It's a good job gamers aren’t holding their collective breath in hope for an Xbox 360 with a built-in Blu-ray Disc drive. Microsoft has once again stepped in to quash the latest rumours that it’s developing one.

On Friday morning, it was alleged that Microsoft is working with Taiwan's Pegatron Technology, a subsidiary of PC manufacturer Asus, to develop Xbox 360s equipped with Blu-ray drives. It was also said that the first such model would be available within six months.

However, Microsoft later that day stated that it has “no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360". This, according to the software giant, is because "games are what drive consumers to purchase game consoles, and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster games available”.

Clearly, Microsoft doesn’t realise the irony in its latest statement. If videogames are what drive consumers to purchase games consoles, then why did it bother to develop an add-on HD DVD drive?

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