The Xbox 360 dashboard update on November 17 disallowed third-party memory devices, despite the fact that first party offerings are quite limiting in both size (only 512mb) and price ($30).

Datal, creator of said third-party memory devices, has decided to sue Microsoft for “unlawfully reducing competition in the memory card market.”  Hit the jump for the official Datel press report from their lawyers.

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Xbox fanboys rejoice! A common quibble between our favourite rival consoles has always been the ongoing debate of free PSN versus subscription based Xbox Live online services, but now it seems that Sony will also be plummeting down the subscription route in 2010.

In this case however, you will still be able to play games online free of charge, so the Xbox fanboys can hush afterall. So what exactly is Sony planning?

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PC developers know that piracy is an issue.  So how do you take advantage of that fact?

Well, you can do what RedLynx did, and leak the PC version of Trials on torrent sites on the same day it’s put out to consumers.

The key is to leave out one important aspect of the game…

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Despite Mr. Nick Simberg’s best efforts to persuade you that DJ Hero is the greatest musical innovation since Guitar Hero, it seems that the UK has been less affectionate to its arrival after it failed to enter the top 10 charts.

Instead, DJ Hero debuted dismally at number 20 in the all formats chart in the UK, which is less than encouraging for a new high profile release.

I wonder if its astronomical pricing in Europe had anything to do with it?

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After debuting in 1994, the Need For Speed series of racing games have clocked up quite a few miles over the past 15 years, but EA has now announced that 100 million units have been shifted worldwide.

What’s more, fans who devote their social lives to Facebook could land themselves with a 25% discount code for any Need For Speed title – see the official fan page for further details.

There have been a total of 15 Need For Speed games to date, and the latest title, Shift, successfully put the ageing series back on track – to find out how, why not read our verdict? In addition, Need For Speed: Nitro and Need For Speed: World Online are still set for release later this year. I’m still holding out for Hot Pursuit 3, myself.

GameStop director Leonard Riggio has sold 2.3 million shares in the US retailer, worth $60.2 million, which has lead to some analysts to predict that some tough times are ahead for the company, as the last time Riggio sold shares in 2007 he avoided making a 62% loss.

Hit the jump for a breakdown of this news.

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Today online retail giant Amazon.com launched a new PlayStation Network store allowing gamers to buy downloadable content for their PS3 and PSPs.

Amazon’s PSN store includes numerous full games and downloadable content, however not all items from the actual PlayStation Store are there. Rock Band tracks, for example, are not available in Amazon’s store. Read more… »

Remember back in June, when someone picked up a copy of the Nintendo World Championships gold cartridge off eBay for the low, low price of $17,500?  Only twelve copies of that game had ever surfaced.

Now, a Nintendo Campus Challenge 1991 cart has surfaced on the popular auction site.

This is the last existing copy in the world.  The auction ends in two days.

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It’s been a whole 3 days since the launch of the PSP Go – were you there? Well, probably not considering the price Sony are expecting Europeans to pay.

And it seems as if several UK retailers agree, as you can now buy a PSP Go for a slightly more tempting £199.99 from Amazon, Play.com, GAME and HMV alike, compared to the RRP of £224.99.

Despite its lukewarm reception, Sony are defending the pocket console by proclaiming that sales are “in line with expectations,” with a 120% increase in PSP hardware sales in the UK.

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Today The Federal trade Commission announced some revisions to its “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” that pertain to us bloggers. According to the Commission, us bloggers are now required to reveal “connections that consumers would not expect,” aka free products or money in exchange for a review.

The wording of the Commission’s announcement is a bit loose. To get a better idea of how these regulations work, read on. Read more… »

Today developer Vogster Entertainment announced that its recently released MMO shooter CrimeCraft will be receiving a revamped subscription model.

Said to arrive later this month, the updated payment plan offers gamers an unlimited free trial that contains the “major features of the game.” Vogster has yet to state what features will be disabled in the free version.

To see the other payment plans, hit the jump. Read more… »

Today the Entertainment Consumers Association, a non-profit organization involved with gamers’ rights, announced that it has formed a new group called the “Gamers for Digital Rights.” This group will focus on providing “tools and resources that will help protect the rights of video game consumers today.”

ECA VP Jennifer Mercurio stated, “Digital rights are an extremely important and timely subject for everyone who buys and enjoys entertainment, but especially for those who purchase and play video games.”

To find out more about this new organization, hit the jump. Read more… »