XBOX 360 HD-DVD DRIVE NOW $49.99 NEW AT AMAZON

Well, I was planning on hitting the sack, but then I made one last stop in at Amazon.com to check on the Xbox 360 HD-DVD player and, as was the rumor this weekend, the drive is being sold (at least at Amazon right now) for $49.99 brand new. While I haven't seen the price drop at other retailers as of yet, I can't imagine Amazon will be the only one.

(Just in case you aren't aware, Toshiba has officially abandoned the format, and Microsoft has announced they are discontinuing the drive. You have been warned.) 

• Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player – Xbox.com
• Xbox 360 HD-DVD Player $49.99 – Amazon.com
• HD-DVD Statement Issued – Gamescore Blog

UPDATE: 10:42AM – 2/25/08: It looks like the drive is now sold-out at Amazon.

CHILD’S PLAY CHARITY KICKS OFF 2007 DRIVE

 

It's that time of the year again folks – on November 1st, the gang over at Penny Arcade kicked off this year's Child's Play charity drive. For those of you unfamiliar with Child's Play, the charity was founded in 2003 by Gabe and Tycho of Penny Arcade fame as a way for gamers to help children in need while simultaneously showing that we're not all the socially maladjusted misfits the media so often makes us out to be.

Since that first year, Child's Play has amazed just about everyone involved with just how much gamers worldwide have been willing to open their hearts and wallets to help those less fortunate than themselves. Every year, the drive seems to draw in even more donations and is able to expand to include even more locations – and make the world just a little bit of a nicer place in the process. To date, the charity has brought in donations of toys and cash in excess of 1.6 million dollars. That's a lot of smiling children.

"Every year we put the call out to the game community, and every year we’re blown away by your response. Raising over a million dollars in 2006 was a phenomenal achievement, and although it’ll be a challenge to beat, there’s certainly no harm in trying. We’ve expanded our partner hospital network to over 45 this year, but if you would like to have a specific hospital added, please get in touch with us and we’ll get that ball rolling. For those of you wondering about the charity auction dinner, December 11th is the date; details will be coming in the next week.

So get involved, check out the wish lists or see if your company wants to participate on the sponsor level! Every little bit makes a difference, so thank you for chipping in- this is what the game community is all about!" – ChildsPlayCharity.org

By now, I'm willing to bet that you're chomping at the bit wondering how it all works and how you can help – Well, it's very simple – and I'll tell you all about it;

The charity selects children's hospitals around the world and asks them to create a wish list over at Amazon.com for items that they could use to make the children who stay there more comfortable during their time in the hospital – some of these children will only be in the hospital for a short period of time, while others may never leave. 

This is where you come in – visit the Child's Play charity website and select the hospital you would like to assist. When you click on that hospital's icon, you'll be taken to their wish list over at Amazon.com, where you can see what items they are requesting and how many they could use. Simply find something on the list that you'd like to donate, add it to your cart and proceed to checkout. Once purchased, Amazon will speed your donation out to the selected hospital where it will find it's way into a child's hands. It really is that easy.

Child's Play is a charity that has no overhead aside from things like shipping costs for items donated to or purchased directly by the charity – for the most part, every single dollar you may donate – and certainly every book or toy you send to a hospital – goes right where it belongs. I wouldn't advertise it as much as I do if I didn't believe 100% in Gabe & Tycho's vision and honesty in that matter.

I could talk about how studies have shown that videogames can help reduce the pain children feel from chronic afflictions, or how a book can take them to a world removed from the situation they are in for a little while, but when push comes to shove, it's all about making children who so desperately need a smile happy. I think that's something we can all get behind.

Besides, you really do need to make up for your indiscretions against the Weighted Companion Cube, you know. 

STATE OF THE SITE: WE HAVE A WII!

Well, it turns out that rumor we reported on yesterday turned out to be true – Amazon.com did indeed put their inventory of Wii consoles up for sale at 1pm EST. Surprisingly, the Wii was in stock for at least an hour, meaning either demand is abating a bit or they had a ton of them in stock.

The reason I report back on this is that I was one of the people who managed to grab a Wii. What this means to you as that our coverage of Wii news will probably begin to expand as I now will have access to the Virtual Console and Wii titles.

You know, this is the first time I've had all three of the major consoles within a year of their release. Usually there will be one system that I just totally ignore until well into the price cut period. Now to start looking into what accessories I should grab.

Let the games begin!

RUMOR MILL: AMAZON TO HAVE WII IN STOCK TODAY?

Consider this one a public service announcement for those of you still desperately searching for a Wii – according to a rumor posted over at Kotaku, Amazon.com will be putting their inventory of Nintendo's Wii up for sale today (10/31) at 1pm EST/10am PST. 

Even if the rumor is true, don't expect them to last long – the Wii is still highly in demand, and I'm sure there are plenty of people out there who are going to be clicking like mad as zero hour approaches. If you're going to give it a shot, let me be the first to wish you the best of luck.

• Who Still Needs A Wii? – Kotaku