 According to Kotaku, an internal Gamestop email has been sent out requesting that all stores take down current signs and promotional material for the Xbox 360 Core model, because once the current stock is sold out, there won't be any more. In other words, the Xbox 360 Core is being discontinued.
Why would MS be eliminating the Core model (other than the obvious fact that it's a horrible deal)? To replace it with a new rumored Core model named Xbox 360 Arcade, which will not include a hard drive, but will include a 256mb memory card, a wireless controller, and 5 Xbox Live Arcade games.
What do I think of this rumor? I say, it's about damn time they get rid of the Core. No one is buying it, and it just makes sense to get rid of it. However, I don't know that replacing it with another model is a good idea either because if people just want casual games, they'll go to Wii or DS, which is where most of the casual games are these days.
 This weekend, the biggest battle in gaming wasn't in stores, it was on the race track at Dover International Speedway for the Dodge Dealers 400, which is part of the NASCAR Nextel Cup series. The battle pitted David Stremme, driving the #40 Halo 3 car, and Greg Biffle, driving the #16 Nintendo Wii car. The results of the race are as follows.
Greg Biffle and the Wii Ford Fusion took home 2nd place, beat out by Carl Edwards. However, Carl's car failed the post race inspection, which could result in a penalty for him. As far as David Stremme and the Halo 3 Dodge Avenger is concerned, well, heh, it got a real life "Red Ring Of Death." The engine in the Avenger blew up, which took him out of the race.
Could this be foreshadowing for the future? Wii takes 2nd place while 360 just RRODs itself to death? Where was the PS3 car?! Could they not find any drivers for it? Who knows...
All I know is that I really don't give a crap about NASCAR.
(Image credit: Kotaku.com)
 In a completely expected turn of events, someone has posted the full ending cinematic of Halo 3 on YouTube.
The leak will no doubtedly raise the ire of Halo fans, Microsoft and Bungie. However, it will make the next week very fun for internet trolls and people wanting to ruin the ending.
So, before I go all spoilery after the break let me just say this:
DO NOT LOG ON TO THE INTERNET FOR THE NEXT WEEK HALO FANS! You'll get the story ruined. 
Now for those of you who would like to help spread the word, hit the jump. 
Continue reading SPOILERS ABOUND: Halo 3 Ending Leaked Online!
Holy crap. Three new announcements that make me glad that I just purchased a 360.
First, Rez and Ikaruga are coming to the Xbox Live Arcade. Both of these are easily worth the $10 entrance fee. Both are still rather expensive here on their respective consoles, so being able to play them at a reduced rate is just sweet.
Next, one of the most exciting announcements that I've heard in a while...
Ninja Gaiden 2
[img width=320 height=202]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z275/JWKobayashi/ninja_gaiden_2-1.jpg[/img]
Finally! I've been waiting for this one for a while. There are some questions about the difficulty being reduced, but I say keep it in a "hardcore" type mode. I loved how hard the first Ninja Gaiden on Xbox was.
My wallet is already cringing at the barrage of games coming out at the end of this year and now the beginning of next year.
So, while I was away for the Labor Day weekend, I finally got my key into the Xbox 360 Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare beta. Last night, I had the chance to play it for about an hour.
So far, my impressions are very positive. The game is a nice break from the WW2 theme present in the series. It places you in a middle eastern looking war ravaged area. Both the graphics and the sound are very pleasing, especially for an online mode.
The gameplay is what really shines here. It's (obviously) a FPS, but it also incorporates 'RPGish' elements. For example, you start out as level 1 with only three types of soldiers to pick from for use. As you gain kills and complete other mini-tasks, your XP goes up and you begin to level up.
After an hour of playing, I'm currently at level 4 and have 5 classes of solders to choose from. I haven't tried it yet, but apparently you can customize your weapons further as you level up as well. The beta has a level cap of 11, but I plan on getting there as soon as I can.
There are also other rewards for doing well in the game. For example, gaining a certain amount of kills in a row gives you the ability to call an airstrike. It's the little touches like this that will make or break the game. It is all going to come down to an issue of balance. However, from what I've played thus far, so far so good. | [img width=254 height=126]http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z275/JWKobayashi/cod4.jpg[/img] |
 From the category of EXTREME RUMORS, Kotaku mentioned that The International House of Mojo, a LucasArts/Telltale Games/Double Fine fansite, ran a story talking about the new game from Double Fine that will supposedly be revealed at Leipzig during Tim Schafer's (head honcho of Double Fine and designer of Day of the Tentacle and Grim Fandago at LucasArts) keynote speech on creativity in the games industry. The new game is reportedly called Brutal Legend and will star Jack Black as a roadie who dies, is banished to hell, and must get to rock heaven. Since that story was posted at IHOM, Double Fine requested that they take down the story, which we all know means that there must be some merit to it.
Plus, notice the picture of Jack Black I included with this article? It's from Kotaku's article about the story. See what Jack Black is wearing in there? It's a Whispering Rock Psychic Summer Camp shirt from Double Fine's webstore! So, we know that Jack's a fan of the game, which gives this rumor even more merit since Jack is a huge star and Psychonauts, their first game, was critically lauded but not accepted by the public. Maybe they thought that by having Jack Black on board, they would be able to get more public attention and still keep the Psychonauts style of gameplay.
Personally, I think this rumor has a rather large amount of merit to it even though IHOM retracted the story. But of course, I'm a big fan of Tim Schafer and Jack Black, and it would be the most incredible thing ever if they were to team up. Maybe I think it's got merit because of how much of a fan I am of them.
 According to 1up, it was revealed at Microsoft's XNA GameFest 2007 that the company plans to bring Xbox Live Arcade to Windows as part of its Games For Windows Live initiative. That's right, now you'll be able to play Uno on your PC...or wait a minute...you already can. Or, what about Geometry Wars on Windows? Well, there's Grid Wars (I'm not linking to a download site because MS did a cease and desist on the creators. If you want it, Google it), or you can get the real Geometry Wars on Steam.
Despite all my sarcasm in the last paragraph, I think this is a good idea for Microsoft, if they actually do it right. By that I mean Microsoft should allow you to play games on your PC that you have already bought on your Xbox and vice versa so that you aren't stuck buying the same game twice. That would be a great move for current Live subscribers. However, I do think XBLA on Windows may not be a good idea because people who don't have an Xbox Live subscription because there's already a great service that does what XBLA would do, GameTap. But still, props to Microsoft for not forgetting the PC gaming market.
 I CALLED IT! Microsoft has officially dropped the price on their Xbox 360, effective tomorrow. The new prices direct from Xbox.com for the various models of the console are as follows:
- Core: $279.99
- Pro (now referred to simply as Xbox 360 by Microsoft): $349.99
- Elite: $449.99
While they were at it, Microsoft announced the price of the Halo 3 edition Xbox 360 which will come out with the game's launch next month. This model will retail for $399.99 and will include "an authentic Spartan green-and-gold finish, this console includes a matching Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, 20GB hard drive, Xbox 360 Headset, 360 Play & Charge Kit, and more."
From Kotaku, here's Sega's rumored Tokyo Game Show lineup, with some entries bolded for my emphasis...
Alien Syndrome (Wii, PSP)
After Burner: Black Falcon (PSP)
Beijing 2008: the Official Videogame of the Olympic Games (PS2, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, DS, PC)
ChuChu Rocket! (XBLA, PC)
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars (PSP)
Fighters Megamix 2 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Ghost Squad (Wii)
Happy Tree Friends False Alarm (XBLA, PC)
JET SET RADIO NEXT (Xbox 360, PS3)
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii, DS)
Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms Visit (PC)
Nights: Journey of Dreams (Wii)
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus (PS2, Xbox 360, PC)
Samba De Amigo Fever (PSP)
Sega Classics Collection 2 (PS2,PSP)
Sega Rally Revo (Xbox 360, PS3, PSP, PC)
Sega Superstar 2 (Wii)
SHENMUE 3 (XBOX 360)
SHENMUE I & II PLUS (Xbox 360)
Skies of Arcadia 2 (Wii)
Sonic Rivals 2 (PSP)
Sonic Rush Adventure (DS)
Sonic the RPG (Xbox 360, PS3)
Space Channel 5 Part 3 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Space Channel 5 Showtime (Wii, DS, PSP)
The Club (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)
The Golden Compass (PS2, PC, DS, Xbox 360, PSP, PS3, Wii)
The House of the Dead 4 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Universe at War: Earth Assault (Xbox 360, PC)
Virtua Fighter 5 (Xbox 360, PS3)
Virtua Fighter Kids 2 (Wii)
Worldwide Soccer Manager Live (Xbox 360, PC)
Yakuza 3 (PS3)
OMFG! Next gen versions of Chu Chu Rocket, Jet Grind Radio, Space Channel 5, Samba De Amigo, and EFFING SHENMUE?! COULD IT BE?! Well, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this list is true. Why? We all know Sega hasn't been doing great lately, and they could be trying to resurrect some of their fan favorite Dreamcast franchises like Shenmue, JGR, and Space Channel 5.
Regardless, if Shenmue I and II Plus and Shenmue III are indeed real, that will push me over the edge and make me get a 360.
Don't worry, I'm still a Sony fanboy at heart, but I gots to have me my Shenmue
It seems that what The Hollywood Reporter said a week ago is coming true...Xbox 360 is getting a $50 price cut (For the Pro model. It's $30 if you're an Elite fan or $20 if you're going for the Core) next week.
Wait a minute! Didn't we go through this whole rigmarole a few weeks ago with Sony's PS3 price cut? We sure did, but what makes this round different? A ton more evidence and leaked ads...
Wal-Mart: 
Toys "R" Us: 
Circuit City: 
And the latest rumor from today comes from a leaked email sent to GameStop stores.
What are these marketing materials mentioned? Hmm, I bet it's either Halo 3 posters or 360 price cut signage. My guess is that it's the latter because they've been promoting the crap out of the former for what seems like a year now and probably don't need more promo material for it. Plus it seems in line with what's being reported all over the internet.
Why cut the 360's price tag? Well, there are some very good reasons for them to do so right now. First, PS3 just got a hefty price cut, and a price cut will help the 360 look even more attractive to consumers. Second, it's been out for dang near 2 years without a price cut. Seems like a long time to me. Three, um, isn't there something coming out next month? I forget.
In light of all this evidence and my own speculation, I rule...
TONY'S JUDGEMENT: Definitely happening
Note: This is LAST WEEK'S article! I meant to post this earlier, but I never got around to it. Better late than never I guess.
Another week, another crop of great content for you to download to your next-gen (or wait, would it be current-gen now?) console! What's new this week? Well, let's take a look:
NINTENDO WII VIRTUAL CONSOLE
  
- F-Zero X (Nintendo 64, 1-4 players, Rated E, 1,000 Wii Points)
- China Warrior (TurboGrafx-16, 1 player, Rated E10+ (Violence), 600 Wii Points)
- Street Fighter II Turbo: Hyper Fighting (Super Nintendo, 1-2 players, Rated T (Violence), 800 Wii Points)
PLAYSTATION STORE
 
Also this week, Sony is offering a free update for Resistance along with a new map pack. The map pack will run you $7.99 for two maps. Welcome to the nickel and diming game, Sony. Hope you enjoy your stay. Oh well, at least PS3 owners don't have to pay for online service.
But before you go downloading all those sweet new things from the Playstation Store, you must download the new 1.82 firmware update which was also released this week. The update adds the ability to play AVC High Profile (H.264/MPEG-4) encoded videos. Why do you have to have that to browse the Playstation Store? I don't know, ask Sony.
XBOX LIVE ARCADE
In a week with so many great downloads, it's hard to pick a top title. However, I'm going to give my Download of the Week award to F-Zero X. F-Zero is a franchise that never fails to deliver fast-paced racing action, and the N64 incarnation is definitely not an exception.
Rockstar has released a picture of what you will get in the $90 Grand Theft Auto IV special edition package. The price tag will get you a Rockstar duffel bag, a safety deposit box (with key), an art book, a soundtrack CD, and the game. At least this SE package is reasonably priced and and has some cool content, unlike a certain other game coming out this fall.
Here's the photo:
This is the first installment in a new series here at RF Generation informing you of the latest downloadable games for Nintendo Wii, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360. I will post these every Sunday or Monday. For the first edition of this article, I'm just going to post North American releases. If you would like to see this expanded, let me know
NINTENDO WII VIRTUAL CONSOLE
  
PLAYSTATION STORE
  
XBOX LIVE ARCADE
 
My pick of the week is Band of Bugs for XBLA. Know why? Simple. Turn based strategy involving bugs. Sounds really fun. It's been well received so far. It scored an 8 out of 10 in the Official Xbox Magazine, and was a finalist in the 2007 Independent Games Festival. I do not have a 360, so I cannot play it.
Until next time, happy downloading!
UPDATE: There was some stuff released for the Playstation Store this week! It's been added to this article.
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