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Heard of Vudu? Neither had anybody else until this weekend, when the Silicon Valley start-up got a double shot of well-coordinated publicity that's been burning up the Web: a big write-up in the New York Times and a batch of exclusive photos on Gizmodo. Vudu, it seems, is the latest stab at a video-on-demand movie box--a little set-top device that hooks to your TV and downloads movies from a broadband Web service. But Vudu looks to have some key advantages over past efforts from the likes of RCA and MovieBeam. First, it has the backing of most of the … Read more

Nintendo said Friday that it would address shortages of its hit Wii video game console by ramping up production.

According to the Associated Press, the video game giant's president, Satoru Iwata acknowledged that "we have not been able to properly foresee demand."

The company said it would boost sales of the Wii--which has dominated the next-generation console battle against Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3 since it was released in November--so that deliveries would increase by next month.

The news came a day after Nintendo released fiscal 2007 results showing that revenue had … Read more

If you're explaining an "Out of the Box" video to someone, it sounds kind of silly.

You take a brand-new, sealed product and proceed to unbox it and take out the contents for the very first time in front of a camera, with a running commentary. I'm a purist in this respect, not allowing anyone to sneak a peek inside or practice the unboxing before actually taping it.

So yesterday, when fellow NY editor John Falcone told me an Xbox 360 Elite made its way into the offices, I was all over it. After all, this … Read more

Our Xbox 360 Elite review sample showed up late yesterday afternoon, and we're working up a full review. But that's gonna be a 3,500-word monster intended more for casual gamers and tech newbies who don't know a thumbstick from a joystick or a shoulder button from a trigger. For those in the know, here's the crib sheet on the Elite.

Cosmetics: The Xbox 360 Elite has a matte-black finish. I strongly prefer it to the "iPod white" color scheme of past Xbox 360 models. The included wireless controller and Xbox Live headset are … Read more

Microsoft was out Friday helping people channel their inner Jimi Hendrix or Eddie Van Halen.

To promote the availability of Guitar Hero II on Microsoft's Xbox 360, the software company rigged up two moving vans' video screens and invited the public to rock out in front of real crowds.

The Microsoft vans made stops this week in San Francisco, including in front of CNET's South of Market headquarters. Another van cruised the streets of Boston.

Next week, the vans will be in Los Angeles and New York.

Guitar Hero is a guitar-playing simulation game that challenges users to … Read more

The Xbox 360 Elite is still a couple of weeks away, but Microsoft seems to be freshening up the 360's software in anticipation of the release. In advance of an early May dashboard update, the company has added around three dozen games for the "classic" Xbox that can now be played on the 360. Full title list after the jump.… Read more

Over the weekend, GameSpot reported that a couple of important new updates were on their way for the Xbox 360. First, Microsoft announced that a system update would be available starting the week of May 7; the spring update includes revisions to the Xbox 360 Dashboard and Xbox Live Marketplace.

"The biggest change in the cards. . .is the addition of Windows Live Messenger functionality," the GameSpot story says. "In addition to letting Messenger users on the PC chat with their 360-having friends, the update will also let Xbox 360 owners see if any of their Messenger contacts … Read more

Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero 2 were big hits for Harmonix, and now the company is going even further with its newest game. Today, Harmonix announced Rock Band, a music game for the PlayStation 3 and 360 that combines guitars, drums, and singing into a mutant offspring of Guitar Hero, Karaoke Revolution, and Taiko Drum Master.

Like the name implies, Rock Band will focus on cooperating with friends as players take lead/bass/rhythm guitars, drums, and vocals and work together to rock out. Guitar, drum, and microphone peripherals will all be available, but you won't need them all … Read more

Rockstar Games took the wraps off the teaser trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV yesterday afternoon, giving gamers their first look at the highly anticipated sequel. While only about a minute long, the trailer offers some key details about the new game. The graphics have gotten a big next-gen upgrade, the setting is clearly a skewed version of New York City, and the game puts you in the shoes of an Eastern European protagonist. Tor Thorsen over at GameSpot offers some additional details, but the big news is that all of the footage in the trailer was captured "in … Read more