Microsoft has some big news for all you gamers out there. The company recently made a $50 price cut on the 20GB Xbox 360 model. From 349.99, it is now just $299.99. Some might be glad of this news, and some may think there must be some reason behind this abrupt price cut. If you thought of the latter, you’re right. The $50 discount is made because Microsoft is having the 20GB Xbox 360 phased out soon. Consider it a clearance sale. The company also announced that a new 60GB Xbox 360 model will be replacing the 20GB model. This will be out by August for $349.99, the same price as the 20GB model before the price cut.

It seems that Microsoft is kinda envious of the attention that the Wii Remote is getting lately that is the company is said to be developing a remote that is closely similar to the Wii Remote. Well, at least that is what the rumors say. This rumor came from MTV. The rumored Xbox 360 remote is codenamed “Newton”. According to the reports, the “Newton” has been under development since August last year. Hmmm, it’s over six months now, yet there’s no prototype released.

Microsoft is heating up even more for this year’s holiday season. You might ask how this is so. Well, the company has announced another big update that will sure gladden the beating hearts of Xbox 360 fans. Microsoft has integrated a new feature in the Xbox Live Arcade that will permit users to see their friends’ friends. The feature called “Friends of Friends will work just like how networking sites do. Isn’t that exciting? You no longer have to wonder who your friend is connected with because you can simply check out your friend’s list from the Dashboard.

Online games and console games have a way of getting a player hooked. Sometimes the players can no longer attend to things that they need to do because they just can’t leave the game they are playing. I’m sure this is one of the concerns of families who have kids hooked playing console games. Microsoft, as one of the producers of the gaming consoles out in the market today has designed a way to address this problem. The Microsoft Xbox 360 is built with a new feature that enable parents to control the time their kids get to play with the console.

Xbox fans have more reason to clap their hands and rejoice with the official launch of the Xbox 360 Arcade. This new game pack becomes official after months of speculation. Some sharp-eyed Xbox fans even saw some of this pack already in the stores months before. With this new Xbox 360 Arcade pack Microsoft aims to attract casual gamers and families.

If you think that the console war is over, then you are wrong. Every month the console providers, Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony sum up their sales to see if who is ahead. For the month of September Xbox 360 reigns supreme over Nintendo Wii in North America. You can say that it was a close fight since the number of units sold is not that far apart. Microsoft was able to sell 527,800 Xbox 360 and Nintendo sold 501,000 Wii units. What helped Xbox 360 come to number one is the launching of the Halo 3. You will remember that the much-awaited Halo 3 and the previous Halo games can only be played in the Xbox. On the first day of its launch Halo 3 has already garnered $170 million and during that first week it had a total $300 million sales. And this has been a great thing for the Xbox 360.

There’s another goody popped out for the gamers out there, specifically for those who are avid fans of the Xbox. Yesterday, September 16, Microsoft shipped the special edition Halo 3 Xbox 360 console. Those who desire it will definitely have one cool-looking device in their hands, what with the Halo 3 spartan green and gold wireless controller that goes with the package. Talk about one colorful game console!

After the price cuts made by Sony on their PS3 game console, Microsoft is prepared to follow with the announcement that Xbox 360 will also have a price drop. Every model of the Xbox will undergo price reduction. The premium Xbox 360 will now be $350 lesser by $50, the Elite $450 cheaper by $30 and the low-end version for $280 less $20. According to Microsoft, they have designed the price cut just in time for the release of new game titles, one of which is the most awaited Madden NFL game that is set to be on sale by next week.

Do you still remember the Xbox 360 Elite, which is the advanced version of the Xbox 360 game console? Well guess what? This 360 Elite is set to launch in Japan on October 11 this year. This move is probably going to be a challenging one because of the fact that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is way behind Nintendo and Sony’s sales in terms of game consoles. But then when has Microsoft ever backed down on a challenge? And those who are interested in the Xbox 360 will not be short-changed because this advanced version is integrated with a bigger hard drive – 120 gigabytes, six times more than the regular Xbox 360’s.

Nope this is not my life story, but when I was just a kid I remember the game Double Dragon. I’m not likely to forget this game because my brother would not let me play, and I could see that it was such a fun game to play! I remember that the dame involved a lot of knocks, punches, kick and fly-kickin’ of the enemy right down to the ground. These can only be dome If you’re a Double Dragon fan you probably remember the heroes twin brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee as they rescue Billy’s kidnapped girlfriend Marian.

Spring can be a time for new surprises. Microsoft has come up with a surprise for their avid Xbox users. To hit stores on May 7 will be the updated Xbox 360 that will feature the Windows Live Messenger as well as a snap-on controller keyboard. The Live Messenger will allow Xbox 360 and PC users to send and receive instant messages from anywhere in the messenger family. Users can have up to six instant message conversations simultaneously, each with multiple contacts. Having this feature will surely make the gaming experience more fun and interactive. Another thing is that the QWERTY keyboard will be officially revealed this summer and will enable users to play and type without the need to change devices.

They say that humans have the tendency to be insatiable in almost all kinds of things. And this is even true for gamers. They are always hankering for more and better gaming experience. Well Xbox enthusiasts have a new reason to celebrate. Why? It’s simply because Microsoft is bringing to the stores the new edition of the Xbox 360 game machine. This new edition called the Xbox 360 Elite really offers much more in terms of hard drive, high-definition video support and a superbly stylish black finish. Hard drive which is now 120 GB will be sold separately with a cable for copying files from the original Xbox 360. Upon purchase the Xbox 360 Elite package also includes a black wireless headset, HDMI cable, controller and a one month Gold membership to Xbox Live.

Microsoft is ever on the go in expanding its business interests. This time they are aiming to widen the scope of their gaming market. Theirs is a very wise move because they chose one of the most progressive countries there is today – none other than China. We all know that China has a large population, consequently a large online population. Reports have it that China’s online population alone is a good 132 million! Just imagine if Microsoft will be able to reach and persuade that population to try their gaming services. A market with this kind of population will certainly give a big boost to Microsoft’s Xbox 360 sales. Of course, we shouldn’t forget the Xbox Live service.

After the New Year, console games are still on the roll. The various game makers are offering more and more games for Nintento Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360. Well the latest buzz about the games is that the game called Castlevania: Symphony of the Night – one of the most popular games there is, is reported to exceed the download limit of Xbox Live Arcade which is 50MB. And not only the game itself, but the demo of the game will most likely be more than 64MB - the available storage of memory cards. This might seem like a drawback, but Greg Canessa, Group manager of XBLA, assures the public that this big file download will only ensure a more dynamic and exciting gaming experience.