audio Output Device” will be a new Remote Play setting, enabling PSP to serve as a remote control for music played through PS3.

· PS3’s Internet browser will be enhanced: Video files directly linked from a Web page will be able to be streamed, and the browser’s view speed will be improved.

· DivX and WMV format videos that are larger than 2GB will be playable.

· “Mosquito Noise Reduction” will be added as an AV setting in the control panel of the DVD/BD player for improved movie playback.*2

*1 BD-J format disc is not supported.

*2 BD discs recorded with BDMV format are not supported.

Sony's newest PlayStation 3 to allow downloads

The next update of Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 console, slated late this month, will include features that let users download games, video and ring tones.

Sony said Thursday the system update will add Blu-ray Disc Profile 2.0, or BD-Live capability, to the PS3. It will also let users copy photos and music playlists on to their handheld PlayStation Portable, use the PSP as a remote control for playing music on the PS3 and stream linked video files from the Web.

This will make the PS3 the first Blu-ray player with access to Internet content and downloads. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., which owns the Panasonic brand, also plans to ship a BD-Live player this spring.

With the updates, Sony wants to build the gaming console's status as an entertainment hub.

The downloadable content will range from bonus movie scenes and trailers to "interactive movie-based games."

"With Blu-ray established as the high-definition optical disc standard, more consumers are ready to jump in and take advantage of everything the format offers," said Scott A. Steinberg, vice president of product marketing, in a statement.

The free update also adds a "resume play" feature that enables users to restart Blu-ray discs and DVDs at the point where they stopped even if they take the disk out of the drive. According to Sony's PlayStation blog, the update is slated for the "next few days."

Sony is planning to release a stand-alone Blu-ray player this summer that will feature an Ethernet port to download bonus materials. It won't be BD-Live capable -- meaning users won't be able to access Web content -- until a subsequent software update.

In this respect, Blu-ray players are playing catch up to the recently defunct HD DVD systems, which always had Internet capabilities.

The BDP-S350 player will cost about $400; a second player, shipping later this year, will cost about $500 and be able to download Web content.

Source: AP

Console Race: Another Lap For Sony

For the second month in a row, sales of Sony’s (SNE) Playstation 3 console system outpaced Microsoft’s (MSFT) Xbox 360 in the U.S., according to figures released late Mar. 13 by analysts at the NPD Group. Though both companies promptly issued press releases slicing the monthly results in their own favor, the results underscore the tightening race between the two tech giants.

After a 2007 of fits and starts, Sony’s game system seems to finally be on firm footing. The company crowed about the nearly 281,000 PS3 systems it sold, representing 120% sales growth from the year before and a volume 10% higher than Microsoft’s next-generation console for the month. “We believe that Blu-ray becoming the high-def format of choice was the tipping point for many consumers,” said Jack Tretton, president and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, referring to the demise earlier this year of the rival HD-DVD format formerly backed by Microsoft.

For its part, Microsoft issued a release saying supply constraints had held up sales. In Feb., Microsoft sold 254,600 Xbox 360s, up from 230,000 consoles the month before. The company says the so-called Xbox ecosystem – combined sales of game systems, software, and accessories – was worth $332 million, or 39% of the market for next generation systems. Microsoft was also able to sell more games with each of its systems than Sony.

Still, Sony seems to have the wind at its back. In addition to its advanced PS3 console, the company last month sold 243,100 Playstation Portables and an eye-opening 351,800 Playstation 2 units, its previous generation game system. A raft of highly anticipated exclusive titles including sequels to the Metal Gear Solid and Gran Turismo series are due in the next couple of months, which the company hopes will further boost sales. Some analysts have predicted that Sony could pull ahead of Microsoft this year, despite Redmond’s year advance on the Japanese games titan.

As a whole, the games industry continues booming. Year-to-date sales of both hardware and software were up 34% to $1.3 billion from $992 million. “Even following a red-hot 2007, the video games industry shows no signs of letting up,” said Anita Frazier, an NPD analyst. She added that a slate of blockbuster titles yet to be released could push “the industry to achieve another year of record-breaking sales despite difficult economic conditions.”

Source: Business Week

Sony PlayStation 3 getting BD-Live sooner rather than later

When I referred to potential Blu-ray player shoppers having an easy choice to make last week - Sony PS3 or, ummm, a Sony PS3 - I mentioned it was the only Blu-ray player currently on the market that could be upgraded to the format’s Profile 2 functionality. Profile 2, or BD-Live, makes Blu-ray players capable of downloading content, which I should point out — with only a few sour grapes — means Blu-ray will now have the same ability that HD DVD players had from day one. And at $399, the PS3 is one of the least expensive Blu-ray players around.

Well, it turns out BD-Live is a lot closer than I had realized — Sony just announced that it will be go out with the next PS3 firmware update (v.2.20) in late March. It will take a while for BD-Live-enabled movies to hit the market in force, though Sony is not surprisingly touting two Sony Pictures Entertainment titles - The 6th Day (wow, if that’s not a reason to buy a Blu-ray player, I’m not sure what is!) and Walk Hard - due out April 8.

According to the Playstation blog, other features in v2.20 include:

• The ability to copy PS3 Music and Photo playlists to a PSP system. We introduced the ability to create Music and Photo playlists on the PS3 in firmware update v2.0. Now you can easily export your playlists to your PSP.
• You can now play DivX and WMV format files that are over 2 GB.
• Resume Play - begin playing a DVD or BD disc from the point where you previously stopped it, even if you eject the disc and insert a different movie or game.
• Use your PSP as a remote control to play back your music files on your PS3 without turning on your TV.
  
• The Internet browser now displays some web pages faster. In addition [Save Target] has been added as an option under file. This option lets you save a file that is linked to a web page to your PS3 hard drive or storage media.
  

Source: znet

Alienware Area-51 desktop now features the NVIDIA nForce 790i Ultra SLI motherboard and GeForce 9800 GX2 graphics for the ultimate in PC gaming

The Alienware Area-51 desktop now features the NVIDIA nForce 790i Ultra SLI motherboard and GeForce 9800 GX2 graphics for the ultimate in PC gaming

Alienware’s flagship system, the Area-51 7500, has received a full overhaul and has re-launched as the Area-51 desktop. Alienware, the leading manufacturer of high-performance desktop, notebook and entertainment systems, stands for excellence and advancement in the PC gaming and home computer markets, and the Area-51 continues to leads the market in desktop innovation. Now featuring the NVIDIA nForce 790i Ultra SLI-based motherboard as well as an NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GX2 dual GPU single graphics card, the Area-51 supports the most robust gaming platform in the industry

“The Area-51 is every gamer’s dream system,” said Brian Joyce, Senior Vice President at Alienware, “With support for PCI-Express 2.0, DDR3 memory, a completely open and higher BIOS overclocking than its predecessor and now the industry’s most advanced graphics solution, the Area-51 sets the pace for desktop performance. Everyone else is just trying to keep up.”

The nForce 790i Ultra SLI is the motherboard that gamers and enthusiasts have been waiting for. It is the only nForce platform to support DDR3 memory up to 2GHz for record-breaking memory speeds. Compatible with 1600MHz FSB Intel CPUs, it also provides the Area-51 with the impressive next-generation Intel 45 nanometer CPU capabilities. Best of all, the nForce 790i Ultra SLI allows for NVIDIA 2-way, 3-way and Quad SLI technology for unmatched visual computing.

One of the most exciting editions to the revamped Alienware Area-51 is the inclusion of the NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GX2 graphics card. Housing dual GeForce 9800 GPUs, the 9800 GX2 delivers SLI power on a single card. Up to 50 percent faster than the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra, the GeForce 9800 GX2 is the fastest consumer graphics solution on the planet. Teamed with the nForce 790i Ultra SLI motherboard, the 9800 GX2 delivers the most lifelike high definition PC gaming, the highest possible frame rates, and ultra-smooth Blu-ray Disc playback.

“We’re excited about the introduction of the next-generation Alienware Area-51, which incorporates the upper echelon of PC components to deliver the ultimate visual computing experience,” said Ujesh Desai, general manager of the consumer GPU business group at NVIDIA. “The sheer genius of the GeForce 9800 GX2, which sets new performance records for consumer PC graphics, paired with the extremely overclockable nForce 790i Ultra SLI motherboard, delivers an unbelievable and unbeatable platform for enthusiasts and gamers alike.”

“Alienware users expect top-tier graphics,” said Joyce. “By blending the NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GX2 and nForce 790i Ultra SLI motherboard technology with Alienware’s unique and superior architecture, we can continue to deliver the best each and every time.”

For more information on the Alienware Area-51 desktop, please visit: www.alienware.co.uk/790i

Area-51 Desktop

• Features the NVIDIA nForce 790i Ultra SLI-based motherboard
• NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GX2 dual GPU single graphics card
• Only nForce platform to support DDR3 memory up to 2GHz for record breaking memory speeds
• Compatible with 1600MHz FSB Intel CPUs
• Allows for NVIDIA 2-way, 3-way and Quad SLI technology for unmatched gaming speeds

Price: Area-51 Desktop from £1,349 Inc VAT and free delivery - Also available on AlienFinance packages.

Look back at the week: PS3 rebound; Xbox 360 Blu-ray; Wii sales

Sales for Sony Corp.'s Playstation 3 rebounded in Japan after a five-week fall. The PS3 ranked as the No. 4 best-selling hardware for the week.

Sony this week citied Blu-ray for strong U.S. PS3 sales. The PS3 held strong sales for the second straight month in the latest U.S. tally.

NPD Group Inc. this week that the PS3 sold more than 280,000 units in the month of Feb. The hardware ranked as the No. 4 top-selling video game offering for the month.

Advanced orders for the PS3 DualShock 3 controller spiked at Amazon.com this week upon availability. The controller will be sold in the U.S. in Apr.

PS3 80GB sales gained this week at Amazon.com on a pending restock of the item. The SKU has been in and out of stock at the retailer due to high demand.

Capcom Co.'s Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is hot as ice on the PS3. Despite some visual hiccups, the title delivers big offline and online action.

Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 held a tepid sales increase in the latest Japan charts. The hardware ranked as the No. 6 video game offering in the territory for the week.

Microsoft this week debunked reports that it is in talks with Sony to provide a Blu-ray solution to the Xbox 360. Microsoft discontinued the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player last month.

Capcom Co. this week said that it will blast Lost Planet: Extreme Condition Colonies Edition to the Xbox 360 and PC. The new version will include new modes and cross platform gameplay.

The Xbox 360 was outsold by the PS3 in Feb. U.S. sales. The Xbox successor sold more than 254,000 units for the month.

Sega Corp. this week said that it will release Alpha Protocol to the PS3 and Xbox 360. The new espionage RPG title is slated for a 2009 release.

Aksys Games this week said that Guilty Gear 2: Overture will strike the Xbox 360. The tactical action title will be released in Q3 of 2008.
Nintendo Co.'s Wii this week ranked as the No. 1 hardware in Japan. Additionally, the console ranked five titles in the top 10 software charts.

Nintendo this week said that it will release Mario Kart Wii in Apr. The title will include the Wii Wheel peripheral.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl this week was sold out at Best Buy despite in-store availability status. The title was released on Mar. 9 in the U.S.

Nintendo this week released a new wave of Virtual Console titles to the Wii. Titles include DoReMi Fantasy and Puyo Puyo 2.

Nintendo this week said that the select Wii console may be unable to read Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It is offering to repair affected Wii consoles at no cost.
Microsoft this week said that it will add Blu-ray support to the Windows operating system. The company previously backed Toshiba's HD DVD.

Amazon.com this week price cut Blu-ray titles to as low as $14.95. Titles include Underworld, The Patriot, and Black Hawk Down.

Best Buy this week discounted HD DVD titles by 30 percent to in-store and online customers. Toshiba Corp. in Feb. said it will exit the HD DVD business.

HD DVD title The Matador spiked 15,064 percent at Amazon following a discount to $8.95. Additionally, a wave of titles were price cut to $9.95.

Source: PunchJump

Microsoft dismisses Sony Blu-Ray as historic phenomenon

Key shift from disc to download will happen in next "12-18 months", predicts Lewis

The console war intensified this week, with senior Xbox exec boss Chris Lewis branding disc formats a thing of the past as Microsoft slashed the price of 360 in Europe – with the entry level model now half the price of Sony's Blu-ray supporting PlayStation 3.

With the entertainment format stand-off ostensibly ending last month - when Toshiba, creator of the Microsoft-backed HD DVD, pulled out of the market - analysts are predicting a significant boost to PlayStation 3 in its wake.

As speculation continues on whether Microsoft will now move to support Blu-ray as the industry standard, however, Europe boss Chris Lewis has re-emphasised the US giant's commitment to digital downloads, dismissing the significance of Sony's format victory.

"Going forwards, digital downloads is really where it's at," Lewis told GamesIndustry.biz. "More and more people's ongoing and ever-increasing downloading of music and movies is becoming the de facto. I think that's going to happen in very short order; people want to consume that way. Before very long we will look back wistfully at shiny discs as something that was somewhat a historic phenomenon in a way that we kind of think about vinyl or VCRs today."

While Microsoft's belief in the long term potential of downloadable content over physical storage media is well documented, Lewis claimed that, despite Blu-ray's victory, the shift away from discs will happen "sooner than any of us think".

"That's the future direction, and I think that's going to be the case in the next 12-18 months," he predicted. "I think we're going to be talking much more about that than anything else. Do I think that this Christmas will somehow be defined by DVD playback? I genuinely don't think that will be the case. I do not think that [the demise of HD DVD] will have any material impact on our console velocity. And I think other factors, specifically our architecture around downloads, is far more advantageous and important for the future."

He added: "We are best placed to offer that, we already offer that, our online pedigree is such that we will offer the best and most seamless experience."

Lewis's comments follow remarks made earlier this week by Xbox 360 product manager Aaron Greenberg, who said in repsonse to speculation: "Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience. We're the only console offering digital distribution of entertainment content."

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer had previously suggested that the firm was considering supporting Blu-ray with its Windows platform.

Microsoft this week cut the price of all three of its 360 SKUs in Europe, with the Arcade pack now retailing for GBP 159 and Premium for GBP 199, with Elite at GBP 259. Xbox 360 currently offers downloadable HD movies for rental via its Video Marketplace Store.

Following Toshiba's withdrawal from the market last month, SCEA president Jack Tretton said: "The emergence of Blu-ray as the de facto high-def standard is one more reason why PS3 is a great value to consumers. The combination of strong sales, Blu-ray dominance and widely-anticipated games all point to 2008 as a breakthrough year for PS3."

Source: Games Industry

No Sony Blu-Ray for Microsoft XBox 360 consoles

Following the horrible death of the HD DVD high definition format, many had predicted (me included) that Microsoft would pretty soon be offering a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360. Seems like Xbox 360 owners waiting for a Blu-ray player are out of luck.



The news was broken by Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360:

So what does this mean for Xbox 360 owners?

It means that Microsoft has decided not to pursue a physical player and instead concentrate resources on Xbox Live online service which allow Xbox owners rent movies. Rather than be seen to be abandoning HD DVD and leaping onto the Blu-ray wagon, Microsoft wants to go it alone and break free from physical media. Perhaps Microsoft has lost faith in physical high-definition distribution and feels that a digital distribution method is better (for the company). From an anti-piracy standpoint a digital distribution system at least allows Microsoft to engage in a war with the pirates (as futile as that might be in the long run).

“Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience.”

Maybe Microsoft hopes that Xbox Live could be the road to profit for the Xbox console.

Source: ZD Net