Toshiba: HD-DVD sells more than Blu-ray, more laughing at Sony

Toshiba HD-DVD

One of technology’s more heated battles is between the HD-DVD and Blu-ray storage formats, a rivalry comparable to Windows/Linux/Mac, UT/Quake 3 and Sony/Microsoft. The latest strike has been made, and Toshiba reports that HD-DVD is in the lead!

HD-DVD players began to outsell Blu-ray ones since about mid-September, according to NPD sales figures. Jodi Sally, Toshiba VP for marketing of digital A/V products said that year to date, according to NPD figures, HD DVD players command 53% of sales; Blu-ray players, 44%; dual format players, 3%. The lead may sound marginal, but it may just herald a dark future for Blu-ray.

Sony managed to woo many customers to their camp of evil when they released a cheaper version of Blu-ray players, and attained a status of absolute win. Sally says that the victory was short-lived and that HD-DVD still dominates the scene. Sony can be seen crying in that corner again, like last week (or the week before).

And as for the PC, Toshiba expects 5 million HD-DVD drives to be sold in the fiscal year 2008.  With this, they seek to compete further against the atrocities of Sony’s Blu-ray. What is Toshiba’s master plan?

Toshiba believes more people are buying PC HD DVD drives with the pure intention to watch high-def movies than people who are buying the PS3. Sources have estimated that just 20% of PS3 owners have played movies on the machine.

Where will war turn next? Will Blu-ray strike back? Will Toshiba merge with Sony to form the Imperial Japanese Electronics corporations and attack American shores? We can only hope wait.

[Via Video Business]

Eric Bana joins Star Trek XI

Eric Bana

As the search continues to find the cast for Star Trek XI the newest casting announcement is that Eric Bana (The Hulk, Munich) is set to play the villain Nero.

Set for a November start date the studio still needs to cast a young James T. Kirk and Scotty for the J.J. Abrams (Lost) directed project.

While adding the first bankable big name actor to the roster will work in Paramount’s favor as far as box office numbers are concerned we will have to wait until the films release on Christmas Day 2008 to see if Bana is a right fit for the Star Trek universe.

Bana joins the already announced cast members Anton Yelchin, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto (Heroes) and Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek: TOS).

Super Smash Bros Brawl Delayed

Super Smash Bros Melee

It appears that Nintendo has delayed the Japanese release of the upcoming Super Smash Bros Brawl. What was supposed to be released this year is now To Be Determined! Nintendo has said that the game won’t be released until sometime after January 28, 2008.

What kind of impact will this have on the other territory debuts of Super Smash Bros Brawl, no one exactly knows. It’s possible that Nintendo will push the American version to a release date of 2008 as well.

My guess is that Nintendo is focusing on the American version first and foremost. Nintendo may need the extra man power from the other versions to focus in on the American version. Considering that Super Smash Bros Brawl took off in the States and is what convinced people to buy a Gamecube, Nintendo needs Super Smash Bros Brawl in its Holiday 07 lineup.

But as of right now everything is up in the air.

Sonic in Super Smash Bros Brawl

It’s about time Sonic the Hedgehog receives a decent game! Ever since the demise of the Dreamcast is seems like his games are on the utter-crap rictor scale. Thankfully Nintendo is coming in to save the day and is bringing Sonic the Hedgehog into Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Let the fanboy celebration begin!

From the looks of the new SSBB trailer, Sonic is going to be a kick-ass character as he was always meant to be!

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