Via Slashdot:

After several months of silence it was more or less accepted that Microsoft wasn't going to do anything about the firmware hacks that allow Xbox 360s to play backups. Rather surprising, considering the 'inventor' of the hack confirmed in March already that the mods are easily detectable, and the reports that piracy is running rampant in countries like China. It appears that Microsoft is finally taking action against them though, although they may be hitting the wrong persons ...

Microsoft to release 360 dashboard update tomorrow with 85 enhancements including 1080p and HD-DVD support

Microsoft has revealed that the latest Xbox 360 dashboard update will be streaming across the world tomorrow morning.

In addition to the long awaited 1080p resolution bump-up and HD-DVD add-on support, the update will also include a start menu item for XNA-developed games, improved Xbox Live Arcade and Marketplace functions, along with over 80 other additions and goodies.

Improvements to Live Arcade include the ability to automatically download trial games, an expanded achievements view, refreshed indexing of downloads and a new "tell a friend" feature to wax lyrical to your mates about your latest Arcade purchase.

In addition, the update also offers the ability to stream WMV videos from a PC using Windows Media Player 11, as well as play video files from CDs and DVDs and bolstered support for 50hz HDTV display modes. ...

Via Kotaku:

Joel Johnson posts over on GameLife that there's a PayPal Lik-Sang scam making the circuit among people who pre-ordered the Playstation 3 through them.


I'm surprised scammers were able to produce something so timely. Good thing Joel didn't fall for it, but I bet if they had thrown in some pills to increase the girth of little Joel, he totally would have. ...

Sony's upcoming PlayStation 3, due on US shores on November 17, sucks up 380 watts of power, a far cry from the PS2 which sips a mere 45 watts. That means the PS3 uses more than twice the 160 watts consumed by the Xbox 360. The PS3's 380 watts will cost you around $40 a year to run if you play it two hours a day.

This appears to bode well for the Nintendo Wii, which, according to Kou Shiota, a key member of the console's design team, will have outstanding power efficiency: "With a smaller chip and minimised power consumption, Wii can be left on 24 hours a day." Note that Shiota didn't indicate the exact wattage used by the Wii. And, Nintendo's Wiiconnect24 service requires the Wii to be left running 24 hours a day, so that might cancel out that power advantage. Either way, you gotta pay to ride the train. ...

Gran Turismo HD - PS3's high definition visual makeover of last year's GT4 - has been in the news for all the wrong reasons recently, but check the movies tab above for some replay footage that might put it in a better light.

The series has always been famous for those replay sequences, right back to the original PlayStation version. While the footage from that game looks just a little bit less photo-realistic these days, you'll have to do a double-take (probably at those slightly eerily inhuman spectators) to tell GT HD apart from the real thing.

Whether that's enough to get you to shell out for a shinier, faster version of a PS2 game is another matter, but hopefully there'll be enough under the hood in its final version to stop us wishing developer Polyphony would just move on to Gran Turismo 5 already.

Movie Here ...

t's been over a week since our last brush with PS3's premier Stylish Hard Action game, so here's some images from Devil May Cry 4's Tokyo Game Show demo environments to dry those tears.

As only a taster of what we can expect from new lead Nero and his new demon-busting grounds, the city of Fortuna, the demo was as teasing as it was finger-numbingly furious. Nero was missing most of his combos, and the two new gameplay elements - the 'acceleration' of his sword, the Red Queen, and his demonically-possessed arm's powers - were mostly kept up his dashing leather sleeves.

Considering the impact the first DMC made on the early PS2 scene, though, we're pretty sure DMC4 will be ready to rock with all those surprises and more when it arrives next year

Screens Here ...

Apart from staggering under the hefty title of the 'game that is going to save 360 in Japan', Blue Dragon is also a rather stunning-looking RPG, as this clip of the combat system in action demonstrates.

Created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the chap behind the first editions of the Final Fantasy series, the game harnesses the same traditional elements of orthodox turn-based encounters, random battle and wailing guitar solos, while also adding next-gen graphics and spectacular effects. Sounds good doesn't it? Well it's designed to push more buttons for hardcore RPG-fans than Daley Thompson's Decathlon.

And you can see it all for yourself via the movies tab above, where a click will reveal the game's all-powerful Shadow Change creatures. These blue behemoths provide the muscle for your party of child warriors developing into specialist Sword, Assassin and Power varieties and levelling up as your heroes do.

Enjoy this footage while you can because, while Blue Dragon is released with a Wii-spoiling 7 December date in Japan, it looks like we will have to wait quite some time to see a converted and translated version over here.

Screens Here ...

Stringer says new console is already "a creative success"

Sony CEO Howard Stringer has conceded that the company must explore new ways of boosting profits in order to "offset the performance of the PlayStation 3".

Last week, Sony posted its Q2 financial results, revealing a drop in profits of more than 90 per cent - but Stringer is still confident of meeting margin targets.

"We promised the margins for next year will be 5 percent and we have every intention of doing that," he confirmed.

"Considering some of the additional costs of PlayStation 3, we have to generate some excitement and profits from elsewhere in the company to offset the performance of PlayStation 3."

Stringer added that Sony's consumer electronics division is performing well at present, and said the company's movie division is also set to pull in healthy profits.

He went on to concede that PS3 will perform better in its second year as software sales start to increase, but questioned the validity of rumblings about a delay.

"I think the idea of worrying about a delay in PlayStation is slightly strange to me. Every complex technology runs the risk of delays," Stringer said.

"The point really is that PlayStation 3 is already finished and has been tested in America and has been deemed a creative success. In the end that is what counts."

The PS3 is due to launch in the US on November 17, priced at USD 499 for the 20GB model or USD 599 for the 60GB version. ...

Square Enix has signed a distribution deal for the UK, Ireland and other international territories with independent DVD, toys and videogames distributor Trilogy Logistics.

The deal comes as Square Enix prepares to ship the latest in the highly-acclaimed RPG series, Final Fantasy XII, to retailers across Europe.

"The UK market is one of the largest in Europe and we need to ensure we have the correct partners in place to achieve our requirements - Trilogy is able to do this," said Michael Sherlock, senior VP of sales and marketing at Square Enix.

"This agreement is part of Square Enix's initiative to achieve more effective channel management by distributing our own products," he added.

"This contract is a highly important one for us that sees us further establishing a foothold within the videogames' market," said Matthew Allen, MD of Trilogy. ...