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Xbox360 and Blu-Ray? Not any time soon!

The talk around the net over the last few weeks since the HD-DVD death was that the Xbox 360 was possibly going too support Blu-Ray in the future. That rumor has now been officially shot down by Microsoft. Aaron Greenberg, group product manager for the console, came right out and told Reuters:

“Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xbox experience.” He followed it up by saying that they’re the only console “offering digital distribution of entertainment content.”

Since the discontinuation of the HD-DVD player add-on, it looks like Xbox Live Marketplace is now the only option for Xbox users looking for HD entertainment. Thats just want I want to do with my cash and time. So I run out and buy a bigger hard drive for my 360. Then pay for a movie download then spend 2 - 12 hours downloading it just to watch it ONLY on my Xbox 360. hmmmm NOT!

Xbox Live Fall Update Details

Microsoft has announced more details on what will be included in next week’s software update for the Xbox 360 console. In addition to the previously announced new downloadable Xbox Original (problems included for free) games like Halo 1, Fable and more for 1200 Microsoft points each, the parental control Family Timer feature and the new Friends of Friends List. 

The dashboard update will come with a new ‘Inside Xbox’ button which will give Product Marketing news updates on Xbox 360 topics. The Video Store will now allow for all video downloads to be viewed with a full screen preview before purchase. You can also expand your Gamertag info to include an expanded bio of yourself (up to 500 characters).

The update will also allow for “enhanced video codec support” although no specific support for that really includes. But Joystiq  has news that MPEG-4 Part 2 ASP (DivX and Xvid included) video playback will be supported.

The update is scheduled to launch on Dec. 4.

As promised, Microsoft is bringing some early gifts to your Xbox 360 just prior to the holiday season. Beginning at 0200 a.m. PST on Dec. 4, the Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update will be available for all connected Xbox 360 consoles free of charge, bringing an array of new features and enhancements to the leading gaming and entertainment system.

Among the key new enhancements are the previously announced Xbox Originals game download service, Family Timer parental control feature, and expanded social networking experiences. Xbox 360 owners can also look forward to enhanced navigation, profile and video features and Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits.

This free update will be digitally distributed over Xbox LIVE to the more than 8 million Xbox LIVE members worldwide (Xbox LIVE Silver and Gold) with no disc or hard drive required. Gamers without an Xbox LIVE account can easily sign up for the free network by connecting their console to a broadband internet connection. New features and enhancements include:

MORE DOWNLOAD OPTIONS:

• Xbox Originals – With this new service, announced on Nov. 13, consumers can download-to-own full original Xbox games that were previously only available at retail. The digital shelves will always be stocked with classic titles, such as “Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex” “Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge,” “Halo,” “Fable,” “Fuzion Frenzy,” “Psychonauts,” and more as the catalogue grows over time, at 1200 Microsoft Points per game.
• Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits – On Xbox LIVE Arcade, the Arcade Hits program kicks off where some of the best selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games will become available at permanently reduced prices, making it easier than ever for everyone to build a library of downloadable games! The first games to become Arcade Hits will be “Bankshot Billiards 2” and “Lumines LIVE,” which will be available for 800 Microsoft Points each, and “Marble Blast Ultra,” “Small Arms” and “Zuma Deluxe,” which will be available for 400 Microsoft Points each. With free trial downloads for every game and over 100 games to choose from, Xbox LIVE Arcade offers something for every member of the family.

NEW WAYS TO KEEP UP TO DATE AND CONNECTED:

• Inside Xbox – A new direct feed brings current news straight from Xbox.com into the Xbox LIVE Dashboard providing members an easy, predictable entry point where they can discover what’s new in: game releases, events, and Xbox LIVE Marketplace offers.
• Enhanced online profile – Members interested in sharing a few more details about themselves will have the option to go beyond their motto and further personalize their profile with an expanded bio. The extended bios will be visible to “Friends Only” or the entire Xbox LIVE community.
• Expanded Friends List access – A quick and easy way for gamers to expand their personal community on Xbox LIVE, members will be able to see the Friends Lists of other Xbox LIVE members, boosting their social networking experience on the service.

ENHANCED OVERALL EXPERIENCE AND CONTROL:

• Enhanced Parental Controls – Family Timer, a strong and flexible new addition to the Xbox 360 Family Settings, enables parents to set the amount of time their Xbox 360 can be used on a per-day or per-week basis by their children or other members of the household.
• New video features – The convenience of full-screen movie previews and enhanced video codec support further expand the options when it comes to the Xbox 360 entertainment experience.
• Easy-to-use navigation features – With several noteworthy changes in the Xbox LIVE Dashboard, from the new Game Store button to the Video Store button to enhanced visuals and descriptions in the video library, Xbox LIVE members can find what they want, when they want it.

Xbox 360 Free With Your Pizza Order

As if Pizza and Video games did not go hand in hand, here comes Dominos and a new Xbox promo. I have never been a fan of any enter a code and win product tie-ins that most companies like to do, But this one really does not sound bad at all.

If you’re a gamer you most likely already eat your share of pizza like I do and you have a internet connection. So all you have to do wo win a Xbox 360 is order your pizza from Domino’s pizza on line.

Starting December 1st and running through the 12th, Domino’s Pizza is giving away Xbox 360 prizes to every customer who orders online. When your online order is placed during these “XII Days of Xbox” you will receive a free 48 hour Xbox Live Gold subscription automatically. Also every day, 10 random orders will win an Xbox 360 and a copy of Project Gotham Racing 4. Once your order is placed a window will pop up, telling you if you’ve won a console or a piece of crap subscription, with prizes shipping within two days of winning to arrive in time for Christmas.

I have already bookmarked the order page and I know what’s for dinner the first 12 days in December.

ANN ARBOR, Mich., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Domino’s Pizza (NYSE:DPZ) and Xbox(R) are teaming up this holiday season to deliver the “XII Days of Xbox.” Every day, beginning Dec. 1 through Dec. 12, customers who place their order online at www.dominos.com will instantly receive Xbox prizes, and some entrants will win Xbox 360(R) consoles.

Every order placed online during the “XII Days of Xbox” will receive a gift with purchase -a 48-hour trial of Xbox LIVE(R) Gold, Xbox’s premier online multiplayer gaming and entertainment service that lets players connect their gaming consoles to the Internet and play games online. Best of all, every day during the “XII Days of Xbox,” 10 lucky customers will win an Xbox 360 gaming console and a Project Gotham Racing(R) 4 video game.

“We’re giving our customers some of the hottest gifts this season along with a hot, delicious meal when they place their order online,” said Ken Calwell, Domino’s Pizza chief marketing officer. “We’re delivering the convenience of online ordering and pairing it with the excitement of instantly getting great prizes from Xbox.”

Customers can order online Dec. 1 through Dec. 12 for more chances to play. Once an order is placed, a pop-up window will appear to confirm the order and announce instantly what prize will be received and if the customer has won the Xbox 360 console and Project Gotham Racing 4 video game. Prizes will be shipped within two days of winning to arrive in time for the holidays. Customers can visit www.dominos.com for automatic entry into the “XII Days of Xbox and for the official “XII Days of Xbox” contest rules. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited. Must be at least 13 years of age to enter. Contest ends Dec. 12, 2007.

GRID Officially Announced and First Screenshots

Codemasters announces GRID, the next game in their long running racing series. GRID will be released in mid-2008 for the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 from the same development team which brought you Colin McRae: DiRT. Here is a release and first screens:

Coming mid 2008, GRID is set to capture every moment from the starting grid to the chequered flag and concentrate those moments into an intense and dramatic race experience. GRID is being developed for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows®.

GRID will take players to beautifully realized and dramatic race locations over three continents to compete in an unprecedented variety of racing events. Packed with the most powerful race cars - new and classic, circuit and drift - players will compete to conquer the most prestigious official race tracks and championships and then go beyond to compete in challenging city-based competitions, through to road events and urban street races.

In Europe, race gamers will compete on the greatest official tracks in prestige Marques including Aston Martin, Koenigsegg and Pagani.

Iconic cities across the U.S. - including San Francisco, Washington DC and Detroit and each with their own atmosphere and events - play hosts to diverse street races. Here, high-performance V8 muscle cars set the pace in aggressive closely fought pack competitions.

In the Far East, Japanese racing culture sets the tone where night races, including Drift racing, take drivers through neon illuminated cities and to outlying mountain roads. There is also the opportunity to compete in races that operate on the fringes of legality in the back streets and industrial areas of Yokohama.

Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom Goes Gold

Microsoft has announced that the Xbox 360 exclusive action-RPG Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom has gone gold. The latest game in the Kingdom Under Fire series from developer Blueside will ship to stores in the US on Jan. 8. Here is a snip:

A departure from the action real-time strategy formula seen in previous ‘Kingdom Under Fire’ games, Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom is an action-packed role playing game (RPG) that makes full use of the Xbox 360 processing power to create a revolutionary gaming experience. Players will explore vast and randomly generated maps while battling bloodthirsty monsters attacking from all directions. As the game progresses, the six heroes will find increasingly advanced and spectacular ways to defeat enemies using new weapons and abilities as they progress through six varied acts. Players will also be able to interact with one another with a full multiplayer experience and up to four-player co-op on Xbox LIVE Gold.

Tournament mode for Project Gotham Racing 4

Tournament mode for Project Gotham Racing 4 will be available to download starting on Nov. 15 for free on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for the Xbox 360.

Project Gotham Racing 4 players will have the opportunity to practice drifting and sliding their way to glory by participating in four new types of races: Daily Tournaments, Super Saturday, Simulation Sundays, and the Global Cup. Each race is unique, so read on to learn about each one, what you’ll have to do to be invited to the party and what you’ll face when you get there.

How to Qualify:

• The Tournament Leaderboards include a timer counting down how much time is left to qualify.
• To qualify for a Tournament, race as fast as you can on a Solo Hot Lap to set the best lap time.
• Once you finish racing, you can check the Tournament Leaderboards to see if you’ve qualified.
• Those who qualified will have a spot reserved for them.
• No shows for the Tournament Elimination rounds will be disqualified.

Racing in Daily Tournaments

• Available Monday through Friday
•  Each Daily Tournament begins and ends in a single day.
• A total of 640 players (five groups of 128) can qualify for each Daily Tournament.
• Only the Top Two finishers advance in each elimination round.

Racing in Super Saturdays

• Available on Saturdays only
• Each Super Saturday Tournament  begins and ends on a single Saturday.
• A total of 2,560 players (five groups of 512) can qualify for each Super Saturday Tournament.
• Only the Top Two finishers advance in each elimination round.

Racing in Simulation Sundays

• Available on Sundays only
• Each Simulation Sunday Tournament begins and ends on a single Sunday.
• Players are required to use In-Car-View/Manual Gear only.
• A total of 64 players can qualify for each Simulation Sunday Tournament.
• Only the Top Four finishers advance in each elimination round.

Racing in the Global Cup

• Available twice a month
• Each Global Cup Tournament takes two weeks to complete.
• A total of 512 players can qualify for each Global Cup Tournament:
• The Top 20 finishers for each Nation
• The Top 32 finishers from the “Rest of World”
• Elimination rounds take place on the second Saturday of the tournament

Winners of the Global Cup will have their gamertags proudly displayed on the PGRNations home page. Winners in the other Tournaments will have their victories appear in the leaderboards.

Alone in the Dark Coming to Wii and PS2

Atari announces today some good news for Wii and PS2 users. Their upcoming version of the Alone in the Dark game will have Wii and PS2 versions. Developer Hydravision will port the game to those platforms while Eden Studios will continue work on the previously announced PS3, Xbox 360 and PC versions.

Developed by Hydravision, Alone in the Dark for Wii and PS2 follows the same story as the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC version, where over the course of one apocalyptic night, hero Edward Carnby must uncover the earth-shattering secret hidden in New York’s iconic Central Park.

“Realizing the enormous ambition of Alone in the Dark is a huge technological challenge,” said Hudson Piehl, Vice President of Production, Atari, Inc. “Hydravision has risen to the occasion to ensure Wii and PlayStation 2 owners will be impressed by the gripping gameplay experience.”

The game still does not have a release date.

Assassin’s Creed Launch Trailer

The Assassin’s Creed launch trailer is now available for download, if you didn’t already know the PS3 and Xbox 360 version of the game will be available this week.

Circuit City Ripping People Off Again

Apparently Circuit City ran an ad in their paper saying Buy COD 4 and get COD 3 Free well Adam, a reader of The Consumerist, reports:

Today, like many anxious gamers, I went to Circuit City (Store # 3111) to pick up the highly anticipated “Call of Duty 4″ for the XBox 360. I chose to pick it up at Circuit City as this week’s circular ad listed a free copy of the previous game “Call of Duty 3″ with purchase. When I went to check out, I was told that it was a misprint and that they refused to honor it. Myself, along with about half a dozen co-workers were rightfully angry that we wasted our lunch hour on this Circuit City bait-and-switch, that has become too common with this outlet lately.

On top of all this the Misprint in question is still listed on their website. I know from my own past experience that Circuit City is a very bad place to shop and have stopped shopping their.

Xbox 360 Has small Japanese Sales Boost

Gamesindustry.biz is reporting that the latest Japanese game sales chart’s show that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 console managed to make headway against Sony’s PS3 console in sales, but just barely. The Xbox 360 sold 17,673 units last week while the PS3 sold 17,434 units. The Xbox 360 had a boost to its sales numbers due to the release of the Namco’s Ace Combat 6 which is an exclusive to the console. However, The Wii continues to dominate in console sales with 37,617 units sold, thanks in part to the new release of Super Mario Galaxy in Japan .