A more persistent rumor has involved the likelihood that Microsoft is about to announce a new version of the Xbox 360. That buzz turned out to be on the money: The sleek, black console, called the Xbox 360 Elite, will arrive next month. Its main feature is a 120-gigabyte hard drive, which will also be available separately for anyone who already owns a 360. The upgraded model will cost about $480.

— SPROCKETS OF WAR: A new version of a different Microsoft product — the hugely popular "Gears of War" — looks like it could be coming out in a new version too. New Line Cinema has acquired the rights to make a movie based on the blockbuster game, with a script by "Collateral" writer Stuart Beattie. Lead game designer Cliff Bleszinski (aka Cliffy B) will serve as executive producer. "I'm not a gamer, but what blew me away about 'Gears' was how it captures the mythology of a war mission and how high the stakes are," producer Wyck Godfrey told Daily Variety.

— NEW IN STORES: It's a very slow week for new titles, which are led by the tie-in to Disney's new animated movie, "Meet the Robinsons" (Disney, for most systems). Electronic Arts' tired World War II franchise marches on with "Medal of Honor: Vanguard" (for the Wii and PlayStation 2). Casual gamers who like Electronic Arts' Pogo Web site can take some of their favorites on the road with "Pogo Island" (for the DS). "Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent," from Ubisoft, finally sneaks onto the PlayStation 3, while Sega lobs "Virtua Tennis 3" over to the PlayStation Portable. To find the week's most intriguing new release, you have to be an Xbox Live subscriber. It's "The Shivering Isles," an expansion for the Xbox 360 version of Bethesda Softworks' "The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion."