Xbox 360 Update

Konami executive Kazumi Kitaue, head of Konami North America and European ops, dropped a bombshell today saying that Metal Gear Solid 4 may move to other consoles in an attempt to recoup development costs. He also said the PS3 price drop may not turn the ship around. The natural assumption, given the console hardware technology, is that Metal Gear Solid 4 will see its day on the Xbox 360, destroying one of the final feathers in Sony’s hat of exclusives.

You can read the full story at Joystiq here.

A man from Florida has filed a federal lawsuit against Microsoft, accusing the company of defective design with the Xbox 360. Jorge Brouwer’s lawsuit focuses on issues with scratched disks rather than the infamous red Ring of Death that has plagued many consoles. You can read the full story here.

The Xbox 360 Chatpad was announced back when the Spring Update was released, however, some new information has been posted on Xbox.com.

The Chatpad will be part of something called the “Xbox 360 Messenger Kit” which will also include a seperate headset. The Kit will be priced at $29.99 and will be available September 4th.

Official Description

Chatting with friends and family on Xbox LIVE® and Windows-based PCs is easy using the Xbox 360 Messenger Kit. This device easily connects to any Xbox 360 controller and provides easy to use chat capabilities while maintaining gameplay functionality in one easy-to-hold device. The Messenger Kit includes a Chatpad and Xbox 360 Headset.

• Chat on Xbox LIVE with ease featuring dedicated keys to letters and characters.
• Don’t hamper your style-the Xbox 360 Chatpad attatches seamlessly to your Xbox 360 Controller.
• Backlit buttons allow you to accurately type words even in dimly lit environments.
• Messenger Kit includes the Xbox 360 Wired Headset for the ultimate communication bundle.

The Xbox 360 Chatpad has a page on Xbox.com here.

Bungie has posted some 3D Quicktime movies on thier website. For those of you that don’t have Quicktime, I have uploaded them to Youtube.com and embedded them below. I have also included links to where you can download the interactive Quicktime movie from.

The Brute Chopper

Download original file from Bungie here.

The Brute Chopper Video 2

Download original file from Bungie here.

E.V.A. Halo 3 Spartan Armor

Download original file from Bungie here.

C.Q.B. Halo 3 Spartan Armor

Download original file from Bungie here.

The first ever screenshot of the campaign from Halo 3 has been put up on Bungie.net. You can view it below.

Gamepro.com has put up a gallery containing around 200 screenshots from Halo 3. You can visit the gallery here.

CNET has posted a video showing some gameplay from ‘Rock Band’ and some of the instruments that players will be able to use. You can see the video on CNET from the link below. Rock band is not shown until about a minute left in the video.

Click here to see the Rock Band video on CNET

The 1980 arcade game ‘Missile Command’ by Atari Inc has been remade for Xbox Live Arcade. The new game features updated high-definition graphics.

• A new day, a new invasion! New Evolved modes make saving the coast more thrilling than ever. Make sure to get your nostalgia on with the included Classic versions too!
• Evolved gameplay and completely re-stylized versions of this classic game
• Fully integrated with Xbox Live Arcade Leaderboards and Achievements

Official Page on Xbox.com

Ubisoft has officially commented on the Black Pack content for Rainbow Six Vegas that was released on Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points and taken down shortly after. This is what they had to say.

“Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas Black Pack Downloadable Content for Xbox 360 Live was originally intended to be free content for the fans of Rainbow Six Vegas. We apologize for the error. All players who purchased the Black Pack will be reimbursed automatically. The Black Pack will be posted Saturday June 30th and will be free of charge. Also, as a token of our appreciation for the Rainbow Six community, we are making the Red Pack free as of Friday July 6th as well. Thanks for playing and we hope you enjoy this free content.“

Everyone that paid for the Black Pack will get their points back within 8-10 weeks.

The recently released Halo 2 Blastacular Map Pack is becoming free in the first weeks of July 2007. The following statement was published on Bungie.net here.

“Lastly, we are finally happy to confirm that Tombstone and Desolation will be available for free download in early July. We don’t have the exact date locked but it will be around the first week. Stay tuned to Bungie.net for the final details.“