Should the PS3 have had Blu Ray?

[Jay520]

Let me start by listing some of the advantages of Blu Ray to get those out the way. Blu Ray has a much larger storage capacity than DVD. This allows developers to fit more data on disc without the need for multiple discs. Blu Ray also has a high resistance to scratches. Most people are careful enough not to scratch their disks, but some people aren't and Blu Rays are a nice format for them. And of course the PS3 had the ability to play Blu Ray Movies.

Now I ask you: Was it really worth it? The inclusion of a Blu Ray drive was probably the biggest factor in the PS3's high price. For a while after the PS3 launched, there were Blu Ray players more expensive than the PS3 even though the PS3 did a lot more. How much less would the PS3 have cost and how much more would it have sold?

Some might say that the PS3 helped bring Blu Ray to win the Format War over HD-DVD. To that I'd say A.) Did the PS3 really need to Blu Ray for Blu Ray to win. I think it's likely that Blu Ra would have won even if the PS3 didn't have a Blu Ray drive. And 2.) Was the war worth winning anyway? Blu Ray still hasn't overtaken DVD and by the time it has the chance to, Digital Media will have likely have become standard.

Also, did gamers really care about multiple disks?

So I ask: Should the PS3 have had Blu Ray?