If you’ve been thinking about getting a 360 or need to replace your recently dead unit there’s a new bundle coming that just might be perfect. Amazon just added a listing for a 2010 Spring bundle that includes Forza 3, Halo 3: ODST and a 120GB Elite 360 for just $299.99. The deal should be available this coming Tuesday, March 9th from Amazon.

Really, this is about the best deal I’ve seen. The kit includes two great games and even nets you beta participation for Halo: Reach through ODST. Really, it’s like three games for the price of a console. This bundle also launches the same day as the Final Fantasy XIII bundle that runs $399. That one includes two controllers, the game, and a 250GB hard drive.

Either way, you get a really solid bundle at an incredible price. Can’t really ask for much more than that.

I know the Japanese release date set some of the GT5 fans out there to drooling. And why not? March is just around the corner. Unfortunately, the western release date for the game isn’t set, and the only approximation is “Summer 2010.” As you know all too well, that could mean virtually anything.

If you think you’ll get the game in June, think again. Chris Hinojosa-Miranda told Destructoid that Polyphony Digital hasn’t even started thinking about DLC yet. That might not seem like a big deal, but that’s one of the primary ways developers have been monetizing games today. The fact that Sony isn’t even talking about it yet says to me that they have to focus 100% on just getting the game out the door.

The good news is that when the game finally releases there will be plenty to do. The roster includes something on the order of 1000 cars. Then again, it’s tough to look at that number without wondering just how long until we get to see any of them.

During its first month at retail, Forza 3 sold through more than a million copies worldwide. To give a little something back this holiday season, Turn 10 is releasing the Hot Holidays pack with ten new cars to keep you busy.

With the DLC you’ll get the following:
1. 2010 Ferrari 599XX
2. 2010 Mercedes SLR Stirling Moss
3. 2010 Lamborghini LP6700-4 SV
4. 2010 Porsche Panamera Turbo
5. 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia
6. 2010 Jaguar XFR
7. 2010 Audi S4
8. 2009 Aston Martin #007 AMR Lola
9. 2009 Audi #2 Sport Team Joest R15 TDI
10. 2010 Nissan GT-R Spec V

The developer also released usage stats for the first month. Players logged a whopping 6.6 million man hours in the game, including 64 million player sessions over 590 million miles of track. Not too shabby considering the other titles released in the same quarter (*cough* Modern Warfare 2 *cough*).

Source: Kotaku

Today, Sony said we’ll get a look at their next-gen racer before year’s end. There’s just one small hang up: it’s not really GT5. Not by name anyway. Well, not in the US, anyway. The new content, available as a download on December 17th, will be called “Gran Turismo 5 Time Trial Challenge” in the US and “GT Academy 2010″ in Europe.

So why not just a demo? Why not a racetrack from the game, like we saw for Forza 3? As things are, it seems like Sony is just trying to tease us along, reminding us that GT5 exists. The whole thing feels like some really poorly done GT5 marketing, where no one goes home happy and everyone wonders what the hell happened last night.

The worst part is…this is GT5! Come the hell on, Sony! This is the game that pioneered serious racing for console gamers. The game that created the Forza franchise. The be-all-end-all of racing sims on any console. Looks like we’ll be waiting a few weeks to see anything remotely inspiring about the franchise.

In case you’ve forgotten, Forza 3 is out today and ready to be driven across the world’s most famous racetracks. The game is unique in that it’s the first advanced driving sim that allows users to dial the experience from arcade racing to full simulation.

Among the many features Turn 10 has placed just a couple menu selections away are the options to toggle auto-braking, suggested driving lines, driving/traction assists, and tire wear. Those options have been in other games, but accessibility was almost always an issue. If you realized a race was too easy or too difficult, you usually had to scrap the whole thing. Turn 10 wants Forza 3 to be for everyone, though, so the controls are almost as close as the accelerator and the brake.

Accessibility doesn’t mean the sim features are missing, though. You still have full control over your rotors, tires, suspensions and the like. All of that for hundreds of cars and you’re pretty much guaranteed you’ll get your money’s worth. Oh, did I mention the game is actually fun? I’ve only played the demo so far, but it’s good enough that I’ll probably pick the game up in the next week or so.

Major Nelson has a little more to say about that Gamestop-exclusive controller that showed up on the used game dealer’s website earlier this month. It’s a partnership between Xbox and Gamestop and still totally hideous. For some reason Nelson doesn’t mention why the controller is the way it is, but if you look at the Forza 3 intro vid it seems pretty obvious. Recognize anything about that R8? Something look familiar?

The controller will come bundled with a play-and-charge kit for $69.99. That’s an awful lot to pay for an awfully ugly controller. It’s even more when you consider the holiday controller bundle, which gives you the same thing (minus the hideous makeover) plus four Xbox Live Arcade titles.

According to Koku Gamer, Forza 3 has been leaked in its entirety to P2P sites across the web. The two disc download comes in at 13GB, supposedly granting access to the full game. The game is definitely one of the most hotly anticipated of the year, likely in part, as Koku mentions, to the excellent critical reception for Forza 2.

There’s really not much to be said about the leak. Sure, Turn 10 will claim that it’s part of the reason for high game prices, though we know it’s not nearly as big a factor as profits. Pirates will claim their right to download content if the developer is dumb enough to let it leak. And publishers will continue mashing together bundles with the hopes of deterring would-be pirates. None of it is very interesting, if you ask me.

Image: GameShadow

That the video game industry has been in a backward slide lately hasn’t been all bad. Companies are ready to make big deals just to get people to buy, well, anything, so it’s been possible to pick up two or three of the newest titles for reasonable rates. Toys R Us is offering up another deal this week, this time in the form of a buy two, get the third free. The sale applies to both games and accessories.

It’s a pretty sweet deal, though I don’t think you can mix and match accessories. Also not sure if it works with pre-orders, but you could always pick up a new game like Uncharted 2 and trade it back in for Forza 3 (yes, mixing some systems) when it releases later this month. The accessory deal is good on anything up to $100, so if you’ve been looking at a controller and maybe a charging station, now could be a good time to get it. Remember, the deal is only good for a week.

If you’re worried you won’t have anything to do over the holidays this year you can stop. From the looks of things, the release of Forza 3 should keep you busy well on through the new year and into 2010, when you can catch all the major releases that got delayed. Turn 10 released the full list of cars on its upcoming 2-disc racer, a list that boasts more than 400 cars from the last 50 years or so.

The oldest car, the legendary 1954 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, is like a teaser to a great meal. All 400+ vehicles will be available with complete customization when the game launches on the 27th this month. You really do get a chance to drive almost anything in the game, from Asian imports to European classics, American Muscle to the Italian supercar, there’s something for everyone in a game that looks to expand Microsoft’s answer to the Gran Turismo franchise. You can see the full list of cars at the official Forza Motorsport website.

The highly anticipated demos for Forza 3 and Brutal Legend are now available for download. If you’re looking for something to keep you busy this weekend, these two games are a pretty solid start.

The Brutal Legend demo is pretty massive at 2GB, but it’s a substantial look at what should be a pretty solid game. You’ll get to play the entire opening chapter in all its demon-shredding glory. The Forza demo isn’t exactly slim, racing in at 1GB. For the wait you’ll get a new damage modeler and leaderboards for the included tracks.

Both games are for XBL Gold members only, so you’ll have to wait if you’re a Silver subscriber. You Playstation users will be able to get the Brutal Legend demo over the Playstation Network soon as well.