Humpdate 08-06-08

Welcome, gentle listeners, to the Humpdate. It’s a new month, and just two days away from “perfect cube day” (08-08-08), we bring you Edie Sellers and Simon DI chatting up this week’s developments in gaming news.

It’s a weird week. The post-E3 wave of information is tapering off to a gentle stream. Nothing that stirs up the bottom too much, but valuable nonetheless.

Topics and links (which you should check out if only for Kratos Sockboy images) after the jump…

• Microsoft updates Xbox Live, but you won’t notice anything. It’s just tidying up before the big fall update.
• Rumors and indications that Microsoft will be dropping the prices of Xbox won’t go away. Two screenshots of store inventory software show Xbox Arcade SKUs for $199, sparking further speculation that the prices should drop on September 7.
• Beware: Spammers and phishers have set their sights on Xbox Live, with reports of fake XBL messages supposedly coming from people on your friends list asking you to visit a website for free Xbox points. Don’t believe, and if you’ve received one, contact your friend and tell him/her that the his/her account has been compromised.
• New Xbox avatars will be limited to games rated E10+ and younger so kids won’t be scarred by seeing their virtual selves decapitated by mean-old grownups.
• Playstation Home beta opens in Japan. Good for them. Now what about us stinky-poo-poo Americans and Europeans, huh?
• Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune has been patched (and Warhawk will be on August 27) to include Playstation trophies. Get ready to play those games all over again, as the trophies aren’t retroactive to past play.
• Grand Theft Auto 4 is coming to PC. Yay for PC purists! And Left 4 Dead is rumored to be coming to the PS3.
• SOCOM: Confrontation details announced, including price and date of release.
• Midway Chigaco chiefs step down. Cost cutting steps after losing $44 million last quarter.
• LittleBig Pre-Order will offer bonuses, including Sockboy Kratos and Sockgirl Nariko.

Enjoy.