It seems Microsoft’s not above cutting its losses and running if HD-DVD doesn’t pan out. It might even support Blu-ray with its Xbox 360 if it had to.

That bit of information comes from the mouth of Xbox UK boss Neil Thompson.

“Whatever format wins it is highly likely we will offer a solution,” Thompson is quoted as saying. “The only debate is if you want to watch Blu-ray movies and pay the extra money for that feature. We prefer to offer the consumer choice.”

This, of course, isn’t to say the Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD battle is even close to being over. There’s still lots of time for either format to declare a victory or another one to emerge the winner. It's still my guess that downloads will be the winner in the long run, rendering actual in-hand disks a thing of the past, but I might be a few years ahead of my time.

At any rate, I have to admit, I remain rather impressed with how Microsoft has handled the 360 to date. The bells and whistles are add ons, not must haves, as is the case with Sony’s PS3. This just puts more power in the hands of consumers, which is a good thing.

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Labels: blu-ray, hd-dvd, microsoft, xbox 360

It would sure be nice to pick up a brand new Xbox 360 in a slick black case that has all kinds of bells and whistles for $479.

According to reports in Kotaku, Game Informer magazine has confirmed the new 360 will roll out in April. The Elite edition will boast a 120 GB HDD and support HDMI. Some sites are saying the HDMI cable will be included, but an internal HD-DVD drive will not.

CVG has talked with Microsoft. They came back with this quote: “We don’t comment on rumour and speculation.”

Despite the Microsoft response, Game Informer is sticking by its story, even writing in to Kotaku to reiterate its accuracy.

With April just around the corner, it’s a hard call whether this is a joke or not, but the folks at Game Informer sound pretty firm on their stand. A new version of the 360 with more power for less than a PS3 would sure be nice.

Here’s hoping the rumors pan out. It's not uncommon for companies like Microsoft to refuse to comment on big news, only to turn around with an official press release a few weeks later.

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Labels: hd-dvd, hdmi, microsoft, xbox 360, xbox 360 elite