Blu-ray rollout delayed

Sony's HD era of Blu-ray discs will be ushered in a month late, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The trade paper is reporting today that Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has delayed its first batch of eight games from the previously announced May 23 release date back to June 20.

The article quotes Sony Pictures Home Entertainment president Benjamin Feingold as saying the delay came at the request of the studio's retail and hardware partners, who wanted a more coordinated launch for the format. The new date means the discs will hit store shelves much closer to the first commercially available Blu-ray player, a Samsung model that isn't expected in stores until June 25.

Video Business Online has previously reported that the first wave of Blu-ray releases from Lionsgate, which were also originally scheduled for May 23, have been moved back to a June 27 release.