We're not speaking to Sony, says MS

By Ellie Gibson Published 13 March, 2008

Blu-ray integration not on the cards.

Microsoft executive Aaron Greenberg has denied the company is in talks with Sony to bring Blu-ray technology to Xbox 360.

Which is what Sony Electronics president Stan Glasgow claimed was going on earlier this month. But speaking to Reuters Greenberg said, "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," he added.

So what about recent comments from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer about supporting Blu-ray "in ways that make sense"? Well, it would seem those ways don't include producing a player peripheral for Xbox 360.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is still citing stock shortages as the reason PlayStation 3 is outselling Xbox 360 in the US. "We definitely expect we will trail in February as a result of our supply constraints," Greenberg said. "By April, we will be in a very healthy inventory situation." That'd be just in time for the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV on the 29th, then.

It's all about what you get for your money, according to Greenberg. "We still think we have a great value, that we have significantly better value than Sony," he stated. "Every month we've actually been in stock we've outsold them by a 2 to 1 margin."

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (24) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • kangarootoo #1 4 years ago

    Hehe, when I read this headline in my mind it seemed like they were "not speaking to each other" in some kind of sulk.


    "Can you please ask Sony to pass the salt?"
    "Please tell MS if they want the salt, they can come around the table and get it themselves. I'm not their servant."

  • Xerx3s #2 4 years ago

    If mega corporations where people, they would have some serious MPS.

  • jonsaan #3 4 years ago

    Reading this made me picture a playground tussle with everyone shout fight!

  • lambtron #4 4 years ago

    WTF.

    We are.
    We're not.
    We are.
    We're not.

    And so on.

  • JediMasterMalik #5 4 years ago

    @lambtron - I don't think they know, they're like a married couple in their 40's, they're never sure if they're talking or not. ;)

  • Darren #6 4 years ago

    Way to go, Microsoft, make the PS3 a more attractive buy for people by refusing to support a Blu-ray Disc add-on for the Xbox 360! LOL

    Yes, I know consoles are about games first and foremost but the fact that Microsoft sold a number of HD DVD add-ons and are promoting HD movies via their Video Marketplace tells you that they clearly think there's a market for them and now Xbox 360 owners wanting to watch HD movies will have no choice but to buy either a standalone BD player or even a PS3. It would therefore make more sense for Microsoft to release a BD add-on for the 360 a.s.a.p. if only to offer its customers a *complete* HD experience that only the PS3 will offer come May/June 2008 when Warner Bros. release the final HD DVD movie. They spoke of giving Xbox 360 owners choice with the HD DVD add-on but now that format is dead, that won't be the case if they don't release a BD add-on IMO.

  • penhalion #7 4 years ago

    *cough* told you all it wasn't for 360 *cough*

  • Skurmedel #8 4 years ago

    Yay another flame war inducing news article.

  • belziah #9 4 years ago

    Totally unrelated, off-topic, nothing what-so-ever to do with this dull "obvious attempt at flame-bait" repetitive story but




    WHERE'S ROCKBAND?????????????????

  • Kami #10 4 years ago

    Wii is selling perfectly fine without Blu-Ray. Maybe HD Enthusiasts might want to readjust their specs because BR isn't the only aspect as to why a person would buy a console...

  • Steroyd #11 4 years ago

    Remember folks it's all about choice.

    And... I'm done for the day.

  • McLovin85 #12 4 years ago

    hmmm MS reckons they will be selling more by April, isn't that just after they announced their price cut?? coincidence? i think not. stock shortages my ass.

  • JediMasterMalik #13 4 years ago

    @Kami - Somehow I think the people buying BD layers, and Wii's aren't necessarily the same demographic.

  • Darren #14 4 years ago

    @Kami - I don't think anyone said it was but whereas the Wii is purely a games console (it doesn't even play music CDs nevermind DVD movies!), Microsoft and Sony market both their machines as being more than just games consoles, i.e. home entertainment hubs, hence the reason both support music and movie formats.

    I'm absolutely convinced that it's only a matter of time before Microsoft do announce an add-on though because the reasons they added 1080p support, HDMI and HD DVD support to the 360 was so the machine didn't appear inferior to the PS3 and come June 2008 that's exactly what the Xbox 360 will be when HD DVD finally goes the way of Betamax. By Christmas, the Xbox 360 will have a BD add-on, mark my words as the next Xbox is at least three or four years away and there's no way digital downloads will take over completely in that time. ;)

  • L42yB #15 4 years ago

    @lambtron - It's Eurogamer that is making it seem like that though, not MS or Sony. It's their sensationalist flame-war baiting headlines make it seems like they are confused, but all MS said is that it will use BR where it makes sense (i.e. Windows PCs and things like that)...

  • moggsy #16 4 years ago

    @ Darren

    now Xbox 360 owners wanting to watch HD movies will have no choice but to buy either a standalone BD player or even a PS3

    Or pay to download them from the Xbox Live Videostore - understand now why MS are not that fussed about Blu Ray? ;-)

  • Darren #17 4 years ago

    @moggsy - The Video Marketplace only offers 720p movies with no extras or subtitles (the latter is a disgrace and an insult to hard of hearing people like myself) so they don't even come close to offering the same experience as a proper HD movie IMO. But then a 7 GB max. download cannot possibly hope to compete with what comes on a 50 GB disc. That's why I'll continue to buy my movies rather than wait 15 hours to download an inferior version that I can't even keep. :p

  • Moz #18 4 years ago

    Can anyone stateside back up these shortage claims?

  • Carlo #19 4 years ago

    See, I told you it was bollocks

  • Darren #20 4 years ago

    Well we'll soon know if it was bollocks or not because Microsoft have officially stated that there are no shortages now so logically you'd expect Xbox 360 hardware sales to shoot up from March onwards, right? ;)

  • Kami #21 4 years ago

    But if we're talking demographics, why the fuck do people still assume that "PS3 will outell 360 because it has Blu-Ray"? Microsoft can maybe one day introduce an add-on, but people aren't necessarilly buying it for HD.

    I'm sure if you want a Blu-Ray, PS3 is an awesome purchase but a lot of people want a games machine only. Blu-Ray and HD and all this stuff that HD-Enthusiasts seem to get so worked up about you wonder if they've recently found out what sex is (doubtful) may indeed be the future. But PS3, as a GAMES machine, is still lacking a little - and the shit over installing games i.e. DMC4 is likely to cause annoyance than anything else. I'm sorry. But 20min install (PC games don't even take that long for christs sake!) to lose a second or two in loading is not a good trade-off. If there were option to install fully and save a second or two of load, or lighter install - I'd rather save room on my drive for another game and suffer the extra second or two of loading.

    Why does MS need a BR-Addon anyway for the 360? Does Wii need one? Do we all need to suddenly upgrade to Blu-ray drives in our PCs? Because this is the kind of assumption that is being made...

  • Vic #22 4 years ago

    'It's all about what you get for your money', according to Greenberg.

    Thank goodness that RROD thingy is such a tiny issue then...

  • smelly #23 4 years ago

    Makes sense for microsoft to follow digital distribution imho

  • Les #24 4 years ago

    "Well, it would seem those ways don't include producing a player peripheral for Xbox 360."

    Which was rather obvious a week ago... Stupid journalists...