According to a senior Toshiba official quoted by the Kyodo News Agency on August 23, negotiations between the Blu-Ray and HD DVD camps on a possible unified format for next-generation DVD technology have collapsed. Earlier Sony had already expressed its intention to give up on the negotiations, which went into full gear in February of 2005 but were suspended in May. This new development means that there will be two different formats on the market, leading to confusion for consumers and a possible reluctance on their part to buy next-generation DVD players. The HD DVD camp plans to bring its first next-generation offering on the market by the end of 2005, while the Blu-Ray camp has its sights set on the spring of 2006.