It's been a good few months since we last heard the words "Blu-ray" and "Xbox 360" uttered in the same sentence. It's a rumour that just refuses to die. I mean, why would it though, there seems to be something there. That is especially clear when bigwigs like Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer, goes so far as to pretty much confirm it in a recent interview.
Talking to Gizmondo, Ballmer was asked whether they had considered putting Blu-ray in the Xbox 360, to which he responded, "Well I don't know if we need to put Blu-ray in there — you'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories."
Pretty straightforward and open admission there, but how that will pan out remains to be seen. It's obviously going to be external though, he was clear on that much.
What was the official Microsoft PR response though?
Well their official line in response to Ballmer's statements was a little less frank, yet not entirely dismissive. The Microsoft spokesperson told Gizmondo, "Our immediate solution for Blu-ray-quality video on an Xbox 360 is coming this fall with Zune Video and 1080p instant-on HD streaming. As far as our future plans are concerned, we're not ready to comment."
As Gizmondo quite rightly points out, there are two possible responses here; flat out denial or no comment. One quashes the rumour, the other fuels it. This is most certainly the latter.
