He made himself a Netflix cover, that'll slide right into a PS3 case and let you not only keep the disc somewhere you'll remember it, but have it blend seamlessly in amongst the rest of your collection.

And what Nulion made for us, we now share with you below. You should be able to print this off, but if your DPI standards exceed what's on offer here, use it as a template and go make your own.

Oh, and don't have a spare case? Here's a hint: ask at your local GameStop. They normally have a ton of empty cases out back from "coming soon" dummy boxes.

Netflix's Steve Swasey has told G4 that, as it stands, the only way to watch a Netflix movie via the console is to have a Netflix disc in the tray while you stream the movie/show over the internet. And that's the way it's going to stay for around a year.

Late next year we expect to have an embedded solution available for PS3s via a system software update slated for release through the PlayStation Network," he said. "Until then, enjoy watching instantly via your PS3 using the instant streaming disc!"

Yes, enjoy!

Netflix PlayStation 3 Interface Likely Won't Change Until Late Next Year [G4]

Here's a quick look at how the service works on the console once you get the disc. For now, you'll have to pop the disc in to access the Netflix service from the Movie section of your PS3's cross media bar.

The Netflix service is relatively similar to the offering found on the Xbox 360. Although you can't watch a movie with friends online, everything else seems to be there for PS3 owners.

I actually like the interface a bit more on the PS3 than I do the Xbox 360. The PS3 version takes up most of your screen to show off the movies or shows available in a particular area. You can sort by a number of genres, including very specific ones keyed to your tastes, as well as look at your Instant View queue and browse through the selection of TV shows and movies just made available on the service.

Once streaming a video you can pause, rewind, fastforward just like with a disc or downloaded movie.

While this may seem like old hat to Xbox 360 owners, it's got to be a delight for Playstation 3 users, especially those that landed the disc before the weekend.

When close to a dozen emails show up in our inbox all at once, you know a company has sent out a mass mailing! Several readers have dropped us a line telling us that they've received notification that the PS3 Instant Streaming discs required for the Netflix service to work on the PlayStation 3 are now on their way to their respective new homes.

The free Blu-ray discs will be required to run the streaming service on the PlayStation 3 until an embedded solution is made available next year.

To request your own Instant Streaming disc, visit http://netflix.com/ps3.

Thanks to everyone who forwarded your notification emails!

Netflix reps say the company will begin shipping out the Blu-ray discs that make streaming via BD Live technology possible some time in November. Which is good, considering the service was said to start in November.

That Blu-ray disc will be need to be inserted in the PlayStation 3 each and every time you watch a piece of streaming Netflix content. There's no option to install a dedicated Netflix app to the PS3's XMB, unfortunately, meaning you're going to have to get off the couch at some point.

Netflix reps say an "embedded solution" will be available "late next year," presumably after Microsoft's exclusive arrangement with Netflix expires.

What Netflix representatives wouldn't discuss is which party is handling the streaming of that video content. My concerns about the PlayStation Network, which is slower to download content than every other internet connected device in my house, forced me to ask. But Netflix isn't discussing it.

Nor are they discussing whether the same service is coming to the Wii.

"Certainly the Wii represents a great opportunity given the size of its installed base," reps noted "but we have nothing specific to say about it at this point." They had nothing to say about the availability of a similar streaming service for the PSPgo or iPhone.

We'll let you know the second we get our Netflix Blu-ray discs, then test the PlayStation 3 solution to see how it compares.

According to the official announcement, which confirms speculation that Netflix streaming would come to a console that isn't the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 owners will be initially required to have a free, Netflix-provided Blu-ray disc in the console to watch said movies, taking advantage of Blu-ray's BD-Live tech.

(You can quickly request one at netflix.com/ps3, PlayStation 3 owner.)

Later, we should probably expect Sony and Netflix to offer a firmware update or application that will do the work of the Blu-ray disc. Looks like the PS3 implementation of Netflix will be similar to the Xbox 360 version, letting users browse and update their "Watch Instantly" queues from the XMB.

More details on the good news is available at the PlayStation.blog.

Netflix wouldn't name the device it planned to add to its arsenal of stream-ready electronics, but the Associated Press reported it was one "already owned by a large number of consumers." It also reports that analysts are speculating that it could be the PlayStation 3 and/or Wii, backing up... oh, about a bazillion stories about Netflix coming to consoles that aren't the Xbox 360.

Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO, wants the streaming service to be available on "all consoles." The company hasn't kept its interest in bringing its offerings to the PS3 or Wii a secret, actively hiring software developers to expand to other consoles.

But, for now, Microsoft has the exclusive. Whether Netflix had re-upped its deal with Microsoft, execs wouldn't say in a quarterly earnings conference call. But considering Netflix says its plans to expand sometime in Q4, we're betting on an announcement pretty darn soon.

Netflix stock hits new high as device deal looms [Yahoo/AP]

Last month, GameFly filed an order to force the USPS to provide figures showing how many of its retail locations have Netflix, Blockbuster, or other dedicated mail slots for DVD-based mail. The Postal Service said, in effect, "don't know what you're talking about," and said such slots, if they exist, would be against USPS policy. GameFly came back with pictures taken in Alturas and Susanville, Calif. (Susanville pictured above; both towns are well in the northern part of the state) showing just such a thing. The Postal Service has refused to authenticate the pics.

Dedicated mail slots are just one facet of GameFly's overall complaint against the Postal Service, which includes hand-sorting of competitors' and peers' disc mail, to avoid breakage, and that USPS automatic sorters break $300,000 worth of GameFly games per month.

The case is still, as they say, pending. Still, has anyone out there seen dedicated Netflix slots at their local Post Office?

Update on Gamefly Complaint With USPS That Netflix and Blockbuster Get Preferential Treatment [Hacking Netflix via Game Politics]

Reuters asked "what about the PS3 and the Wii?" and here is his full answer:

Eventually we want to be on all the game consoles, all the Blu-ray players, all the Internet TVs. So we are working in parallel with all of those efforts. Currently our Xbox deal is exclusive and we haven't characterized it more than that.

Going further, Reuters asked if there were any partnership talks with Apple, specifically regarding the iPhone. While Hastings said something might happen long term, it is not a near-term goal. "We are not focused on mobile yet, but on the TV, on Blu-ray, and on the video game consoles."

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings on Xbox, Youtube, iPhone [Reuters via Cubed3]

In an email sent out to members of its service Monday evening, Netflix said technical issues may have made it hard for members to stream video from the service to the Xbox 360 on Sunday.

"We are sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused. If you were unable to instantly watch a movie or TV episode last night via your Xbox, click on this account specific link in the next 7 days to apply your 3% credit on your next billing statement. Credit can only be applied once."

If you didn't receive the email, but had an issue you can also call 1-866-923-0898.

It does this by acting as a bridge-building web interface, so you're basically just using both services' web offerings on your Wii. But still! Your Wii is hooked up to your TV, and has a remote, so surely a few people will find this of interest.

If you want to try it out, you can sign up to the beta over on MediaMall's site. You'll get a 14-day trial for free, and if you want to keep using it after that, you'll have to pay $40.

PlayOn Launches Wii Beta [MediaMall]

But no other update is more important in helping you play more games than the easy-to-overlook user ratings, or as Microsoft calls them, Community Ratings.

"We're excited to bring this new functionality to Xbox," says Ben Smith, program manager of Xbox Live. "Now that all game content can be rated with a five-star system based on the collective vote of users, you can easily find great games and demos that you may have missed by sorting the 'Top Rated' section of the Games Marketplace."

For example, I'm a noob when it comes to knowing the best indie games to play. Upon browsing the "Top Rated" of both the Indie Games and Xbox Live Arcade sections, however, I quickly become informed, thanks to helpful Xbox owners willing to star their favorite games. At the time of writing, I see that CarneyVale Showtime, Miner Dig Deep, and Kodu Game Lab sit at the top-two of which I've never heard of (and I get paid to keep up with this stuff.)

Castle Crashers, Portal: Still Alive, and Battlefield 1943 currently lead the Arcade Section-the latter I'm also unfamiliar with. Out of said titles, Miner Dig Deep appeals the most to me, so I download. Easily worth the $2.

But what about bigger games and add-on stuff? User ratings help there too. "Every piece of content on Games Marketplace can now be rated using the 5-star system," says Smith. That includes Demos, Arcade and Indie Games, Videos, Games on Demand, and Add-ons among others. Additionally, disc-based games can also be rated.

The bigger categories provide fewer surprises. Bioshock, Halo, and Mass Effect-games which most handsome readers have already beaten-predictably lead the top rated Games on Demand section. Rock Band tracks dominate the top rated add-on content. And Xbox owners still love to watch Orange Box and Halo 3 videos-the latter of which makes sense, as Marketplace sorts it as the "best-selling" of any Xbox game.

But with a little digging, you'll soon reveal and handful of similarly rated games you may have snoozed on. And who doesn't like discovering new games, even if you're late to the party?

What's more, user ratings are often more reliable than collective critical ratings, provided you have feedback numbering in the hundreds. As my demanding statistics professor once taught, a sample of 200 to 300 votes can accurately judge quality on behalf of the entire population, give or take a few rare exceptions.

The top rated Fallout 3, for example, has already been stared a whopping 40,000 times. Even Metacritic averages can't compete with that, making the Xbox community a more dependable critic, not to mention more convenient since the scores are baked into your console now.

Granted, user ratings are nothing new. Amazon has been doing them for years. But this is the first time they've come to aid of console players looking to separate the chaff from the wheat. Wii owners might quickly counter with, "Hey, we have recommendations too!" But that system is cluttered, tedious to sort, and in no way easy to read like the universally accepted stars found on Xbox. Conversely, PlayStation 3 has no rating system.

It's unclear how the rating system might evolve over time. For example, will Xbox owners be able to see friend ratings with similar tastes as opposed to the entire community? And Microsoft won't say how current ratings are calculated (all-time, last month previous year, etc). But when coupled with both Top Downloads (formerly Most Popular) and Best-Selling categories, Community Ratings are a powerful and pragmatic way to "zero in on great game content"-like the gamer gift that keeps on giving.

Microsoft is certainly hip to the idea. "There is something very social about being able to tell people what you like or see what other people recommended," Smith concludes. "User Ratings will help Xbox Live members find great games and fantastic add-ons more easily than they could previously-and that's what it's all about: making it quicker to have fun."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Blake Snow writes about video games and technology from Crecente's neighboring state of Utah. His curious work has appeared on MSNBC, the Wall Street Journal, and GamePro among others.

According to the Xbox.com site, "This exclusive partnership offers you the ability to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix to the television via Xbox 360. Xbox 360 will be the only game console to offer this movie-watching experience, available to Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also Netflix unlimited plan subscribers, at no additional cost."

The new Netflix updates for XBLA include:

Movie Parties – Xbox LIVE Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars watch a movie, flirt or even throw popcorn at each other.
Manage Your Queue – Browse the Netflix Instant Watch video catalogue, choose from the most popular movies and genres and add to your queue all from the comfort of your couch – no computer required.
Enhanced Playback Experience – Enjoy a smooth viewing experience when your internet bandwidth fluctuates.
Friends Info – Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are doing.

It's unclear whether this "exclusive partnership" refers to these features or to Netflix on the Xbox 360.

Earlier this year, a rumored customer survey stated that Netflix was gauging subscriber interest in a streaming movie and television service on another current generation console — in that case on the Nintendo Wii. At the time our sources told us that Netflix wasn't going anywhere, including other consoles, for some time.

We have contacted Microsoft for further clarification about this "exclusive partnership" and what exactly it entails.

Dashboard Updates [Xbox.com via gdgt Thanks, davej!]

That's because Netflix and Disney recently signed a deal to stream the first five seasons of Lost, seasons four and five of Desperate Housewives, season five of Grey's Anatomy and seasons one and two of The Legend of the Seeker through Netflix Instant Watch service.

The agreement extends Netflix's relationship with Disney-ABC, which inked their first digital licensing deal last September.

"We're excited about this new agreement since it builds on a strong foundation with Disney-ABC Television Group," said Robert Kyncl, vice president of content acquisition for Netflix, in a prepared statement. "In all, we're providing Netflix members with some of the most popular and avidly followed shows on TV while working with an important business partner to help grow several of its key franchises."

"We are working closely with our partners and studios to deliver Xbox LIVE Parties for as much content as possible," a Microsoft spokesman said. "We offered the Xbox LIVE Party feature to all content owners, and what's up on the service reflects what the rights holders are comfortable with. We're confident that the community will be pleased with the great selection of Party-enabled content."

While the spokesman wouldn't confirm which studios decided not to support the feature, or why they decided not to, he did say that most do support it.

While testing the feature myself I noted that Disney and Starz, which airs some Disney movies on their premium television channel, did not support the feature.

Also worth noting is the fact that you can switch to a mode that doesn't show the avatars or room they are in while viewing a movie as a party.

The upgraded Netflix service hits Xbox Live on Aug. 11.

I use Netflix on my Xbox 360 almost weekly, streaming Tristan-friendly movies onto our big screen for Friday night movies together. One of the biggest drawbacks to the service was that I had to go somewhere else to look through and then find the movie I wanted to watch.

This update, which hits the 360 on Aug. 11, seems to list 100 titles in each category. The movies are broken down by genre and include separate lists for both newly released movies and TV shows.

Unfortunately, that growing list of movies didn't appear to be sortable, meaning you have to just scroll through each genre looking for something you may want to watch. Since they weren't already alphabatized, and there is no search function, this can make movie selection on the 360 frustrating at times. The new look does include a suggestion list based on the last movie you watched.

Another neat function is the ability to watch a movie through Netflix with friends. You just create a party in the service and, if the friend has Netflix too, add them to your list. Then you can all suggest movies and once you decide on what you want to watch start playing.

The movie party room shows your avatar sitting in a dark room on a couch facing a big screen, which displays the movie. The avatars can emote silently during playback and it appears you can also talk to one another. It's a pretty neat idea.

One thing I didn't like about it though is that not all Netflix movies seem to support the service. I found several Starz and Disney movies I couldn't watch. Worse still, those movies are marked as not being viewable in a party until you try to select them or look at their info. Hopefully, that's something Microsoft will fix in the near future.

The final Netflix enhancement is the ability to let your friends see which movies you're watching while in the service by viewing your account. This can easily be turned on or off, but it's a fun idea.

That preview will roll out to media and select Xbox Live community members starting Monday. It includes new Netflix features, like managing your movie queue without the need for a computer and Movie Parties, and the Avatar Marketplace, where one can waste Microsoft Points on Spartan armor and pom-poms. A host of other changes, from account management to Achievement browsing to user ratings for Marketplace content will also be previewed.

Games On Demand, which lets you purchase full Xbox 360 games and Xbox Originals via Live, will roll out a little later, according to Microsoft, with a preview promised in early August.

What the preview doesn't include are any of the Last.fm, Facebook, Twitter and Zune HD video updates the company briefed us on at E3. For the full list of changes and screens of the new Xbox Live changes coming soon, read on.

Netflix Updates
Now you can watch movies with your friends no matter where they are and manage your queue from the comfort of your couch.

• Movie Parties – Xbox LIVE Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars watch a movie, flirt or even throw popcorn at each other.
• Manage Your Queue – Browse the Netflix Instant Watch video catalogue, choose from the most popular movies and genres and add to your queue all from the comfort of your couch – no computer required.
• Enhanced Playback Experience – Enjoy a smooth viewing experience when your internet bandwidth fluctuates.
• Friends Info – Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are doing.

Avatar Marketplace
Express yourself! Deck your Avatar out with the latest clothing and props from the top brands and game franchises. Please note that only limited content is currently available in the preview.

• Clothing – Download premium items, including branded apparel from your favorite fashion labels and Xbox 360 games such as "Halo."
• Props – You can now equip your avatar with animated items they can carry around and interact with.
• Awardables – The ability to earn Avatar clothing and props as rewards within games has been added. Please stay tuned for an update on supporting titles.

Games on Demand
Enjoy 24 x 7 access to a growing online library of popular full game titles on Xbox LIVE whenever you want them, in the comfort of your living room.

• Purchase Options – Browse and download a great selection of full Xbox 360 games using Microsoft Points, direct debit, or credit card.
• Game Manuals – Game manuals for Games on Demand titles can be viewed, downloaded or printed on Xbox.com.
• It's Yours Forever! – As with other Xbox LIVE content, Games on Demand titles are linked to your Xbox LIVE account, so you can delete and re-download anything you have already purchased to the same console or another console.

User Ratings
User ratings help you find games that other people think are awesome!

• Rate it – You can now rate every game on the Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace using a 5-star system.
• Sort and Find it – Now you can easily find the games that everyone's been raving about by visiting the Top Rated games in the Browse All category of Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace.

Xbox LIVE Parties
Everyone loves to Party! Check out the new and improved Xbox LIVE Party features.

• Party Reconnections – If you are accidently disconnected from your party, Xbox LIVE will automatically reconnect you.
• Streamlined Party Invites – Invites are now just one click away! No need to click through multiple screens to get all your friends together.

Video Display Options
We've made it easier for you to see your entertainment in the highest resolution possible on your TV using an HDMI connection.

• Display Discovery – Make sure you can see and hear your entertainment in the highest resolution and sound quality possible with the option to override and select audio and video formats independent of the information your television sends to your Xbox 360 console.

Other Improvements
We're always listening to you for feedback, and this Xbox LIVE update will include numerous dashboard updates.

• Gold Member Veterans – Xbox LIVE Gold members get to show it off with a stamp on your Gamer Card that tells people how long you've been a Gold member.
• Indie Games – Xbox LIVE Community Games has been renamed Xbox LIVE Indie Games. We feel this new name better represents the independent spirit of these titles.
• Achievement Browser – We've revamped the Achievements browser so it's now easier to read through all the achievements while playing a game. You can now also launch a game directly from the browser.
• Achievements Tracking – A new view inside the profile panel which includes a summary of Achievements earned across all the games played, and shows of all your completed games.
• Streamlined Navigation - Streamlined navigation, including new entry points in the dashboard for Active Downloads, redeeming codes, recovering Gamertags and more.
• Voice Messages – No more blank voice messages! When recording a voice message, a warning will pop up if no audio is detected.
• Friends List Sorting – It's now easier to find your friends! Find and sort your friends by activity, Gamertag or online status by pressing the Y button while viewing the friends list in the Guide.
• Memory – Time stamps now appear in the memory area, which particular handy when managing saved games.

Account Management
We've made some changes to make your life easier.

• Subscription Notification – If your Xbox LIVE subscription is about to run out, you will now be notified when you sign into Xbox LIVE.
• Updates for Invalid Windows Live IDs – If the Windows Live ID you provided has expired, you will now be prompted to update it the next time you sign into Xbox LIVE.
• Account recovery – We've enhanced the account recovery process to make it faster and more reliable.

[NOTE: The following reflects the plans for the U.S. market]

Spring

In June, during E3, Sony enabled the PSP Video Store, which allows direct downloading of video content to the Sony portable.

Summer

The Nintendo DSi is scheduled to gain the ability to upload pictures snapped by either of the DSi's cameras to Facebook. Nintendo slates this for summer. It will assumedly be made available via a download to the DSi.

In August, the Xbox 360's Netflix service, which is available to paying Xbox Live Gold users who also have a Netflix account, will be upgraded to allow users to add movies to their queue via the 360, rather than strictly through their PC.

Also in August, Microsoft will launch a Games on Demand service, which will allow consumers to download full-sized Xbox 360 games to their harddrive. Based on the games shown at E3 in a mock-up of the service, expect these to be older games, like Lego Batman, Oblivion and Mass Effect.

Fall

In the fall, Xbox 360s will gain the ability to be receive Facebook and Twitter updates on their 360. The integration won't send status updates at you while you're playing games, but it will let you check up on your friends and link their accounts to their Gamertags for better social networking without the need of a computer.

In the fall, the Xbox 360 will offer Last.FM integration to Xbox Live Gold members.

Also in the fall, the 360 will enable users to try Instant-Streaming in 1080p, an on-demand video service that will allow 1080- video to be streamed without caching, buffering or delay for users with an 8mbps Internet connection or better.

As of October 1, when the PSPgo launches, all PSP users can expect that major new games issued by Sony for PSPgo will also be downloadable for regular PSPs. Sony isn't committing to when this transition will kick in for all PSP first-party games or the extent to which it will also take place for third-party PSP games, but users can expect October 1 to be an important date to watch as this move occurs.

—

There may be other firmware or app-enabled changes to these systems as well as to the Wii and PS3 by the end of the year. These are the ones announced so far. And the game consoles keep on evolving...

[PIC]

A few years ago, analysts predicted that media-center PCs would be showing up in huge numbers across the country as more people became computer savvy, but analysts didn't bet on the gaming industry offering a much simpler solution to getting web-based content to your television. According to In-Stat, 29% of U.S. 29 to 34-year-olds owning game consoles use said consoles to watch video streamed or downloaded from the internet. Game consoles as in-home content delivery networks are quickly gaining on the more traditional cable outlets, with a forecast of 10.7 million consoles making up a portion of the 24 million homes viewing web-to-TV content come 2013. http://www.instat.com/catalog/mmcatalogue.asp?id=212

"Currently Web video is largely additive to traditional TV revenue streams," says Keith Nissen, In-Stat analyst. "However, ultimately web video to the TV will force a complete restructuring of today's video distribution ecosystem."

I have to admit that when the ability to watch video on the console was first introduced I was a bit skeptical, but last night I was up until 3am watching Dexter via Netflix on my Xbox 360, so I'm just a number now.

Of course this is one of those market research reports they want large companies to purchase for $3,000, so many of the numbers they are referencing here remain a mystery. It's not that we don't care...we just don't have $3,000 worth of caring.

What good is E3 hype if none of it comes true?

To get you ready for this E3, we've subjected ourselves to re-living the major press conferences of last year's big show. We've pulled all of the predictions, promises and other verbal constructions Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony used to get you excited about their console. And we've seen what became of all those thrilling statements.

Microsoft, your E3 2008 promises are being checked today — exhaustively.

Background: The Microsoft press briefing occurred on July 14 in the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. This showcase lasted more than 90 minutes.

Big Money From Hardcore Games

Don Mattrick, Microsoft's senior vice president of interactive entertainment business (i.e. he's the Xbox boss), starts hyping Fallout 3, Resident Evil 5, Fable II and Gears of War 2: "Combined these games represent over a half a billion dollars in projected sales. And they will drive console demand in the coming year."

Verdict: Let's see. Gears sells two million in its first week, so that's about 120 million right there. Fallout 3 sells 4.7 million copies in less than a month, so that's about 282 million. We're over 400 million and we're not even at Fable or RE5, so we'll stop counting now. Good first prediction, Don Mattrick!

A Lengthy Fallout

Bethesda lead game designer Todd Howard demos Fallout 3 and says: "This is a huge game with over 100 hours of gameplay."

Verdict: Sure, that sounds about right, though the main content in the game could be finished in about 40 hours.

Fallout DLC TBD

Howard: "We're going to be doing substantial downloadable content for Fallout 3 and it will be exclusive for the Xbox 360 and Games for Windows."

Verdict: True! All three DLC packs are now out for both platforms, and are not out on PS3.

Resident Evil 5 Release Date Confirmed?

Jun Takeuchi, producer of Resident Evil 5, says Resident Evil 5 "will be available in a simultaneous worldwide release in North America and Europe on Friday the 13, March 2009." (Screen showed March 12 2009 for Japan).

Verdict: Incorrect, sir! RE5 came out a week earlier than promised in Japan, on March 5.

Fable II Would Be Awesome

Peter Molyneux, creative director of Lionhead Studios, hyping Fable II: "You've never experienced anything like the dog in a game, but what I want to show you is the ability to play co-op over Xbox Live" [Verdict: OK, kind of hard to disagree]….The story will be great. [Verdict: That's subjective, Peter] … Your son grows. Your children will grow up with you [Verdict: Possibly misleading; those kids don't grow up]… Fable 2 will be out in October of this year [Verdict: Correct!]

Gears of War 2: For The World

Cliff Bleszinski, design director at Epic Games: "Gears of War 2 will be available worldwide November 7, exclusively on Xbox 360."

Verdict: True if you count the U.S. and Europe as the world; untrue if you consider Japan part of this planet.

Sony To Be Crushed

Mattrick: I'm so confident in our momentum and our bright future that I'm willing to declare here today that Xbox 360 will sell more consoles worldwide this generation than PlayStation 3.

Verdict: Too soon to say, but so far so good for Microsoft.

A New - sort of - Xbox 360 Coming Fall 2008

John Schappert, vice president of Xbox Live, software and services: "I'm excited to announce today that for the first time in history a consumer electronics device will be completely reinvented through software… When people around the world turn on the Xbox 360s this fall they will be greeted by an entire new interface, an entire new dashboard, creating a brand new Xbox through the magic of software."

Verdict: The New Xbox Experience did indeed go live in the fall, transforming the Xbox 360 from the inside out.

Avatars Will Be Great, Omnipresent

Brendan, last-name-less Rare software design engineer, describing the NXE's Avatars: "You'll see them in the dashboard when you turn on the system. [Verdict: True] You'll see them in your friends list. [Verdict: Yep] You're going to see them in games all over the place and you'll see avatars on websites. [Verdict: We're counting Uno Rush and a Kingdom Kieflings once apiece, ok? Seems that we've got Avatars in a little more than 10 games so far.]

Avatars Will Have Lots of Clothes

Chris, last-name-less Rare producer: "Really, the number of clothes is ultimately going to be limitless. You can expect to see new clothes released in the same way you'd go into a shop and see summer fashion and the winter fashion, you're going to see the same thing here."

Verdict: True. New clothes keep getting issued for Avatars.

Prime Time Is Coming Soon

Schappert: "I'm going to take us to a new channel, Xbox Live Prime Time which we are unveiling today and rolling out this fall [Verdict: No, make that some forthcoming month in 2009]… This fall you'll be able to play along with all of Xbox Live either as the One, the One Hundred or one of the thousands that watch and play this huge prime time game. And the best part, you'll all be able to win real prizes… Instead of just checking to see what's on TV this fall you'll turn on your Xbox 360 to see what's on Live. [Verdict: Whoa, whoa, slow down there John. Xbox Live Prime Time still isn't live, nor is its launch game show, 1 Vs 100, which is, at least, now in beta.]

XBLA Games Coming

Schappert Announced Geometry Wars 2 for "next month"; Galaga Legions announced as 360 exclusive for "next month," Portal Still Alive coming in the fall "with brand new levels and achievements," coming to Xbox Live Arcade.

Verdict: All accurate predictions.

And South Park Too

Announcer in short promo for South Park Xbox Live Arcade game: "Coming exclusively in 2009…"

Verdict: No sign of it yet, but there is plenty more of 2009 to come to keep from the unnamed Announcer to be known as a Liar.

Community Games coming

Schappert: We will launch Xbox Live Community games this fall as part of the New Xbox Experience.

Verdict: True

Netflix 360 Will Be Big

Schappert: "Xbox 360 will be the only game system that lets members who are also Netflix subscribers instantly watch more than 10,000 movies and TV episodes more than doubling our current content offering."

Verdict: Seemingly accurate, though we haven't counted to ensure that more than 10,000 movies and shows were added.

Netflix Watching Will Be Communal

Schappert: "I'm thrilled to announce that you can share your movies and tv shows with your Live party. We all can watch TV and movies together."

Verdict: Uh-uh. This was cut.

GTA DLC Will Be Huge Part Of 360 Fall '08 Line-Up

Shane Kim, corporate vice president of strategy and business development (but at the time he was running the gaming part of Xbox: After hyping coming of Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, Mirror's Edge, Pro Evo, Call of Duty, Tomb Raider, Need for Speed, which all came out, [Verdict: True], he said, "The release of the first downloadable episode for Grand Theft Auto IV later this year promises to be another huge event for Xbox 360 and Xbox live." [Verdict: Ugh. We think he meant to say "February 2009," not "later this year."

Lots of 360 Games Coming

Kim: All told, by the end of 2008 more than 1000 games will be available for the Xbox 360.

Verdict: Too tired to count this one, but we are not encouraged by the fact that the ESRB as of today lists only 703 rated games for the 360. Was he counting Community Games?

Fun Games For Families Too

Kim announced Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts, Viva Pinata, BK XBLA, Scene It Box Office Smash, You're In the Movies — all of these games are coming this holiday exclusive for Xbox 360. Also from Kim: "You're In The Movies will include an Xbox Live Vision camera when it ships this holiday.

Verdict: Correct!

Guitar Hero World Tour Will Be Great, Launch New Rock Stars

Kai Huang, co-founder of Red Octane, out to hype Guitar Hero World Tour: "On disc we're going to ship with the greatest number of master tracks ever from some of the best bands of all time, more than 85 songs with tons more at launch and beyond [Verdict: True].. Our new music studio in Guitar Hero: World Tour is going to for the first time let people make and share music from around the world. This is going to revolutionize the way people create, share, discover and play new music. And with GH Tunes when that launches it's going to be the premiere online distribution platform from where a community of aspiring artists are going to become the next big rock stars." [Verdict: Kinda hard to verify, but we're going to say…not yet?]

And GH Will Have REM

Huang: "Guitar Hero World Tour owners will be able to download an REM track pack featuring three songs from their new album before anybody else."

Verdict: True

And Metallica

Huang: "Metallica is joining forces with guitar hero in a huge way… for the first time in music and vg history. Metallica's highly anticipated new album death magnetic is going to be offered as downloadable content in its entirety at the same time the album is released. First for Guitar Hero 3 in September and then again when Guitar Hero World Tour launches in the fall."

Verdict: Not only true, but proven to be an understatement with the recent launch of Guitar Hero: Metallica.

Lips Will Be Fantastic

iNis founder Keiichi Yano, hyping the holiday launch of the Xbox 360 karaoke game Lips: "It's breaking new ground by being the first game that lets you sing from your own music collection. It's going to be great. Imagine plugging in your Zune or your iPod into your Xbox 360 and singing along to all of your favorite songs. [Verdict: True, though not without complaints from reviewers that not all iPods synced with the game] Lips is also going to be the first game ever to feature these wireless mics that light up with your music performance. And these guys are also motion-sensitive so I can do stuff like this (cymbal hit) even when I'm not singing. So it's going to be fun Lips will ship this holiday featuring best songs from many regions and genres inclusion rock hip hop country r and b, pop a lot of your favorite artists you guys love to sing to. [Verdict: The rest was spot-on.]

Lips Will Be REALLY Fantastic

Kim: Lips is definitely going to be the gotta-have-it gift for this holiday for everyone.

Verdict: Oh, come on. Lips might have been fantastic, but he didn't really mean that, did he?

Rock Band Sort of Exclusive

Kim: Rock Band 2 will premiere exclusively on Xbox 360 this September.

Verdict: True, since he meant it would be a timed exclusive.

Rock Band 2 Will Have Rose, Dylan, ACDC

Alex Rigopulos, co-founder, Harmonix, discussing Rock Band 2, said, there would be 84 songs on the disc, every single one of them a master recording. He said Axl Rose's Shackler's Revenge will premiere in RB2, as would Bob Dylan's Tangled Up In Blue and ACDC. And, he said, "the soundtrack will also include 20 bonus tracks available for download in the fall."

Verdict: All accurate.

Rock Band 2 Will Also Have Fine Print

Rigopulos: "We've made all of the downloadable tracks from the original game forward-compatible into Rock Band 2.. furthermore, if you own the original Rock Band you'll be able to export almost all of those tracks into the Rock Band 2 game as well. So no need for disc-swapping… by the end of this year I'm happy to announce there will be over 500 songs available for play in Rock Band 2.

Verdict: True, just note that he said "almost."

Square-Enix Will Have Three RPGs For Xbox 360

Yoichi Wada, president of Square-Enix: dropped some release dates for Infinite Undiscovery — September 2, in NA, 9/5 in Europe, 9/11 in Japan and Asia — Star Ocean for the spring, and Last Remnant for November 11 with a TBD for it coming to Games For Windows.

Verdict : Wada nailed it.

Make That Four

Wada: "An Xbox 360 version of final fantasy xiii , the latest in the final fantasy series, that has more than 85 milion units shipped worldwide, is planned for release. We believe that releasing an xbox 360 version for Final Fantasy XIII will allow us to provide a game to even more fans in the two regions in North America and Europe."

Verdict: No reason to think this won't happen.

Note: No mention was made during the press conference of 2008 games Too Human, Braid or Dead Space, despite the latter two becoming two of the most acclaimed games on Xbox 360 in 2008.

To Sum Up.... Microsoft did a decent job predicting things, but whiffed big on Rockstar and 1 vs 100. We weren't promised any full games that we didn't get. And most of the hype for upcoming games' features was fair. Plus, they did the awesome thing of predicting that they would conquer Sony, which should be fun to follow in the future. For the sheer number of future-looking statements and overall accuracy, we're giving them a B.

Next Victim: Nintendo

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