VU and EA back Blu-ray disc format

The Blu-ray standard got some major support today from two gaming industry bigwigs in one of the most heated battles in technology. Vivendi Universal and Electronic Arts, two of the largest video game publishers in the gaming industry, have joined the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), deciding to favor the Blu-ray disc format over its major rival, the HD-DVD format.

The two formats are competing to be the standard that next-generation DVD players, computers, and gaming consoles will use. Both can hold much more information than today's DVD standard, which has a capacity of about 5GB. In contrast, the Blu-ray and HD-DVD formats can hold 25GB and 15GB, respectively, and twice that if the disc is dual-layered.

With a larger capacity on one disc, film companies can produce movies in high definition and game developers can enhance graphics and add other advancements to their titles.

The two camps have been gathering support from various companies spanning Hollywood studios, game publishers, and computer technology developers--other Blu-ray supporters include Dell, MGM, and Disney while HD-DVD, developed by Toshiba, has nabbed Warner Bros., NEC, and Paramount.

The support of VU and EA is a big victory for Blu-ray from a gaming perspective, but it doesn't come as a surprise, as Sony has announced that its next-generation console--most commonly referred to as the PlayStation 3--will use the Blu-ray format. So far, Microsoft and Nintendo have kept mum on their respective plans.

While film studios are split down the middle on their support for the competing formats, game publishers appear to be leaning heavily in favor of the Blu-ray format. With EA and VU's announcement, the remaining dominoes may soon fall quickly.