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HMV have pulled MW2 Prestige Edition from thier site on the Xbox 360. The site now simply states that it is “Unavailable”. PS3 fans however can still get it there as it’s still for sale. Some time ago, it was reported that it was unavailable but it seems this was just to update the price as originally it was £149.99 on the site and it was readded as £119.99, the difference this time being that only the Xbox 360 version has been pulled rather than both.

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2008 was a phenomenal year for the Xbox 360, but I’m not here to get teary-eyed and nostalgic. Now that all the “Best of” and “Worst of” lists have been compiled, praised, scorned, and faded into darkness like New Year’s Eve, it’s time look ahead to what the future might bring. Or rather, what the self-righteous geek inside of me thinks Microsoft should do to please my every whim in 2009. Without turning this into a console argument let us know what you think the 360 needs to dominate the globe 2009 by heading over to our forums (click here) and discussing this article!

10) Pandora – For the uninitiated and internet-defunct, Pandora is a free, online service that tracks your favorite bands and streams music from other potential favorites with uncanny accuracy. Imagine having your own digital DJ while waiting for your downloads, kicking back with a few friends, or playing a few rounds in Call of Duty to the fret-blasting power of DragonForce. I won’t wait in breathless anticipation for this one, but it would be a nice addition to the multi-media future of NXE.

9) One System to Rule – Variety may be the spice of life, but only if you know what you’re supposed to be cooking. As a former retail-clerk, I can tell you with absolute certainty that the average consumer has no idea what gigabytes, Jasper chips, or HDMI have to do with gaming. I can also tell you that if you bought a system outside of the previous year, lending $300 to a crackhead might have been a better investment. Microsoft, don’t be like Sony. Make this the year for one reliable system with all the bells and whistles.

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Microsoft has been targeted in a class-action lawsuit by angry consumers who have had their game discs scratched by their Xbox 360 consoles.

The Xbox 360, when tilted, causes the game disc to collide with parts inside the disc drive, which produce the deep circular scratches on the game disc.

The class-action lawsuit claims that Microsoft knew of the issue before-hand, and could have easily solved it by adopting a slot-loading disc drive like the ones found on the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii.

“Because these greater gyroscopic forces are combined with both a weak magnetic force for holding the disc in place, and a tray-loaded design that can be oriented vertically, uncoupling of a disc during normal console use was a predictable result,” the lawsuit reads.

During a deposition, a Microsoft employee said that the Xbox team knew of the issue prior to launch, but did not resolve the issue.

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"Now that many of you have the Holiday Theme and Snow Globe how about turning your Xbox 360 into a virtual fireplace? Xbox LIVE Member SniperED007 used the XNA tools and whipped himself up a nice little project that has all the sights and sounds of a nice wintery fireplace. You can see video of Fireplace at XNA.com, and you can add the demo directly to your Xbox 360 download queue*. According to SniperED007, Fireplace will allow you to ‘Enjoy the awesome ambiance of a crackling fireplace in your living room. With realistic smoldering embers and flickering flames it sets the perfect backdrop for a relaxing evening.’ The full version will cost you 400 points

2008, it was predicted, was to be the beginning of the end for Microsoft. It’s lead over Sony was born of an early launch and the competition fumbling its first year, some said. But with the forward-looking PS3 picking up steam, the 360 would slowly lose market share and eventually cede the year, sales-wise, to Sony.

Now however, it looks like that won’t be the case, and the reason for the turn-around is also the story of the console’s 2008—a series of strong management decisions and wise market reads that could give the business the strength to power through the entirety of the generation.

Edge will also be covering Sony, Nintendo and the PC’s past 12 months in the days to come.

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