Gamertell

The Xbox 360 Pro bundle was given a $50 price drop right before E3 2008 bringing it down to $299. At that moment no mention was made about price cuts for the Arcade or Elite models. Now a Microsoft insider told Ars Technica of another series of Xbox price cuts. This insider also gave everyone the heads up on the first price cut before Microsoft made it official so they may be a little more reliable than most rumor starters.

The insider says that…

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The land of the stiff upper lipped has officially received its long-awaited Xbox 360 price cut. Microsoft today announced that the Xbox 360 would be cheaper, effective August 24, 2007, to coincide with the launch of the title Bioshock.

Both the Core and Premium versions will be cheaper at £179.99 and £249.99 respectively, making the Core 360’s price identical to the Wii’s. This should appease the Brit gamers who were sobbing about not getting a 360 price-cut along with the US. There is more in store for them as the Xbox Elite will also launch on Friday, August 24, 2007, at a lower than expected price point of £299.99.

Microsoft hopes to woo more mainstream and first-time gamers with…

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If you have been putting-off a next-gen console purchase, then this is the right time for you to lighten your wallet. Earlier, Sony had dropped the prices of the 60 GB PS3 and now Microsoft has followed suit with lowered prices going into effect today (August 8, 2007).

A Premium Xbox 360 will now cost $349.99, which is $50 less than its previous price while the core version will be $20 cheaper and will retail at $279.99.  Even the Elite Xbox 360’s price has been cut and now seems more enticing at ...

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McFarlane toys has posted early version images of prototype sculptures of two its upcoming Halo 3 action figures and one vehicle including:

• Brute Chieftan - in-progress sculpture
• Jackal Sniper - in-progress sculpture
• Warthog - in-progress sculpture

As the site says, “Keep in mind, these photos are of works in progress. Finished figures are subject to change.“

Click through to see the other two prototypes…

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McFarlane Toys, makers of Spawn, sports and military actions figures will add Halo 3 to its already impressive lineup.

Known for ultra-realistic and inexpensive action figures, McFarlane plans to offer six figures, five sold individually and a grunt 2-pack, and three vehicles based on the video game franchise. The figures are expected to be available Spring 2008, though a prototype image of Master Chief (seen here) has already been released (it’s appears to be a 3D model and not a sculpted prototype).

Though the prices have not yet been announced, figures will likely retail…

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It seems a few fanboys did a little bit of digging with the current Halo 3 Beta’s code and turned up a few things that are not yet activated.

First we had word of the possibility of Four Player Co-Op over Xbox Live. Now it seems that deeper delving into the code has revealed some character customization that should make many fans happy.

In multi-player, players might be able to choose different classes of armor for both the Spartan and the Elite model. To make things even better it also seems that sections of the armor could be replaceable. Separate listings for helmet, shoulder, and body types appear to be selectable, which could make for some interesting armor combos.

If this is the case, this could be the answer to the character customization so many fans have been asking for. The good news is that, thanks to the recent announcement of a September 25, 2007 release date for the game, players will not be left in the dark for too much longer.

Site [7th Columnist] Via [Evil Avatar]

• Microsoft to offer free virus protection
• Apple and a gaming console?
• New Xbox Experience features Street Fighter II Turbo “branded destination”

Just when you thought it was safe to make the switch from Sony to Microsoft, it’s happening all over again. Complaints are spawning around the net that the latest version of the Xbox 360, the Elite, is failing in similar fashion to its predecessor. Videos are being uploaded to YouTube, disenchanted gamers are preparing Gates hate mail, and worst of all, loyal customers are once again shipping off their 360’s to the Microsoft repair center.

I’ll admit, when Red Octane’s patch for Guitar Hero II allegedly caused the red rings of death to make a return appearance with newer 360 units, I gave Microsoft the benefit of the doubt. I reasoned on the side of generosity that the failing units were either sleeper systems that had the red ring issue lying dormant and only coincidentally woke up while the users happened to be playing Guitar Hero II, or (even more generously) I accredited the latest failures to a faulty patch from Red Octane.

Was my judgment compromised by delusion? I can feel the flames of argument beginning to crop up once again. This latest turn of events, rumored or not, is going to heat up the console wars all over again. And honestly, who’s to say that Microsoft actually has any viable defense this time. First we dealt with scratched discs, and the legendary red rings of death upon release. Then, units that had already been fixed once began falling victim to the GH2 patch problems. Now, if history repeats itself, Elite owners will be walking on eggshells – praying to the gaming gods – that they will emerge from this latest batch of problems unscathed.

Yet, in the interest of fairness, I remain optimistic – even if through naivety. A YouTube video posted at Sponge attempts to validate the claims of one frustrated Elite owner. However, there is little irrefutable evidence presented in the video. A disc is inserted, and loud noises can be heard as the 360 attempts to read the disc. Then the camera pans right to show the TV screen which reads “unplayable disc”. There is no red ring appearance, and we do not see the disc after the 360 has given the error message. In fact, we never even see the written side of the disc before it is inserted. Irrefutable evidence, to me, would require a before and after presentation of the disc itself, or at the least, visual evidence that the 360 has failed. The video on Sponge, as is, could be nothing more than a bad (or scratched) disc.

As for the other complaints beginning to filter into forums, everyone knows that when systems work properly, people in general don’t rush online to post shiny-happy “mine works just fine” comments. Naturally, the highest volume of reports about any product will be negative. This does not mean that I am denying a problem could exist, only that it may be too early to cry foul.

Video [Sponge]

• Microsoft to offer free virus protection
• Apple and a gaming console?
• New Xbox Experience features Street Fighter II Turbo “branded destination”