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.

England has been rocked by yet another episode of soccer hooliganism, but no matter: MCV has confirmed the Xbox 360 price cut will be announced tomorrow. Note the wording: the price cut itself won’t happen tomorrow, just that Microsoft will announce what’s what.

More evidence that the Xbox 360 will be getting a price cut of some sort in the next few days. This ad, from Target, shows the Xbox 360 Elite at $299 (down from $399) and the Xbox 360 Pro at $250.

So, the other week Game Informer published the results of a reader poll that found the Xbox 360 has a 54 percent failure rate. In typical PR fashion, Microsoft sent along the following statement to TG Daily defending the awesomeness of the Xbox 360 console.

Now, this isn’t scientific data, especially since we know that Microsoft hides that data from prying eyes, but it’s more than supposition. Game Informer did a poll and found that the 360 has the highest failure rate of any of the consoles at 54% — not exactly the most unexpected news, but putting a number on it is kind of sobering.

The survey (which is print-only or I’d link it) also notes that the 360 gets a bit more playtime than its competitors, which might account for a bit more failure, but the PS3 was failing at 11% and the Wii at 7%. Hide that!

Microsoft will raise the price of the Xbox 360 in the UK in order to “counteract the poor pound-to-Euro currency exchange rate.” UK gamers will have to pay £159.99 ($260) for the Arcade model, up from £129.99 ($211).

When you get home from work today, or get out of bed, the Xbox 360 Dashboard update will be ready to go. (I’m holding out on updating for a few days; I’m no man’s guinea pig!) It’s pretty exciting.

I love it when publishers bundle a couple or more classic titles from the lineup for a discounted price, don’t you? Capcom has just announced the Platinum Hits Triple Pack for a late summer launch that includes Dead Rising, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition – Colonies Edition and Devil May Cry 4. I haven’t spent too much time with Dead Rising but I’ve played the others and all three together are definitely worth it for $40. Look for the Platinum Hits Triple Pack from Capcom beginning September 8.