Huge News Story! Xbox 360 fall update adds 1080p output, HD DVD add-on hits Japan for $170 US Nov. 17

Even though we expected the Tokyo Game Show to be the coming out party for the Playstation 3, Microsoft just couldn't let them get all the limelight and Engadget has all the details. First, the Xbox 360 HD DVD external drive finally has a pricetag and launch date -- in Japan. ¥19,800 (about $170 US) and November 17 are the magic numbers, now the question is will the US be rounding up to $199 (or £199)? We'll have to wait to find out for sure but with X06 kicking off on the 27th, there's no way we'll be waiting too long. The other big news of the night is that the fall dashboard update will add 1080p output via analog to games and movies. If you have a TV (or projector) that takes 1,920x1,080 input via component or VGA you'll be able to select it in the dashboard and move on. Does this mean HD DVDs will play
in full 1080p via component? AACS would seem to answer a big no to that question, but until more details are released we can't say for sure. Future games will have the option to render natively at 1080p (DigDug HD?) while current games will be upscaled. Looks like Sony isn't the only one supporting "the true definition of HD".

HD Beat

Another Huge News Story: Universal Studios Backs Out of Blu-Ray

Universal Studios has decided not to release movies within the Blu-Ray format, according to a spokeswoman representing the Blu-Ray Disc Association.
In an email sent to PC Magazine, a spokeswoman said that Universal had withdrawn its earlier support for the format. A PC Magazine reporter had requested supporting documents when researching a previous story documenting imprecisions in surveys released to bolster the Blu-Ray and competing HD-DVD format, although that request was not actually referenced in the email.

"This spring, you received materials explaining the advantages of the Blu-ray format for optical discs," the spokeswoman said. "Those materials explained that, to date, over 108 movie and music titles were scheduled for release in Blu-ray Disc and listed the studios behind those releases.

"Unfortunately, in the graphics accompanying that text, a few titles from Universal Studios were depicted," the email continued. "Although the Blu-ray format has many advantages over competing technologies and has the support of numerous studios including Disney, Fox, Sony Pictures, MGM, Lions Gate, Paramount and Warner, Universal has decided not to release titles in this format. We will let you know when and if that changes, along with other updates about how well the Blu-ray format has been accepted."

xboxaddict.com

Xbox Live Arcade Makes... How Much?

Over at his blog, Garage Games' Jeff Tunnell has been expounding in detail on XBLA financing, with some particularly interesting results.

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Rumor: Xbox 360 HD-DVD Games Packed With Normal Games

Straight from a Dutch person's mouth! Make that apparently a Dutch Microsoft employee. Though, note that we are unable to read this page and are putting a big, fat "RUMOR" sticker on it. Kotakuite Rene was kind enough to translate the meat of it:

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Xbox 360 Gear Fit For Lance Armstrong

Branding is all about getting your product name out there. Putting the logo on everything imaginable. It's advertising, and it's free. As far as I know, we've never posted a cycling shirt, let alone a *game* cycling shirt. And perhaps, that is for good reason. Tight and light green, here is Xbox 360 biking wear. Branding run amuck.

Kotaku

Xbox events in your living room

The big Xbox announcements and titles featured at the Tokyo Game Show and X06 in Barcelona will be shown to gamers via the console's Xbox Live service.

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PSP 2.0

Consumers are always looking for the next flashy gadget to get their hands on and show off to their friends, especially when it comes to portable devices. Typically these redesign help correct the mistake. Since the PSP is already slick, will Sony be doing a redesign?

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New Halo 3 Control Info.

Just yesterday we got our hands on some new info. regarding the control setup in Assassins Creed. Of course Bungie thought that they'd release their own fact sheet regarding the control setup in the upcoming title Halo 3.

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Admitted Halo 2 Cheater Speaks to Aeropause

Aeropause: Do you have a girlfriend? Schmuck5000: What kind of freaking question is that for this kind of interview? How does me having a girlfriend relate to cheating?

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PlayStation 3 Launch's Top Selling Games

Next-Gen has predicted the top 20 games that will define Sony's PlayStation 3 in its first six months of life including estimated sales numbers and analysis...

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Nintendo Wii Internet Functionality Demo

Not only is the Wii a full-fledged gaming machine, but you can also use it to surf the net. Video after the jump.

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One guy's story of making $16,000 selling XBOX 360s...

Since the PS3 is due out soon, it might be good to read up on this and start getting ready for the eventual ebay madness. Buy a few PlayStation 3s, sell them on eBay for $1,000 each, repeat.

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EA Strips FIFA07 On Xbox 360 - 360 Has 7 Leagues, PS2 Has 28! Stadiums Too!

It seems EA has left the next-gen FIFA players out in the cold yet again. The Xbox360 version of FIFA 07 will include just 7 leageus, where are the Playstation 2 version will feature 28. On top of that, the XBox360 version will feature just 21 stadiums, while the PS2 version will have almost 50.

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NES Controller Alarm Clock: Relive The Time When You Were Happy Every Morning

Pretty much everyone within a certain age range has some sort of experience with an NES: either you had one, you wished you had one, or you went to your friend's house every day just to play it. (I fell into the latter category.) Now you can relieve those glory days every time you wake up with this imported NES Alarm Clock. The D-Pad and face buttons are used to change the time alarm mode and time; the alarm sounds come from Super Mario Bros. There's also a built-in mini-game for good measure. No, it won't change the world, but at least you'll be able to prove your true colors to your siblings or roommates. It's imported, so brush up on your Japanese. Only $24.99, too.

Gizmodo

Joystiq's "Most impressive gamer" winner

At Engadget, most of us are what you'd call casual gamers, given that on occasion, we love to kick back with a round or two of "Civilization IV" whenever we need some R&R. That said, we're lightyears away from Kevout -- the guy that just won Joystiq's contest of "Most impressive gamer rig" -- who just took home a new copy of "Dead Rising" for the Xbox 360. He's got a 32-system setup (only 21 of those consoles are actually connected), that ranges from a Commodore 64 to an Xbox 360, accompanied by a total of 568 games;

Engadget