June 9, 2008

Microsoft Finally Showing Off A Blu-ray Xbox 360 Tomorrow? (Yawn)

Bloody hell! The rumors are flying around again. CrunchGear received a tip yesterday from a "close friend" of a Microsoft employee hinting that the company is planning to issue a press release today at 9 AM PDT confirming that the "Xbox 360 will get Blu-ray before Christmas". As for pricing, it'll be supposedly "under the current Elite".

Given that these rumors have flown before, only to be denied by Microsoft each time, this is kind of tough to believe. I guess we'll find out later this morning, but judging by a SFGate article also from yesterday, if this one's true Microsoft is holding its cards close. In an interview with Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment & Devices Division, SFGate reports Bach as saying that the company believes Xbox Live is an effective way to deliver high-definition content to consumers and when it comes to the Blu-ray format, "most people look at it and say, "I am not going to pay extra for that."" And Blu-ray in the next-generation Xbox? "There is nothing to even talk about right now with regard to the next generation. That is so far out that there isn't anything to talk about."

I'm going to go out on a limb here and call the CrunchGear tipster a fake. Keep your eyes out for a press release at 9 AM PDT and feel free to give me a hard time if I'm wrong.