Time was, if you bought a used 360 hard drive, you could call a toll-free number and dupe Microsoft into sending a free transfer cable. Then they got wise and charged $12. It's now a fully listed accessory, for $15.

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer was supposed to be talking about cloud computing on Thursday, but an offhand remark during a Q&A session hinted that additional "form factors" for the Xbox 360, with price points to suit them, are being considered.

If you planned on doing any Xbox 360 purchasing this weekend, it might behoove you to cool your jets for at least a few more days. Amazon is listing a new Xbox 360 Elite bundle that's a solid deal.

On his blog, David Jaffe writes that similarities between Microsoft's upcoming Scrap Metal and Sony's Twisted Metal, as well as the film title "War of the Gods," should both rate "a sternly worded legal letter," from Sony's lawyer-mans.

A change to the Xbox Live code of conduct this morning now allows gamers to express their sexual orientation in Xbox Live profiles or Gamertags.

The new policy states:

"You may use the following terms to express your relationship orientation in your profile or Gamertag: Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender, Straight.

Original Xbox games will no longer be playable over Xbox Live as of April 15, but Microsoft is easing the pain of Halo 2 players by offering "avid" players free stuff and a shot at

Things break. And this generation, the Xbox 360 has broken more than any other console. Some gamers might simply become resigned. Jasper Steven is not one of those people.

When his Xbox 360 croaked, he decided that he'd had enough so he gutted the machine and made this Xbox 360 sculpture. It is not held together by glue or tape, but the sorrow of its fallen comrades.

Last night we posted a version of the Halo: Reach multiplayer video that leaked out a tad early, but now that it's official Bungie has a few more details about it.

Microsoft has unlocked the Forza Motorsport 3 downloadable content previous exclusive to new copies of the game, and developer Turn 10 have unlocked their hearts, donating $10 towards earthquake relief in Haiti for every VIP Membership Car Pack sold.

Last month the worldwide effort to thwart the illegal copying and sales of video games took a turn to the draconian, with a number of publishers introducing new measures that often seemed to impact legitimate gamers as much as pirates.