Among the many fascinating (and not so fascinating) takeaways from Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter's recent and massive industry report are revelations about the current console adoption rate. As much as the Wii has seemingly penetrated previously untapped demographics (see grandma's now defunct bridge club) and ostensibly raised console adoption rates to new highs, the current generation is practically dead even with the last one when comparing the two generation's first four calendar years on the market. That is, from 2005 (when Xbox 360 launched in late November) through 2008, the current generation of consoles (Wii, PS3 and 360) combined for approximately 78 million unit sales, according to Wedbush Morgan estimates. Comparatively, from 2000 (the year PS2 launched) through 2003, the previous generation (GameCube, PS2 and Xbox) combined for 78–79 million unit sales. However, in this pivotal fifth year, Wedbush Morgan predicts the current adoption rate will begin to pull ahead of the previous rate.

Yes, we know -- another console price drop story. Our contempt rivals your own, we assure you. However, this time around, the report comes from a source that's proven to be eerily accurate on hardware announcements in the past -- Ars Technica's unnamed "mole," a prophetic figure who managed to predict the capabilities of the PSP Go, the release of the red Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360 bundle and, most notably, last fall's universal 360 price cut.

On the Sony front, the mole is claiming that the 80GB PS3 will become scarce over the next two months, being mostly replaced by the 160GB model. As the larger model continues to sell into the fall, Sony will supposedly simultaneously announce the oft-rumored PS3 Slim and the even more oft-rumored price cut. The mole was unable to discern the exact amount that would be shaved off the price of the console, but was confident it would provide Sony with a much-needed sales boost.

For Microsoft, the mole expects the Pro system to be ushered off store shelves with the help of a few attractive Pro bundles which will crop up over the next few months. The Pro will be replaced by the 120GB Elite, which will supposedly undergo a price cut in September, followed by the release of its own bundles in October. With downloadable titles becoming a focus for both companies, turning the spotlight on consoles with larger hard drives makes sense -- but only time will tell if the Ars mole's sterling predictive reputation will persevere.

While expanding the unrelenting grasp of World of Warcraft to home consoles would undoubtedly net Blizzard an extra googolplex subscribers, there's a number of hurdles keeping MMOs from succeeding on non-PC platforms -- hurdles that were identified by Blizzard's executive VP of game design, Rob Pardo, in a recent interview with IndustryGamers.

Some hurdles are self-evident, such as the lack of a "keyboard and mouse" input device, and the massive amounts of storage space required for most online games (WoW is up to 10 gigs). Some have to do with the policies of the hardware manufacturers themselves, such as Microsoft's lengthy certification measures which would make WoW's frequent patches a nightmare to publish. However, according to Pardo, Microsoft has asked Blizzard for MMO advice, and has shown the company "some stuff they have in development." Halo MMO re-confirmed! (No, not really.)

Pardo's MMO outlook for the current generation of consoles is poor, but he thinks the next round of hardware is more likely to get it right -- at which point, people will be able to play WoW on any platform they want, and pretty much everyone will stop leaving the house. Hooray?

Today, Microsoft revealed a new Xbox 360 Elite bundle headed to store shelves this May. The Xbox 360 Game of the Year bundle includes the little-known online shooter called Halo 3 and Joystiq's 2008 game of the year pick, Fable II. The M-rated bundle is priced at $399, making the two million-plus unit selling pack-in titles free of charge.

Those of you keeping score at home will remember rumors of an elite bundle, which was set to include the two Microsoft Game Studios powerhouse titles, had been floating around the web earlier this month. Microsoft, continuing a long history of totally being able to keep a secret, confirmed the bundle today via Major Nelson's blog.

Update: Major Nelson has clarified this bundle will be available in all regions where Xbox 360 is sold, except those in Europe.

If you were holding your breath for Microsoft's response to the PlayStation 2's recently announced $99 price point, it's now safe to exhale -- Microsoft vice-president of interactive entertainment business Chris Lewis recently issued a calm, cool and collected statement regarding the discount, stating, "The future lies in the growth of current generation consoles," a future in which he's confident the Xbox 360 will continue to trump the PS3.

Considering the original Xbox has been discontinued for nearly three years, Microsoft hasn't had a horse in the sixth-generation race for quite some time now. Still, it'll be interesting to see if the bargain-priced PS2 can take a bigger chunk out of current-gen console sales in light of the not-so-awesome state of the economy.

If you prefer video game consoles that look like common kitchen appliances (here's looking at you, PS3), have we got a treat for you -- BenHeck.com contributor Vomitsaw recently put the final loving touches on his Super Nintoaster project, which, as the portmanteau-sensitive among you have probably already discerned, is a Super Nintendo. Inside of a toaster. It's safer than it sounds (we think).

It's actually Vomitsaw's second toaster-based console mod -- he crafted a regular ol' Nintoaster last fall. Sadly, neither model has been able to fulfill its kitchen appliance destiny, and won't do much to conflagrate your bread. It's probably for the best -- all it takes is one mistaken slot, and you've got a golden brown, formerly priceless copy of Chrono Trigger, which we hear is actually pretty delicious with raspberry preserves.

[Via Engadget]

Here it is, folks. Major Nelson has done us the courtesy of producing the above unboxing video for the red Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360 console. New facts have emerged, as we now know the bundle features not only a gaming console, but also a headset, and a power supply. There's even a copy of Resident Evil 5 in there to enjoy. You'll be able to scare up one of your own next month, on Friday the 13th.

Update: A few folks have brought it to our attention that the red Xbox 360 shown in Major's video is one of the newer, more reliable Jasper models. During the video, Major mentions the console includes a Jasper-sized 150 watt power supply and also shows the power plug-in. A plug-in that looks oh so similar to the special Jasper connector.

We aren't sure if all RE5 Xbox 360s will feature Jasper chipsets, but we're nearly certain that the hardware in this video has Jasper innards. Take that knowledge for whatever it's worth.

[Via Engadget]

Anyhoo, if you're in the market for a 360, we highly recommend you try to secure a Jasper 360 using a few of AnandTech's Jasper identification strategies. They've detailed tips including console lot number matching, looking up the console wattage and - most accurate of all - looking at the power connector. Remember, Jaspers are teh hawtness. You want Jaspers.

So there you have it kids, the Xbox 360 Arcade now has internal memory instead of an external Memory Unit. That means you can save games and download content right out of the box, but if you want to take it anywhere, you'll need to pick up a Memory Unit like everyone else.

Wipe away those tears, sunken-eyed PC loyalists. We know you're upset that Firaxis appears to have turned their back on you in favor of the somewhat fairer console waters, but perhaps the latest edition of Big Versus on Joystiq's youngest sibling, Big Download, will mend your tattered hearts. The console-exclusive Civilization Revolution is measured against the PC-exclusive Civilization IV in this installment -- are PC gamers being robbed of an important chapter in the seminal turn-based strategy franchise, or are they dodging a dumbed-down, oversimplified bullet? You've got to read to find out -- but knowing you brainy PC types, that shouldn't be a problem.

This might just be the coolest thing we see all weekend.

Darkeru from the Ben Heck forums came up with the idea for this beauty, and after months of "careful planning," finally finished his creation. It's exactly what you think it is; a mod that plays NES games on a NES game cartridge. What an ingeniously simple idea (though if we really think about it, our brains might implode).

The games are built into the portable -- ninety-nine of them, in fact -- which sounds pretty convenient. Other than that, we have nothing to say except that we're still gawking at this thing. Oh, and do want.


[Via Engadget]

In our interview with Diablo 3 lead designer Jay Wilson, it was explained that there were no plans to bring the long-awaited title to any platform other than PC and Mac. However, in the six days that have passed since said interview, a couple of Blizzard higher-ups weren't quite as dismissive of the possibility of the dungeon crawler making an appearance on our primitive gameboxes -- though the language used to describe this possibility hasn't exactly given us high-apple-pie-in-the-sky hopes.

When asked about a console rendition of the third entry in the Lord of Terror-slaying franchise, Blizzard COO Paul Sams gave an inconclusive "I don't know yet," though Vice President of Game Design Rob Pardo suggested a console port was "theoretically possible," as out of all of Blizzard's franchises, Diablo would be the most console-friendly. We guess a theoretical "yes" is better than an actual "no", or a metaphorical "maybe", but we're still not holding our bated breath for a non-compy version of Diablo the Third.

Remember last month when Sony claimed that the PS3 had surpassed the Xbox 360 in Europe? The battle of the numbers continues today as European VP of strategic marketing for interactive entertainment at Microsoft EMEA (say that three times fast) David Gosen let it be known that the Xbox 360 has sold more than 5 million units in Europe, "well over" 5 million in fact. He also puts a stop to Sony's shenanigans -- assuming his word is better than Sony's anyway -- by noting that the Xbox 360 is actually "at least, if not more than, three quarters of a million ahead of PS3." Gosen also takes issue with analysts' claims that 360 sales have slowed in Europe saying, "If we look at the momentum in the business in the last few months, the trajectory has changed significantly," adding that analysts should "check their numbers."

Ooh, did you hear that analysts? Burn!

The official Nintendo Korea site states the country will join the chorus of global Wii worship on April 26, 2008 for 220,000 won ($225 USD). The console will launch with eight titles, including Wii Sports (not included in box), Wii Play -- one of the best selling pieces of "software" in the US -- and puzzle adventure game Zack & Wiki.

The launch happens a little over a week before Children's Day, a popular gift-giving holiday in the country. We'll have to wait and see if the Wii can pull Koreans away from their computer screens -- and Starcraft -- long enough to try out some console gaming.

[Via GoNintendo]