http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=17237

The theme of the call was clearly that price cuts do indeed make a difference. Although the price drop on the Xbox 360 was relatively minor, DeMatteo said that sales for all three SKUs nearly doubled.

Computer and Video Games is reporting that UK entertainment retail giant HMV is currently offering pre-orders for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns Of The Patriots. This might not seem so odd except for the fact that not only are they taking orders for the PS3 version, release dated on the site at April 18, 2008, but they also have a listing for an Xbox 360 version allegedly set to come out on Sept. 26, 2008. Pre-orders are being taken for this version as well despite the fact that we've been told numerous times that MGS 4 will absolutely, positively be remaining a PS3 exclusive. So, is this a case of someone with inside information leaking it out too soon in attempt to grab some euros, or just a major screw up on HMV's part? If it's the latter, they are going to have a lot of unhappy gamers on their hands as well as a slew of refunds to hand out. You can check the listing out for yourself here on HMV's website.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/exclusive%3F/hmv-accepting-mgs-4-360-pre+orders-286115.php

In an effort to boost stability, Microsoft has been putting in an additional heat sink on the graphics chip of refurbished Xbox 360's as of late. Now, that added heat sink is in all new Xbox 360 Elite models being shipped. Ben Heck, modder extrordonaire, took apart his newly purchased Elite to find the change.

HD DVD software sales experienced a 20 percent increase in growth.

Blu-ray software sales were down 5 percent.

bu but the PS3....

They aren't counting PS3 games as Blu-ray software:cry:

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=8086

Citing data based on NPD reports, Nielsen Netratings reports and point of sale data from the studios, overall HD DVD hardware sales were up 37 percent from Q1 to Q2 2007, while software sales experienced a 20 percent increase in growth.

According to the Group, during the same time-frame, overall Blu-ray hardware sales saw a 27 percent decline from Q1 to Q2, and Blu-ray software sales were down 5 percent.

http://www.n4g.com/News-51956.aspx

Kotaku talks with Jack Tretton, the President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment of America, about the exclusivity of Metal Gear Solid 4.

Jack Tretton:
"It will appear first on the PlayStation 3. What happens years down the road? I have no idea."

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6311&Itemid=2

Konami: Since 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

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=26670

Microsoft: We had so much stuff, as well as the rather unusual step of just focusing purely on this year, rather than trying to do some visionary stuff about 2008 and 2009.

How concerned are you about possible criticisms that you should have given European consumers what SCEA has given US consumers, i.e. the option to pay a lower price?

Well, they're not really are they, because what the US are offering from the 1st of August is a USD 599 version with one game. All they're doing is taking their stock in trade that they've got at the moment of the 60GB model, marking the price down and it will all be gone by the end of July.

So once the 60GB is gone, that will be the end of the 60GB then?

In America, yes.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=26702

http://www.itrackr.com/details.aspx?pid=25

http://www.itrackr.com/details.aspx?pid=4

it was 2% one week ago.

http://www.itrackr.com/details.aspx?pid=4

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/781/781888p1.html

4.0Presentation
Sure the load times are short but the mazes aren't interesting and the backdrops are boring. The stage selection screen is way too clunky.

4.5Graphics
The water effects are nice, but everything else here is of high-res PS2 quality.

3.5Sound
Audio is barely there with a few quacks and splashes, and the soundtrack is bland and hushed.

2.5Gameplay
You float around tubs of various designs with little influence and hop out of the stages accidentally with alarming frequency. The whole blasted experience is exceptionally repetitive.

3.0Lasting Appeal
Three difficulty settings and 60 stages may sound enticing, but they aren't. They're all equally bad.

2.9
TerribleOVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)