Transformers Director Michael Bay puts all his money on Blu-ray as victor, forgets his film is on HD DVD

transformers-photo.jpgTransformers geeks have probably already learnt of the accolade the film has acquired, being the fastest selling high-def release in history. In fact, they’ve probably already cut the article out of the paper, framed it, and stuck it on the wall.

It was released on the HD DVD format on October the 16th, with 100,000 copies sold on the first day it was made available. However, the Director Michael Bay has spoken out against the format, saying he would’ve preferred it to have been on Blu-ray. Ouch. “As a director, my critical eye is that Blu-ray is where my money is. Consumers are smart, and they are going to wait it out.”

He went even further, lashing out on his personal site, saying “I want people to see my movies in the best formats possible. For…

Virtual Worlds Week: Top 10 alternatives to Second Life

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You’d be forgiven for thinking Second Life is the only virtual world in town, from the acres of press hype in the last year. And there’s no doubt that Linden Lab’s world has deserved many of the plaudits (and fat marketing expenditure) coming its way, having been arguably the first non-gaming virtual world to excite mainstream attention.

But it’s not alone. Industry body Virtual Worlds Management recently estimated that 35 virtual worlds companies had trousered over a billion dollars of investment in the last year (although that research has since been questioned, with some of those companies not actually being involved in virtual worlds, and $700 million of the figure coming from one acquisition).

Paramount and Dreamworks go exclusively HD DVD: Disney, Fox, MGM try hitting back for Blu-ray

Two Hollywood studios who had previously been supporting both Blu-ray and HD DVD high definition disc formats yesterday announced that they’ll support HD DVD exclusively from now on.

The decision was made based on “extensive evaluation” of the current market offerings, plumping for HD DVD because of its “market-ready technology” and lower manufacturing costs.

CEO of Paramount Pictures, Brad Grey, said that this decision by the two studios would bring a critical mass of current box office hits to consumers, with a line-up perfect for HD DVD.

Though no other studio has swapped format, Disney, Twentieth Century Fox, and MGM, all reaffirmed their commitment to Blu-ray, promising many more titles with greater interactivity — something that the format still lags behind HD DVD on thanks to technical limitations of the original Blu-ray specification.

Blu-ray film studios launch "Hollywood in Hi-Def" web site

bluray.jpgHigh definition disc formats may not be the most exciting news around, but that’s not stopped companies who support either HD DVD or Blu-ray doing what they can to push their format as the best choice for consumers.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (I think it’s all about home entertainment) have backed a new web site that aims to push Blu-ray as the best choice for watching movies.

It’s called Hollywood in Hi-Def.