At long, long last. Well, almost, but close enough for me. First there was the price cut, then there was the Halo 3 tax, and then finally despite the fact that the 65nm "Falcon" chipset isn't being implemented just yet, the inclusion of HDMI and new heatsinks in Premium 360 models is what broke the camel's back. Okay, Microsoft, despite all my previous whining, I'll get one. The HDMI premium looks like the best deal, since it's possible an HDMI Core may never materialize.

Besides, it'll be way more fun to play Halo 3 the game, instead of running around looking for people to play Halo 3 Lasertag with...

Anyhoo, it's been a mixed couple of weeks for the 360 and Microsoft. Sales dropped almost 60%, which could have tied into all the issues the console was experiencing (even if some were due to clueless users and were just loose cables). Simultaneously, the Wii has been closing rapidly on the total 360 sales numbers, which must make the money-printing fiends at Nintendo giggle and Ballmer bawl or bellow with rage. Furthermore, though the 360 sales are sure to see a substantial jump this month owing to the revised hardware, I was somewhat shocked to see that most 360 users generally don't know how to use their consoles to their fullest extent, including using XBL or media playing capabilities.

To round out the current next-gen news and sales figures: Nintendo is ramping up production to (maybe) finally meet Wii demand, their stock jumps handsomely simultaneously (and they're taking along all their parts manufacturers along for the profit-ride). Shockingly, the Wii was seen slipping in the Japanese hardware charts, to a mere 60K units for last month, being beaten by the DS (who else?). On the Sony front, even though the PS3 is the least played console (beaten by it's most-played-overall cousin, the PS2), the price drop has created a minor sales surge, which must be a breath of fresh air to Sony.

But what's really making this the right time to get a 360? Halo 3? Naw. It's this. Hit the jump to watch the intro movie for what's going to be my wife's favorite game of 2007.