The executive, Stephen McGill, director of Microsoft's Xbox and entertainment division in the United Kingdom, told the fan site Xbox360Achievements that consumers don't need Blu-ray, The Daily Telegraph reported.

He said adding a Blu-ray drive to the Xbox 360 would not help to extend the shelf life of the game console, the report said.

McGill told the fan site, "Blu-ray is going to be passed by as a format. People have moved through DVDs to digital downloads and digital streaming, so we offer full high-definition 1080p Blu-ray streaming instantly (through the Xbox 360), no download, no delay. So who needs Blu-ray?"

Microsoft once sold an optional HD-DVD drive that could be connected to the Xbox 360 so that it could double as a DVD player. The 360's main rival console, Sony's PlayStation 3, has an integrated Blu-ray player.

The Daily Telegraph said many experts believe there is still a role for high-definition DVDs such as Blu-ray since few homes have the Internet connections needed for high-quality movie streaming.

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