Get a free Xbox 360 4GB console with the purchase of a Windows 7 PC $699 or more, at participating retailers in the US from 5/23-9/3 or while supplies last. Verification of student status required. See participating retailers for full details.

You can use the PC scout to figure out what you want, but I wouldn't expect a top of the line gaming rig (or even a mid level one for that matter). If you are looking to get a gaming machine on a budget, I'd recommend Newegg.com and going the do it yourself route; it's really easy!.

If you are a poor college student and looking for some Microsoft hookups, I would totally recommend Dreamspark and hitting up your college's tech department. More often than not, the tech department will have free copies of windows products that they will install for you.

The best part is that it only took a week for hackers to break down the Kinect's security and offer it up on a silver platter to everybody to enjoy. I went from thinking it was going to be another dumb motion control gaming gimmick to seriously considering picking one up to play with. It may not be as a gaming device, but as an artist it would make for a cheap way to work into a fairly sophisticated interactive art piece. It's great to see that something like the Kinect has much more use and potential outside of being an Xbox gaming peripheral and that modding can be very beneficial to the community. The community also comes up with some pretty interesting things like the Minority Report interface for your Windows 7 computer. Would befun to control your computer like that for a little bit, but I'm not sure it would be all that comfortable after awhile.

If you are looking at the nuts and bolts of how to hack the Xbox 360 Kinect, Endgadget has a pretty good writeup on it. Make Magazine also has a neat article on how the infrared camera works in the Kinect. Now I've just got to convince the SO that I NEED a Kinect for my Xbox S, If only she would let me buy this one.

If you have been living under a rug, the premise with the PlayStation Move (over the Wii motion controls) is that the PS3 can track Z motion (depth) and gives the player better control. So you should be able to stab somebody instead of just swiping at them with a sword. The PS3 Move is going to suffer from the same issues as the Wii has: Waggleware. Games that both console manufacturers should be sweeping under the rug. Who wants to wave a controller as fast as they can to move faster (PlayStations TV super star and Wii Sports Resorts).

The other downside to the PlayStation Move is noticeable input lag.

So I tried The Fight: Lights Out. This is game seemed like the antithesis to TV Superstar. It's gritty and violent, sure, but it also tracks two Move controllers rather than one, allowing you to punch an opponent into oblivion. Plus, the Move's camera would track my eyes, allowing me to rotate my position by turning my head (a good thing, since I was warned not to move my feet after calibration). I couldn't wait, even donning 3D glasses for the full effect. The combat? Laggy. And I never felt like my punches were registered the way I threw them onscreen. Rather, my uppercut registered a precanned animation. I understand that my punches probably looked too horrible to use, but a lag, combined with pure animation cues, stops you from feeling like you're fighting. Heck, even Wii's loosely controlled Punch Out! feels more like actual boxing.

While not everything is bad about the PlayStation Move (read more about the Eye pet, Sports Champions and SOCOM) I just don't see the need for more motion control in video games. While Mark Wilson says SOCOM is enjoyable using the Playstaion Move controllers, I don't see it as being comfortable for extended periods. Playing some of the "point and shoot" games on the Wii was great fun, but it gets tiring quick. It will be interesting to see if Sony can bring developers to write for the platform and produce games that use the controls in unique/innovative ways. Time will tell if Sony can capitalize on the more feature heavy control scheme.

Then again, once you look at the true cost of PlayStation Move, it may be hard for game developers to write for it. PlayStation Move pricing breaks down like this: $39.99 for the main controller, $29.99 for the sub controller (although you could just use a dual shock controller) and about $40 for the PlayStation Eye. High costs + optional peripherals will mean for low adoption and game developers being reluctant to write games.

As always with super restrictive DRM, it's the legit customers that get screwed. Pirates cracked the game before it was even released, although there are still some issues with Assasins Creed (the game downloads bits of data for each level). This DRM also completely destroys any First Sale rights since the game is tied permanently to your Ubisoft account. The game looks super fun, but I will wait to play it on a Xbox 360

Sony is releasing the 3.21 PS3 firmware on April 1 and it's no April fools joke: PS3 owners will lose support for Linux and the 'OtherOS' install. The PS3 3.21 firmware does nothing else-no added features, game support-it just removes functionality. Sony is citing 'security concerns' but we all know that is a codeword for piracy.SCEA's Patrick Seybold explains that the removal of said functionality is necessary "due to security concerns ... [and] will help ensure that PS3 owners will continue to have access to the broad range of gaming and entertainment content from SCE and its content partners on a more secure system." I call bullshit on this one, Sony is out to squash the OtherOS exploit before it can be used for piracy.

If you wish to keep your Yellow Dog, or any other Linux install going on your older PS3 you will have to opt out of the 3.21 firmware update. The downside is that you lose the ability to play back DRM protected video stored on a media server OR play any future PS3 titles that require the 3.21 (or higher) firmware. PS3 owners who opt out of the 3.21 firmware update also can't sign into the PlayStation Network, which means no more online play or chat.

This reminds me of the constant battle that Sony has been fighting with home brew/piracy on the PSP. It seems that they update the firmware every other day to try and they still are unable to prevent people from using the PSP how they want. It's sad to see Sony start down this path with the PS3 and removing a feature because it MAY lead to home brew or piracy. Why not let patch the exploit in a way that still allows the OtherOS?

If you are looking for how to install Linux on your PS3 before the firmware update, check out Popular Mechanics.

The Gamecrush service costs $6.60 for 500 'credits' that can be used to play a game online with a GIRL or have a video chat. A game session usually lasts from 6 to 10 minutes and leaves enough GameCrush credits for the gamer to tip his PlayDate. GameCrush will also have social tools that allow PlayDates to post profiles complete with picture galleries, video clips, blogs and text chat. PlayDates can make up to $30 or more per hour while having fun playing online games. After a game session is completed, Players rate their gaming experience, and top-rated PlayDates are rewarded with enhanced site promotion and additional benefits.

GameCrush says that the cost of their service equates to something along the lines of buying a girl a drink. Now, you could argue if it is a real girl behind your 'PlayDate', but I suppose the video chat part would sort that out quick. Who knows if this will take off, but I have seen desperate gaming nerds pay for weirder things. That and their public beta was overwhelmed in minutes hints at high demand. How embarrassing would it be to have your 'PlayDate' kick your ass? Hint: Very funny, unless you are into that kind of thing.

If you want to read the GameCrush PR, you can do so here, but try to keep your sanity in check.

So, what's your thoughts on this new 'service' for gamers?

Joystiq has a hands on review of PS3 Slider and the game does seem to have charm; the game revolves around the concept of escaping from the Japanese mafia by using office furniture. While the concept is certainly zany enough to work, the downfall of PS3 Slider is the poor implementation of motion controls.

Waggling the controller moves the character forward, but to jump or duck you thrust the controller upward/downward. So moving forward, up and down use nearly identical motions; making for imprecise controls and frustrating game play. Just like Red Steel for the Wii (you had so much promise!). Joystiq failed to find the game enjoyable and correctly deduced that a casual gamer wouldn't be able to pick it up and play easily. This game probably could have used the SIXAXIS controller instead and been a much better game.

It's sad to see another avenue for poor (and gimmicky) motion controls used in another console. Good motion control makes a game more immersive in a way that normal controls cannot. Hopefully more First Party games for the PS3 get decent motion controls. Not to mention the amount of shovelware games that will be ported from the Wii to the PlayStation 3. Shovelware is never fun and makes for a poor purchase; worse, it's hard to tell how poorly a game has implemented motion controls until you purchase/rent the game. Thankfully there is always GameFly.

• Initial games will be tech demos showcasing control schemes
• They both use light to track where the controller is at.
• Both the PS3 Move and the Wiimote have a secondary controller with a control stick (and both come separate
• Extra Controllers for the PS3 Move and Wiimote are expensive.
• PS3 fanboys call the new control scheme "gimmicky". Wait, that was just the Wiimote.

OK, while the fine details may not be the same for the PS3 Move and Nintendo's Wiimote; the basic premise is exactly the same. Both controllers give players a new way to control future games and-in the case of the PS3-some older games like Little Big Planet. The PS3 Move handles the motion control differently than the Wiimote though. The PS3 Motion uses a LED lit ball coupled by the PS3 Eye toy to track it. The Wiimote uses a passive IR light in the sensor bar and the receiver is in the Wiimote and if you paid for it, the Motion Plus adapter for true 1:1 control.

The problem with the PS3 Move is that it is a add on and add ons have a terrible adoption rate for consoles. Couple that with how expensive the PS3 Move is going to be: for the "full" experience, each person will need two PlayStation Move controllers AND a sub controller (which doesn't support motion gaming at all). Oh but wait, how many Moves does the PlayStation support? Sony told Gizmodo that the PS3 only supports-at most-FOUR Move controllers at once: or two PS3 Move controllers and two sub-controllers. So, for that full multiplayer epxeriance you are looking at just one PlayStation Eye, but two Moves and a sub-controller per player. Using Giz's napkin math, that comes out to about $290 bucks to get the full experience. So we have expensive hardware, limited multiplayer experience and the potential for low adoption rates; sounds like a recipe for disaster.

The PS3 Move motion controller does have better tracking and better motion sensing (think of it having the Wii Motion Plus adapter built in). Both the PS3 Move and the Wiimote are exactly the same idea and close in hardware. It comes down to the execution of that idea, and the PS3 Move is going to have issues moving forward. I look forward to see how the diehard PS3 and Nintendo fans clamor about how one control scheme is better than the other.

Until I can get my hands on it, I'd have to label the PS3 Move as a mimic of the Wiimote. Mainly because for regular buyers there is no way you can explain that this is different than Wii Remote controllers.

If you don't think the PS3 Move and the Wii remote are the same, tell me why I'm wrong in the comments. Or if you think it is, share your thoughts.

Enjoying killing zombies in L4D 2, but expected a bit more...flair? Well, have no fear, The Island of Dr. Ned (not his totally not made up brother Dr. Zed) DLC lands today for the Xbox and PS3 and brings what you need. And by what you need, I totally mean awesome visuals, new levels and zombie faces being punched into exploding bits. Oh yeah, watch out for the bird. The visuals of the levels really is quite stunning; although you can see where they re-used bits. The price of the Zombie Island of Dr. Ned DLC for the Xbox/PS3 is 800/$9.99. No word yet on when owners of the PC game will get the DLC.

In a semi serious manner, Gearbox has responded to everybody who was disappointed by the ending in Borderlands.

We went through lots of different iterations on what the ending of the game was,” said Helquist. “We ultimately ended up with what you get to play. We didn’t know how people were going to react to it. Obviously the reaction hasn’t been as strong as we had hoped [laughs]. That’s something we’re going to be keeping in mind as we do new things, whether it’s download content or other games in the future. We’re gonna think more about it and try to get more user feedback before the game comes out so we can ensure that we’ll have endings that you guys like in the future.”

Scary, vagina faced monsters aside, I thought the ending was clever. It could have used some more work though, the last half of the game was very quick and was pretty much hurry up and get through everything. I do like the fact that they are open to many possibilities of DLC (such as the Island of Dr. Ned) and they can continue to explore the mythology of the vault.

The $100 increase in price will once again make the PS3 the most expensive console. At least the PS3 allows (even encourages) the ability for the user to put in a larger hard drive. As opposed to the Xbox 360 being locked to whatever expensive part they want to sell you (Hello $50 for 64 MEGABYTES of flash storage). For more information on how to upgrade your PS3 Slim HDD (hard drive), go here.