X-Box Halts HD-DVD Sales

Now, this is not surprising news but as Microsoft hasn’t filed a press release I though I’d report it.

Microsoft used its Gamerscore blog, which it says is the “inside scoop from Microsoft Xbox and Games employees” on Saturday to announce that they would halt production of HD-DVD drives for the Xbox 360.

John Porcaro, Sr. Group Manager in Microsoft’s Global Games Marketing Team, managing Online Communications, said in a statement on the Gamerscore site:

As a result of recent decisions made by Toshiba, Hollywood studios, and retailers, Microsoft plans to withdraw from HD DVD. Xbox will no longer manufacture new HD DVD players for the Xbox 360, but we will continue to provide standard product and warranty support for all Xbox 360 HD DVD Players in the market. As we stated earlier, we do not believe this decision will have any material impact on the Xbox 360 platform or our position in the marketplace. HD DVD is one of the several ways we offer a high definition experience to consumers and 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.

Microsoft mentioned earlier this year that they might consider Blu-Ray……

……….if they do produce a blu-ray player I think it might be a good idea to swap/give discounts to people that have already bought their additional HD-DVD players to plug into their 360s.