Today you should be prompted for a system update when you connect to Xbox Live.  This update is nothing more than improving some performance and stability issues.  There were no new features added.

In other update news, those who play a little Gears of War today will be prompted for an update as well when they start up the game.  Details of the Gears of War update:

    • Fixed aspect ratio distortion when using VGA cable with 4:3 displays at resolutions higher than 640×480
    • Fixed voice issue with new players joining Player Match games in progress
    • Players can now get the Achievement for “Dish Best Served Cold” when using Troika turret to kill RAAM
    • Fixed rare situation where host could loop countdown and never start match
    • Fixed rare situation where players could get stuck after chainsawing in multiplayer
    • Reduced Grenade Tag melee distance
    • Enabled “Strict” NAT check on host to prevent possible connection issues
    • Optimized server browser queries to return results more quickly and prevent scroll bars from hiding quality of     service icons
    • Reduced number of possible revives in Execution to match Warzone
    • Removed host name from Ranked match server browser
    • Disabled security cameras in Ranked matches
    • Ranked matches now require balanced teams (3v3 or 4v4)
    • Increased penalty for quitting a Ranked match to -50 points
    • Added additional cheat detection code
    • Additional housekeeping updates

Not sure what to do in the minutes leading up to New Year’s Day?  Well, TriXie has a little something for you extreme Xbox 360 fans out there who’ll elect to simply chill at home with a chainsaw and Gears of War on Xbox Live.

Date: December 31, 2006 – January 1, 2007
Time: From 10:00 P.M. Eastern (7:00 P.M. Pacific) until the cops come knockin’!

Gears of War All-Nighter Details 

Why play?

Ten (10) lucky gamers will be selected for a brand spanking new copy of Gears of War signed by the military named fiend himself, Major Nelson.  If you have a copy already, this is surely enough reason to own another one. 

If you’re planning an event while playing Gears of War, be sure to blog about it or take some pics and send them TriXie’s way at xlmail@microsoft.com!

The numbers have spoken and Gears of War has become a million-copy-seller worldwide in just 2 weeks!  That makes it the fastest-selling original Xbox title of all time.

As Gears of War continues to emerge throughout the world ahead of the holiday sales rush, the Xbox 360 juggernaut has sold an impressive 1 million copies world-wide in just its first two weeks of release elevating the game to the fastest-selling title of 2006 and fastest-selling original Xbox game of all time.  

The battle continues to rage on Xbox Live as well, as more than 850,000 unique gamers have engaged in 10 million gameplay sessions while unlocking an impressive 7 million Achievements.  On top of being the #1 title on Xbox Live, Gears of War has also driven new members to the network, as paid registrations per day have skyrocketed more than 50 percent since the game?s launch.

“From the very beginning, we knew Gears of War would be an industry-defining hit,? said Shane Kim, corporate vice president at Microsoft Game Studios.  As we watched both the game and its hype grow, it became obvious that Gears of War was the rare title that could live up to such incredible anticipation, and judging from the reaction of critics and fans, it’s done just that.”

Don’t have a copy of Gears of War yet and you’re tired of missing out on the action?  Take a quick dip over to Unscripted 360’s Gears of War Idol Giveaway!

You’ve seen my lineups for Games and Accessories already.  Hopefully they helped you sort through all the hottest titles and accessories to make your holiday shopping easier.  Now it’s time for another round of my Starting Lineup and this time it’s about the hottest stories that got the community in a frenzy this year.

What were we all talking about?  What made the biggest splash in the headlines this year?  Are you ready for my Starting Lineup?

X06 - What didn’t come out of this show that wasn’t worth headlines?  You can start with the Peter Jackson partnership to the announcement of Halo Wars.  There was so much heading out of this event that it was hard to count.  The next installment in the Splinter Cell series is exclusive to Xbox 360.  X06 brought the noise!

TGS (Tokyo Game Show) - There was more good news prior to X06 at TGS.  1080p!  Many will argue about how it can be done and that’s exactly why it was another of the top stories this year.  HD enthusiasts were divided on whether or not it was possible but the fact remains, the Xbox 360 was about to be 1080p enabled!

Xbox 360 System Update (Spring) - When the Xbox 360 launched, there were some noticeable improvements that could be made.   The biggest of which was addressed in the Spring system update…Active Downloading! 

Gears of War Emergence Day - I can’t recall in the brief history of both the original Xbox and the Xbox 360 if there was ever a release date that created more buzz than the announcement of the Gears of War release date and subsequent plans for Emergence Day.  It hit like a meteor across the community and is still being talked about due to how hard core the game turned out to be.

E3 2006 Halo 3 - This year’s E3 brought one thing that I’m sure no one will soon forget…the unveiling of Halo 3.  What’s so fascinating about the trailer that debuted at E3 was the fact that it was IN GAME.  It wasn’t some computer generated cinematic.  The visuals you saw in the Halo 3 trailer were the same you’ll see in the game.  When the trailer hit the internet and the Xbox Live Marketplace, there were massive downloads! 

There you have it.  The top stories of 2006 that made it into my starting lineup.  And as always, every starting 5 needs a solid bench to make the rotation strong.  Getting some quality minutes off the bench are the stories on the Xbox Live Vision Camera, E3 2006 Grand Theft Auto IV announcement, Bringing It Home E3 2006, and Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays.

So you haven’t played the hottest title on the Xbox 360 so far huh?  Well, here’s your chance to win the game that has communities and media everywhere foaming at the mouth.  I’ve played the title and I can safely say that Gears of War delivers on every bit of the hype driving it before release.

I thought I’d have some fun with this giveaway.  I hope it will carry over to the show and give the community a little humor in between.  So I introduce to you…Gears of War Idol.  Everyone has seen the commercial right?  It’s on the TV, internet and was even available to download on the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Gears of War Idol is just as it sounds for the most part.  In order to win this game, all you have to do is record yourself singing the first few lines of the commercial.  If you’re reading this, you have a PC and a built in microphone or one of your own so there shouldn’t be any excuse about not being able to record a simple .wav or .mp3 file for this. 

It’s that easy.  You don’t have to be an award winning singer so don’t worry.  This is just for fun.  I’ll pick the winner and you’ll find yourself on the show…in fact, everyone who participates will be.  So if you have any issues with being heard on the show, then don’t play Gears of War Idol.

So let’s have some fun!  Record your audio and email it today!  It shouldn’t be too hard.  The problem is if you all are man or woman enough to sing without worrying about how silly you’ll sound.  Gears of War isn’t for the shy gamers so this should be easy.  Fire up your PC, head to an audio program (Sound Recorder etc), record, save and send…simple.

And don’t forget that Unscripted 360 has audio comments!  You can record your entry straight from the site and submit your comment with the audio attached.  I’m making this way too easy for you to be involved huh?  Don’t worry about how you sound…remember this is all for fun.

Gears of War Idol ends soon.  November 30.

What are the lyrics to the song?

All around me are familiar faces,
Worn out places,
Worn out faces,
Bright and early for the daily races,
Going nowhere,
Going nowhere,
Their tears are filling up their glasses,
No expression,
No expression,
Hide my head I wanna drown my sorrow,
No tomorrow,
No tomorrow,
And I find it kind of funny,
I find it kind of sad,
The dreams in which I’m dying are the best I’ve ever had,
I find it hard to tell you,
I find it hard to take,
When people run in circles it’s a very very,
Mad world,
Mad world…

This is the week.  This is the week that will change the way you see the Xbox 360.  It has arrived.  The game that just might separate the men from the boys and the women from Dancing With The Stars…Gears of War arrives this week!

Are you ready?  Let me know about the long wait for this game and finally the day you picked up Gears of War.  I’m interested in the stories.  Deacon has a curb stomp waiting for anyone who thinks they’re ready.  I have plenty of curb stompin’ practicing to go around.

On a side note, does anyone remember Gears of War Survivor? 

As if anyone needed any more confirmation that this game is on its way…today Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games announced that this highly anticipated Xbox 360 exclusive has gone Gold.  Get ready for Emergence Day!  Gears of War will be on store shelves November 12th and the battle to become Xbox Live’s #1 title will begin.  Will it overcome Halo 2?

The regular edition of Gears of War will be $59.99 and the collector’s edition comes in at $69.99.

Xbox Live will celebrate Emergence Day with 24-hours of special events beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 12. Xbox Live Gold members in North America will have a chance to participate in online tournaments, download videos, win prizes and participate in a variety of activities including:

• A 24-Hour Leader board Tournament. The tournament winner receives a one of a kind “Gears of War” branded guitar as well as an automatic bye to the finals of a Global “Gears of War” Tournament planned for 2007.
• Hourly sweepstakes drawings and prize giveaways including the chance to win one of several Samsung HT-P29 Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound Systems
• An exclusive free “Gears of War” Gamer pic and theme only available on Emergence Day
• Game with Fame sessions with legendary heavy metal band and “Gears of War” fans Megadeth, the game’s lead designer Cliff Bleszinski and other members of the Epic Games team
• Never before seen videos including a special Emergence Day transmission from Cliff Bleszinski
• An MTV “Gears of War: The Road to Launch” Sneak Preview

The holiday season is fast approaching as well as the end of the year so I thought I’d unveil Unscripted’s Starting Lineup.  My ‘Starting Lineup’ in the Games category are the five titles that I think should be in everyone’s starting lineup of games this holiday season…your must-buy games.

I’ll be introducing more of my ‘Starting Lineup’ categories soon.  Look for categories dealing with the hottest stories, community shine and others.  But first to debut is the Games category.  (yes you know I’ll design a fancy image to represent the ‘Starting Lineup’)

Viva Piñata - Is there any surprise that this has made its way to my lineup?  You know my mission is to turn you all into Piñatatans!  The Xbox 360 has been in need of a solid title to appeal to the young adults and parents alike.  I think this is it.  Viva Piñata mixes some very colorful environments and characters with a fun theme.  It sizzles for sure! 

Star Trek: Legacy - I have a mission.  To boldly go where no gamer has gone before.  This title is ambitious.  It combines every Star Trek saga you can think of from TV to film.  It has my favorite captains, Picard and Kirk, in it so I’m set for its release.  I’ll be in the skies commanding the Enterprise and any of the other ships I can manage to navigate.  The only question is, who will I be dominating?

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas - I’ve never been into the Rainbow Six series but having seen what I’ve seen from this game…I’ll be into it now.  The squad feel is seemingly back and to top it off, this game features the DigiMask technology so you all will be receiving head shots from the real DeaconBlade and not some default character.  What more can I say or ask for?

Gears of War - Does this game need any reason?  I didn’t think so.  The way that this game has been displayed visually alone warrants an entry into the Starting Lineup.

Fuzion Frenzy 2 - If you were like me with Fuzion Frenzy on the original Xbox, then you know how much fun it was to play the first Fuzion Frenzy with family and friends.  I anticipate that Fuzion Frenzy 2 will be just as much fun.

I wanted to round out my Stating Lineup with some quality reserves who are key coming off the bench to add to your holiday lists.  Every Starting Lineup needs key players coming off the bench to fill in for the starters from time to time.  They include Superman Returns, Call of Duty 3, Marvel Ultimate Alliance and FIFA Soccer 07.

There you have it.  Unscripted’s Starting Lineup and a few bench players as well to hopefully give you an enjoyable holiday season.  Stay tuned for more!

What happens when you mix Gears of War w/ a hit television series?

Click here for Gears of War Survivor

I decided to have a little design fun after reading a challenge by Cliffy B over at the Gears of War forums.  I didn’t want the talented crowd at U360 to miss out.  So if you can, let’s see what you guys/gals can come up with.

In this industry it often boils down to who ya know. With that said, it pays to have a brother who is one of the men behind the year’s most highly anticipated titles on the Xbox 360! Cliffy B’s brother sits down for an exclusive interview with the man himself.

Read the GearHeads of War interview. Thanks for the head’s up Max.