BitSnark

In perhaps blowing the top of the industy’s worst kept secret, IGN and various other sources this afternoon have confirmed that Microsoft are in talks with rival Sony in regards to the Redmond giant supporting the dominant HD format.

“We’ve already been working on, for example, in Windows, device driver support for Blu-ray drives and the like, and I think the world moves on. Toshiba has moved on. We’ve moved on, and we’ll support Blu-ray in ways that make sense,”

Yup, that little bit of humble pie eating comes from Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer who at the Mix08 internet conference which was held in Las Vegas, let it slip that Microsoft was courting Sony for a partnership on Blu-Ray integration into future MS products.

From the gaming perspective this really isn’t such a great deal as people would think?

The reason? Have a whole bunch:

– The integration of a Blu-Ray drive into the 360 hardware would create a diliemma for MS – the cost of inclusion would make the machine higher priced than that of the PS3 (their main rival in many demographics), or would they bite the bullet on cost and go back into the red again with each machine sold?

– Blu-Ray storage capacity for games is often overstated in terms of what it brings to the table.

– For those who have a 360 already, how much will MS charge you for the add-on drive? £100? £150?

While it’s all conjecture at this point excatly what the partnership would entail should it come to fruition, one thing is for sure – we’ll probably hear something more concrete at E3.

Don’t expect Kaz Harai and Bill Gates to be shaking hands though.