With Toshiba exiting the HD DVD business, the next major remaining question is - what will Microsoft do for the Xbox 360. As everyone knows, Microsoft has been a firm supporter of the HD DVD platform with the Xbox 360 being one of the main delivery platforms for HD DVD thanks to the Xbox 360 HD DVD player add-on accessory. In fact, the entire gaming/home entertainment arena has been primarily split between the lines of the Xbox 360 and the Sony PlayStation 3 with the Xbox 360 behind the HD DVD format and the PS3 behind the Blu-ray format.  The concept was simple really. Interested in a media platform? Get the console that supported it so you can also enjoy gaming.

It certainly has been an interesting “ride” up until now with HD DVD riding the waves of success that the Xbox 360 has enjoyed and the PlayStation 3 depending on the success that Blu-ray has picked up. The Xbox 360 doesn’t exactly need HD DVD to be a successful gaming and home media platform. It already has a large selection of highly successful gaming titles and it of course has Xbox Live. Contrast that with the Sony PlayStation 3. The console has been somewhat popular primarily because it has an integrated Blu-ray drive which makes it a no-brainer choice for those wanting to jump into the Blu-ray market. Let’s face it - gaming on the PS3 isn’t compelling enough as of yet simply because of the lack of interesting gaming content (that’s also why you see Sony PS3 commercials lauding the fact that the console can play Blu-ray movies).

While these are certainly arguable facts, there is of course the public perception of what is reality right now. With Blu-ray winning the high definition wars, you can be sure Sony will use that to its marketing advantage for the PS3. Microsoft will certainly state that the Xbox 360 console doesn’t need the HD DVD platform in order for the system itself to be successful but let’s face it folks - from a marketing standpoint, the Xbox 360 needs to have some sort of high definition playback support.  As Don Reisinger points out in his News.com blog, it’s only a matter of time that Microsoft will introduce a Blu-ray add-on player for the Xbox 360.

Why? The company simply has to do this. Sure, it has Xbox Live and it has downloadable high definition content support within the 360 console, but there’s something to be said about the instant gratification that a person gets in placing a high definition disc into a media player. Right now.. you get your high def experience. There’s no wait for a purchase to go through, no wait for the downloading to begin, no wait for anything to happen. Plus, again, we all know Sony will use it’s Blu-ray advantage to the max for the PS3. Thus, Microsoft HAS to level the playing field by introducing a Blu-ray add-on.

The technology is all there on the 360 platform. It’s just a matter of licensing the rights from Sony and creating an add-on device.

Will it happen in a month as Don suggests? I’m not sure but it will definitely happen folks.

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