Sales figures for high definition DVDs for the first quarter of 2007 are out and it looks like sales for the Blu-ray format are stomping HD DVD. Reuters reports that 70% of the the first quarter’s high definition DVD sales were for Blu-ray disks, while 30% were for the HD DVD format. This is not surprising given the fact that 8 out of the top 10 best selling high definition DVDs have been released on the Blu-ray format.

Leading the pack for Blu-ray sales is the new James Bond thriller, Casino Royale. The Departed, also on Blu-ray, ranked number two for sales. The HD DVD version of The Departed ranked number 3.

During the first quarter of 2007 conusmers purchased almost 1.2 million high definition DVDs. Other than the fact that the current best selling movies are being released on Blu-ray, the Blue-ray format also has the advantage of being supported by five out of six of six major studios. Another influencing factor is Sony’s PlayStation 3, which includes a Blu-ray player. Sony has sold over a million PlayStation 3 units.

It appears that the best way to win the high defintion DVD format war is through the release of best selling movies. The first Blu-ray players that hit the market in June of 2006 were plagued with problems. Blu-ray DVD players still command a 2x premium price over HD DVD players. Dual format high definition players should help to further drive sales for both formats as new models are introduced and prices for the players come down. Duals format disks should also hit the market in 2007.