Hasta La Gadget!

Halo fans were excited last week when the Halo 4 edition Xbox 360 was unveiled at Comic-Con, and will be even more excited to hear that it is now available for pre-order $399.99 at Amazon and will ship on November 6th, the same day as the Halo 4 release.The limited-edition bundle will include the custom-designed console, a 320GB hard drive, two exclusive wireless controllers, a wired headset, and Xbox live tokens for exclusive Halo 4 Marketplace content.

A cool feature is the glowing blue ring of light on the console which also corresponds with the glowing blue light on the power button of the two controllers. If you don’t want to buy the console, but are still interested in some Halo 4 hardware, Microsoft will release some standalone Halo 4 limited-edition controllers for $59.99. What do you think of the console? Are you going to pre-order it? Let us know in the comments section below.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Halo 4: In-game footage leaked online, looks pretty good, Halo 4 confirmed for Xbox 360,

We already had a feeling that Microsoft was planning to roll out a limited edition Xbox 360 bundle to go along with November’s release of Halo 4, but this weekend the bundle got an official reveal at the San Diego Comic-Con. Like most of the other limited edition consoles we’ve seen come and go throughout the years, this bundle features some snazzy artwork on the console itself and the controllers, but you’ll also be paying a premium price if you want one. Hit the jump for all the details.

So, here’s everything you’ll be getting in this Halo 4 limited edition Xbox 360 bundle: one 320GB console, two wireless controllers, a wired headset, a copy of Halo 4, and a set of download codes for Halo 4-themed avatar items and in-game DLC. The console and controllers come decked out in Halo 4 artwork and blue LEDs to match the overall color scheme of the set, so if you want an Xbox 360 that stands out from the sea of other consoles out there, this is probably the bundle for you.

Admission to this show is not cheap, however, with Microsoft giving this bundle a price point of $399.99. If you like the look but don’t like dropping $400 all in one go, you might want to consider picking up a standalone Halo 4 wireless controller, which are being released on October 21 and will only set you back $59.99. As you can see in the image above (and the gallery below), the design of the standalone controller differs quite a bit from that of the controller included in the bundle, but Microsoft says that both will feature blue LEDs surrounding the guide button. The bundle itself releases the same day that Halo 4 hits shelves – November 6 – and is available for pre-order right now, so get to saving!

[via Joystiq]

Halo 4 Xbox 360 bundle becomes official is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft’s success in the gaming market has been nothing short of astounding. From starting out as a company with little knowledge about how the market works to becoming the leading console maker for over a year, Microsoft has cemented itself as a major player.

However, the one thing the company is missing right now is a deep first-party game lineup. 343 Industries will undoubtedly help with the Halo 4 launch, and every now and then, something good comes out of Microsoft Game Studios, but I think it’s about time the software giant acquires a major publisher.

Of course, acquiring a major publisher won’t be cheap. Microsoft will need to once again dig down into its massive cash coffers and dole out billions just to get its hands on a major company. But in so doing, it can go a long way in finally establishing itself as a credible threat in software.

Don’t think that doesn’t matter. Part of Nintendo’s success, even during its current downturn, is due to its ability to deliver compelling first-party games. Although the third-party lineup hasn’t always been up to par on Nintendo’s consoles, franchises like Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda have kept it propped up.

Microsoft right now really doesn’t have that. As noted, it has Halo, but it needs more. And acquiring all or at least part of a major game publisher could help it become more like Nintendo in all of the right ways.

Luckily for Microsoft, it might have an opening. According to a recent Bloomberg report, Vivendi is considering dumping its equity stake in Activision for $8.1 billion. What’s more, the company has reportedly already talked to Microsoft about it.

“There’s a market out there to invest heavily in gaming and get some real value”

Whether Microsoft should take the deal is decidedly up for debate. But it underscores a broader point: there is a market out there for major companies, like Microsoft, to invest heavily in gaming and get some real value for its cash outlay.

Of course, Microsoft has been spending a serious amount of cash as of late. The company acquired Skype for $8.5 billion and offered up $1.2 billion for Yammer. Add that to the cash it’s spending on patents, and Microsoft appears to be willing and ready to write checks.

Unfortunately, the company really hasn’t done enough in the gaming space. It’s about time for the software giant to find a suitable target and start spending some money.

The issue is, which company should Microsoft consider acquiring? It’s not as easy as one might think. Electronic Arts is probably off the table and Activision Blizzard can’t be bought outright. Ubisoft might be a suitable choice, but who knows if it’s willing to be let go. Perhaps Take-Two Interactive, which would come in more cheaply, could be a fine option.

Exactly which major publisher Microsoft should acquire is up to the software company. But it’s time for Microsoft to make a choice.

Why Microsoft Should Acquire A Major Game Publisher is written by Don Reisinger & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

With Nintendo still keeping most of the details about the Wii U under wraps, there has been plenty of speculation and debate as to whether or not it’s actually more powerful than the Xbox 360 and PS3. According to Jeremiah Slaczka, CEO of Scribblenauts developer 5th Cell, it is, and he’s getting a bit sick of hearing all of the rumors that claim it isn’t. It sounds like the Wii U just found one of its biggest fans in Slaczka.

“[Wii U is] definitely more powerful than Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3,” Slaczka tells Game Informer. “It’s kind of frustrating to see the rumors and speculation of people going back and forth saying it’s weaker or more powerful. It’s definitely more powerful.”

5th Cell is currently working on Scribblenauts Unlimited for the Wii U, so Slaczka has spent plenty of time with the machine. In fact, he says in the interview that 5th Cell was one of the first developers to see the Wii U in action, so he’s probably had more time with it than most other developers out there.

Still, when it comes down to it, as long as the games are good then the hardware shouldn’t matter (at least not as much). An abundance of graphics power can only take a game so far – it’s up to the gameplay department to supply the real wow factor. At the same time, a number of people are hesitant to embrace the Wii U because they think third parties will abandon it once the next Xbox and PlayStation arrive on the scene. Whatever ends up happening, we have a while to wait before it all unravels, so maybe we should all hold off on rushing to conclusions about the Wii U’s future for now.

[via Destructoid]

Wii U more powerful than 360 and PS3, claims 5th Cell is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It looks like Microsoft has got something to celebrate about – the Xbox 360 is still the best-selling video game console in the US. It’s been rocking the throne for the past 18 months  despite being released almost 7 years ago – and it doesn’t look like it’s going to be dethroned anytime soon. According to a post on the official Microsoft blog, the Xbox 360 now holds 47% share of current generation console sales in the US and moved 257,000 units in June.
(more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Xbox 360: still the best-selling console in the US, Xbox 360 is still the best selling console in the US,