Xbox 360 Chatpad Messenger Kit will cost $30

The awaited Chatpad (which was announced back in May) has been priced and now has its own page up on Xbox.com.

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Sony Gets Grilled about PS3 Price Drop on CNBC [video]

"Griffeth takes Jack to task, asking fairly bluntly and with extremely windy "Why?"s just what we're supposed to infer from the price cut. It's probably the most exciting 3 minutes and 43 seconds worth of CNBC you'll watch today."

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Ace Combat 6 Demo This Week - Xbox

Leading video games publisher and developer NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. announced today that they will be releasing a free playable demo of Ace Combat® 6: Fires of LiberationTM this week on Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system from Microsoft as part of Microsoft's "E3: Bringing it Home" Experience. Ace Combat fans will now be able to feel the excitement of E3 and the intensity of Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation from their own living room, as the first demo in the flight-action series launches this week. For those gamers lucky enough to be at the E3 Media and Business Summit this year, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation will also be on full display, as it's being shown at both Microsoft's and Namco Bandai's booths on the E3 show floor.

The demo will give gamers their first glimpse at the next generation of the popular flight-action franchise, as players will be able to take to the skies in their favorite licensed aircraft in photorealistic detail while experiencing some of the thrilling new features of the game, including the Allied Support System. In the demo, players will be able to call in immediate support of both aerial and naval allies with the Allied Support System, which allows players better control over the battlefield. This will be sure to become a favorite feature in Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation.

About Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation
Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation takes flight action to a new level in gaming on the Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. Two of the game's essential new features, the Allied Support System and Dynamic Operations System, give Ace players a whole new level of control over how the enemy forces are destroyed and the way missions are completed. Also boasting crystal clear graphics, a vast "living battlefield" that will raise the intensity of the game up a notch, and a new massive online multiplayer feature that will allow up to 16 players to show off their ace skills online and around the world, Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation will be sure to blow away the competition when it hits store shelves this holiday season.

Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation ships exclusively for the Xbox 360 on October 23, 2007 for an estimated retail price of $59.99. Launching on the same day, the exclusive limited edition Ace Combat® 6 ACE-EDGETM Flightstick Bundle has an estimated retail price of $149.99.

For more information about Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation, please visit acecombat6.namcobandaigames.com.

Ace Combat 6 Demo This Week - Xbox

Halo Wars Coming to E3 news from 1UP.com

"For Microsoft, Halo 3 is the Halo game to count on in 2007, but that doesn't mean everyone's been ignoring Ensemble Studios' work on Halo Wars. Instead, the studio's confirmed they'll be lugging an in-game demonstration of the Xbox 360 real-time-strategy game to E3 this week.

'The good news for Halo Wars fans who have been hanging in there waiting for more information and or images from the game is that we will be showing a small demo of the game for select members of the press at E3,' said the company on their message board. 'It just shows a small slice of our game off to give the press an idea of what we're all about. "

NHL 2K8 Cover Athlete Announced - Xbox

2K Sports, the sports publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., announced today that Jason Spezza, first-line center for the Ottawa Senators, has been named cover athlete and official spokesman for NHL® 2K8, 2K Sports’ top-rated NHL video game for five years in row*.

“It’s a great honor to be the NHL 2K8 cover athlete,” said Jason Spezza. “The NHL 2K series has always selected some of the best players in the NHL and I’m really excited to follow in their footsteps of representing the finest hockey video game title this year.”

The Canadian-born Spezza was only the third player to represent Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships as a 16-year old. The first round choice of the Ottawa Senators and second overall pick in the 2001 NHL Draft, his great skills were apparent very early in his career. Reinvigorating the sport with his raw talent and enthusiasm, his magnificent performance in the 2007 Eastern Conference finals against the Buffalo Sabres made him one of the most exciting players in the next generation of NHL stars.

“We are thrilled to have Jason Spezza as our cover athlete for NHL 2K8. Spezza is a player that truly embodies the spirit of hockey which is something that we pride ourselves in with the NHL 2K series,” said Graeme Bayless, President of Kush Games. “We are very pleased to be working with a cover athlete that is such an avid gamer and who is committed to contributing valuable insight to the authenticity and development of the NHL 2K series.”

The top-rated* NHL franchise returns with NHL 2K8, showcasing new in-depth gameplay mechanics, all-new goaltending animations and stunning next-gen visuals that truly take advantage of the power of next generation consoles. More exciting features will be revealed soon that deliver an entirely new NHL experience from the critically acclaimed makers of the NHL 2K series.

NHL 2K8 will be available this fall for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, and the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems.

NHL 2K8 Cover Athlete Announced - Xbox

NCAA Football 08 demo available on XBLM - Xbox 360 Fanboy

"Less than an hour ago we were graced with our first Bringing it Home XBLM content which offered up gamer pictures and a theme. And now we're happy to announce that we have our first Bringing it Home demo! Up for download off the Marketplace is a NCAA Football 08 demo coming in at 684MBs of what we expect to be full of football fun. Though, this cannot be guaranteed. We welcome football fans to give the demo a download, tell us what you think and share your overall impressions as we aren't overly familiar with the genre. Heck, maybe you could count every frame in a second to see if the game runs at its promised 60 FPS."

Microsoft Responds to Sony’s PS3 Changes - Xbox

"In response to Sony’s announcement of 60GB PS3 price cut and the addition of a new 80GB model, a Microsoft spokesperson sent TeamXbox a concise reply on the company’s perspective:

We wouldn't trade places with anyone. We have a well-orchestrated plan for the fall that leads with blockbuster games like GTA IV, Madden 08 and Halo 3; we are where we want to be. With games like these and others we are announcing this week, it’s all about choice and bringing the best games and entertainment to homes around the world.

For the time being, that would seem to indicate that Microsoft won’t be offering a price cut of its own on its Xbox 360 systems—but E3 hasn’t even started yet, so you can’t rule anything out. TeamXbox will be attending Microsoft press conference on Tuesday night, and we’ll be sure to pass along all the details as soon as possible. "

Konami isn't impressed by PS3 price cut - Xbox 360 Fanboy

"Talking to Reuters, head of Konami's North American and European operations Kazumi Kitaue expressed their less than optimistic feelings about the PS3 and its latest price cut. 'I wonder if Sony can win back user support by the price cut of just $100' Kitaue said, 'I don't expect a substantial impact ... With $500, you can buy a personal computer'. Very opinionated and strong words coming from a developer who is supposedly creating a highly anticipated game (see Metal Gear Solid 4) exclusively for Sony. So, it's even more interesting and revealing to hear Kitaue's response to a question asking about MGS 4 exclusivity where he goes on to say that 'Metal Gear Solid was born for the PlayStation, we would like to keep it a PlayStation game. But we might have to take some steps'."

Gray 360 appears in Microsoft E3 rehearsal photos

Eagle-eyed (and quick screen-grabbing) reader Rickard Gudbrand sent us a screen capture he took while looking through Gamerscore Blog's flickr photos of Microsoft's E3 rehearsal. The image shows the three Xbox 360 SKUs we all know and love, in addition to a mysterious fourth wheel that appears to be a gray 360.

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