Gamers Evolved

Square Enix - the Japanese game software - stated this week that they would be launching their “Final Fantasy XIII” in 2009 in Japan. Square Enix has been keeping the due date a big secret hoping to get gamers excited.

Square Enix will offer “FF XIII” for both Sony Corp’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp’s Xbox 360 in North America and Europe, and exclusively for the PS3 in Japan. The launch timings for North America and Europe have yet to be decided.

Xbox gamers will be happy to know that they can have an Xbox Live Gold Subscription for as little as $3 per month. Newegg is selling 13 month Xbox Live subscription cards that are on sale for only $39.99. They can be shipped in 3-7 days for free.

For those of you who don’t know, a Live Gold subscription enables you to play games online against others. If you buy one of these cards directly from Microsoft (or, say, Best Buy), it’ll cost you $49.99.

Microsoft has added more storage space to the Xbox 360. So much storage that we don’t think many of you will be running out for a long time. The new Xbox 360 60 GB version will be selling for only $349 - which is the current price of the 20 GB version.

As many have already guessed the 20 GB version price will drop down to $299 until all units are sold. “We know that consumers need more and more space to store the digital content Xbox 360 offers, and we are giving it to them at no extra charge,” said Albert Penello, director of Xbox product management at Microsoft.

David Gosen from Microsoft stated this week that there would be “fantastic surprises awaiting everybody at E3″. The E3 Media & Business Summit begins July 16th.

It is important for Microsoft and the Xbox 360 to reveal some new surprises that will help them to keep up with the Sony PS3. Some of the rumors that have been surrounding the event is that they will be cutting their prices.

There is also a rumor that the 360 will be given a 3D dashboard or maybe even a 3D online world for Xbox Live. No matter what it will be interesting to see.

Xbox Live will be adding a whole new channel to their line-up – the social gaming channel. This is yet another chance for Microsoft to bring in some of the more casual and laid back gamers. They want the ones who are not addicted to certain games and therefore do not always have the interest in playing. They are using “programmatic, highly concurrent social interactive games” to reel them in.

In other words you can expect to see “game shows” or Xbox Live versions of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Jeopardy. It will also feature some concepts in the genres of “Trivia, Reality TV, Puzzles and Sports” that will allow them to play live event and to win some virtual prizes.