Well, well, well. Looks like the saga of the format war isn't over yet. And if this one proves to be true, it would certainly add an interesting new chapter. According to a report, Microsoft is getting ready to manufacture external Blu-ray disc drives for the Xbox 360.

Sing it, Alanis.

Wondering why Microsoft's hard drive for the Xbox 360 is priced at US$ 179.99? You might find the answers you're looking for in this article. A hardware analyst was able to break down the total cost of the HDD for the console. Details in the full article.

True, or April Fool's Joke? According to DigiTimes, Lite-On is currently producing Blu-ray  drives for the Xbox 360 gaming consoles, despite Microsoft's previous comments about not having any plans of using Blu-ray technology in its gaming console. Quite a sudden turn of events, and nicely timed, too. Hit the full article for more details on this intriguing piece of news.

This is perhaps the final piece of news we'll hear from the format wars. Confirmation that it's really over can't get any more official than this: the HD DVD Promotion Group has officially dissolved. More details after the "read more" link below.

(Editor's Note: The weekend has landed! Easter eggs are rolling all over the place in this edition of QuickJump QuickPeek.)

From the ubiquitous Konami code that unlocks 99 lives all the way up to GTA: Vice City Stories' very much, err, literal "Easter egg" via the helipad, gamers have a different meaning for the Easter bunny's painted gifts. Start scouring through the bushes! Here in QuickJump QuickPeek 39, we're touring around gaming town for Easter eggs. Wohoo!

In life, it helps to have someone who can hold you accountable for your actions. In the case of electronics companies, it seems that Greenpeace is their accountability partner. The organization has recently released the current company rankings in its Greener Electronics Scale. To find out how certain companies fared, get "green-minded" and turn to the full article after the jump.

We learned yesterday that Sony and Microsoft are currently discussing on how the Xbox 360 can have a Blu-ray addon as a result of the HD DVD downhill trend at the on-going format war.

However, a spokesperson from Microsoft has said that these reports are not true. The full details after the jump!

Ever wanted to try out Microsoft's HD-DVD Emulator on your Xbox 360, but got scared off by the price? Then you've got no reason now, as the emulator itself is now going for absolutely zip. Yes, one can download the emulator for free - just remember that you still need an HD-DVD add-on drive for it. All the details after the jump.

Retailers appear to be taking measures in light of Toshiba's recent announcement of their plans to axe the HD-DVD format.

We've picked up word that at least one store chain has already begun disallowing customers from trading in their HD-DVD movies. Details are in the full article.

The first HD DVD and Blu-ray format discs were released back in 2006. Since then it's been a long and grueling war. Both sides have dished out and taken hits, and for a while there, some thought the format war would end in a stalemate. However, the HD DVD camp started losing backers in the last few months, a movement that probably started when Warner Bros. decided to go Blu-ray exclusive. Now, HD DVD has lost one of its biggest supporters, Toshiba, signaling what may be the end of the war. Read the full article to recap some of the biggest events that led to this point in the format war.

Originally posted on February 20, 2008 at 1:34 p.m.