Microsoft is turning up the heat in the next gen console wars by stating that its upcoming external HD-DVD player for its Xbox 360 will be very inexpensive. According to Larry Hryb,s blogsite, the 360,s add-on HD-DVD player will be “the cheapest.” Hryb is Microsoft,s director of programming for Xbox Live.
Albert Penello, director of global marketing remarked, "Here’s the truth, we’re still thinking about it. Here’s what I can tell you for sure, it’s going to be the cheapest HD-DVD player you can buy…without a doubt, when it comes out. Everybody is very enthusiastic with the direction we’re going. There’s still a few surprises left. I don’t want to spill the beans yet, but I think people are going to think it’s a great value."
Penello than took the opportunity to fire a few pot shots at Sony,s commitment to Blu-ray technology. He said, "Xbox has always been about choice. It’s always been about ‘How do you want to game? How do you want to get online? How do you want to communicate with people?’ What I’m excited about is that now we’re going to say, ‘How do you want to pick your next-generation DVD format?’ We’re not forcing consumers to buy something that may be obsolete, or forcing them to spend a lot of money on something they don’t want. We’re not betting our whole console on an unproven media format."
At the moment, stand alone HD-DVD players range in price from $430-$800. If Penello,s words are taken at face value, it can be assumed that the 360 external HD-DVD players may come in well under $430. Just what “the cheapest HD-DVD player you can buy” means is up for debate.
