Microsoft: Blu-ray 360 not being discussed

Blu-ray winning the format war against HD DVD was a major coup for the PlayStation 3, which comes with a Blu-ray player. Microsoft, which was selling a HD DVD player add-on for the Xbox 360, promptly withdrew the extinct player from sale.

The Xbox 360 plays DVDs, but since the triumph of Blu-ray, there have been reports that Sony and Microsoft were talking about adding Blu-ray functionality to the 360, either by way of an add-on or built into a new high-end SKU.

However, Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for the Xbox 360, has dismissed these rumors. In an interview with Reuters, he said, "Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience."

Instead, the company will be continuing to invest in Xbox Live Marketplace, where users can download movies, music videos, and in the US, TV shows.

Greenberg also added that the 360 had been having some supply issues in February, which left sales figures behind those of the PlayStation 3 in the US, but he said that was going to change. "By April, we will be in a very healthy inventory situation," he promised.