Xbox 360 HD-DVD priced, dated; 1080p in-bound

Microsoft's confirmed Japanese release and pricing details for the Xbox 360 HD-DVD drive at a conference held in Tokyo prior to the kick off of TGS this week.

It will launch on November 17, according an official conference-focussed MS press release, although web reports covering the conference live give November 22 as the release date mentioned. Ho-hum. Anyway, it'll come with a 19,800 yen price tag, and a quick fiddle with our abacus reveals that this works out at around 89 quid or 168 USD. We're guessing this means a UK price hovering somewhere in the low hundreds, but that should all be confirmed at Microsoft's European X06 event next week.

The device will come packaged with an Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote.

During the conference, Microsoft additionally spilled beans on future additions to Live Arcade, listing the likes of Contra, Dig Dug, Gyruss and Track & Field and then going on to reveal - for Japan at least - Yie Ar Kung Fu for XBLA (out in 2007). Ms. Pac-Man, Rush 'n Attack and New Rally X are also to get the Live Arcade treatment.

Plus, the company announced that its Xbox 360 software update scheduled for release later this year will allow the console to output game and movie content in 1080p resolution.