Microsoft: Blu-ray not coming to Xbox 360

Haven’t we heard this before?

Even though another wave of rumors indicating Microsoft would finally adopt Blu-ray for the Xbox 360 hit the Internet last week, Microsoft has vehemently denied it will support the Sony-created technology.

"As we’ve said before, Microsoft has no plans to introduce an Xbox 360 Blu-ray add-on.  games are what drive consumers to purcahse game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available," a Microsoft spokesperson told Edge Online.

The most recent rumor indicated Microsoft wanted a collaboration of Toshiba-Samsung to help make an external drive that could be sold for between $100 and $150.  In typical fashion to the other rumors, Xbox 360 owners were excited about the news, while Microsoft almost immediately began denying the report.

Blu-ray was created by Sony, maker of the rival PlayStation 3, but a growing number of Xbox 360 owners have requested an external add-on drive to be able to use their game console as a media player.  Microsoft execs and others have ripped into Sony by saying it is silly to force consumers to pay for something they don’t want or need, as the Blu-ray is built into the PS3.

Microsoft originally supported the Toshiba-created HD DVD format, but was left without a high-definition format after Toshiba threw in the towel earlier this year.  The Redmond, Washington-based company has been reluctant to create a Blu-ray add-on player, which is understandable, as Blu-ray sales have been disappointing.

It looks like Microsoft is better prepared to help usher in digital distribution rather than worry about offering a Blu-ray player for Xbox 360 owners.  Moving forward, Xbox 360 owners can expect a growing library of movies, music, game demos and other content that can be downloaded directly to the console — essentially eliminating the need for an optical drive.