As covered in Technology blog this morning, and elaborated upon by Gamesindustry.biz, a release date has been announced for the first Blu-ray disc player - the Samsung BD-P1000. It'll hit US shelves on May 23 along with a small selection of movies.

Of course, there is now wild speculation over how this revelation will affect the launch date of PS3. Some feel the announcement is a positive development - previously problems over agreeing the final specifications of the Blu-ray format have been cited as the main delaying factor behind the launch of Sony's next-gen machine. It has been suggested that, as a release date has now been agreed, the Blu-ray standard must have been official finalised.

However, the fact that the very first Blu-ray movie players won't be out in the US til May makes Sony's Spring PS3 launch date look even more ambitious.

Read the official Sony Pictures press release here