The difference between the PS2 including DVD and the PS3 including Blu-ray is that, for the PS2, DVD playback was a feature that sold PS2s. For the PS3, Blu-ray is a feature that pushes Blu-ray onto the market. DVD was not competing with another standard (DIVX pretty much killed itself), and the advantages of DVD over VHS were huge. Everyone I know wanted a DVD player, but not too many people I talk to now want a Blu-ray player (or are willing to pay for one). So I agree that PS3 is the only reason BR is currently winning vs. HD, but BR is NOT a reason for the PS3 to "win".

Sony seems to lose credibility and consumer trust every time they turn around. The Blu-ray push just gives people another reason to be pissy.

In response to "That Guy", you can see sales of Blu-ray movies increasing dramatically in the months following the PS3 launch, so yes, it has definitely had an effect.  When you realize that there were fewer than a million standalone players (BR or HD) sold before the launch, and now suddenly there are 3 million PS3s out there, Blu-ray simply has a much bigger install base.

i'm reading about Hybrid formats and players that can read both. Maybe the format war will end the way the DVD-R vs. DVD+R vs. DVD-RAM war ended-- everything plays everything else so it really doesn't matter anymore.

 look at BR sales after PS3 hits the market... Japan... 5 months after PS3 hit Br has taken 95% of the hd marlet.

Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia & New Zealand, said: "The inclusion of a Blu-ray Disc player in the PS3 has also helped firmly launch the new disc format in Australia, with the install base growing over 40-fold in just three days."

Actually BR plays almost everything. Most movies are only on BR or also on BR. HDDVD has only one major supporter (Universal Studio) - BR has 5 exclusives (the biggest share on the market has obviously ... Sony-Columbia)

There's enough HD-DVD exclusives to piss me off though.  Meaning, I'm not going to start buying Blu Ray yet, because there's a lot of HD DVD exclusive movies that I won't be able to get unless I get a hybrid player.

Blu Ray is actually losing lately. Go to DVD wars .com,. HDDVD has surged ahead again at Amazon.

In stand alone players, I believe the HDDVD camp said thay'd sold 200k versus 20k for Blu Ray recently. If it wasn't for PS3 Blu Ray would already be dead.

The problem for Sony is they need this BR-HDDVD battle to be over quickly, and it seems to be going on longer and longer, which will force some sort of stalemate.Every day Blu Ray isn't declared the final winner decreases the chances it ever will be.

Universal is providing as many exclusives for HDDVD as Blu-Ray by itself. The very popular TV show Heroes for example, HDDVD exclusive. Also it was recently announced the Matrix was coming to HDDVD first, some technical problem with Blu-Ray.

Toshiba is also slashing the HDDVD price. The problem for Sony is they traded losing the videogames war to win the Blu-Ray war, and now they may not even win that. 

http://www.hdtvuk.tv/2007/03/hd_dvd_vs_blura_1.html

nice source, by the way. Getting a quote from a Sony rep. From what I'm reading, Blu Ray is winning by a ratio of 3:1. ::edit:: But, from what I'm reading from that other guy who beat me to the post, its still up in the air.::edit:: At this rate, however, if the success of Blu Ray depends on the sales of PS3, then sony is in a little trouble, considering that PS3 is underperforming.

that brings up an important question, then. What if the hybrid format or the dual players won out?

 dual plaeyrs are a joke ($1200) that almost no one will make, most Movie studios dont support it.

Ok, so using this logic, I guess the Wii has 'pretty much won' ? :D or the xbox? :D

hddvd launceh months before BR, Br caught up... and is now out selling then atleast 2-1