Microsoft Drops HD DVD for Xbox 360

Although it comes as no surprise, Microsoft is officially dropping its HD DVD player for the Xbox 360, although it will offer warranty support for existing players.

In a move that should surprise absolutely no one following the technology industry over the last week, Microsoft has announced it is officially killing off its HD DVD player for its Xbox 360 game console. Toshiba abandoned its HD DVD format last week after two years of battle with Sony’s Blu-ray over domination of the high-definiton disc market. Microsoft says it will continue to offer warranty service and support for HD DVD players it has already sold, but won’t be manufacturing any more.

Since Toshiba’s announcement, HD DVD’s remaining major supporters—including Universal Studios and Paramount Pictures—have announced they will produce Blu-ray content, and major retailers like Amazon.com have announced they will promote Blu-ray as their recommended high-definition format. Not so with Microsoft: the company has not revealed any plans to support Blu-ray on its Xbox 360 gaming platform. “HD DVD is one of the several ways we offer a high definition experience to consumers,” the company said in a statement. “We will continue to give consumers the choice to enjoy digital distribution of high definition movies and TV shows directly to their living room, along with playback of the DVD movies they already own.

The short term result of Microsoft’s decision might be that Xbox 360 HD DVD players already in retailers’ inventory might sell fast as gamer look for a quick, cheap way to convert their game consoles into upscaling DVD drives; longer term, Microsoft will have to decide whether to offer a Blu-ray drive so game publishers can deliver the mammoth amounts of data modern games require, or whether it will place its bets solely on delivering games via standard DVD and broadband Internet.