It's official. The format war between HD-DVD and Blu-ray is over. They've decided to stop backing the format, which isn't completely unexpected. After Warner Bros. gave it up and decided to back Blu-ray completely, it was pretty obvious that the format wasn't going to make it.

With tons of the initial backers gone, and even Wal-mart earlier today announcing they would no longer support the format, it was apparent that HD-DVD was on its last leg. Even Netflix gave up on them.

This will undoubtedly have a big influence on PS3 sales, especially since it's still one of the cheapest Blu-ray players. If Sony can go public with that knowledge, and maybe get a head start with their DVR setup outside of Europe, there may be a serious increase of PS3's sold, not just as gaming system.

[via Reuters]