Alan Wake, the follow-up from Remedy after their hit releases of Max Payne, is beginning to look like the tech demo / postergame for Microsoft’s next-generation gaming platforms. With more information starting to surface about the game (well, minus any real gameplay information), the screenshots being released are starting to look more and more amazing with every new shot released. This time, we have a few new environment shots, though, no official word on whether they are for the Xbox 360 (we’d be REALLY amazed if they were for the 360) or Vista PC. Showing some of the greatest environmental lighting I’ve ever seen, I’m getting more excited about this title every time I see it. Let’s just hope Remedy does a little bit more with their character animation this time around, cause, come no, no next-gen title can be feature a main character as stiff as Max Payne.

Screenshots after the jump..

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After many rumours, RedOctane finally announced that Guitar Hero II will see a release on the Xbox 360, with the game and the “X-Plorer” controller currently being shown at Microsoft’s X06, currently underway. The controller is designed specifically for the Xbox 360 and players will be able to download new content, such as rock rhythm, lead and bass guitar tracks (awesome). With the Xbox Live Arcade being as great as it is, I imagine the possibilities are endless for downloadable content.

Read more: Red Octane announces Guitar Hero 360

Ben Heck is crazy, but in that cool mad scientist sort of way. Ripping apart gaming consoles and turning them into handheld and laptop form is second nature to this scientist and this time he’s taken on his biggest project yet, the Xbox 360 laptop! At only 2.8 inches thick and featuring a sharp high-definition screen, the Xbox 360 laptop is another feat of engineering, allowing the truly hardcore to carry their next-gen gaming with them wherever they may go, allowing access to Xbox Live Arcade through the units wireless network adapter, built-in to the body of the unit.

Read more: Xbox 360 laptop project walkthrough and photo gallery

Sega’s Virtua Tennis is a legend in the world of tennis sports titles, first appearing in arcades in 1999, being ported to the Dreamcast, PC, and PS2 over the years. Sega’s latest in the series, Virtua Tennis 3, is currently under development for the PS3 and Xbox 360, as well as for arcades, which is using Sega’s powerful Lindbergh platform. Recently, legendary French gaming site, Jeux France, revealed a handful of high resolution screenshots of Virtua Tennis 3, which show a brilliant looking game, with extremely realistic character models, highly detailed texturing (that hair!!) and some nice looking sweat!

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Ahhhh Hudson, what have you done? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!? Though the Xbox 360 isn’t quite known for having quality titles available yet, Bomberman: Act Zero, the latest entry in the Bomberman franchise has managed to drop like a bomb (har har har), becoming the lowest rated title on the Xbox 360 (at least until the next X-Men title comes out), adding to a long-line of poor games using the Bomberman franchise. There’s very little left of classic Bomberman in Act Zero, which creates a completely new storyline and darker, more mature level design, featuring 99 levels that basically all feel like you haven’t left the first. Bomberman is currently rating below 40% if it’s lucky, with a 2.9 at Gamespot.

Read more: Bomberman: Act Zero bombs at Gamespot

According to a recent post on a Japanese gaming site, there is a rumour hitting the streets of Tokyo that the Xbox 360 will be receiving a price drop as well as a new colour on December 7th, 2006. Naturally this is only a rumour on a foreign language games site, but, it has some legs with some respected Japanese sites carrying the rumour and confirming with ‘insider sources’ suggesting that the ‘price drop’ will come in the form of a bundle with DOAX2. Many more rumours to come for sure..

Read more: Xbox 360 rumoured to drop in price and feature new colour in Japan (Japenese blog posting)

Llamma is probably one of the best in the Xbox modding world and nothing proves that more than their customs Xbox and Xbox 360 mods for major players in the games industry. Rockstar Games appears to be a particular fan, commissioning Llamma to do a few custom mod-jobs for the Grand Theft Auto developers. Most recently, Llamma created a stunning Table Tennis mod for two Xbox 360s, one of which went to the developers (probably on display in their happening New York company party loft) and the other was given away at this years PAX games convention which recently concluded in the US. The mod is brilliant, with a clear plastic panel on one side, LED table tennis ball and matching glossy black controls with the Rockstar logo screened onto it. One lucky fan is now in Rockstar heaven with this little puppy, or, a few hundred dollars richer thanks to eBay.

Read more: Rockstar’s custom-modded Table Tennis Xbox 360