(April Fool's) High-Def And The Master Chief: Microsoft And Sony's Unholy Blu-ray-For-Halo Alliance*

Two weeks ago, I predicted that Microsoft might run into trouble securiting the license rights to implement Blu-ray support on its Xbox 360, by virtue of its past advocacy of HD DVD. At the time, I suggested that Microsoft would threaten to delay or completely disregard native support for Blu-ray in its various Windows operating system incarnations, as a negotiating ploy to get what it wanted on the console front. What I didn’t consider was that Microsoft had other carrot-and-stick tools at its disposal, specifically its game franchises.

Although price drops and growing awareness of the PlayStation 3 as the ideal Blu-ray disc player have boosted Sony’s fortunes in recent months, its console is still plagued by a dearth of compelling content. The Xbox 360, conversely, is flush with successful titles…specifically the Halo franchise. So it is that, as announced earlier today, Microsoft will port Halo 1 and 2 (but not Halo 3, at least at this time) to the PS3, in exchange for Sony’s patent blessing and technical assistance in getting Blu-ray up and running on the Xbox 360 in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Who got the better deal in this bizarre partnership, one even more unpredictable than those announced at CTIA earlier today? Sound off with your thoughts in the comments.

*Yeah, yeah…I know I said earlier today that I was done with the April Fools posts. Well, I mean it this time. Maybe