It looks like Microsoft's trying to increase the must-have factor for the pricey Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 suite, because the XNA Team has just come up with a VS 2008-only rendition of XNA Game Studio - upgraded to version 3.0 But there's a lot of catches, and they aren't pretty for the average, budget-conscious, and possibly still studying,  indie dev. Prepare to be blown away (the wrong way, probably) at the full story.

These days, it's usually a wise choice to go around looking for deals on your favorite video games. Gamestop is offering a few deals of its own from the week of March 2 to March 8. These include a buy two, take one promo, discounts and what not.

In fact, we'll make you a deal as well: if you turn to the full article after the jump, we'll give you more details on Gamestop's Deal of the Week. How about it?

Wondering what ever happened to Microsoft's original plan for Live Anywhere? For some, it's been taking the company a while to fully finish the integration of the service across many platforms. Xbox Live Executive John Schappert said that the service is till going to push through. Know more after the jump!

If you consider yourself an audiophile that lives outside the US, acquiring music online can sometimes be a bummer. Now, the latest offering of Amazon could probably help you out.

They have released an announcement that they will be launching Amazon Mp3 this year giving access to music lovers to one of the biggest collection of online songs. Details in the full article.

When in the business of technology, whether in gaming, gadgetry, or personal computers, you can't avoid one of the giant in the industry, Microsoft. According to their second quarterly report this year, they're bigger than ever as their Entertainment and Devices Division - the one responsible for Xbox 360 and PC gaming, and the Zune - saw a 3% rise in revenue.

Revenue from the division reached US$ 3.06 billion, as opposed to the US$ 302 million loss from last year. Details in the full article.

After Sony had its big ad campaign for the PlayStation 3, it's about time that Microsoft followed suit as well. The software and gaming mogul is said to be setting aside a hefty US$ 300 million in advertising most of its wares. More details in the full article.

Effective July 9, Chris Early will become the general manager of Windows Live. Replacing his former position is casual games executive Bryan Tussel.

Formerly the president and chief operating officer for GameSpy Industries, Early's first position in Microsoft was as a studio manager for Microsoft Casual Games and product unit manager for Xbox Live Arcade. His specialty is the ins and outs of multiplayer gaming, which makes him the ideal man to fill the role in taking Windows Live a step further into becoming a milestone in the gaming industry.

Windows Live is Microsoft's new initiative in creating a cross-platform network between the Windows and the Xbox 360, allowing multiplayer capabilities between the two. It is currently only available on the Windows Vista. The Windows Live service has also been demonstrated to perform on mobile devices and Zune and although these aren't a reality yet, the possibilities seem to be endless. Let's wait and see what Chris Early will bring to the stage.

So does anybody want to tackle the mother of all interviews over at the Mercury News website? Robbie Bach (Robert J. Bach, 44 year old male, married with 3 children, President of Entertainment and Devices Division of Microsoft Corporation - that's Games for Windows, Zune, and Xbox 360) said a lot during the looooooong one-hour interview and there's some interesting stuff.

We'll summarize each main point. If you don't like what you read or you disagree, don't blame us - we're just paraphrasing the guy...

So here's the world according to Robbie Bach:

PSP/DS killer, Zune, overstretching, and Sony. Microsoft always prioritizes its resources. Instead of going for a GameBoy or PSP killer, they went for an iPod killer because the iPod market is a "significant marketplace." Besides, their gaming people should focus on the Xbox 360 instead of a handheld gaming device. Sony is "spread really thin" - PSP vs. DS, PS3 vs. Wii and 360. Microsoft didn't want that kind of strain.

Bottom line: Zune is like Xbox. Millions of dollars invested. Lots of people. But is every expense really a cost? Some developments benefit other projects, for example. It's all an accounting question. Right now it's hard to track.

Gaming: content. Microsoft has "a great line-up of games." Viva Piñata, Gears of War, Need for Speed: Carbon, the Tom Clancy titles, Call of Duty 3, and lots more coming down the tubes.

Gaming: value and availability. Console is at $299 and $399 (US dollars). Consumers looking for a game console will go logical: what is affordable and what is available.

What they mean by "shipped." When Microsoft says "shipped" that means it's left the Memphis distribution warehouse and is headed to a retailer. When Sony says "shipped" that means it's left the factory. That's a six-week to eight-week lag between what the two companies call "shipped." Microsoft has close to 10 million shipped.

Microsoft FTW. "Where's the best content? Is it cross-platform? Where was it first developed?" and "You have to ask the question, over the life cycle, who has the cost advantage? Who can price most effectively? Who can reach the price points quicker?" Don't forget Xbox Live. And most game publishers do their initial development work on the Xbox 360.

That's only half of it. More about the Xbox 720, money, and Halo after the jump. Just click on the "Full Article" link below to read on...