(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Microsoft Backtracks Again, No Blu-Ray Add On Coming
Written Thursday, October 22, 2009 by Dan Webb

Xbox Live's Director of Programming, Larry Hyrb - you know, that Major Nelson guy - just posted on his blog stating that Steve Ballmer's statement regarding the Xbox 360 and the Blu-Ray drive wasn't what it sounded like. Instead Major states that Steve Ballmer was referring to Blu-ray accessories and that they have no plans for a Blu-ray drive.

Major Nelson states, "I wanted to clear something up. Steve was referring to Blu-ray accessories for the PC. As we have said in the past, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360."

Sure he was Major!

First off can I say that this shit is getting old fast. Secondly, I'm not convinced in the slightest. Steve Ballmer isn't an idiot, he's not going to start talking about the Xbox and then go off randomly to talk about Blu-ray accessories for the PC, especially when that has got nothing to do with Microsoft. They specialise in PC software... what has Blu-ray accessories for that platform got to do with them? And if he was talking about them, then if the "I don't know if we're putting Blu-ray in there" comment doesn't debunk the PC accessory notion, I'm not sure what will.

Let's pick apart what he says in the Gizmodo interview, word for word, including the question:

And as far as the media stuff you're doing with the Xbox. You're building something that really is the home theatre companion of choice... What's the ultimate goal? I guess you're going to put Blu-ray in there...

I don't know if we're putting Blu-ray in there. You'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories... We'll just keep driving forward and keep making the best overall entertainment, not just gaming, experience we can.

Is Major Nelson really trying to convince us that Steve Ballmer went from talking Xbox and Natal to talk PC accessories, before finishing up on the Xbox. All in the space of a few minutes? I call shenanigans!

I wonder if the backtracking is a result of the realisation that this Blu-ray drive slip up could dent the Zune HD Marketplace's profits when the fall update drops.

Who knows? Either way, we're not buying it.