Since there’s little to post about today (with the exception of a new Deus Ex game and Sony swearing they’re selling a lot of systems now), I thought I’d take this time to talk a little bit about my recent experience in sending back my poor, dead 360. This may be (hell, probably is) something that every owner of a 360 prior to this fall’s version of the console is going to have to deal with, so in the event that you haven’t, perhaps my tale will make your life easier.

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Jayslacks says that he likes my NPD posts, and who I am I to deny him? Here we are, after the would-be megaton last week that we’d never get NPD numbers again EVAR. It’s a good thing too, because this month’s numbers continue to be interesting. These numbers are taken from 1UP and the confirmed sales numbers thread on NeoGAF. Say what you like about NeoGAF, but when it comes to NPD numbers, they have it immediately and accurately, and often with more in depth sales data then other sites provide. Anyway, enough meandering. Let’s get down to business. Here’s a quick warning: the post that follows, is long. Really long.
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Well, it’s almost NPD time again, and this month should continue a trend for the interesting; July’s numbers showed the PS3’s inability to beat the 360 even after a hundred dollar price cut on one model of the system, while August showed a precipitous drop in PS3 sales from the previous month while the 360 posted solid numbers amid a phenomenal showing for both Bioshock and Madden 2008 on the system. Meanwhile, the Wii continued to coast along on word of mouth and the excitement of scarcity, while its highest profile title in months posted a surprisingly subdued first week of sales.

This summer has defied conventional logic, with solid sellers for June, July, and August. But September is where things are going to get really interesting.  The 360 entered the month at a lower hardware price, and a new SKU released. Then of course, there’s the release of Halo 3, which many have long stipulated would be a mover of consoles for the platform. Meanwhile, one of the PS3’s most anticipated games debuted this month to terrible critical reception, and the weight fell on Heavenly Sword to pick up the slack and hopefully boost the PS3’s hardware numbers. Michael Pachter is now going so far as to predict that the 360 might even beat the Wii in sales numbers this month for the first time in almost a year:
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Much was made this week over the rumors of Bungie seceding from Microsoft; conspiracy theories ranged far and wide, from some message board posters stretching to theorize that this was more “evidence” of Microsoft getting out of the console industry, to others theorizing that Bungie wanted to go multiplatform, to more credible discussions about the future of Microsoft’s flagship game. Steven Totillo of MTV (who has some damn good gaming coverage actually) went so far as to suggest developers who might be fit to carry on the franchise, albeit in possibly new and compelling directions. Like Tycho of Penny-arcade, the suggestion of Irrational (whom I refuse to refer to as 2K Boston, thank you very much) stirs within me dark excitements that are better left to a personal diary of taboo rather than here.

That certain fans and partisans were worried or salivating in excitement is understandable. It’s not exaggeration to say that Microsoft’s recently renamed entertainment and devices division is the House That Halo Built, and any legitimacy they’ve found with gamers rests on the back of a solitary soldier and his AI love(?) interest, and therefore on the hard work of Bungie. For Microsoft to “lose” Bungie would be a devastating blow to the future plans of a console whose lineup is somewhat foggy after the heavily loaded Fall season we find ourselves in. With that the case, how could Microsoft let Bungie go?
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