This video will turn that frown upside down!

Sony is already making official noises about a PS3 price cut in Japan in order to hit its sales targets.

Once that cut happens -- and I think it's pretty much guaranteed to happen if Sony executives are speculating about it on the record -- then it's only a matter of time before those cuts wash up on our shores.

Assuming Sony can cut $100 off the U.S. prices, where would that leave the PS3? Well, the 20 GB model would then cost the same as a premium Xbox 360, and in fact the two consoles would then have nearly identical specs. But the PS3 would also include Blu-ray.

At that point, I think the 60 gig PS3 becomes kind of pointless, even though the built-in wi-fi is nice.

I'm also willing to bet that that's when the PS3 suddenly starts to look a lot more interesting to mainstream gamers. Almost all the best third-party 360 games are slowly migrating to the PS3, anyway, so Microsoft loses both its pricing advantage and its game library advantage.

And for the price of a premium 360, you get both the PS3 game machine and a really quite good Blu-ray movie player.

Of course, Microsoft could then counter with its own price cuts.

But that would only be good news for gamers.

The 3.10 System Software update for the PSP is now available.

The updates includes:

• Support for PLAYSTATION®Network titles has been expanded.
• You can now play MPEG-4 AVC format video files under LocationFree Player
• "Conserve Memory" has been added as an option in "View Settings" under Internet Browser.
• Settings "Dynamic Normalizer" has been added as a feature under "Sound Settings."

Full info here via Sony

From Next Generation: "Sony believes Wii is currently selling to casual gamers rather than committed gamers".

I'm fairly committed to my Wii. Uh, that sounds funny.

Our firends at Ubisoft just sent over the latest trailer for the upcoming Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2. Dont know about you, but I am getting all tingly inside in anticipation of it's release.

Note: This just in...Ubisoft just sent out a release stating that a single player demo is now available for download on Xbox Live!

New Xbox Live games are on their way: List here via Kotaku.com

• Sony 3rd-Quarter Profit May Fall 50% on PlayStation 3

• Is Microsoft Applying Its Tough XBox 360 Marketing Lessons To Zune?

• Nintendo Storms the Gaming World

• Wii remains scarce, while PlayStation 3 is easy to find

Read about it: HERE

Full instructions at orb.com: HERE

In reference to this, I can't even talk about this: READ HERE

So which system could I live without? Which would I recommend?

Seriously, those are tough questions.

It's amazing to think back to last November with days-long box-store camp-outs for PS3's and a sad, luke-warm reaction for Nintendo's new system. Flash-forward a couple months to find unwanted PS3's stacked to the ceiling of my local stores and the elusive Wii's transformed into everyone's holy grail. Just like the fickle buying "public" my favorite system has flip-flopped back and forth.

Here's why I like each one:

Wii:
I know WAY more people that own Wii's than any other system I have ever bought. This translates to more fun trading Mii's (online personal characters that you create on your Wii), more fun with online messaging and more fun with bragging conversations.

Also, Wii was a massive hit at our house over the holidays and now everyone in my family owns a Wii (parents included). Each family get-together turns into a Wii-for-all. There's never been a game system that appeals to so many people within my friends and family.

Other things I love about the Wii: Wii sports, the weather information, the virtual console and the controllers.

PS3:
I love the DVD/Blu-Ray player. It has now replaced my regular DVD player. I'm addicted to high-def movies.

I love the downloadable games (Sodoku, Grip Shift, MotorStorm demo and Gran Turismo HD). And, to my surprise, I use the web browser way more than I imagined I would.

Of the games I've purchased, I've enjoyed Resistance, Tony Hawk and Call to Duty 3 the most, but so far the other features of the PS3 make me happier.

What I don't like:

Wii:
Nothing available that's as fun as Wii Sports.
The News and Weather features took forever to go "live."
The VC games aren't quite "there" yet.
Online features have way too much security for adults.

PS3:
Not enough good games.
Constant systems updates that take FOREVER!
Online store not as cool as the Xbox 360 or even the Wii.
Controller already falling apart.

My recommendation: Xbox 360! Just kidding.

I think I use each system equally and each has their own advantages. I need a few more months to work this out. I think it's going to come down to the games and at this point no one has spectacular games. A killer app can really make a system.

According to CVG, Nintendo might be starting a "Games Channel" that would users to download new (not classic) games for their Wii.

Read the whole thing here.

I really expected this to happen.

According to the fine folks at Kotaku, the Wii News service (powered by AP) is now live. I'm actually excited about this... news headlines via a cool 3D globe navigation system is very cool.

A whole day early! Even cooler!

Wow, that's a lot of Wii's: read article here

It's over a month old, but I thought this was cool.

Turn your Wii-mote into a drum machine:

The demo finally made it to the Xbox Live Marketplace on Tuesday with a massive 1.24 gig download. Surprisingly, for me at least, the download was quick.

As I began single player demo, I was under-whelmed. Nothing was really impressing me (cell-shaded graphics, sparse environment) until I hopped into my police-issue super-car and jumped out into the Crackdown world. Then this game goes nuts.

You play a police officer in charge of ridding Pacific City of gangs and their kingpins. As you pursue the local thugs you can find or earn power ups to increase your strength and jumping ability. The more jumping you can do, the more places you can go and the more baddies you can take out.

The best way I can describe it is a cartoony Grand Theft Auto with better action, better power-ups, better sound, better cars and better control. Oh yeah, and insane violence. You have only 30 minutes in this sand-box demo to do whatever you want (races, crime patrols, missions, jumping)... 30 minutes flies by like the time warp that occurs when you hit the snooze button on your alarm clock.

For the demo, the developers allow you to power-up you character quicker than what will happen in the final game. This is such a savvy move by the game's creators. It really has me excited about the final product.

As for the gameplay, Crackdown is fantastic fun. You're not limited to just following missions and simple shooting. As you get stronger, almost anything that isn't bolted down can be used as a weapon. Fling cars into a crowd of gang members, hurl a dumpster into traffic, use bodies as bowling balls... it's a blast.

The sound is great too. The guns sound awesome and pack a real kick to the game. Oh, and the music, presented the way your used to with GTA (in the cars), is top notch... the demo has real songs by real artists that I know!

I tried online co-op a few times, but it usually ended in frustration. After being booted out of the lobby several times and having to restart the game, I was place into combat with another gamer who vanished mid-game. I'm holding out for vs. mode in the release version.

I'm happy that the Halo 3 beta promise will mean this game will have huge online support and gamer support in general. It's going to be a good February.

Gizmodo reports that Sony has launched the 1.50 software update for the PS3. It supposedly fixes PS1 and PS2 backward-compatibility issues. I would verify this if I didn't have to work.

Here's my "most anticipated" list for 2007.

Send us yours (use the comments below).

1. SSX Blur - Wii
2. Forza Motorsport 2 - Xbox 360
3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots: PS3
4. God of War II - PS2
5. Burnout 5 - PS3 and Xbox 360
6. Super Mario Galaxy - Wii
7. Project Gotham Raching 4: Xbox 360
8. MotorStorm: PS3
9. Halo 3: Xbox 360
10. Battlefield: Bad Company: Xbox 360 and PS3
11. Gran Turismo: PSP
12. Sega Rally Revo: Xbox360 and PS3
13. Lair: PS3
14. Warhawk: PS3
15. Gran Turismo 5 (???): PS3

Get ready to wait: it's a 1.24 gig download! Good news, it's single and multiplayer modes.

Seems that gamers are already receiving their email invites to join the Halo 3 Beta testing.

According to Halo3.com, the first round of registration is now closed and invitations should be arriving from now until Jan. 26.

There are two additional methods to get invitations including buying a copy of Crackdown for the 360. Additional details here.

Make sure you have all your bases covered if you want to get in on this.

Didn't for a minute think I was going to enjoy this game as much as I did. Check out the reivew.

And to make the deal sweeter, there is a downloadable coupon that will save you $40 (download coupon here).

Remember, these are rumors, but at least the coupon is legit.

GameStop's website is now giving a March 6 release date. So, not too bad. Shall we make a bet that it gets pushed back further?

Looks like the Crackdown demo didn't make it to Xbox Live last night. No doubt due to the crazy ice storms around the country.

It's promised to be available before the end of the month. I'm anxious to see if it's worth pre-ordering to get in on the Halo 3 beta testing.

Sigh.

Rumors say that Best Buy stores will have Wii's in stock (minimum of 15) this Sunday monring (the 21st).

Supossedly this announcement will be included in Sunday's newspaper flyer for the store. Make sure you get an early copy of the paper if you're planning to go!

The internet has been buzzing about this footage that recently surfaced on YouTube. It's supposedly a Ghostbusters game done in the vein of 'Gears of War.' The company and developers behind the footage seems to be ZootFly. Their site shows some projects in development for the PC and the 360.

Please let this be real:

UPDATE!: This statement is now on the ZootFly site:

Ghostbusters and TimeO

As soon as the Ghostbusters IP issue is resolved, the whole team will go back to Ghostbusters. In the meantime, please enjoy these two movies.

There are probably only two Emmy award statues in all of Mesquite, and they both belong to id Software.

Earlier this week, the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences handed out several Technology Emmy Awards to some of the most well-known companies in the gaming industry.

Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony all garnered shiny trophies, as did id, the firm that essentially created the first-person shooter.

One award went to John Carmack, co-founder, technical director and all-around big brain at id Software, for his work on Doom, while the company overall won another Emmy for the technology in Quake.

The folks at id have won a lot of accolades over the years, but Todd Hollenshead, id’s chief executive officer, said the Emmy awards emphasize just how mainstream gaming has become.

“It’s certainly a very cool thing,” he said.

CLICK to read the rest.

But don’t think of this as some sort of lifetime achievement award, with all the programmers and artists and animators and designers at id suddenly calling it a career.

Instead, id is hard at work on a new game, a title completely independent of the famous Doom, Quake and Wolfenstein franchises.

Id’s not ready to unveil the new game, or even give gamers a sneak peek.

“We don’t like to talk about ideas in the absence of something to demonstrate what those ideas are from a visual standpoint, and it can take a while, especially when you’re innovating on the visual side, to get something that you feel is representative of the technology,” Mr. Hollenshead said.

In other words, they don’t want to talk about amazing graphics.

They want to show them.

But while id chisels away at its next creation, the company is keeping an eye on the rest of the industry.

Here are some of Mr. Hollenshead’s thoughts on…

The downsizing of the Electronics Entertainment Expo – “I understand the rationale behind the decision there, that there had just become an arms race of spending at the show. That may be a valid point. I’m not convinced it’s correct, however. I do think the E3 show focused the attention of the national and international media. It was the one time of the year that the games industry was in the spotlight for everyone to look at. It’s hard to put a price tag on the exposure that brings to the industry. But they did put a price tag on it and said, ‘It’s too expensive.’”

Why you won’t see an id Software game for the Nintendo Wii anytime soon – “The technology direction for our next game internally is one that, because of the limitations of the horsepower of the Wii, is something that we don’t believe we can port to it as a platform. But that doesn’t mean we don’t like the Wii. I want to get one. I’m supply shortaged out on the PS3 and the Wii, just like everyone else is. I have a 360.”

Why id’s upcoming games will probably sell better on the PS3 and 360 than on the PC – “If I were just going to look at tea leaves, I believe on our internal project, we’ll probably outsell the PC amongst the two console SKUs. In fact, I think there’s a strong likelihood of that happening.” Mr. Hollenshead said that Doom 3 was the company’s best selling game of all time, and sales were almost evenly split between the PC version and the Xbox version. He originally expected the PC version to outsell its console counterpart by as much as 40 percent. So expect id to release PC and console versions of its games simultaneously from now on.

Why it will be hard for another online role-playing game to copy the success of World of Warcraft, which now has more than eight million subscribers – “I just think that primarily amongst MMORPG players it becomes or approaches a zero sum game. [P]layers who like those types of games only have time for one game.”

Microsoft is rumored to be on the verge of buying Capcom.

I doubt it.

While 360 fanboys would be pleased, the price tag would probably be something close to $1 billion or more.

According to Capcom's 2006 annual report, the video game publisher had sales of just over $600 million last year and reported a net profit of about $60 million.

Given that succesful companies like Capcom typically sell for at least double their annual sales, the asking price would be astronomical, even for an outfit with pockets as deep as Microsoft's.

Still, the thought of franchises like Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, Street Fighter and Mega Man becoming Microsoft exclusives would probably be enough to leave Sony executives curled up in the fetal position in a dark room.

I re-enlist for some more WWII action. This time on the PS3. Check out the Texas Gamer review.

Fanboys ignite!

Okay, so NPD just released the sales data every gamer nerd has been slobbering over.

So let's dig in.

Here are the number of game consoles sold in the U.S. in December, ranked from best-selling to worst:

Hardware - December
Nintendo DS - 1.6 mm
PS2 - 1.4 mm
Xbox 360 - 1.1 mm
PSP - 953.2 K
GBA - 850.7 K
Wii - 604.2 K
PS3 - 490.7 K

And here are console sales life to date, again ranked by sales:

Hardware - Life to date
PS2 - 37.1 mm
GBA - 35.1 mm
Nintendo DS - 9.2 mm
PSP - 6.7 mm
Xbox 360 - 4.5 mm
Wii - 1.1 mm
PS3 - 687.3 K

What's the takeway?

The Wii had a really strong launch. The Wii and PS3 basically went on sale at the same time, yet Nintendo managed to sell almost half a million more Wiis than Sony was able to sell PS3s. The Wii launch also went better than the 360 launch a year ago, when Microsoft sold about 600,000 consoles in the same time.

That said, Microsoft did have a strong holiday season this year, outselling everything except the crazy-popular DS and the much-cheaper PS2. It's interesting to think how many Wii systems Nintendo could have sold if supply hadn't been a problem.

But then again, it would also be interesting to know how many Xbox 360s Microsoft could have sold a year ago if it hadn't had any supply problems.

Either way, Sony clearly has some issues. The PS3 came in last place in holiday sales, and it's getting harder to blame the scant sales on limited supply. Mountains of PS3 consoles are now appearing in retail stores, and all anecdotal evidence suggests they're not selling all that quickly.

The Wii, on the other hand, remains as elusive as a four-leaf clover. That white-hot demand is creating its own set of problems for Nintendo -- will casual buyers have moved on to something else by the time the Wii is plentiful? -- but they're the sorts of problems everyone thought Sony would be dealing with.

Could Sony really go from first to worst in a single generation? Could be.

Other interesting tidbits:

*The PSP may never dethrone the DS, but it's actually amazing how much of a challenge Sony's portable system has presented for Nintendo's previously-impregnable portable empire. Everyone expected Sony to kick the DS to the curb, and it hasn't. But it's easy to forget just dominant Nintendo has been in this space for well over a decade, and Sony's achievements really are impressive.

*Overall video game sales (console hardware and software, as well as portable hardware and software) totaled $12.5 billion in 2006 in the U.S., up from $10.5 billion a year ago. That's a 19 percent growth rate.

*Those sales numbers don't include PC game sales. That data comes out next week, and it will be interesting to see if NPD has found a way to account for revenue from subscriptions to online games like World of Warcraft.

*Incidentally, Blizzard announced this week that it has surpassed the 8 million subscriber milestone for World of Warcraft. What's interesting is that while 2 million of those subscribers are in North America and 1.5 million in Europe, 3.5 million are in China. That's right. There are as many WoW players in North America and Europe combined as in China alone. It would be interesting to know how many of those Chinese players are professional gold farmers versus actual gamers.

I previously wrote about the awesome Freedom V wireless guitar controller from The Ant Commandos. Well apparently some rockers are losing their wireless signal while playing. Fret not....get it FRET not...here's a quick fix from The Ant Commandos team.

The last shipment of Freedom V Wireless guitars were sent to the US with a different type of black foam in the battery pack. That foam's material is causing the batteries to lose connection, ultimately resulting in a lost wireless connection. Removing this foam padding from the battery pack will solve the issue.

Now Rock On!

Just saw this release and thought I'd post since they're honorary Texans based out of Mesquite, Tx. Way to go guys!

Victor update: I actually just got off the phone with id CEO Todd Hollenshead, talking about the Emmys, id's next game, the Nintendo Wii, World of Warcraft, video game piracy and all sorts of other fun stuff. I'll be posting the details soon.

JOHN CARMACK AND ID SOFTWARE’S PIONEERING DEVELOPMENT WORK IN 3D GAME ENGINES RECOGNIZED WITH TWO TECHNOLOGY EMMY AWARDS
id Software first independent developer to win the award

Las Vegas, Jan. 9, 2007 - id Software had the honor of winning two Technology Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on January 8, 2007. The awards were given as part of the Science, Technology & Engineering Emmy® Awards ceremony.

The Pioneering Development Work in 3D Game Engines award was won by John Carmack, co-founder and technical director of id Software, for his cutting edge contributions to rendering technology as the lead programmer on DOOM®. id Software, a quintessential leader in technology development, was awarded a second Emmy for the company’s technological leadership in rendering breakthroughs with the QUAKE® technology.

The Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards honor achievements in two areas: Science, Engineering & Technology for Broadcast Television, which includes broadcast, cable and satellite distribution, and secondly, Science, Engineering and Technology for Broadband and Personal Television, encompassing interactive television, gaming technology, and for the first time, the Internet, cell phones, private networks, and personal media players. This year represents a milestone for the interactive entertainment industry as id Software is the very first independent game developer to be awarded an Emmy since the Academy began honoring technology innovation in 1948.

“This is an incredible honor for John Carmack and id Software,” says Todd Hollenshead, CEO, id Software. “We consistently push the limits of gaming technology, and it’s great to be recognized for the passion and dedication we put into our games.”

-more-

ID SOFTWARE WINS TWO EMMYS – Page 2

id Software has long been heralded as the creator of the first person shooter genre of video games with the release of its many franchises including Wolfenstein, DOOM and QUAKE. The same revolutionary and proprietary graphics engines for PC, consoles and mobile phones, have also been licensed to multiple developers and publishers who have repeatedly harnessed id technology to create top selling and critically acclaimed titles. Since 1996, id powered games have generated worldwide revenues in excess of $2 Billion. id’s most recent internally developed title, DOOM 3®, extends a proven track record with over 3.5 million units sold and is id’s most successful game to date.

Having co-founded id Software, John Carmack is responsible for the technology behind some of the most compelling and successful PC game titles of all time. Utilizing largely self taught techniques, Carmack has consistently created the most in-demand and technically sophisticated 3D graphics engines in existence. Carmack continues to work on advancing the technology of game design with new technologies like MegaTexture, which will appear in id Software’s upcoming Enemy Territory: QUAKE Wars™. With several of the most recognized games series ever created to his credit, such as Quake and Doom, Carmack is a technological visionary and a cultural trendsetter.

For more information, please visit www.idsoftware.com or www.emmyonline.tv.

About id Software:
id – defined by Freud as the primal section of the human psyche; id Software, located in Mesquite, Texas, was founded in 1991. From inception to present day, id Software has relentlessly provided technical, design and artistic leadership as an independent game developer and technology provider. Transcending the games industry, id’s iconic brands such as Wolfenstein, DOOM, QUAKE and Enemy Territory have become staples of popular culture for generations of gamers. More information on id Software can be found at www.idsoftware.com.

From the press release:

The rock gods have spoken, and are pleased to announce further details on Activision, Inc.’s Guitar Hero II™ on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, which will feature a variety of new exclusive downloadable content through Xbox Live Marketplace®, along with over 70 finger-melting tracks. The franchise that has rocked the video game industry is set to go on another highly-anticipated world tour this spring, and fans will now enjoy sharply remodeled HD visuals for the next-gen platform, and be able to shred their new Gibson-shaped X-Plorer axes to impressively pulsating audio sweetness on the Xbox 360.

Move to the top of my most wanted list!

Well, my Xbox 360 gave up the ghost last night. While browsing some photos on my PC via Windows Media Connect, my console froze.

I turned it off, restarted and got the fun, flashing red ring 'o death. Reset all the cables, remove the hard drive, offer fervent homage to the dark lord of crashed game consoles. None of it worked.

The really funny part -- and by funny I mean kind of almost impossible to believe -- is that the crash happened not five minutes after I read on Kotaku how one of the site's writers, Brian Ashcraft, had his Japanese 360 go belly up.

I literally read his post, turned off my laptop, fired up my 360, and five minutes later was staring into the abyss (I think it might have stared back into me).

But fear not, gentle reader. Since it was a review unit from Microsoft, I should hopefully be getting a replacement before too long.

My console was actually part of the intial launch batch of systems from 2005, and I thought I had dodged a bullet, since Microsoft has admitted that there was an unusually high number of defects in that first run. So much for dodging.

Doug Note: I know it's going to happen to me soon. I have been lucky so far!

Victor note: Hey Daniel, I don't know about the Halo 3 edition (since it isn't out yet), but the Elite is definitely susceptible to red ring syndrome, although I have heard far fewer reports of Elites going code red.

According to Kotaku (and some press releases) Epic will offer two FREE 'Gears of War' maps for download on Xbox Live for the 360.

The descriptions of the maps are as follows:

"Raven Down: A Raven Helicopter has gone down in the middle of a large scale battle with the omnipresent Locust Horde. Gears have taken out the Seeder and gamers join Delta Forces moving into the crash site from all angles to search for survivors."

and

"Old Bones: In an attempt to eradicate any traces of human history and culture, the Locust Horde has emerged under Sera's Capitaline Museums and has begun to destroy them brick by brick. Each gamer's mission is to help the Delta Force recapture the museums before all remnants of humankind's existence are obliterated."

These freebies should be available for download on January 10th!

This coming Sunday at 6:30 pm in Las Vegas, Bill Gates will deliver the pre-show keynote speech at the annual Consumer Electronics Show. Last year, he unveiled the external HD-DVD drive for the Xbox 360 during his oration.

So let's guess what Xbox rumors he's going to finally fulfill or debunk this time around.

*The biggest rumor currently floating on the fetid winds of the Internet is that an updated 360 with a built-in HDMI port and a 120 gigabyte hard drive is on its way. That sounds reasonable, and the larger drive is long overdue. There's also some thought that the new console might include a built-in HD-DVD drive, as well, for HD-DVD movie playback. That one seems doubtful, though. I think Microsoft is a lot more excited about digital delivery -- downloading movies and shows through Xbox Live -- than it is about fighting another stupid format war.

*If the updated 360 is unveiled, I'm guessing it means the welcome death of the Core system. That hard drive-less abomination will likely slip into oblivion, while the current premium system slips down to the $299 price point and the updated console -- supposedly code-named Zephyr -- glides into the $399 slot.

*Speaking of digital delivery, here's hoping Microsoft is ready to announce that tons of new content -- particularly HD content -- is coming to the video download service. It's a technology whose time has come, and Microsoft could really take the lead in designing the future of digital entertainment.

*Expect Bill to also announce that Microsoft has in fact hit the 10 million 360s sold threshold. That was Microsoft's biggest goal for the system by the end of 2006, and I'm sure everyone on the Xbox team was given one of those "failure is not an option" lectures.

Those are my predictions. I'll check back in after the speech.

Victor update: Well, how'd I do? Not so well.

You can read the official Microsoft press release here of all the new junk that Gates announced.

But the relevant Xbox stuff is that, yes, they did surpass 10 million 360s sold in 2006 (10.4 million, to be exact).

Unfortunately, there was no news of a larger hard drive or an HDMI-equipped 360, but Gates did announce an upcoming Internet protocol television (IPTV) service for the 360, which will let users watch and record TV on their consoles. While there will be some additional interactive services, it seems like the basic idea is that your 360 will be able to do everything that your TiVo can do, as well as play games.

There are still a lot of questions about the IPTV service (what regions it will be available in, how much it will cost, whether current 360 owners will need to buy new hardware or whether a software update will be enough), but I'm guessing that once this service is launched sometime before Christmas 2007, Microsoft will be releasing the larger hard drive, HDMI console and so forth.

Personally, I think the IPTV service is a little underwhelming, and I would have been a lot more excited to see a bunch more high-def TV shows and movies coming to the Xbox Live video download store. Gates did announce that movie studio Lions Gate will start offering its content on the store, but I was hoping for a lot more.

Fellow bloggers, any thoughts?

Up first is the Blu-Ray Remote Control, nicely priced at $24.99. Now you don't have to look like a dork when trying to impress your friends with the virtues of HD movies.

Keep in mind, this is no average remote. It's Bluetooth based. Meaning you can't use it to control any other IR devices in your home theater set-up. It will only work with the PS3. That is, until manufacturers start using Bluetooth for their remotes.

The other new accessory is bestowed upon us from the big "S" is (are) the PS3 branded component cable(s). This is for all you non-HDMI HD people out there. They look very nice... all metal capped and shiny... and bargain priced at $24.99. When I got my PS3, I initially bought some 3rd party cables for three times as much... they were horrible (interference and crackly audio). Buy the Sony cables (the old PS2 cables work wonderfully too), they look nice and work great.

Microsoft just released some news about some other ways to get in on the HALO 3 Mulitplayer Beta this spring. Click on the link to read the official release.

Microsoft Announces Two Additional Paths of Entry
to “Halo 3” Multiplayer Beta

Gamers are invited to join the fight when the beta goes live this spring
with Xbox Live and “Crackdown” providing the final two paths.

Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios are ringing in the year with a proverbial bang, as they announced today two new ways for gamers to receive an invitation to participate in the “Halo® 3” multiplayer beta program coming this spring through Xbox Live® Marketplace.

Specifically, gamers will be able to receive an invitation by doing one of the following:

. Qualifying over Xbox Live and then being one of the first 13,333 “Halo 2” gamers to register for the “Rule of Three” program at http://www.halo3.com in early February

· Purchasing the upcoming game “Crackdown™,” which hits store shelves in the U.S. on Feb. 20

The “Halo 3” multiplayer beta, which is a pre-release version of the multiplayer experience of “Halo 3,” is scheduled for availability in spring 2007 exclusively on Xbox 360™. The beta also represents an opportunity for gamers to participate in the testing and refinement of the multiplayer gameplay of “Halo 3,” the most anticipated game of 2007. Through the resulting feedback, Bungie Studios will be able to further hone the end result of “Halo 3.”

Beginning Thursday, Feb. 1, 2007, at 12:01 a.m. EST, all gamers need to do is participate in at least three hours of “Halo 2” multiplayer sessions, via Xbox Live, before Feb. 3, 2007, at 11:59 p.m. EST and then be among the first 13,333 to register at http://www.halo3.com. The “Rule of Three” program is currently planned for gamers in the 50 United States (includes District of Columbia) age 17 years and older who have access to an Xbox 360 Pro console or an Xbox 360 Core console with hard drive, a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription and the “Halo 2” game. Gamers around the world are encouraged to visit http://www.halo3.com in the coming weeks for more information on the “Rule of Three” program in their region.

As well, when “Crackdown” hits store shelves, gamers eager to take home a copy of the highly anticipated exclusive action title for Xbox 360 will find marked boxes of “Crackdown” that include an invite to participate in the coveted “Halo 3” multiplayer beta program when it becomes available. When the “Halo 3” multiplayer beta surfaces in spring 2007, owners of “Crackdown” with access to an Xbox 360 Pro console or an Xbox 360 Core console with hard drive and a valid Xbox Live Gold subscription simply need to load their copy of “Crackdown” into Xbox 360 and use the disc as a key to download the beta from Xbox Live Marketplace and join the battle in “Halo 3” multiplayer. “Crackdown” will be available in the U.S. on Feb. 20, Asian territories on Feb. 22 and European markets on Feb. 23.

In December, Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie Studios completed the first of three ways for North American gamers to participate in the “Halo 3” multiplayer beta, by registering at http://www.halo3.com. Gamers who were selected from this initial opportunity will be contacted in January.

From Realtime Worlds, “Crackdown” pushes the action-driving hybrid genre into the next generation with a rich and immersive 3-D playground. Gamers level up their Agent’s strength, agility, firearms, explosives and driving skills while scaling the fully vertical world of “Crackdown.” This M-rated game incorporates revolutionary co-op gameplay throughout the entire free-form campaign. Creating a volatile cocktail of judicial oppression, players will clean up the streets of a truly interactive world when “Crackdown” hits store shelves at an estimated retail price of $59.99.

• Loco Roco (Sony PSP)
This is still the most surprising and entertaining video game experience I had in 2006. Goofy music, terrific graphics and spectacular game-play finally gave the PSP a killer app. The Christmas / Holiday level (offered as a download on the Playstation site) was the icing on the cake.

• Battlefield 2 (Xbox 360)
I know this was a PC port, but this was one of my favorite online gaming experiences of the year. It's just playing Army as a kid, but now you can see all the things you only imagined.

• Gears of War (Xbox 360)
GoW was the 800 pound gorilla of 2006. The most hyped and anticipated game for any system (maybe ever). Thank goodness it met my expectations (and apparently everyone else's).

• Wii Sports (Wii)
Any game that can coax non-gaming family members into playing for hours on end must have that "special" something. By the way, I'm now a Wii Bowling Pro and everyone is going down. Hear that, Dad?!

• Lumines II (and Lumines) (PSP, Xbox Live Arcade, Mobile Phones)
My favorite original PSP launch title made its way to a spectacular sequel, the Xbox 360 and my RAZR phone. Now I can play the coolest puzzle game anywhere. And I did. And I still am.

• Burnout Revenge (Xbox 360)
Still the most exciting and ridiculously fun racing game on any system. Upgraded graphics, achievements and new smash and crash intersections kept this from being a lame port from past-gen machines. The soundtrack rocks, too.

• Dead Rising (Xbox 360)
The GTA of the zombie genre. Almost like a sandbox of the dead. Great gruesome fun that lasts a good long time. I smell a franchise... or is that a walking corpse?

• Brain Age (Nintendo DS)
This quirky non-game took me right back to sweating over my SAT's. Who thought school lessons would make a fun video game? Should be required playing for all students.

• Project Gotham (Microsoft Wireless Racing Wheel edition) (Xbox 360)
Take my favorite racing game of 2005, add the greatest steering wheel accessory ever made, and you have a whole new level of living-room racing. The perfect example of how an add-on can make an old game new again.

• Resistance (Playstation 3)
I know I dogged it at first, but after several days of playing I realized what a great first-person shooter this is. It's a blast online and is about the best $600 game out there.

Now that was a vacation! But I'm back and sorry I could not publish this earlier. Definitley worth watching. Still the best game available for the Wii right now and probably the best Zelda to date.