Microsoft's officials in charge of the Xbox 360 for Europe lambasted the competition, which means Sony, for their decision regarding the inclusion of the Blu-Ray player in the upcoming Playstation 3 console.

In an interview for Eurogamer TV, Chris Lewis and Neil Thompson accused Sony of forcing consumers into paying a few hundred pounds more for a Blu-Ray player, about which nobody knows for certain if will become the HD standard.

Lewis and Thompson believe that Microsoft's solution for the high-definition format is much more convenient for users, who will purchase a HD-DVD unit only if they feel like it.

"If gamers over time choose to go to HD-DVD we're going to give them the choice to do that, but we're not going to force them to buy that day one," Neil Thompson, senior regional director for Xbox in Northern and Eastern Europe, said.

The two execs said that after finding out the price scheme for Playstation 3, Microsoft Europe is very pleased with their own prices for the console that has been launched on several continents.

"We're confident that we are at the right price at the right time and will remain so, and nothing I've heard in the last two days does anything other than frankly reinforce that view," Thompson added.