You do not need a Blu-ray player to enjoy your new TV, but if you want to play Blu-ray discs you would need a Blu-ray player. Blu-ray has nothing to do with gaming, other than the Sony PS3 gaming system which plays both PS3 video games and Blu-ray discs. If you want to enjoy the highest resolution your TV is capable of you would need a Blu-ray player, and this is because right now only a Blu-ray disc outputs in a 1080p signal. High Definition (HD) Cable, HD Satellite TV, and HD Broadcast TV are either broadcast in 720p or 1080i resolution. If you decide you want to purchase a Blu-ray player you could just go to a Best Buy® store, or you could purchase one here:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.... I hope this helps out!