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Blu-ray For Xbox? No.

Blu-ray For Xbox? No.You might recall that Microsoft had thrown in its lot with Toshiba and the HD DVD revolution, selling add-on boxes forits Xbox 360 console.   That revolution ended far short of the palace gates, with HD DVD vanishing like snow in the sun, and the general expectation has beenthat Microsoft would begin to offer a Blu-ray add-on, given that Blu-ray has emerged as the winner in the HD wars.   But in a Reuters interview, AaronGreenberg, group product manager for Xbox 360, has firmly denied that Microsoft has any plans to delve into Blu-ray. Instead, the company was diving into digital downloads as the way to distributecontent, including HD downloads.   "Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray into the Xboxexperience. We’re the only console offering digital distribution of entertainment content."   Some consumers will have noticed that Xboxes have been out of stock lately, due to productionproblems, but Greenberg promised everything would be back to normal by April. Handily, that will be just in time for the release of the highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 4, with the Xbox versionboasting exclusive content.  

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3 new Xbox Game Pass games that you should play this weekend (December 13-15)
Indiana jones buried in the sand.

Xbox Game Pass has had a wild year of ups and downs. While the introduction of new tiers with different game offerings has made subscribing a more confusing process, lots of fantastic games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 have still come to the service the day they released. Over the past couple of weeks, we saw the launch of the last few of 2024's day one Xbox Game Pass titles. These range from early access indies to a new Indiana Jones game from the developer of the Wolfenstein series. If you're wondering what you should be playing on Xbox Game Pass this weekend, look to these titles.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
Gamescom Date Reveal Trailer - Indiana Jones and the Great Circle | gamescom 2024

The last major Xbox exclusive release of the year, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, is a first-person action-adventure game based on the iconic Lucasfilm series. Wolfenstein: The New Order and The New Colossus developer MachineGames managed to create a licensed game that still retains a unique gameplay identity, infusing puzzle game and immersive sim gameplay elements into what easily could've been an Uncharted knockoff. If you've ever enjoyed an Indiana Jones film and are subscribed to Xbox Game Pass, then Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a game you should definitely check out.

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Walmart just slashed the price of the all-digital Xbox Series X by $52
The Microsoft Xbox Series X Digital Edition and an Xbox Wireless Controller.

If you're looking for gaming deals that you can take advantage of in the run-up to the holidays, here's one that you won't want to miss: the Microsoft Xbox Series X Digital Edition for only $398, following a $52 discount from Walmart on its original price of $450. You won't always see a discount for this gaming console, which is why we think this offer will attract a lot of attention. Stocks may run out quickly, so if you're interested, you need to push through with your purchase as soon as possible.

Why you should buy the Microsoft Xbox Series X Digital Edition
Before you buy the Microsoft Xbox Series X Digital Edition, you should probably understand what you're getting. This is a new version of the Xbox Series X, which is the flagship model of Microsoft's video game consoles, but without the disc drive. This makes it similar to the Xbox Series S, but with the much more powerful brains of the Xbox Series X and 1TB of storage. You'll also get an Xbox Wireless Controller, alongside all the cables you need to plug and play with the Xbox Series X Digital Edition.

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3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (December 6-8)
Crash Bandicoot in Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled.

Microsoft outlined the last batch of games coming to Xbox Game Pass this year in a post earlier this week, and many of those titles got added to the service later in the week. One surprising trend in this final Game Pass game batch of 2024 is that three great racing games came to different subscription service tiers. Running (or I guess driving) the gamut from extremely cartoonish to overtly simulation-focused, fans of racing games have many new options to choose from this weekend on Xbox Game Pass.
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Reveal Trailer

In the wake of Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy's success, Activision had its studio Beenox remake Crash Team Racing for modern gaming platforms. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is undeniably the king when it comes to the best cartoon kart racers available nowadays, but Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is the closest any game has come to taking that crown. The wacky world and characters of Crash Bandicoot are a perfect fit for a Kart Racer, and this game even features some crossover content featuring Spyro the Dragon and extras from Crash Team Racing games other than the PS1 original. Its adventure mode also gives it a meatier single-player offering than most racing games, so there's a lot for Game Pass subscribers to sink their teeth into here.

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