As I cleverly remarked in the official CrunchGear chat room, that a video game leaks a few days before its release is par for the course. When the biggest video game of the year leaks a full week before its release date, it’s worth noting. So that’s what I’m doing right now: Activision’s Modern Warfare 2 has leaked. It’s available where you usually find such things.

There’s two new Xbox 360 bundles coming your way, UK. To mark the arrival of Transformers 2 and Star Trek to DVD (and Blu-ray), Gem and Paramount pictures have put together these blurry bundles.

Maybe I’m speaking for the minority here, but I have to get this off my chest: Project Natal is sorta “meh,” no? I attended Popular Mechanics’ Breakthrough Awards for a few minutes last night, and they had on display Project Natal. It was that paint-throwing game. Now, I know that’s just a tech demo, but I left feeling a little concerned about its future.

While I’m sure many of you hang onto Major Nelson’s every word, you might have missed these new holiday bundles that Microsoft is cooking up. There’s the Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle, and the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller Game Pack. What do these bundles contain????

Questing in Kalimdor, I received word that, yes, the Wii has dropped in price to $199. After I logged out, I got to thinking: how long can this last? Like, the Wii (and the PS3) came out three years ago, and the Xbox 360 came out four years ago. Given how quickly consumer electronics evolve, how long we can expect to play these systems?

So, this is what that Halo anime series, Halo Legends, looks like. It needs to be said that my knowledge of anime is more or less non-existent (I saw Akira once when I was around 16-years-old. It didn’t change my life.), so pardon my inability to critique it with any degree of competence.

Was it the PS2 or PS3 that was banned from Iraq because of fears that Saddam Hussein’s regime would co-opt the system for nefarious ends? Or maybe I made that up? It doesn’t matter. The point is that, yeah, your favorite video game system (well, maybe not the Wii) is pretty damn powerful little computer. So powerful, in fact, that it can be used rather effectively by doctors and researchers.

It’s been about three years since the Nintendo Wii was first released here in the good ol’ USA. Its number one claim to fame, motion control, sure isn’t unique anymore, what with Project Natal for the Xbox 360, and whatever Sony’s improved motion control thing is called coming out fairly soon. But are these motion control deals mere gimmicks (I think so, just based on how I play game; the public may well think differently), or something more? “Gimmicks!” yelled Square Enix’s Yoichi Wada.

Quick, grab something—anything, it doesn’t matter! Now drop everything! 2K Games has just announced the release date of BioShock 2: February 9, 2010. That’s the same day Zeno was crowned as co-emperor of the Byzantine Empire!

There’s two new Xbox 360 bundles that you ought to be made aware of. One, which was announced a few days ago (we’re sorta short staffed this week), is the Modern Warfare 2 bundle. It includes a MW2 branded Xbox, a 250GB hard drive (ooh!), and two wireless controllers. Oh, and a copy of the game. Total price: $399.

Halo 3: ODST is coming out on September 22, 2009 but you may wanna wait for the bundle pack if you’re in need of a new system. Well, maybe as it’s only announced in countries that use the PAL TV standard as of now. But if it gets a US release, you can bet your trousers that some gamers will jump on the bundle.

If we’re being honest—and we always are here on CrunchGear, if nothing else—then I do have to admit that the Zune HD looks pretty spiffy. Apple’s event came and went, and I’m absolutely burned out on the iPod. (The last one I bought was the fat nano, back in 2007.) With my fancy new Windows installation all set up, though, there’s nothing stopping me from jumping on board the Zune HD bandwagon. I may well might, maybe as a Christmas gift to myself.

Microsoft is dissembling on the topic of the leaked 250GB “Super Elite” Xbox 360. Why, I couldn’t tell you. Why do companies refuse to send me pictures of products that have been out for months elsewhere in the world? Why did Sony wait so long to drop the price of the PS3? Why do birds sing?

Microsoft’s official response to a CNET writer looking for a comment on the Super Elite:

We have made no such announcement.

Honestly. They may as well have said, “Woohoo, 250GB Xbox before Christmas!”

Confirming what we saw yesterday on Amazon.de, there is indeed a new 250GB model of the Xbox 360 called, disappointingly, the “Super Elite,” unless that’s just what this particular South African retailer decided to go with. Forza 3, two controllers, no HDMI cable. Seriously? at this point, I should be getting HDMI cables in my Multi-Grain Cheerios.

Oh, there is one wrinkle. The advertisement has the price at 4700 Rand, which translates to… about $600. Let’s hope that’s just the local price.

We just saw the Xbox 360 drop in price today, and according to my “Tetris effect” hypothesis, there has to be something to fill the gap left by the now-$299 Elite. Lo and behold, Amazon.de shows a listing this very day with the new item! It’s a 250GB 360, packaged with the upcoming Forza game. My my, 250GB. What would you do with that?

Thank the Lord! Microsoft just confirmed that Xbox 360 price drop we’ve been bleating about for entirely too many days now. Yes, the Xbox 360 Elite goes down by $100 to $299; the Pro goes from $299 to $249 while supplies last (which means it’s being phased out entirely); and the Arcade stays at $199.