The new Xbox 360 motherboard was just leaked and it looks pretty amazing. The new layout will include a power supply that is 25W less than the original because of the more efficient GPU as well as 256 MB of flash memory for your saved games. With video game consoles, the chipsets often go through several changes. The new Xbox 360 chipset will not enhance performance much but it will make the whole console a little cooler and less of an energy hog. Hopefully this will reduce the instances of the Red Ring of Death which has pretty much plagued the Xbox 360 since its launch.

[Source:Xbox Scene]

Sony has apparently removed the ban on their Netflix library for streaming on the Xbox 360. The ability to stream Netflix movies was one of the biggest improvements added with the New Xbox Experience update. However, due to obvious competitive issues, Sony had all of its subsidiary studio (Columbia Pictures) films pulled from the instant list. Xbox fans were up in arms regarding this development and as of now, Sony has placed most of its movies back in the database again. A few notable exceptions such as Superbad still remain however so only time will tell. The instant offerings that Netflix had could sure use the boost…

Its been 3 years since release and the Xbox 360 has just outsold the original Xbox. The Xbox made its debut in 2001 and ended its four year lifespan with 25 million units sold. The 360 is now poised to beat its sixth generation predecessor by even more following this holiday season. The arcade bundle, at 199, is now cheaper than the Nintendo Wii. The Xbox 360’s strong third party support and popular multiplayer component (Xbox Live) continue to give it a big advantage over the competition. We here at Xboxspies would like to congratulate team at Microsoft for putting together such a successful and fun console, although next time maybe we can have a few less Red Rings?

Although there is no such award, the Xboxspies Customer Service Award would definitely have gone to Sam’s Club. Users with the much publicized Red Ring of Death issue are able to exchange their faulty Xbox 360’s at Sam’s Club for no hassle. I recently got my very own Red Ring of Death after updating to the New Xbox Experience. For all those who haven’t gotten it yet and are unfamiliar with what to do, know that Microsoft extended the warranty covering the Red Ring of Death for 3 years. They will ship you a box for you to ship your Red Ring of Death Xbox 360 in to get free repairs. You will only really miss out on time.

Redrex32 appeared in Epic’s forums this weekend telling players of a loophole that would allow them to download the golden lancer (for Gears of War 2) for free. While it probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do on Epic’s own forums (and then re-posting when he found his posts summarily deleted), the resulting punishment of lifetime IP ban is a little harsh on Epic’s part. After all, Epic probably only got wind of this DLC error because of the user. The problem is now no longer there so anybody else looking to score a golden lancer will have to pay just like everybody else.

When asked the question of in-game advertising, many hardcore gamers grimace at the thought of selling out like Hollywood and Television. Will in-game advertising really suck the soul out of a game like the car did for the Transporter? The fact is, games require huge budgets these days that rival movies but unlike movies, they only have one form of profit, the gamers. With used game sales a consistant problem that is hard to combat, there exists a need for alternative sources of finance. A few well placed in-game advertisements can do just that. I enjoyed Fight Night despite the hardly explainable Burger King advertisements that were posted all over the game. As long as it is not too omni-present, a billboard or two in Liberty City can even add an air of realism to a game. I ask those hardcore gamers, would a few advertisements that would ultimately give the developers more money to develop a better game or quite possibly even lowering the price of the game itself be so bad?

Of course the other side of this argument is that it would take gamers out of the moment. Many people play games for the escapist fun it provides, gamers (myself included) simply want to take some time out of the day to detach from reality. Gamers tend to want a game that is completely unique and that may include any ties to reality (such as in-game advertising).

Let us know if you guys have an opinion on the matter

Now that most people have had a chance to try out the New Xbox Experience, it begs the question of why YOU haven’t (unless you have… in which case disregard this post). If you still haven’t gotten around to downloading it, trust me it only takes about 8 minutes (probably even faster now since there are less people downloading it). Here is the intro video, I would have been happy if this had been on the Xbox 720! Hurry up and download it! Work/School can wait!

Before you get too nervous, I assure you will be very happy with the New Xbox Experience. Microsoft has really out done themselves with this great face lift. Calling the New Xbox Experience a face lift though is not giving it enough credit as it represents a significant change under the hood as well.

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According to the monthly report released by the NPD, the Xbox 360 console is the best bet for profit for third party developers. The numbers behind the game and console sales make it clear that the Wii and Xbox 360 dominate in sales which means more platforms and more potential customers. With the Wii however, game development is often done in house by Nintendo. The xbox 360 however, is able to push out many more third party developed game hits. It is an interesting trend how games tend to sell more on the Xbox 360 and I’m sure this will fuel many fanboy wars.

We’re just days away from the release of Left 4 Dead and those of us who didn’t pre-order will simply have to settle for this intro movie to quench our thirst for undead mayhem. Left 4 Dead will be released on November 18th.