As if the console war between Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo isn't enough, the videogame market is also playing an important role in the format battle between two competing high-definition disc formats: Blu-ray and HD-DVD. Blu-ray would seem to have the edge, with backing from five studios (Sony, Fox and Disney exclusively; Warner Bros. and Paramount non-exclusively) to HD-DVD's three (Universal exclusively, along with Warner Bros. and Paramount non-exclusively.) But because of the high initial prices, very few players have sold for either format. Now, with Friday's release of the PlayStation 3, Blu-ray will get a welcome shot in the arm, because every PS3 sold can play Blu-ray movies. And since console sales ramp up much faster than do consumer electronics products, Blu-ray backers aim to ride PS3's coattails all the way to a one format future.

Microsoft hopes to cloud that picture with a $200 HD-DVD external drive for the Xbox 360. But it's doubtful that it will be much of a factor, since the majority of console add-ons rarely reach more than 10 percent of a console's installed base. Also, the 360's HD-DVD add-on is strictly for movie-watching, unlike the PS3, which uses the extra capacity of its built-in Blu-ray support for both movies and games. And now that word comes from the Korea Times that both Samsung and LG Electronics have declared their unequivocal support for Blu-ray (click here for the story), with no plans to manufacture either HD-DVD or combo players. With even adult movie producer Vivid Entertainment selecting Blu-ray for its foray into high-def (see the report here), it would appear that for HD-DVD, it's all over but the shouting.