Tim Chen, chief executive of Microsoft China, revealed in an interview with Reuters that Microsoft plans to start selling the Xbox 360 in China next year (along with other [sic] eight territories) but stressed that the timing of its launch was not set in stone.”

It’s nice to know that the mainland will be joining at least Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, and Colombia in welcoming the 360 with open arms (and large wallets, though nothing’s “set in stone”) next year. ...

Success HK have posted on their site the following games for preorder:

NDS Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow US ver. Pre-order
NDS FIFA 06 US ver Pre-order ...

Microsoft executive Robbie Bach has predicted that half of those who buy an Xbox 360 will sign up for Xbox Live, despite the lack of interest in the online service amongst current Xbox owners.

Speaking to Famitsu magazine, Bach admitted that the number of current-generation console owners who have subscribed to Live stands at just 2 million - around 10 per cent of the installed user base.

But he's confident that offering the free "Silver" version of Xbox Live to 360 will ensure that around 50 per cent of purchasers will take their console online. That doesn't mean they'll be playing online, though - consumers will have to pay for a "Gold" subscription for that privilege.

When asked about the potential for massively-multiplayer online gaming on 360, Bach said that it would have been unrealistic to try and get an MMO up and running immediately after a console launch. However, he did promise that a "new MMO" will be available on Xbox 360 within the next three years.

In the meantime, role-playing fans may be pleased to hear that a massive beta test is planned for the Xbox 360 version of Final Fantasy XI. According to Bach, it's on such a grand scale that anyone who owns an Xbox 360 will have the option to take part - providing they purchased the console that comes with a hard drive rather than the "Core" system, since a drive is required to run FFXI.

Bach went on to say he was pleased with the software line-ups for the 360, adding that the European launch list will be announced in the "very near future." He said that the company has a "clear vision" regarding which path to take in the crucial 18 months following the console's launch, and confirmed that there are many third-party titles in development which have yet to be revealed. ...

Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop, Bandai's new Nintendo DS title based on the popular virtual pet franchise, has continued to sell strongly in its second week on sale in Japan, taking the top spot in this week's chart.

The game, which rather curiously sees the player and his or her pet Tamagotchi opening and running a corner shop, has clearly struck a chord with a segment of the Japanese gaming population - coming in strongly ahead of Koei's rather more traditional PS2 title Dynasty Warriors 5: Mosho Den at number two.

Three new games made it into the ranking this week, with Konami's new PS2 strategy title Rhapsodia selling around 42,000 units to make it in at number four, while Bandai's anime-based PSP action game Gundam Battle Tactics (yes, it's an action game, not a tactics game) was at number six, and another anime licensed title, Koei's PS2 adventure Harukanaru Toki No Naka De 3: Izayoiki slipped in at number ten.

There were three DS titles in the top ten, with DS Training for Adults: Work Your Brain and Gentle Brain Exercises both joining Tamagotchi Connection in the ranking, at numbers five and nine respectively, and two PSP titles - with Konami's Winning Eleven 9 on the platform coming in just behind Gundam Battle Tactics at number seven.

Nintendo also saw continued success with the Famicom Mini 20th Anniversary edition of Super Mario Bros, which held on at number three in the ranking, while the Game Boy Micro is also still doing well - selling 47,000 units of hardware in its second week on sale.

Looking more closely at hardware, the Nintendo DS was top dog again this week, taking just over 33 per cent of the market, while the Game Boy Advance - counting all three compatible versions - had just shy of 29 per cent share.

The PlayStation Portable was in third place with nearly 25 per cent market share, while the PlayStation 2 is being thoroughly outclassed by the new handhelds at last - managing just 12 per cent market share last week, probably one of the lowest showings for the console since its launch. ...

News from Lik Sang

It can play games. It can play your movies. It can play your music. It can view photos. It can read Ebooks. It runs on just 2 AA batteries - and it can do all this in the palm of your hand or on your TV screen.

Yes that's right, this handheld can connect to the TV, console style. Watch your DivX movies on the TV. Play emulated classics on the TV. Try big screen Quake. Or just play them all on the GP2X's large 320*240 backlit screen. You get the best of both worlds.

Pre-orders for Gameparks new handheld system are now open for US$ 179.90, which is an incredible low price for a device of its capacity.

Product Features:

• Dual CPU Cores: ARM920T Host Processor - ARM940T Video Coprocessor
• 64MB - RAM & 64MB - NAND Flash Memory
• SD Card Compatible for Storage
• USB 2.0 High Speed Connection
• Linux Operating System for Open Source Development
• 3.5' TFT LCD Screen @ 320*240 (QVGA)
• TV-Out for TV connection (640x480 amplified from 320x240)
• MPEG, MPEG4, DivX 3.11,4x,5x, XVID, WMV,MP3,OGG,WMA,JPG, BMP, PCX, GIF Playback
• Supports e-book, games, electronic dictionary
• Free Emulators for SNES, NES, GB, GBC and GBA, Sega Mega Drive, Master System, Spectrum, C64, Atari, PC Engine, MAME, MSX, Neo Geo Pocket, Game Gear and more
• Continuous Playback (8 Hours Video) (14 Hours Audio)

Product Description:

Gamepark Holdings new multimedia device is very inexpensive and yet it can compete with any other multimedia device out in the market today! Featuring a dual CPU core, 64MB of memory, SD card storage, and its Linux operating system gives the GP2X the potential no other handheld can offer.

Gamepark Holdings has made the GP2X a system for anybody to develop emulators, games, applications, practically anything for! Having Linux as its operating system, SDL support and tools supplied by Gamepark Holdings should make developing for the GP2X a breeze. There is no doubt that there will be a large homebrewn scene with games, emulators, and applications made by talented developers. The GP32 is a great scene to be a part of, and the GP2X should be no different, if not better.

Emulation is complimented with perfect button layout and resolution which might make the GP2X the new emulating king for the years to come. Besides its gaming aspect the GP2X is a great multimedia device. With its multiple codecs support you can also hook the device up to any television set through its TV-out functionality making it a great device to have. The TV-out cable uses the S-video signal and the TV cable price: TBA The Gp2x also has great music capabilities.

Supporting various music types such as OGG and MP3 and capable of producing sounds up to 100 milliwatts portable music couldn't get any better. Have a digital camera? Just snap a photo and instantly view it on the GP2X, never has anything been so easy! With upgradeable firmware, USB 2.0 support, and running on AA batteries makes the GP2X the most consumer friendly device in the market today.

With the ability to play games, movies, ebooks and more at a more than affordable price, the GP2X is a multimedia delight. ...

News from Lik Sang

It can play games. It can play your movies. It can play your music. It can view photos. It can read Ebooks. It runs on just 2 AA batteries - and it can do all this in the palm of your hand or on your TV screen.

Yes that's right, this handheld can connect to the TV, console style. Watch your DivX movies on the TV. Play emulated classics on the TV. Try big screen Quake. Or just play them all on the GP2X's large 320*240 backlit screen. You get the best of both worlds.

Pre-orders for Gameparks new handheld system are now open for US$ 179.90, which is an incredible low price for a device of its capacity.

Product Features:

• Dual CPU Cores: ARM920T Host Processor - ARM940T Video Coprocessor
• 64MB - RAM & 64MB - NAND Flash Memory
• SD Card Compatible for Storage
• USB 2.0 High Speed Connection
• Linux Operating System for Open Source Development
• 3.5' TFT LCD Screen @ 320*240 (QVGA)
• TV-Out for TV connection (640x480 amplified from 320x240)
• MPEG, MPEG4, DivX 3.11,4x,5x, XVID, WMV,MP3,OGG,WMA,JPG, BMP, PCX, GIF Playback
• Supports e-book, games, electronic dictionary
• Free Emulators for SNES, NES, GB, GBC and GBA, Sega Mega Drive, Master System, Spectrum, C64, Atari, PC Engine, MAME, MSX, Neo Geo Pocket, Game Gear and more
• Continuous Playback (8 Hours Video) (14 Hours Audio)

Product Description:

Gamepark Holdings new multimedia device is very inexpensive and yet it can compete with any other multimedia device out in the market today! Featuring a dual CPU core, 64MB of memory, SD card storage, and its Linux operating system gives the GP2X the potential no other handheld can offer.

Gamepark Holdings has made the GP2X a system for anybody to develop emulators, games, applications, practically anything for! Having Linux as its operating system, SDL support and tools supplied by Gamepark Holdings should make developing for the GP2X a breeze. There is no doubt that there will be a large homebrewn scene with games, emulators, and applications made by talented developers. The GP32 is a great scene to be a part of, and the GP2X should be no different, if not better.

Emulation is complimented with perfect button layout and resolution which might make the GP2X the new emulating king for the years to come. Besides its gaming aspect the GP2X is a great multimedia device. With its multiple codecs support you can also hook the device up to any television set through its TV-out functionality making it a great device to have. The TV-out cable uses the S-video signal and the TV cable price: TBA The Gp2x also has great music capabilities.

Supporting various music types such as OGG and MP3 and capable of producing sounds up to 100 milliwatts portable music couldn't get any better. Have a digital camera? Just snap a photo and instantly view it on the GP2X, never has anything been so easy! With upgradeable firmware, USB 2.0 support, and running on AA batteries makes the GP2X the most consumer friendly device in the market today.

With the ability to play games, movies, ebooks and more at a more than affordable price, the GP2X is a multimedia delight. ...

Another big HK Store is stocking the PSPTV, heres what Lik Sang have to say:

When the GBA was still the non-plus-ultra of handheld gaming, a small Japanese company called Gametech got overexcited, and developed a GBA2TV Adapter called TV de Advance. The adapter was not just a plug-and-play type device, it had to be installed inside the GBA, by adding a second flat ribbon cable to the original GBA LCD display. Furthermore, the case of the GBA had to be replaced with a new one, that now had the new TV out ports on it.

Another accessories developer is now following their path, and announced a TV Adapter that connects the PSP to your beloved TV. The TV Adapter Kit for PSP (PSP2TV) lets you hook up your PSP to your home television (NTSC and PAL) via Composite or S-Video and Stereo connectors. It also lets you connect and use a PS2 controller on your PSP. By supporting a 16:9 and a 4:3 screen mode, it promises to keep the PSP's screen proportions as realistic as possible.

More info at Lik Sang ...

Another big HK Store is stocking the PSPTV, heres what Lik Sang have to say:

When the GBA was still the non-plus-ultra of handheld gaming, a small Japanese company called Gametech got overexcited, and developed a GBA2TV Adapter called TV de Advance. The adapter was not just a plug-and-play type device, it had to be installed inside the GBA, by adding a second flat ribbon cable to the original GBA LCD display. Furthermore, the case of the GBA had to be replaced with a new one, that now had the new TV out ports on it.

Another accessories developer is now following their path, and announced a TV Adapter that connects the PSP to your beloved TV. The TV Adapter Kit for PSP (PSP2TV) lets you hook up your PSP to your home television (NTSC and PAL) via Composite or S-Video and Stereo connectors. It also lets you connect and use a PS2 controller on your PSP. By supporting a 16:9 and a 4:3 screen mode, it promises to keep the PSP's screen proportions as realistic as possible.

More info at Lik Sang ...

Another big HK Store is stocking the PSPTV, heres what Lik Sang have to say:

When the GBA was still the non-plus-ultra of handheld gaming, a small Japanese company called Gametech got overexcited, and developed a GBA2TV Adapter called TV de Advance. The adapter was not just a plug-and-play type device, it had to be installed inside the GBA, by adding a second flat ribbon cable to the original GBA LCD display. Furthermore, the case of the GBA had to be replaced with a new one, that now had the new TV out ports on it.

Another accessories developer is now following their path, and announced a TV Adapter that connects the PSP to your beloved TV. The TV Adapter Kit for PSP (PSP2TV) lets you hook up your PSP to your home television (NTSC and PAL) via Composite or S-Video and Stereo connectors. It also lets you connect and use a PS2 controller on your PSP. By supporting a 16:9 and a 4:3 screen mode, it promises to keep the PSP's screen proportions as realistic as possible.

More info at Lik Sang ...