First Shots Fired in Format Wars

[Jess]

Technophiles who need the latest and greatest are in luck; today, Toshiba officially kicked off the launch of the next-generation format war with the release of HD-DVD players and movies across the country. The hardware already debuted in Japan a few weeks back, but there weren't even movies available for that release.
What does this mean for gamers? Not much, really. Microsoft intends on launching an HD-DVD add-on for Xbox 360 later this year, but they've already stated it won't be utilized for videogames. Eventual PlayStation 3 owners, however, can look forward to their machine being powered by Sony's competing Blu-ray disc format.

Many have hedged their bets on PlayStation 3's inclusion of Blu-ray as a strong advantage for the format, believing the machine will help push penetration of Blu-ray as movie studios and consumers scratch their heads over which side to support.

Gamers interested in joining the high-definition movie era a little early, though, can look forward to picking up Toshiba's HD-A1 HD-DVD player for $499.99. That's more than a little pricier than most consumer-aimed DVD players, but at least movies are more in less in line with current DVD releases