Time Warner CEO: PS3 Won't Drive Blu-ray Conversion

Speaking at the recent Credit Suisse media and telecom conference in New York, Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons has cast doubts that Sony's PS3 will give Blu-ray an advantage in the new media format battle. Thus far, Time Warner has yet to truly pick a side in the fight between the Blu-ray and HD-DVD, with its movie studios supporting both formats - the former used in Sony's PS3, and the latter being pushed by Microsoft with the recent release of its add-on drive for the Xbox 360 - independently. But, as quoted by Reuters, Parsons has doubts about Sony's confidence that the PS3 will be a major driving force behind the public's acceptance of Blu-ray as the format of choice, as well as the PS3's positioning as an all-in-one living room solution. Said Parsons, "Do I think that the game console platform is really going to drive the conversion? I don't think so. People get those things to play games, not watch movies." Time Warner's interest in the PS3 extends beyond merely its movie capabilities though, with the company taking a more active interest in the gaming world in recent years. Apart from its acquisition of gaming site GameDaily through AOL, as well as game blog Joystiq through AOL's Weblogs, Inc brand, Time Warner's Turner subsidiary is the owner of subscription based retro arcade and console library GameTap.