Microsoft this morning confirmed part of the bundle rumour that's been ravaging the Internet for weeks: All Xbox 360s and Xbox 360 Elites will now come with free copies of Forza Motorsport 2 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance, a $US 90 value.

Better still the price for the consoles will not be going up, which is very much like a price drop in my mind. According to the press release, posted after the jump, both the bundled 360 (at $US 350) and the bundled Elite (at $US 450) will be available by the end of the month.

The fact that this is called the Holiday Bundle, makes me think it's not going to last. So if you're in the market for the 360 now might be a good time to jump on board.

To: Crecente
From: Bashcraft
RE: Travel Advisory

So, we've decided. "lol" (AKA "Laugh Out Loud") is dead. We've killed it. All the cool kids (read: Plunkett, McWhertor, me) have ditched the "lol". It's kinda hard to type. Well, not that hard, but still. And "ha"? That actually is too hard to type. We're going with "wwwww" or any of its variants: WwWwWw, WwwwW, wWwWw, WWwww, etc... The five Ws is purely arbitrary — more is welcomed! Those who spend time on the Japanese Internet recognise the "wwwww" as being short for "warau" (笑う), the Japanese verb for laugh. So "wwwww" is the equivalent of "lol". The nice part about it is that its flexible. Meaning? If something is really funny, you can go "wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww". But if something is kinda funny, a "wwww" is fine. That is easier to type than "lolololololol", and like I said, it's flexible. LOL? Gone, done and dusted. Wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

What you missed last night:
Feel cheated?
UK rejects Manhunt 2 again
SCE Australia quiet on 60GB
This PS3 game is dirty

The Xbox 360 is a fragile piece of hardware. Keep it running for long periods without proper ventilation, and it just might Red Ring of Death on you. Leave it running on a hot stove, and it will, well, it'll melt. Hell, pretty much leaving anything on a hot stove will cause gooey meltdown. Here's what apparently happened: Ty and his buddies were setting up for a Halo 3 LAN match and ran out of space to set up consoles. So, Ty and his buddies decided that, say, instead of putting it on the floor, they should put the Xbox 360 on the stove. And whoops, someone forgot to turn off the stove. You know, like people do. Look closely at the picture to see two things: 1). A third party cooling device 2). The handiwork of nitwits.

Don't Leave 360 on the Stove [Engadget]

Zombie Game [TV in Japan]

Oh boy am I excited for Portal. But also a little... concerned. See, my brain's a fragile thing, doesn't really like crazy puzzles. And looking at how the whole portal gun thing works, my noggin hurts just thinking about how I'm supposed to be thinking while playing the game. Down is up, left is down, up is not really, up... oh, it's all so confusing. Luckily, Wired have stepped up with a handy, graphic guide to the game, which I'm printing, cutting out and sticking on my fridge door right now.

Unlock the Doors of Deception in Mind-Warping Puzzler Portal [Wired]

Hot Sony advertising news! Today, Sony Computer Entertainment of America announced a new in-game advertising business unit headed by industry vet Darlene Kindler. According to SCEA Sales and Business Development senior v.p. Phil Rosenberg:

Darlene has an ideal blend of experience within the video game industry, including in-game advertising, making her a perfect fit for this newly created position. She will be tasked with the important role of working closely with our internal teams as well as our third-party publishers and external advertising agencies to develop business and marketing strategies for our newly formed online advertising group.

Nothing says next-gen like embarrassing food eating! Japanese developers Idea Factory and RED bring us Record of Agarest War, the "Soul Breed" strategy RPG. Players capture the hearts of game heroines to "create" a successor. When this happens, there is a "special" movie that's shown. The new successor is then revealed. The monster-killing-baby-making RPG was released in Japan late last month, and in-game shots are starting to surface. So far? There's a girl in a school-type bathing suit, one eating a sausage, another eating a banana, a messy ice cream scene and group bathing. That, safely after the jump!

SCEE just let UK Managing Director Ray Maguire sit down with GamesIndustry for an interview. What do we get? More wacky SCEE executive quotes! And no matter how boring continued Sony/PS3 cock-ups get, we can always get a laugh out of those. Like, when asked whether early PS3 adopters would feel cheated, Maguire answers: "I think it's natural to feel that way, of course it is".

Guy also said a bunch of other stuff. The full interview's over at GamesIndustry, and is definitely worth a read over your morning toast, but here's the highlights: First, why having loads of different PS3s on the market isn't confusing:

As products evolve the offerings change because they have to adapt to the needs of the consumers but I don't think it's been particularly confusing in six months to go from stand alone, to a bundled proposition into a low price entry level model.

We also have to remember that consumers don't search around the world for different configurations. We are a global company but we have to act locally as well.

Manhunt 2 was pretty messy. Got itself banned/refused classification pretty much everywhere on Earth. But a revised, friendlier cut has since been approved for release in the US. In Britain, though? No. The British Board Of Film Classification has rejected Rockstar's revised cut of the game, on the grounds that it's still a bit much:

We recognise that the distributor has made changes to the game, but we do not consider that these go far enough to address our concerns about the original version.

The impact of the revisions on the bleakness and callousness of tone, or the essential nature of the gameplay, is clearly insufficient.

There has been a reduction in the visual detail in some of the 'execution kills', but in others they retain their original visceral and casually sadistic nature.

We did make suggestions for further changes to the game, but the distributor has chosen not to make them, and as a result we have rejected the game on both platforms. The decision on whether or not an appeal goes ahead lies with the distributor.

Yup. The Super Mushroom is real. Sorta. That's the Amanita muscaria, commonly called "fly mushroom," that's found in Northern Europe and Scandavia. Eating it won't cause abnormal growth, but hallucinations or even death. With the way some people are, I'm just surprised some moron hasn't gotten sick eating one of these and then blamed it on Nintendo! So, remember kids, don't ingest things you find in the forest. Words to live by!

Super Mushroom [Gigazine via Tokyo Mango]

Originally Japan-only, these Metal Gear 20th anniversary figures are headed to the US courtesy of Ultra Detail. There's five figures, all from the Solid games, and they are: Snake (MGS2), Raiden (MGS2), Snake (MGS3), Otacon (MGS4) and... yes, another Snake (MGS4). They'll retail for $US 20 and should be available before Christmas. Can your collection handle any more Metal Gear Solid figures? Common sense says no, but then, if you're collecting all these MGS figures common sense isn't your strongpoint.
Ultra Detail Figure: Metal Gear Solid Action Figures [Action-Figure]

Consider this a slip of the tongue. Above is the warning screen for an unnamed Japanese erotic game. It says that all the virtual girls appearing in this game are over 18 years-old and definitely not junior high school students. That would mean this is an adult game with adult characters, right? Right?! Nope!

Here character Hanako says:

I'm 14 years old. A sophomore in junior high school.

Little hesitant to actually post this. See, the more King of Games posts we run, the harder it'll invariably become to get your hands on one of their super-fine, super-soft shirts. This one's just too nice to hold off on, though, so take a look at their new range of Get Ready (Sega Collabo) Afterburner tees, launched quietly in the wake of last week's Mother 3 news. Detail shots after the click.

Get Ready Collection Afterburner Tees [King of Games]

From Wii to PSP, anime Haruhi Suzumiya is getting a bunch of game adaptations. What's more, main character Haruhi has become an icon of sorts. It's so popular! No wonder that by anime standards, Haruhi, her tiny nose and her gianormous eyes would be considered "cute". What if Haruhi wasn't a cartoon? Like, what if she was real? Would she still be considered cute?

Nope!!
Haruhi Real [Byonabi via Danny Choo]

Set your clocks, sleep haters: Valve have announced just when, exactly, those of you eschewing bricks and mortar retailers in favour of a Steamy purchase of the Orange Box can get their download on. And that is... "shortly after midnight" Pacific Time, on October 10, the Year of our Lord 2007. You got that? Shortly after midnight. So if the clock hits 12:07 and you still can't download it, hold off clicking that "new thread" button for another hour or two.

Valve confirms PC Orange Box unlock time [Opposable Thumbs]

Earlier this year, Japan was DS crazy. Getting your hands on a DS was hard at best, requiring customers to line-up for the latest shipments. And last year? Last year, Japan was BANANAS for the DS. Things got so bad that retailers began reimporting American DSes and selling them to hungry Japanese customers. The demand seem to have cooled off considerably. When the Crimson/Black DS Lite went on sale last week, there was little fanfare, and it was possible to walk into almost any store and pick one up. Folks didn't line up either! All the other colours are apparently available at most stores in Den-Den Town — though, I did notice the Enamel Navy and the Jet Black DS Lites sold out at couple Akihabara shops on Friday. Does everyone who wants a DS in Japan finally have one? Or is Nintendo finally meeting the demand?
Crimson on Sale [Ota Road Blog]

It's entirely feasible that there's one or two Wii owners who aren't vibrating in their seats in anticipation for this. I dedicate this video to you. The blissfully unaware. Because after watching this there's no way you can escape the impending awesomeness.
[via Go Nintendo]

Yes, it's not exactly a nerd herd, but still. That's a kiosk in front of an Akihabara import game shop, set up to attract foot traffic. Literally spent all day in Akihabara doing magazine stuff, and I passed by this kiosk five or six times. Every time I did, it was attracting small groups of pedestrians like a bug zapper. Not news by any stretch, but this and Halo 3's Japanese sales do show that The Land of the Rising Sun does have more diverse gaming tastes than Final Fantasy and DS games. Imagine that!

After reading Aaron Davies in-depth report regarding the huge delays between first party NTSC and PAL releases for the Wii, and the subsequent write-ups by Aussie-Nintendo.com and Vooks, it seemed only fair that I should drop Nintendo a line to see if I could get to the bottom of it myself.

I'll be honest - after seeing the apparently lacklustre response Aaron received to his report, I wasn't expecting much. However, Heather over Nintendo Australia did get back to me today.

Find out what she said after the jump.

So the 40GB PS3 has been announced for Australia, and some people are happy with the $300 saving. Others are rightly pissed at the castration of the system's PS2 backwards compatibility. The rest are probably wondering when they can start seeing some savings on the existing 60GB model. Well, SCE Australia have let us know that the current 60GB Starter Pack's price is going nowhere, and will stay at $999, primarily because "stocks [of the 60GB Starter Pack] are all but dried up" (which I find a little hard to believe).

So either Australia is going to follow Britain's lead and introduce a slightly cheaper "Value Pack" (which includes a 60GB PS3, one SixAxis and two games) or... we just got the shaft (the rest of Europe, of which SCE Aus is a subsidiary, are getting a Starter Pack price-cut). And as SCE Australia didn't say anything about any Value Packs in their 40GB announcement (unlike the UK & Ireland, which did), or when I asked them 60GB pricing today, you'd all best make preparations for the latter. The latter being, you know. The shaft.

To: Ash
From: Flynn
Subject: New Haven and Rose McGowan

Well, I've been back from Japan for a week now and my sleep schedule is just finally starting to get back to normal. I'm living out of three suitcases at a friend's place in New Haven, CT until December when I move back to SF after seven years. New Haven is nice and all but it feels a bit strange to be in such a small college town after living in big cities for so many years. Thankfully my tenure here will be short and I'll be able to get back to living a real life soon. I miss my dog and my friends and having all of my stuff close by so December can't come soon enough. At least I have games to occupy my time.

The Orange Box (X360, PC)
Half-Life 2, and HL2: Episodes 1 & 2, as well as Team Fortress 2 and Portal. Who could ask for anything more?

Sega Rally Revo (PC, X360, PS3, PSP)
Race your heart out.

FIFA Soccer 08 (X360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PC)
FIFA 08 comes to every platform you could wish for.

Folklore (PS3)
Help solve a series of murders with the help of the absorbed powers of the Folk.

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions (PSP)
Get all tactical with the latest Final Fantasy offering.

Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer (PC)
NWN2 gets it's next expansion.

Bleach: Shattered Blade (WII)
The popular anime makes an appearance on the Wii.

Bleach: The Blade of Fate (DS)
A second Bleach game for the week, this one for the DS.

Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron (PSP)
Go on secret missions for your boss, the legendary Han Solo.

Speaking of tattoos, here's one Seamus over at Giz AU spotted on Shiny Shiny. I'm pretty sure if you stare at it long enough, you'll be able to pick out all the Nintendo/Sega/arcade classics. Not sure the NES controller had that curl to it, but sticking the dip of a spine in the middle of it wouldn't help.

Full back gamer tatt. Ouch. [BoingBoing, via Shiny Shiny]

After a rocky start with the launch of Half-Life 2, Steam has matured from a slow piece of crap to the premiere online distribution service on the Internet. From Ubisoft to id Software, everyone wants to share in the potential of Valve's hard work (and tears, I'd imagine).

THQ recently joined the party, only to quickly deny Australian and Kiwi users the ability to purchase and download their games. If you check out the Steam knowledge base, you'll find the following statement attached to all of THQ's games, including Company of Heroes, Dawn of War and Full Spectrum Warrior:

This game is not available for purchase through Steam in Australia or New Zealand.

In what I can only assume is a move by these publishers to ensure that AU/NZ consumers have to resort to retail given the favourable exchange rate between the US and AU dollar.

Steam Error: This subscription is not available for purchase in your country [Steam Powered, thanks Ross]

Over at Inside Mac Games, you can read this entry on Tuncer's Blog tossing around the pros and cons of a Mac-native version of Half-Life 2. His post is in response to this tirade by Gabe Newell on Kikizo, explaining why HL2 will never see the light of day on Apple's platform. Essentially, Gabe blames Apple's lethargy when it comes to gaming on Mac, while Tuncer admits the Mac isn't a great gaming platform, but also drops the bomb that Gabe wanted a sweet $US 1 million to do the port.

In the end, if you really want to play HL2 on your Mac, there are ways to do it that don't involve bludgeoning Steve Jobs or finding the moolah to pay off Newell.

From Renegade Kid and Gamecock comes a couple clips from their latest collaboration Dementium: The Ward for the DS. I have to say, after seeing these videos I'm actually kind of excited to check this game out. A certain other zombie FPS for the DS left me with a bad taste in my mouth due to it's craptastic chunky graphics, but this one doesn't look half bad. Make the jump to check out another clip.

Team Bondi must have at least a few people working in their Ultimo, Sydney office, according to a tip we received over the weekend pointing us to a blog with "exclusive" information on the title. From the post:

* The game will be a free-roaming title with a historically-accurate recreation of Los Angeles in 1947.
* Team Bondi has even hired a costume designer to research the clothing of the era so the game's attire can be accurate.
* Aside from main story, side missions will be based on actual cases pulled straight of the newspapers of 1947.
* A US Marine plays a big role in the story.
* Not so exclusive...but LA Noire definitely ain't coming to Xbox 360, the size of the game is an obstacle to this.

Exclusive: LA Noire information [Surfer Girl Reviews Star Wars, thanks Dallas!]

The Blue and White DS Zelda Mod
Another great mod you can own, if you have some cash to spare and time to bid.

The Red Ring of Death T-Shirt
Can't say I'd like to have a constant reminder of my RRoD'ed Xbox 360...

PSP Slim Doesn't Play Nice With Some SDTVs?
First no SDTV support from Capcom for Dead Rising, and now Sony with this? Bah.

Too Human Trailer
Silicon Knights might be fighting it out with Epic, but they're still able to put out this footage.

The Assassin's Creed Collector's Edition Figure: Now In Full Colour
Somehow, I think people would prefer a Jade Raymond action figure... but Altair will do.

Sony Offers Free God of War MP3
Jam to this Ancient Greek tune while you make passionate love to ladies off-screen.

Win Your Own 7'2" Big Daddy on eBay
If the 3" ones you saw in BioShock weren't scary enough: this auction's for you.

40GB PS3 Launches In Australia On October 11
All but confirmed already, here's official news of the 40GB PS3 arriving in Oz.

I always like seeing a nice mod and one that goes to benefit a charity always wins extra points with me. eBay seller page8205 has created this lovely sky blue and white DS Lite case mod complete with Legend of Zelda crest and mini LED lights. Now before you get all excited and start bidding, please be aware this auction takes place in Australia, but they will send to the US and several other countries. Currently, there are six days left and with three bidders, the price is at a reasonable $255. Once the auction is over, 15% of the profits will go to one of my favourite charities, Penny Arcade's Child's Play. Always nice to see gamers doing good.

ONE OF A KIND Nintendo Blue & White DS Lite Zelda Mod [eBay]

Some of you may remember Sam Mullin and his kick arse Nintendo/Mario sleeve tattoo. Back when we first posted it, Sam had mentioned that he would soon be getting a Zelda sleeve on the other arm and well, it looks like he's started the process! Already present are Link, princess Zelda and Ghoma with Gannon and others yet to come. The tattoo work is being done by Daniel Innes , the same artist from the Mario piece and if this new one turns out as good as the last one, it's bound to be great.

The Zelda sleeve [SamuelMullin.com]
[via GayGamer]