Michael Bay has always been a big Hollywood director, but
following his smash hit Transformers,
Bay himself transformed into a high-definition controversy mogul.
Responding to a question posted on
Michael Bay’s official web forums asking once again why Transformers was released only on HD DVD
and not Blu-ray Disc, Bay expressed his believe that Microsoft is behind a
scheme to sabotage both high-definition disc formats. Mind you, Microsoft is
one of the pioneers and largest backers of HD DVD.
“What you don't understand is corporate politics. Microsoft
wants both formats to fail so they can be heroes and make the world move to
digital downloads,” wrote Bay. “That is the dirty secret no one is talking
about.”
Paramount, the studio behind Transformers, and DreamWorks signed an exclusive
HD DVD agreement on August 20, thus ending support for Blu-ray Disc for
those two companies. According to numerous reports, the deal to secure the
allegiance of Paramount and DreamWorks was in the neighbourhood
of $150 million, which the Hollywood director takes issue with.
“That is why Microsoft is handing out $100 million dollar
checks to studios just embrace the HD DVD and not the leading, and superior Blu
Ray,” continued Bay. “They want confusion in the market until they perfect the
digital downloads. Time will tell and you will see the truth.”
Similar sentiments against Microsoft were expressed
over a month ago at a Blu-ray Festival by 20th Century Fox’s
president Mike Dunn. Microsoft’s Kevin Collins, director in the
Microsoft Consumer Media Technology Group, later
retorted, “The [Blu-ray] camp’s claims about Microsoft’s desire to have a
format war are baseless. Microsoft has over 100 people working on HD DVD
interactivity and we believe that HD DVD is the next-generation optical
format.”
Bay’s recent comments are just the latest in a long string
of criticisms from the flashy director. At the time of Paramount and DreamWorks’
announcement, Bay threw a virtual fit over the decision that would see his
Transformers film released only on one high-definition format.
"I want people to see my movies in the best formats
possible. For them to deny people who have Blu-ray sucks! They were progressive
by having two formats. No Transformers 2
for me," exclaimed Bay in August. Amusingly, Bay later backpedalled
on his blog to a different tune, praising HD DVD’s affordable hardware
pricing and said that he might indeed be back to direct Transformers 2.
The director then reignited
the controversy in October when he said, “As a director, my critical eye is
that Blu-ray is where my money is. Consumers are smart, and they are going to
wait it out.”
Upon the release of Transformers
on HD DVD, the film immediately broke home video release records on October 16.
Transformers on HD DVD became the fastest
selling high-definition release in history, with 100,000 copies sold on the
first day.