Now this year was no slouch, with Xbox 360 console exclusives Halo 3: ODST, Forza Motorsport 3, Left 4 Dead 2 and a pair of Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable episodes—not to mention Live Arcade hits Shadow Complex, 'Splosion Man and Trials HD—making Microsoft's console a solid platform of choice. But the console's third party efforts, particularly Modern Warfare 2, sometimes outshine the first-party content.

Fortunately for Xbox 360 owners, 2010 starts off strong with new games that won't be available on its chief competitor, titles like Mass Effect 2, Alan Wake and Splinter Cell Conviction. But will Microsoft's focus on motion control with Project Natal leave "core gamers" wanting?

Let's take a look at 2010's offerings on the MS side, minus a few games we hope, but can't confirm will hit next year.

Note: We'll be looking at every platform's currently announced and estimated 2010 slate over the course of the rest of the week-and much much more.

Halo: Reach
Bungie takes us back in time, back to the future, delivering a prequel to the original Halo: Combat Evolved. Players will assume the role of the Lieutenant fighting off Covenant forces sometime this fall.
Alan Wake
Max Payne developers Remedy give Xbox 360 (and PC) gamers a flashlight-focsed dose of literary horror, sending the titular Alan Wake to the Pacific Northwest to confront his writers block, only to find himself in a nightmare of his own creation. It's gonna be scary!
Splinter Cell Conviction
Sam Fisher is back and looking less haggard than originally planned. Expect Splinter Cell-style stealth gameplay, with a few new innovations, including more cooperative and competitive multiplayer.
Crackdown 2
Start up Ruffian Games picks up where Realtime Worlds left off, filling Pacific City with gangs of street mutants and, eventually, lots of explosions.
Fable III
The fabled franchise from Lionhead Studios takes a different path in the third Fable, giving the player the royal responsibility of overthrowing and later running the kingdom of Albion. Series lead Peter Molyneux wants to add a sense of "touch" to Fable III and Project Natal support.
Joy Ride
This Avatar racing game for the Xbox 360 shouldn't put a pinch on your wallet. The core game is free.
Mass Effect 2
BioWare's epic space saga continues, now with better shooting mechanics on top of the already intriguing intergalactic soap opera.
Project Natal
Perhaps you've heard of it. Microsoft's big E3 push should garner plenty of attention for the company in 2010. The console maker has already tasked some of its owned studios with making Natal games and developer support from Lionhead and Epic seems already strong.
Final Fantasy XIII
Square Enix's long-promised, gorgeous role-playing game is finally here. Already out in Japan, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game is the first multi-console release in the series, the first for Sony's current gen console.
Army of Two: The 40th Day
EA Montreal's co-op shooter leads a very long list of shooters coming in 2010. The 40th Day improves upon the first in many ways, including the toning down of some of the "bromance."
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Another shooter bound for the PS3 is Battlefield: Bad Company 2, which will fight MAG for big, bombastic multiplayer FPS for the year.
Bayonetta
PlatinumGames witchy woman Bayonetta brings more Devil May Cry-like action to the platform, but with a much more attractive package. The PS3 version may get knocked for lagging behind that other version, but Bayonetta is worth playing on whatever platform you prefer.
BioShock 2
Be the Big Daddy in 2K Games' sequel to the mega hit BioShock. The prequel adds multiplayer, if you consider that a positive or negative.
Dark Void
Capcom's oft-delayed jetpack hero adventure may have a hard time standing out in a crowded early 2010, but the third person shooting, climbing, flying and UFO hijacking sounds like a good combination.
Dead Rising 2
Zombies require killing in Fortune City and you're just the right guy to do it. Kill 'em again with motorcycles, roulette wheels or moose antlers. Your choice.
Dead Space 2
Visceral Games follows up on the excellent Dead Space (and very good Dead Space Extraction) with a new Necromorph dismembering adventure for old Isaac Clarke. Rocket boots? Yes, please.
Dante's Inferno
If God of War III leaves you wanting more God of War, why not try Visceral Games very God of War-like descent into Hell, Dante's Inferno. It has decaying purple boobs...
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
Another Prince of Persia? Yes! And this one looks a lot like the Prince of Persia movie that will hit theaters around the same time. And it looks not too dissimilar from the Prince of Persia game the movie is based upon.
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Just recently revealed, we're mostly excited to see just how LucasArts fits this new Star Wars adventure into the timeline.
Lost Planet 2
Get up in them giant bug guts with the sequel to interplanetary adventure shooter Lost Planet. Everything's bigger!
Red Dead Redemption
Rockstar returns to the Red Dead realm, now with a more open-world environment, filled with random encounters, train robberies and all manner of varmint to shoot.
Super Street Fighter IV
New characters, new old characters and new online modes—plus a more budget minded price—make the quick addition of Super to Street Fighter IV that much easier to swallow. But when's Cody going to get some new clothes?
Castlevania Lords of Shadow
Hideo Kojima's game that will likely make a 2010 release could result in the best 3D Castlevania yet. Just try not to think too much about developer MercurySteam's other games.
Medal of Honor
EA reboots Medal of Honor, taking the series from World War II theaters and into the modern age. Could have more beards than any other first-person shooter released next year.
Mafia II
Shoot things '40s style with Mafia II, another game that should've been released in 2009, but will settle for a 2010 release nonetheless.
Max Payne 3
Max is back and far less attractive to women. The paunchier, less follicled Payne is drawn back into the dive and shoot at things world he tried to leave behind him. Expect this one late in 2010.
Blur
Bizarre Creations gets colorful with Blur, a frantic arcade racer with kart racing-style power ups, but none of them banana peels.
Resonance of Fate
Sega's futuristic RPG collaboration with developer tri-Ace follows a group of sharp dressed teens who have access to guns, but not clean air, in this forthcoming adventure.
Aliens Vs. Predator
Aliens and Predators settle their differences in this, the first Sega game that will actually take advantage of the Aliens license. Rebellion is at the helm again, which can only mean good things.
Fallout: New Vegas
Crap, they got Vegas too? We don't know too much about Bethesda's follow up to Fallout 3, only that gambling and mutant showgirls are likely to be involved.
EA Sports MMA
EA Sports challenges the UFC's dominance in the mixed martial arts space. Can EA compete? Or will Dana White put them into a headlock?
UFC Undisputed 2010
THQ sees more success for next year's UFC Undisputed, now with additional Kimbo Slice.
Alpha Protocol
The espionage RPG!
No More Heroes: Heroes Paradise
Travis Touchdown and crew get the high-resolution, waggle-free treatment in this remake of the Wii original from Grasshopper Manufacture
Brink
Splash Damage's squad based and class based tactical shooter is brighter and more promising than most, featuring a unique movement method dubbed SMART.
Singularity
Raven's time-traveling first-person shooter was moved out of Modern Warfare 2's way, but now lands directly in the middle of 2010's busy first half. Perhaps that time glove will find it a better spot to find an audience...
R.U.S.E.
Real-time strategy? On my video game console? From Ubisoft? Yes, at least based on our hands-on time with the game, which seems to work quite well.
Darksiders
Be the Apocalypse as one of four horsemen in this gritty action adventure game from THQ.
Joe Danger
Hello Games handsome stunt 'em up is already on our short list of Xbox Live Arcade games to watch in 2010.
After Burner Climax
Still unofficially announced by Sega, but that won't stop us from rabidly anticipating the long awaited port of this intense arcade game.

In an interview with GI.biz, Microsoft's David Dennis has said that marketing games towards a casual audience - something Nintendo are very good at - is nowhere near as easy as marketing games to the "core" market.

"The core are going to buy the games", he says, "we don't have to focus on marketing those - well, we do, but those games in a lot of ways will sell themselves because they're such immersive and intense experiences that the core is going to buy, and buy disproportionally for the Xbox".

As for casual games, that's a market Microsoft think they'll crack with Project Natal. Then again, they said that about Scene It?, and Viva Pinata, and...

Microsoft: Hardcore games easiest to sell [GI.biz]

Because if you are going to rip someone off, do it with clay.

"It's one of those kits where you get a small piece of clay and have to 'unearth' what's inside," notes reader Sarah. And whatever did she find?

This is like an archeological expedition where the goal is to dig up who is going to get sued. No, it's not like that at all — it really is!

As of right now, Games For Windows devotees can—after having downloaded the latest GFW software update—enjoy Fallout 3, Dirt 2, Resident Evil 5, Street Fighter IV, Battlestations: Pacific, Fuel, Viva Pinata, Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, Shadowrun, Section 8, Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights, Red Faction: Guerrilla, and the free download Tinker, all through the newly launched service.

And if you act now(!) Viva Pinata and Shadowrun can be yours for half off. Yes, the season's hottest games, for a steal.

Games On Demand [Games For Windows - thanks SuperTongue and TheWax!]

The listing (above) comes from Thursday's Child's Play Charity Auction Dinner in Seattle. Bungie donated not only a crate full of games and studio swag, but also a visit to the studio's "top secret lair" and "access to the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta before it goes live to the public." Winning bidder, and up to seven friends, supply their own travel, Bungie provides the network and food and, of course, the game.

"Valid only between 4/8/2010 and 4/28/2010 - any day within that range is acceptable," says the listing.

April 29, 2010 is a Thursday. Perhaps it could begin then. Most likely, "Spring 2010" now means "May 2010."

You know the drill. I've emailed Bungie. They say anything, it goes here.

Update: A Microsoft spokesperson has replied:

We're excited that there is so much interest and enthusiasm for the "Halo: Reach" multiplayer beta coming this spring. We're not able to confirm any details about the exact timing or content of the beta at this time but we look forward to revealing more details in the future.

Reach MP Beta - Date Narrowed Down? [halo.bungie.org, thanks Kaelen H.]

The EA chart was shown at an investor's conference, designed to appeal to people who EA hopes will think positively of the company's stock, which is labeled as ERTS. So they show off unusual stats, as you can see above, such as the number of games delayed or not delayed. That sends the message that: You can trust our company to deliver on its promises when we say we will.

That's sort of interesting, but how about this idea that EA puts out the most good games? The chart you see above was created by EA and pulls from Metacritic, the aggregator site that pulls review scores mostly from gaming outlets that publish review scores (i.e not Kotaku). EA had gone into the site and counted up the games released between January 1 and November 30, 2009 that scored an 80 average or more. The evidence points to EA not only improving quality year over year — I haven't met a gamer who would deny that — and now leading in quality — which is more controversial.

Shall we check that?

The Beatles: Rock Band (92)
Dragon Age: Origins (91)
FIFA 10 (91)
Left 4 Dead 2 (90)
Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box (89)
Skate 2 (89)
NHL 10 (88)
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (88)
Fight Night Round 4 (87)
Boom Blox Bash Party (86)
The Sims 3 (86)
Madden NFL 10 (85)
Tetris (85)
Battlefield 1943 (84)
Need for Speed Shift (84)
Brutal Legend (83)
NCAA Football 10 (83)
Dead Space Extraction (82)
Henry Hatsworth and the Puzzling Adventure (82)
Mirror's Edge PC (81)
The Sims 3 World Adventures (81)
EA Sports Active (81)
EA Sports More Active Workouts (81)
Left 4 Dead Crash Course (80)
NBA Live 10 (81)

I can see why EA didn't count some of the above 25 in its chart. In fact, I can get to their 19 easily. Let's knock out six listings: 1) Mirror's Edge PC, because it's a port of a 2008 game 2) Burnout Paradise Ultimate Box (compilation of an '08 game), 3) The Sims 3 World Adventures and 4) EA Sports More Active Workouts (which both expand and somewhat require ownership of their earlier edition or edition's peripherals), 5) Left 4 Dead Crash Course DLC and... Well, 6) could go one of two ways. We could not count Rock Band, which EA distributes but doesn't publish, or we could not count the PSP Minis release of Tetris.

This is a hefty amount of 80+ games. If we average the full 25, we get this: EA's average 80+ metascore is 85.20. Let's not count six games. We'll include Rock Band but not Tetris. Then we get 85.95. It goes down only to 85.58 if I use Tetris and not Rock Band.

[UPDATE: I originally used the 360 Dragon Age metascore of 86 but have since updated the math above using its PC score of 91. Seemed only fair given PC was its lead platform. I've gone through this post and updated all listings to reflect the highest score given to any PC or console version of these games.]

Let's see if EA counted its competitors correctly.

Modern Warfare 2 (94)
Guitar Hero 5 (89)
Guitar Hero: Metallica (86)
DJ Hero (87)

A little math shows that: Activsion's average 80+ metascore is 89. Better than EA's, but it's only four games, and really, if you want to do a fair comparison of publisher quality, you'd have to do an average of all their games. Also notable is that there was a wide disparity between some versions. I used the highest Guitar Hero score, which was an 89 on the Wii. The game averaged an 85 on the Xbox 360.

Assassin's Creed II (92)
Might and Magic Clash of Heroes (86 *Game was released in December)
Dawn of Discovery (82)

More math: Ubisoft's average 80+ metascore is 86.67 with Might and Magic. It is another publisher with just one 90+ game.

Dawn of War II (85)
Red Faction Guerilla (85)
UFC Undisputed (84)
WWE Smackdown Vs. Raw 2010 (82)
Rocket Riot (80)

Result: THQ's average 80+ metascore is 83.2. They had no 90+ games.

GTA Chinatown Wars (93)
GTA IV: The Lost and Damned (90)
GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony (89)
Borderlands (84)
NBA 2K10 (83)
Beaterator (80)
The Bigs 2 (80)

I do Take Two no favors for the average here by including The Bigs 2, but I did just make them look better by counting it in the overall tally, right? Anyway, Take Two's average 80+ metascore is 85.57. And look! They have two games with a 90 or above.

Metroid Prime Trilogy (91)
Mario and Luigi Bowser's Inside Story (90)
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (87)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii (87)
Punch-Out (86)
New Play Control Pikmin (84)
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (84)
Art Style Digidrive (83)
Art Style Pictobits (83)
Rhythm Heaven (83)
Pokemon Platinum (83)
Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again (82)
Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon (81)
Art Style Box Life (80)
Wii Sports Resort (80)
Wii Fit Plus (80)

You could load up this one with caveats, noting that the Metroid and Pikmin games aren't new, but let's include them. Nintendo's average 80+ metascore is 84 even. Credit them with a pair of games at 90 or above.

Uncharted 2 (96)
God of War Collection (92)
Killzone 2 (91)
MLB 09 The Show (90)
Wipeout HD Fury (89)
LittleBigPlanet PSP(88)
PixelJunk Shooter (87 *Game released in December)
Flower (87)
PixelJunk Monsters Deluxe (86)
Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time (86)
infamous (85)
Patapon 2 (81)
Resistance Retribution (81)
Buzz! Quiz World (80)
Zen Pinball (80)

Let me average that up for you. Sony's average 80+ metascore is 86.6. Not shabby at all. Plus, the company can boast four 90+ games, albeit one of them a compilation of PS2 hits.

Forza Motorsport 3 (92)
Shadow Complex (88)
Trials HD (86)
Splosion Man (84)
Halo 3 ODST (83)
Halo Wars (82)

Let's crunch that. Microsoft's 80+ metascore average is 85.83.

EA didn't tally the top scorers for Capcom, Sega and Warner Brothers. All had a batch of stellar games, so I figured I'd do the work.

Street Fighter IV (93)
Resident Evil 5 (85)
Marvel Vs Capcom 2 (82)
Monster Hunter Fredom Unite (81)

Capcom's average 80+ metascore is 85.25.

Empire Total War (90)
Football Manager 2010 (88)
MadWorld (81)

Sega's average 80+ metascore is 86.3

Batman Arkham Asylum (92)
Scribblenauts (80)

Warner's average 80+ metascore is 86. They've got a 90+ as well.'

It's no surprise that EA's chart accurately showed that the publisher had the most well-reviewed games, though, thanks to Kotaku, you can now see what those games were. This breakdown shows a couple of other things:

1) While EA had the most games that received 80+ scores, its average score for such titles settled between its two most prolific game-publishing competitors. It beat Nintendo but was beaten by Sony.

2) It's clear that no matter how many well-reviewed games a publisher has, getting an 80-89 score is far easier than getting a 90+. That seems to be the big equalizer among these top publishers. No one makes lots of those and few make more than a couple.

So which company made the most good video games in 2009? Probably the one you like the most. But if you want to try using numbers to back it up in 2009, I think you have to go with EA for quantity or Sony for 90+ excellence and a higher average score from its 80+ titles.

Or at least offer something for you to point and laugh at. Because that is one tall roller coaster.

Available for 80 Microsoft Points, so leave now before I call the police.

Xbox 360 Game Wants To Help You Talk To Women [Siliconera]

Microsoft generally isn't the habit of laying out several weeks worth of Xbox Live releases in one fell swoop, so we can assume that the company is going out of town for the holidays, and this is the note they are leaving on the really big fridge, containing all we need to know about the coming weeks.

First off, today sees the addition of holiday gear and tokidoki wear on the Avatar Marketplace, with tons of new items to spend your discretionary Microsoft points on. Be sure to save some for Christmas Eve, however, when Disney Classics wear shows up, filling your friends list with pretty princesses.

The Xbox Live Deal of the Week program continues throughout the month, starting with the Lips: Coldplay Track Pack (200 Microsoft points) next week, followed by Shadow Complex (800 points) and The Maw (400 points).

The Games on Demand service expands by several titles this month, with Crackdown and Disney's Bolt already available, and Viva Piñata: Party Animals, Lost Planet Colonies Edition and Devil May Cry 4, and Gears of War coming over the next three weeks.

*pause for breath*

Xbox Live Arcade gets two new additions over the course of the next two weeks, with Alien Breed Evolution Episode 1 dropping on the 16th (800 points) and the Trails HD Big Pack adding 35 new racing and skill tracks to the game on the 23rd.

On top of all that, December 18th through the 31st, Microsoft will be holding one-day sales on select Xbox Live Marketplace items, including games, movies, add-ons, and themes, counting down to the New Year with savings, as is tradition.

As for me, I'm driving to Florida to hang out with my girlfriend's mother and grandmother. Not really all that interesting, but since we were sharing.

More than a million racing fans snapped up copies of Turn 10's Forza Motorsport 3 during its first month at retail, with players logging more than 6.6 million man hours playing online. Those man hours (as opposed to dog hours - dogs can't drive) were spent in more than 64 million connected sessions covering approximately 590 million miles of track.

In other words, a lot of people have been playing Forza 3.

And perhaps a good portion of those million people will be picking up the Hot Holidays car pack, available today, featuring ten of of the world's most anticipated race cars of 2009 and 2010. Cars like the new Ferrari 458 Italia and the latest Nissan GT-R Spec V. Cars like this:

1. 2010 Ferrari 599XX
2. 2010 Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss
3. 2010 Lamborghini LP6700-4 SV
4. 2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo
5. 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia
6. 2010 Jaguar XFR
7. 2010 Audi S4
8. 2009 Aston Martin #007 AMR Lola
9. 2009 Audi #2 Sport Team Joest R15 TDI
10. 2010 Nissan GT-R Spec V

Yes sir, that is definitely a list of cars, all of which can be yours today for 400 Microsoft points. Just make sure to save some points for January 12th, when Turn 10 releases another pack to coincide with the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

It's really the next natural step in Games for Windows Live development. The Xbox 360 Games on Demand program has been doing well enough, and services like Stardock's Impulse and Steam have already proven the viability of the digital download store model, so now we're getting Games on Demand for Games for Windows Live.

"With Games on Demand, we didn't just want to create a cut-and-paste version of existing digital distribution services," said Mike Ybarra, general manager of LIVE Engagement Services. "We challenged ourselves to deliver an integrated platform that takes full advantage of the unique capabilities offered by the LIVE service. Our goal has always been to create a seamless online gaming experience for the Windows community, and Games on Demand is a great step toward that end."

From the initial announcement, the main difference between Games on Demand and something like Steam is the use of Microsoft points to purchase games along with actual cash money, but it's certainly a start. If they can keep prices competitive, they could be on to something.

Speaking of starts, the service's launch lineup will include Resident Evil 5, Red Faction: Guerrilla, and Battlestations: Pacific, along with Live-enabled versions of popular downloadable titles like World of Goo and Osmos. If those aren't enticing enough, there's also a free Live-enabled version of Tinker, the Windows Vista Ultimate Extra exclusive for those willing to download the Games for Windows Live client when the service goes live on the 15th.

You can download the Games for Windows Live client at Microsoft's official website.

In all, you get a 360 Elite, two controllers and copies of both Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST, all for CAD$400 (USD$380).

It should be on sale right now, so if you're interested in the 360 and somehow missed Halo, why not. At the very least, you'll be supporting the idea of consoles coming with two controllers.

Said Stephen Toulouse (Stepto) over Twitter earlier today:

While IW works on getting the MW2 glitch fixed, people we catch using it will recieve suspensions from LIVE. Play fair everyone. :>

Stepto clarified that bannings for this sort of terms of use violation typically are 24 hours, but can go up to two weeks if they're particularly egregious.

For those not familiar with the glitch, which can be used on PS3 and PC as well as the 360, it enables someone carrying a rocket launcher to turn into a sprinting human bomb. While the player dies in the process, it's still a cheap way to get kills, including triples and quads. And an easy way to get yourself reported, cussed out, etc. You can watch this for more information but, remember, trying it subjects you to a day without multiplayer. Which is like a day without sunshine. Or something.

Stephen Toulouse on Twitter [Twitter]

Depending on your opinion of the Xbox Live Avatar Marketplace, tomorrow brings either a wondrous new addition or another ridiculous thing to waste your money on - pets! Microsoft has most of the bases covered in its pet lineup, with three types of dogs (including Dog in Bag), three cats, birds, snakes, fish, guinea pigs, and of course, monkeys. They'll even have a pony up for sale, making countless childhood dreams come true with the push of a button.

The downside? Each pet will run you 240 Microsoft points. The upside? They don't pee on your girlfriend's robe, who then tries to cuddle you while wearing it because she has a cold and can't smell it, leaving you with the moral dilemma of whether or not you should tell her she smells. That's just an example, mind you, and certainly didn't happen in my apartment last night.

Yes, you can haz Pony [Major Nelson]

Sure, most of it is made up with the kind of stuff only marketing teams and graphic designers need worry about. Asset placement, fonts, that sort of thing.

But amidst all the practical stuff are some points like this, revealing not only Microsoft's underlying "vision" for the little guys, but the kind of restrictions they'll place on their use to ensure that "vision" is achieved. Some of them are understandable! Others, a little...odd. All interesting, however, so we figured we'd share.

- When Avatars are used in a group of three or more, at least one Avatar must be female.

- When Avatars are used in a group of three or more, consider including different ethnicities.

- When Avatars are used in groups of three or more, one of them should be facing forward and looking outward.

- Avatars must be playful and mischievous, not devious or inappropriate.

- Do not show Avatars with closed or blinking eyes.

- Do not show Avatars using any hand or body gestures other than those provided.

- Do not use an Avatar as the main message of a marketing piece.

- Do not show Avatars interacting with the Xbox 360 Sphere.

Like I said, odd. Where does one draw the line between "mischievous" and "devious"? And what's wrong with a sausage party?

The lighter, thinner cases from manufacturer Viva Group are becoming the new Xbox 360 game case standard. And don't be surprised to see Nintendo and Sony follow suit, as game cases use less material, reduce their shipping weight and conserve resources.

The move is in part driven by a "Packaging Scorecard" issued by mega-retailer Walmart, an initiative it announced three years ago. The goal, according to the company, was to reduce packaging by 5 percent by 2013, with much of that responsibility shouldered by Walmart's suppliers.

New packaging plans from Microsoft and Nintendo already exceed requirements, dropping the weight of video game cases by 20 percent or more.

Kyle Sheppard, manager of business development at Viva Group, tells IGN that the new cases offer "marginal" cost savings to console manufacturers, with reduction in materials and carbon dioxide emissions the draw.

Nintendo of America told Kotaku that it is transitioning to "a new weight-reduced, recyclable case for all Wii software packaging, effective immediately." Wii games should be shipping with lighter packaging this quarter, with conversion to new game cases expected by early 2010.

"Nintendo's new software cases weigh just 48.9 grams, down from 66.2 grams," a spokesperson said. "That's a reduction of more than 25 percent. The new cases are 100 percent recyclable, and the lighter cases result in a 'greener' product, as they use fewer resources to produce and recycle."

That transition applies to Nintendo's first-party products currently, with third-party publishers expected to follow suit.

"We encourage it, and are trying to make it as easy as possible for them to make the switch," Nintendo reps said. "So far, there are two manufactures that Nintendo has already authorized to make the new lightweight software cases for our licensees. And if licensees come to us with a new manufacturer that they want to use, we will work with them on that process as well."

Microsoft did not offer comment on its decision to switch to the new cases, but pointed out that it has regularly reduced the amount of material used in its game packaging.

Sony Computer Entertainment America reps would not confirm that it would be adopting the Viva Group's new case design, which already has a Blu-ray disc-sized variant.

"We're always looking at streamlining our solutions and evaluating our product case designs to be environmentally friendly, but we have nothing to announce regarding redesigning our cases at this point in time," a Sony spokesperson said.

While the change may satisfy big box retailers like Walmart and improve the bottom line and 'green' scores of video game publishers, it hasn't been met with much enthusiasm on video game forums and web sites. But Nintendo of America says its decision to make the change was largely environmentally driven.

"Nintendo is always looking to make our products more ecologically friendly, and had taken action already in other areas such as making our peripheral accessory packaging using corrugated cardboard instead of plastic 'clamshells,'" Nintendo said. "We are always looking for ways to improve our manufacturing process, and as technology evolves and new techniques and practices become available, then we research the possibilities and make a move if it makes sense. The time is right now for NOA to make the move to lighter software cases."

The ¥5,980 Blu-ray version is a two-disc set, while the ¥4,980 DVD version comes on three discs.

Bones, Casio Entertainment, Production I.G., Studio4 C, and Toei Animation are each creating shorts for Halo Legends.

Production I.G.'s Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell) is serving as creative director of the project, while Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed) will be directing Production I.G.'s Halo Legends episodes.

Update: According to a Microsoft spokesperson, this is not final Halo Legends box art.

アニメ『Halo Legends』がブルーレイとDVDで2010年2月16日に発売決定 [Famitsu]

Greenberg didn't put a specific figure to the console's sales from the Thanksgiving/Black Friday week as Nintendo did earlier today. But the increasingly svelte Xbox 360 spokesman did write that last week's numbers were "more than [two times the] previous week sales."

We'll see if Microsoft can top 2008, when the Xbox 360 maker claimed it outsold its PlayStation 3 competition three-to-one.

The dispute is centred around BBC's iPlayer, a service that allows people in the UK to watch BBC programs from their computer, PS3 or Wii. There were also plans to include the iPlayer on the Xbox 360, but because Microsoft insisted on restricting access to the player to paying, Gold subscribers, the BBC are withholding it.

Why? Because the BBC can't charge the British public for access to BBC programs, as use of the iPlayer is already covered under the TV license fee the Brits have to pay (Americans may wish to read this before continuing).

"Microsoft only wants to offer its users access to platforms it can charge for as this is the model it is pursuing" a BBC source told The Telegraph.

"This does not fit with the BBC's model and Microsoft will not budge at the moment. It is really frustrating for those involved on the BBC side who want to make sure iPlayer is rolled out on as many popular entertainment platforms as possible".

A more subdued, official statement from the BBC reads "BBC iPlayer has been extremely successful on PS3 and we recently re-launched on Nintendo Wii, from which the public response has been fantastic. People clearly want the BBC iPlayer on their gaming consoles, and we don't think Xbox users are any different, so we've had discussions with Microsoft about bringing the service to the platform."

Xbox 360 iPlayer launch delayed indefinitely [The Telegraph]

Xbox Live GM Marc Whitten has designs on replacing the traditional TV remote with voice and gesture recognition, courtesy of Project Natal. According to a report from Yahoo! Tech, Whitten believes that Natal "will be the largest leap of TV experience since the remote control," providing better input options than the increasingly complex remote.

How? By recognizing common, button-less input via Natal.

"Laughter is an input," Whitten said at the Streaming Media West show last week. "Yelling at the TV when I know an answer on 'Jeopardy' is an input. Attention is an input. The number of people in the room at one time is an input." And, you know, that's a fairly interesting concept.

Microsoft Sees 'Natal' as Your Next TV Remote [Yahoo! Tech]