Looks like Sony isn’t the only gaming giant having problems. Microsoft’s new disc format will allow for an extra 1GB of storage space for new games and hopefully stop piracy, but there is a problem. It looks like some consoles contain drives that can’t read the new XGD3 discs. Opps.

The email pictured above has been confirmed as real by the Xbox Support Twitter account, but now it’s responding to inquiries by saying that the replacements are in response to a previous update and not the upcoming one that has been in beta.

I am a big fan of Spore on the PC. My son likes the game very much as well proving that gamers of all generations find something to like with Spore. Aside from the PC, Spore was also offered on the Wii leaving Xbox and PS3 gamers in the cold.

EA has announced that a couple new Spore titles are coming to Nintendo platforms this fall. Spore Hero for the Wii and Spore Hero Arena will expand the Spore franchise. Spore Hero for the Wii is a story driven game that takes players on missions to save their planet. Along the way, players can find new parts and upgrade their characters.

Anyone that’s been interested in buying a Nintendo Wii this holiday season is aware of just how difficult it has been to get one and people are capitalizing on that fact, and so are many retailers. I purchased a Wii months ago that I had to stand in line one early morning to get, and even then I had to buy the $250 console bundled with two games for a total of $350. The Wii has seen a shortage for a year now and Nintendo says the lack of consoles available to meet demand is tough on planning for the company including creating any planning or promotions for new games. However, I can think of worse problems than having a consistently higher demand than supply.

According to Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of America, Nintendo is also discouraging the practice of bundling the console itself with other items since the Wii loses its price advantage over competitor consoles like the Xbox 360 or the Sony PS3, but it is ultimately up to the retailers how they decide to sell the console. He also added that the power Nintendo held over what retailer they would ship consoles helped retailers adhere to the companies suggestions.

After much speculation, rumors and a confirmed sighting Microsoft has finally made an official statement that the $350 Xbox 360 Premium will indeed be shipping with an HDMI port. Many reasoned that this would be the case since the HDMI output was available on the Elite version and it may be more cost effective for Microsoft to manufacture a single configuration. No news yet on the Core system getting the HDMI but maybe it will to once the current inventory without HDMI dwindles.

Microsoft’s official statement: “Yes, we are offering an …

The NPD data for June game sales are in and it looks as if Nintendo continues to wallop the competition with both its latest generation Wii game console and the handheld DS. In June Nintendo sold 381,800 Wii game consoles which was nearly twice as much as its nearest competitor Microsoft, selling 198,400 Xbox 360′s. Sony’s Playstation 3 came in 3rd for the full-size latest-generation consoles with 98,500 units. This is the sixth month in a row that Nintendo has had the lead in current-generation game console sales with this months margin …

The developers at LucasArts aren’t just about making games with lightsabers and TIE Fighters in them. A case in point comes in the shape of “Fracture”, one of their new titles now in development and slated for a mid-2008 release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Under development by Day 1 Studios, you step into the boots of Mason Briggs, a soldier from the mid 22nd century that uses weapons that can deform and manipulate the terrain around you to turn a physical disadvantage into a strategic advantage.

Suppose that …

Japan – In an uncommon fashion the Nintendo Wii was released to consumers in Japan this Saturday after it’s release to the US two weeks ago. Nintendo stated that the earlier release to the US was to capture more of the holiday shopping season, and speculations are that the timing was to also rival the PS3 release which was only days prior. Previous Nintendo releases have usually been done in their home country of Japan first, and then to the US.

Nintendo has 400,000 units available for sale in Japan and has …