DVD Player for Xbox

The rollout plans come as the company tries to shore up sales ahead of the arrival later this year of next-generation machines by its two top rivals - Sony and Nintendo Co.

The basic Xbox 360 doesn't come with high-definition DVD capability. The new HD-DVD peripheral, to be launched in Japan on Nov. 22, is seen as an attempt to keep pace with Sony's PlayStation 3. That anxiously awaited upgrade to the PlayStation line will have Sony's new Blu-ray HD-DVD player built in.

The attachment will cost 19,800 yen ($170) in Japan, bringing the combined cost of the basic Xbox 360 and the HD-DVD player to nearly the same price as that anticipated for the PlayStation 3 in Japan.

In choosing Japan for the launch of the HD-DVD add-on, Microsoft is testing a market that is one of the world's biggest but holds a deep allegiance for to homegrown Sony. Microsoft has plans to release the HD-DVD elsewhere, but no specifics about other markets or timing were disclosed.


Posted by: Gina    Source