iGames has teamed up with Microsoft to celebrate the robust HD content of Xbox Live. They're letting the fans in on it by putting together 40 bashes across North America to treat Xbox 360 fans to games like Rainbow Six Vegas 2, Halo 3, and Call of Duty 4: modern Warfare. Movies and prizes are also in store. See the full article for more details.

Got Milk? It seems the Xbox 360 is being saturated with all kinds of faceplates. A new - and perhaps slightly offbeat for the video game track - faceplate has become available for a limited amount of time. Introducintg the Milk Edition faceplate, which is based on Hong Kong's Milk Magazine.

 

Now, when we say limited amount of time, we mean it. There are only two units available in the whole wide world and they are both being sold in an online Yahoo auction that will end at noon of August 9. The asking price is now up to HKD 7,544 (about US$ 936). Proceeds will go to the World Wildlife Foundation.

The model is a sleek black that celebrates the sixth anniversary of the magazine, with its logo non-too-subtly yet elegantly printed on the side.

European gamers will be rocking out come October, as Activision representatives have reportedly confirmed that Guitar Hero III (PS2, Wii, PS3, Xbox 360) will be released in Europe on October 28. The game will come bundled with a guitar controller.

Guitar Hero III is the third entry in RedOctane's ultra-popular music series. Video game guitar gods will once again be able to shred their way through a variety of songs, but this time they'll be doing it on the game's new wireless controller. These controllers will also feature removable faceplates for easy personalization.

The game also features a new multiplayer guitar battle mode, boss battles and authentic rock venues. Players can also take their chops online and play against their fellow gamers worldwide.

RPG fans who've been itching for Namco Bandai's next gig, Eternal Sonata, can get a glimpse of the game's screens, features, and everything Trusty Bell by checking out the official site. Also posted on the home page: pre-orders are being offered by GameStop and EB Games.

And like most of these sweet pre-order packages, bagging Eternal Sonata now earns a bonus you'd want to keep. No, it's not Chopin's album, but none other than the faceplates you see on top. There's no need to deny it, you know you want your box in full color. Better hurry though, the offer's good while supplies last.

Aside from that, the official website offers a rundown on the game's plethora of features that you'd expect from a next-gen RPG passing Namco Bandai standards (in the fame of Tales and Xenosaga series). A trailer and a bunch of eye-candy screenshots are found on the Gallery page, while there's also a news page to keep you updated.

What are you waiting for? Click on the Read link below to explore the colorful world website of Eternal Sonata!

So, what's the tally like? Halo 3 gets Clix, toy guns, even more toy guns, special figurines, Mountain Dew, and a custom Xbox 360 casing, so why not style up some faceplates to go with that Xbox 360? (As well as the Clix, toy guns, even more toy guns, special figurines, and the Mountain Dew?)

Mad Catz recently announced a multi-year agreement with Microsoft to offer faceplates with Halo 3 characters on them. So far, just the faceplates. You'd think the company would try to milk it with more accessories than just faceplates - controllers could go well with it, too. Maybe Mad Catz could, in the future of that multi-year agreement, also take the option to extend the Halo 3-theming to other accessories.

But for now, just faceplates. This is the way the world ends you decorate the 360's front end.

We've featured the fur-coating for your controller before, so think of this as an "official" update to that. We say official because the company making the furry faceplates for the PSP and Xbox 360 are announcing it themselves, and are releasing a few more screens of their product.

Here be the new screens of the "like-fur" finished faceplates:

    

They're around $14.95 and while the patterns they have right now aren't exactly desirable (cow and leopard) they do promise that they'll expand their line. We suggest you get them when a pattern that more your style comes out.

No, no animals were shaved bald (maybe some Nintendogs) to make these things.

  

Since the Ice Age, we've been putting the skins of dead mammals on our backs to fend off against the bad elements. And with the different applications it's getting these days, fur's become both utility wear and a fashion statement - which is probably why Talismoon's getting in on this clothing trend with their latest addition to their Evolve line of accessories for the Xbox 360 controller and PSP.

Named the "Wild Jungle" collection, this new kit's just the thing for you guys who weren't too happy with Talismoon's chrome finish faceplates, and were opting for something a bit more...organic. The new kit currently comes in two designs: A leopard pattern, and a cow pattern - What bovine has to do with "Wild Jungle", we'll never know.

The skins are just synthetic fibres, so no animals were harmed in their production - ask the local PETA dudes to put their paint buckets down. These two are just their initial releases, so expect more "Wild Jungle" patterns to come up, each going for US$ 14.99 when they're released. Ain't it the coolest - we get to put dead animals on our consoles!

Xbox 360 owners in the UK can look forward to an Xbox Christmas this year as Microsoft announces the sheer glut of new Xbox 360 accessories that are making their way into stores for the holiday season.

On November 17, three new special edition faceplates will be made available to sate your need for customization. The faceplates will feature images from titles such as Viva Pinata and the Halo franchise. The estimated retail price for the faceplates is £14.99 (about 29 US dollars).

A week later, the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset will be in stores. If you're looking for the ultimate wireless experience then mark down your calendars for November 24. The Xbox 360 Wireless Headset integrates seamlessly with the Xbox 360 console to provide wireless voice chat capabilities, stylish design and superior voice quality over the Xbox Live network. These headsets carry an ERP of £34.99 (around 67 US dollars).

On the 1st of December, racing enthusiasts can really start burning rubber with the Xbox 360 Wireless Wheel with Force Feedback. Combining form and function with the latest technology in wireless and force feedback, this innovatively designed wheel provides racing fans with unparalleled driving realism at home. Those who buy the whee will also get a limited-edition force feedback version of Project Gotham Racing 3 while supplies last. ERP is £89.99 (around 171 US dollars).

December 1 is also the day that the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player makes its way into stores. Carrying an ERP of £129.99 (about US$247.00), the Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player comes with the Universal Pictures' blockbuster film Peter Jackson's King Kong on HD-DVD (for a limited time) and the Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote.

Keep in mind, kiddies, the prices stated above could change come the actual commercial release dates, so if you're saving up for one of the things we mentioned make sure you have more than enough to account for price fluctuations.

A new website for the Xbox 360 is now open in Japan, and it's looking really savvy. Entering the site, you are welcomed by music that makes you feel as if you've just been transported to a magical forest, complete with pixies and fairy dust. It's just so pleasant, it could almost be a lullaby.

Anyway, even though the music could bring you to dreamland, what's in the site is sure to keep you up. The front page of the site shows the product logo in a flat TV, alongside the console. Below the image of the TV rack are several designs of faceplates for the Xbox 360, which you can click on to have a closer look at the theme of the design.

Now, there are four main divisions of the site. The first one caters to the peripherals and accessories of the console. Clicking on each item (the controller, headset, Bluetooth, live cam, and memory card) opens up a separate window, which gives you a basic description of the item. The second division appears to be some kind of commercial. We can't be too sure, cause when we clicked on play, it just kept loading. We guess they'd still have to fix that one.

The third division is a slideshow of the Xbox Live. Pretty much, it appears to be some kind of video tour guide. Finally, the last division exhibits the different facets of the Xbox 360. From playing games, to checking out photos, to playing music, the Xbox 360 is sure to make things much more interesting. The animation is fascinating, with the characters acting out the different scenarios when the Xbox 360 could provide entertainment. And apparently, there's a vast opportunity out there to make this console work for you on more than just one occasion.

It's fun. And it's in Japanese. But although you may not speak it, we're sure you'd still enjoy it. The experience of fun is, after all, universal. Click on the link below to visit the site.

Feeling like your Xbox is getting a little dull? Want to add a bit of spice to your Xbox but don't know how? Well, Pavel Dolgov offers you a solution.

This Canadian artist can customize your Xbox 360 by painting on it using arcylic. Interested? Just bid for the item on e-Bay. Make sure to provide references (read: pictures or very detailed descriptions) for the artwork you want on your Xbox by contacting him through email (artistpavel@hotmail.com). Based on his artwork, I think he's doing quite a decent job on those Xbox 360 consoles (refer to the picture on the left, it's an example of an Xbox faceplate with errrr, a facelift). Hands down, this guy is amazing. He further says on the ad that faceplates will be numbered, which translates to "limited stocks only."

But Xbox faceplates are not the only things he can customize, as he is open to painting on various "gaming media" as well: faceplates, controllers, or other gaming paraphernalia could also be given some artistic treatment if you specify it in your order.

As it takes time to create a masterpiece, you have to wait for at least 7-14 days before the job gets done. He says that if you send in your own faceplate, you could get his service for $17 less, as he only buys original Xbox faceplates. Oh, and yeah, don't forget to pay.