I have a theory that statements made by hosts on a certain show from G4TechTV might have had something to do with this. At any rate, Sony has decided to go ahead and include the usability of the MP3 format on their new Network Walkman NW-HD1. Designed to compete with the iPod, this new MP3 decision is going to help them out a lot here, no question.

Sony has seemingly changed its mind on the MP3 music format, deciding that all new players will be able to play MP3s. Before this decision all music players made by Sony used only the company’s proprietary ATRAC format, limiting users’ choices somewhat.

The announcement comes before the release of Sony’s new Network Walkman NW-HD1, which, much like the iPod and similar players, contains a hard drive for music storage. This first Sony offering will come with a 20 GB drive and should be considerably cheaper than the iPod.