Did you think Amazon was going to leave you (and your wallet) to slog through the press of holiday shoppers at your local retail stores? Hardly. The full article contains the list of goodies available for Amazon's Black Friday Sale.

Video game retailer GameStop expects a US$ 50 price cut to be announced for both the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 later this year. Let's cross our fingers for that one (specially for the PS3 since Sony's Chief Financial Officer said they had no plans for it). More details in the full article.

Sitting here on this computer chair, reading about the week's that's just passed, I'm amazed at how many updates have occurred in the interim. The spotlight happens to be shining on a few select games, with a number of updates, as well as surprising words from people in the industry. Let's take a look at this week's Xbox 360 Weekend Warrior, shall we?

Over on the Ben Heck modding forums, there's a new, functional mod that reminds us of Ben Hecks PS360 controller. A poster by the name of RDC has taken the innards of an Xbox 360 controller and placed it within the shell of a DualShock 3 controller.

(Editor's Note: QuickPeek finally hits the big FIVE-OH!)

Two more editions and we'll be clocking in a full year of weekly recaps! What's in store this week? Lots of hellos and goodbyes. Some hellos are pre-mature, as seen in the case of MGS4 breaking street date (or not), and some goodbyes are actually kinda uplifting - especially if it might result in a 10-year disbarment. Get ready for some major surprises this week!

Want to know more about what's happening with Ubisoft Montreal's upcoming Far Cry 2? Patrick Redding has been able to spill some juicy beans on the game.

The developers are looking into Sixaxis moition and there's a supposed simultaneous release on all formats. Furthermore, the future of the game is taking shape in an upcoming DLC. Find out more information after the jump!

In a recent interview with CVG, Shingo "Seabass" Takatsuka, Executive Producer of Pro Evolution Soccer 2008, talks about the game's transition to the PlayStation 3 - how this affects the game and how it will affect its evolution.

Takatsuka goes into the multiplayer aspect of the game, saying that the game will only support one on one for online gaming. He explains that the experience you get from two on two or even six on six while playing online is simply a different experience than offline gaming and you wouldn't enjoy the game as much.

He explains that there's "absolutely no difference in terms of code between the PS3 and 360 versions" which is not to say that you get exactly the same experience between the two, with the obvious difference between the consoles' controllers. Takatsuka gives is own opinion:

If you're asking about the controller I can only give you my personal opinion. I am really bad at using the 360 controller and I make a lot more missed passes and mistakes using the 360 controller, so I like the PS3 controller more. However a lot of my friends prefer the 360 controller so it's really personal preference.

New modes and new features will be introduced in the following games in the franchise, but the move to include the game on the PS3's roster would probably leave room for adapting the PS3's DualShock 3, not particularly for the rumble feature though. As Takatsuka explains, the motion sensing capabilities is more of a priority to give the game a simpler yet more accurate control system.

 

If the creators of this next product can make this a reliable way to port different control schemes into the Xbox, nothing on earth would stop pro gamers from mastering Gears of War. Team Xtender will be releasing a multi-purpose port for the XBox 360.

Called the XFPS 360, the device allows gamers to plug in and use different input devices for your Microsoft's next-gen console. Team Xtender says it will allow gamers to plug in a PS2 Dual Shock 2 controller or a keyboard and mouse combination for use with the 360. They also say it will allow for automatic firing, which should be interesting in an actual firefight.

Of course, since it isn't out yet, there's no way to test the functions of the product, much less the reliability and durability of the XFPS 360. Team Xtender has assured folks that the first batch will be out by the end of December.

If it works well, then there's definitely no shortage of gamers who might like the edge this little gadget can bring to their game. For now though, we'll wait for someone to actually test it first. Any takers?

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Update: We noticed Team Xtender's site after we had originally written about this article. It seems a lot more legitimate than the original site linked, so we opted for a rewrite reflecting the change, and included the latest news from Team Xtender regarding the XFPS 360. We apologize for the mix-up there.

With the launch of two of the industry's most-awaited gaming consoles just around the corner, the general excitement that has been building up can be felt almost everywhere. While the rest of us are painfully counting the days, hours, and minutes for those shiny, new machines to finally be available, Robert Workman from GameDaily takes a step back to assess the video game consoles of our time, to see which companies have actually done their homework.

Basing his comments on the console's price, game library, and lifespan, Workman then proceeds to grading the various gaming systems and issues a small prediction for that particular console.

Playstation 2: B+
A solid gaming machine with a fair price, the PS2 has a good library of games, as well as one of the best controllers of its time, no thanks to the Dual Shock 2. Despite being cast in the shadow of its bigger relative, the Playstation3, many good games are still being published for this well-loved console, with titles including the types of Final Fantasy XII (I personally recommend this game, by the way), God of War, and Okami. However, this star may just lose the limelight because of the PS3's superior technology.

Xbox: D
Microsoft's first attempt to enter the gaming industry may not have been as successful as they wanted it to be. Though the Xbox has a good library of games, this good factor may have been neutralized by its bulky frame. At this time, Microsoft has also stopped publishing games for this platform, with only the occasional third-party title making a quiet appearance from time to time. It may have been doom for this console the moment the Xbox 360 was released.

Want to know how other consoles fared? Then read the rest at the full article!

Now we haven't heard anything from this game since May when a gameplay movie was released, so this makes a welcome change. The developers of Ubisoft's Brothers in Arms Hell's Highway, Gearbox, have revealed that they are experimenting with a way to utilize the Dual Shock controller's tilt sensors in their game. Gearbox Software's president, Randy Pitchford told Games Radar "There's a recon team that has a jeep and we're thinking about steering the jeep or playing with that... There's a couple of other things, with aiming mortars and stuff".

However, before you get your hopes up Pitchford was hasty to point out that he "didn't want to make any specific promises about what goes into the final game because we're just now experimenting with this technology."

The other bit of gossip concerning Brothers in Arms Hell's Highway is the release of 3 brand new screenshots for the game that will hit the PS3, PC and Xbox 360 in 2007. The hi-resolution screenshots show just how much effort is going into this game, despite the differences between the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game. The PS3 version could see tilt technology whereas the Xbox 360 will feature rumble support.