TOKYO--The HD-DVD association is attempting to persuade Microsoft to adopt its media format for use in the next Xbox console, Bloomberg Japan reported today. The news was revealed today during the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies Conference by Ryoichi Hayatsu, chief of Storage Division 1 at NEC.

"Microsoft is competing around first or second place in the North American [game] market," Hayatsu said. If the format were to be adopted for the next Xbox console, the association could "expect mass production [of HD-DVD reading units], which will lead [the format] to have a stable price from an early stage."

The HD-DVD association is competing to take the lead on the next-generation media standard against the Blu-ray Disc Founders association, which has made some major strides in recent weeks. Sony, a member of the Blu-ray Disc Founders association, announced last month that it will adopt the Blu-ray format on its next-generation game console succeeding the PlayStation 2.