Microsoft to Sell Cheaper Xbox 360 in Japan, Boost Weak Sales

Microsoft Corp. plans to sell a cheaper version of its Xbox 360 game console in Japan from Nov. 2, to bolster sluggish sales before Sony Corp. releases the PlayStation 3.

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BIG Next Gen news revealed - Wii release imminent.

IBM has announced that their Broadway chip custom-designed for Nintendo's Wii console is not only already in Nintendo's hands but has been since July. So... we can easily speculate that the Wii could feasibly be released within the next few weeks. Perhaps by the end of the month.

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GrownUpGamers Konfabulator Widget Updated

Konfabulator is a JavaScript runtime engine for Windows and Mac OS X that lets you run little files called Widgets that can do pretty much whatever you want them to. In the case of the GUG this Widget grabs all the latest forum post and brings them one click away right to your desktop, plus we have added a whole bunch of other Xbox related gaming feeds (right click on the widget).

GrownUpGamers Konfabulator

Call of Duty 3 High Definition Gameplay Footage

We bring you new high definition footage from the Xbox 360 version of Call of Duty 3. Built from the ground-up for next-gen consoles, Call of Duty 3 delivers the intensity of being closer than ever to the fury of combat during the Normandy Breakout, the historic campaign that made the liberation of Paris possible and brought the Allies a step closer to Berlin

TeamXbox

World Series of Poker - 5 New Images

Here are some new images of World Series of Poker that Activision has released. This game is the one of the first games to use many of the Xbox 360 Vision camera's features.

Xboxyde

Call of Duty 3 images

Activision released this two batches of images of Call of Duty 3, one from the Xbox 360 version, the other from the PS3 one.

Xboxyde

Phantasy Star Universe Trailer 3

Sonic Next Gen Trailer

Xbox 360 HD DVD drive on show with Toshiba

Xbox 360 HD DVD story/pics

Madden Guide PDF Download

"Last year’s Madden focused on innovation in the passing game; this year it’s all about the running backs. Record-breaking running back Shaun Alexander leads the charge as the NFL superstar on this season’s cover. Madden 07 enhances the running game with the new lead blocking mode. Instead of controlling just the running back, now you can open holes and pancake defenders with an offensive lineman, fullback, or tight end."

GameSpot

Major next-gen console news coming tonight

We just got handed a scoop for some important news with one of the next-generation consoles. We can't talk about any specifics yet, but you have our word that this announcement is something worth waiting for.
Expect all the info tonight here at Joystiq at 12:01 a.m. Eastern.

Joystiq

Xbox 360 Black with 250GB HDD and HDDVD this Chrismats (no link)

At the Fan Expo in Toronto over the Labour Day weekend the Microsoft Representative at the G4 TechTV (as it is called here in Canada) booth in talking with the G4 TechTV Rep revealed that a new Xbox 360 bundle was coming this Christmas season and that it would be Black, sport a 250GB HDD and an integrated HD-DVD player.

Link to older story here...

World of Warcraft Hits 7 Million Subscribers!

Wednesday morning at the Austin Game Conference it was announced that World of Warcraft has hit 7 million active subscribers world-wide. And while the number doesn't surprise me - as we've yet to see an MMO present a serious challenge to WoW's dominance of the genre - such large figures are rather staggering. Despite all of the technical issues and player complaints, the game's popularity has continued to grow on a large scale. (The game only announced it hit 6 million active subscribers at the beginning of March, this year.) So congratulations, Blizzard, on another million players!

WOW Insider

Duke "polishes" his weapon

Duke Nukem Forever in polishing stage, according to 3DR head Broussard
Following recent revelations that large swathes of the Duke Nukem Forever development team at 3D Realms have left the company, president George Brouusard has hit back on various forums, claiming that the game is all present and correct and now entering the "polishing" stage.

ComputerAndVideoGames.com

X360 NHL 07 Demo now available

X360 NHL 07 Demo now available on XBox Live Marketplace

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Microsoft responds to Sony launch plans

Yesterday, Neil Thompson, head honcho of Xbox UK, pounced on the opportunity to twist the knife in Sony's already festering PR wound (watch out, it could be gangrenous!). Dissing both Sony's choice of Blu-ray and their failure to execute a worldwide launch, he said:

Xbox 360 Fanboy

Wii still on track to ship 6 million units by March ‘07

Wii is on track to ship in Q4. Nintendo plans to ship 6 million systems to retailers around the world between its launch in the fourth quarter of 2006 and the end of its fiscal year on March 31, 2007," said NoA in an official statement.

GamesIndustry.biz

Buffalo's USB Micro-Pads for gaming on-the-go

"It's not like your average SNES of PSX-inspired PC gamepad is really too much of a chore to lug around, but if you've really got to get your game on with minimal addition to your gear bag, Buffalo's new USB Micro-Pads seem to be the way to go. The folding controller comes in both an analog stick version (pictured) and a traditional direction pad edition, and both Micro-Pads feature dual shoulder buttons, a couple of extra face buttons, and a mini-USB to USB adaptor. Along with being a good match for most PC emulators and other relevant titles, we're thinking this could do good things for a Pocket PC-based emulation fan if Buffalo brings the necessary drivers to the table, but we'll have to wait and see. No word on price or availability yet."

Engadget:

EA Signs Up For Massive, Dynamic, In-game Advertising on Xbox 360

Starting with Need For Speed Carbon, several of EA's Xbox 360 games will incorporate Massive Incorporated's dynamic ad placemtent.

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