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Sony Actually Speaks to Rival Microsoft?
March 6, 2008

We could see a Blu-ray drive made for the Xbox 360, according to the Financial Times in speaking with Sony Electronics U.S. president Stan Glasgow. Don't get me wrong - this could be fabulous for the format as the pool of potential adopters would immediately grow by about 7 million, which is the approximate number of 360 owners in the U.S. But I'm skeptical this will truly come together, given the long history of Sony and Microsoft being enemies, at least in the gaming world. You might own both a PS3 and Xbox 360, but you probably strongly identify with one or the other based on a highly divided gaming culture between the two systems. 
I also wonder if Sony will sacrifice PS3's competitive advantage over the Xbox 360, with PS3's built-in Blu-ray, for a chance at breaking the format to a mass audience.
Another potential snag: If Microsoft hardly got behind the HD DVD drive for the Xbox 360, what makes Sony think Microsoft will rally around a BD drive? Microsoft might be convinced that a BD drive makes good business sense - it really is the only high-def format for physical media. Also, other BD backers may work to do all the advertising and marketing to hype the existence of a 360 BD drive through such groups as the DEG and Blu-ray Disc Association.
Also, there is the nagging thought that Microsoft is already putting a heckuva lot of its resources into downloading through its Xbox Live network. Why divert time to a BD drive, Microsoft could protest, when the future is digital delivery?
Well, I'll keep my fingers crossed that we do get a 360 BD drive - it definitely would make an awesome Christmas present for my brother! And hopefully, it would cost less than a BD set-top and become a real affordable entry point into the format.

Posted by Susanne Ault on March 6, 2008 | Comments (2)