Microsoft will be testing another potentially explosive tie-in for the Zune. The special edition Halo 3 Zune did really well for them and it’s time for Gears of War 2 to prove its popularity. If indeed GOW 2 could help the Zune 120 (120GB) sell, it’ll prove that Halo 3 is not the only game in town. I’m just wondering, however, why Microsoft would want to build up the Zune’s image as the PMP boys who likes guns and explosions would love to have. You may remember they gave 300 Halo 3 Zunes to soldiers and thought it was a good idea to sell the Zune in G.I. stores.

[via kotaku]

As the new Zunes become available, Microsoft has decided to give the Zune 80GB a $50 price cut. It’s a very significant downgrade as it places the HDD Zune below the $200 PMP bracket. Of course the Zune 80 will get the Zune 3.0 update as well, so the only difference between the new HDD Zune and the Zune 80 will be the capacity.

[via engadget]

[via istartedsomething]

Microsoft and Nokia is working on giving Nokia phones access to the Zune Marketplace. There is not going to be a Nokia-Zunephone, which would’ve already brought the tech-blogging world into a mad frenzy (I’m several hours late with the news) but a more sober content delivery integration. It’s interesting to note that Nokia phones support Real Player and not Windows Mobile. So expect WMP on Nokia phones in the future. Hm, but I wonder what happens to OVI?

[zunescene via gmp3]

‘Tis only a rumor but the implications are endlessly interesting. ZunePhone running Windows Mobile 7, said to be a real competitor to OS X. Also, Windows Live Services will be its focal feature. The ZunePhone will be a multi-touch phone, of course, but there’s no hint of possible screen size and connectivity. We can assume that since Zune has WiFi, ZunePhone will have WiFi, too. I’m not too sure MS Live Services on a phone is one feature that will get users lining up, but what the hey.

[via jkontherun, photo: hexun]

What I can’t understand is how the richest software company with the best people available to them cannot improve Windows, make it as good or even better than OS X?

Gates was a tough businessman. Not very creative and not even a good visionary but he was super smart in all his business dealings, guiding Microsoft to a worldwide leadership in software, perhaps only a little undeserved. That he will focus now on philanthropy bode well for humanity. Hencefoth, we shall stop comparing him with Steve Jobs… they are galaxies apart.

In an interview that covered Windows Mobile phones, HD DVD and Xbox 360, Microsoft Entertainment Devices & Division President Robbie Bach also dropped a hint about a Zune competitor for iPod Touch. That’s right, a touchscreen Zune. Of course, a touchscreen Zune raises many possibilities, among which is a possible Windows Mobile OS developed strictly for entertainment devices. If this is in Microsoft’s future plans for the Zune, it might have a chance at a prolonged war against the iPod. This spells major benefits in pricing and functionality for consumers.

[via engadget]

One way Microsoft could make Zune a success in Canada is by having a different Zune distributed there compared with the one being sold below the border. Tough luck, but maybe Canadians can put a different eye into things. OxCafe did another review of the flash Zune as they received it in Canada, despite all the reviews of the Zune in the past. The Zune will be released in Canada June 13. The review includes the XNA game support and gapless music. Zune Marketplace is unavailable in Canada, which is a bummer. Lots of features missing, which I’m sure users of Chinese MP4s will miss but OxCafe’s conclusion puts Zune 80 ahead of iPod Classic.

And between a Zune 80GB and 80GB iPod Classic, and in this case, it is sure that I would take a Zune! The screen is larger and the price will be smaller (after me)!

[oxcafe via gmp3]

Microsoft’s announcement couldn’t have come at a better time. After being out of mainstream news for quite some time, Zune is finally back in the front pages of technology news. Released in November 2006, Zunes have been selling modestly and have finally reached the 2 million-unit mark. Since Q1 2007, Zune has actually moved up the MP3/PMP market list to gain one point from 3% to 4%. At the same time period, iPod market share dropped from 72% to 71%. It’s bad news for both Apple and Microsoft after releasing fresh new lines of their portable media player brands.  If you care to look at the table above, you’d notice after Sandisk’s 1% gain and subtracting Creative’s 2% loss, there’s 1% missing. Could this be Chinese MP4 players finally making headway in the U.S. MP3 market?

[via cnet]

For Canadians, the Zune will be dropping June 13. The Zune 4GB to will retail for 139.99 Canadian dollars , the Zune 8GB for 189.99 and 80GB Zune for 249.99 Canadian. The nice video above is not an official Microsoft ad, but to me it was made in the same spirit as the ads done by 72andSunny.

[via gmp3, engadget]