There's pricing and then there's egregious pricing. It's plainly obvious to anyone who's ever used a computer that the Xbox 360 120GB Hard Drive upgrade kit could stand to have a better price point. Even the Xbox 360 60GB drive and the 512MB Memory Unit need price makeovers. Other blogs visited the topic almost a year ago, and since then prices have dropped -- just not nearly enough. A quick wander over to Best Buy shows the 120GB kit sitting pretty at $150, the 60GB drive lingers around $100, and the 512MB Memory Unit sits at $50.

Browse over to NewEgg and a conventional 120GB laptop drive now sits in the $45 price range. To be fair we should compare laptop drives with external enclosures to get a closer comparison, and even then we're only up to $70 and the drives are in the 250GB to 320GB range. The 500GB external laptop drives are $110. The pricing delta is even starker when we switch over to flash memory kits. You can easily find 8GB flash drives for $15, and 2GB flash drives go for as little as $5. Assuming we could divide up the 2GB flash drive into four equal parts, we're sitting at $1.25 for 512MB. Microsoft's 512MB Memory Unit costs a meager forty times more than the going rate.

Come on, kicking up the hard drive size to 250GB or 320GB would probably make people happier, and at the same time not add much to the cost of the product. And who knows, if the Memory Unit cost $5 instead of $50, they might actually sell a truckload of them.

OnLive was the hot topic for GDC. The company stirred more than a few pots with claims of HDTV quality gaming on a console that could hide under a DVD. We had the chance to sit down with OnLive's CEO Steve Perlman to get a few more answers about how the service might play out and how it behaves under different sets of conditions. His answers shed more light on how the system will work. Check out the video to see what Perlman has to say about bandwidth concerns, energy usage, the achievements system, spectating, and more.

Motion-based gaming without controllers is coming - again. We've seen various iterations of the technology, like Eye Toy, over the years but it's never really caught on. Softkinetic thinks they've got the technology nailed to the wall now. They've even had a working version of their equipment running a game at the Colt's stadium in Indianapolis. As one would expect, the game is football related and has the player act as the quarterback. You use one arm to target and the other to throw a football. We got to try out the game and it's remarkably intuitive and reactive. A few seconds in front of the screen had us throwing balls down field. Unfortunately we didn't complete any passes, apparently even the most reactive system can't compensate for a lack of talent.

A 3D camera, that looks like a fancy webcam, records your motions, which then get translated into onscreen movement. By using a 3D camera, Softkinetic is able to accurately position the user in the room. Actions such as walking, jumping, leaning, tilting, running, kicking, punching and more work quite accurately. In a rather impressive looking demo, Softkinetic showed us just how many points of data the system recorded. From our point of view, about the only thing the camera couldn't detect was finger movement. We saw a few test games that involved goal tending in soccer, kicking a ball, and even a Super Mario-esque platformer. At the moment the camera system incurs anywhere between 10 to 15 milliseconds of lag. The delay is noticeable, but Softkinetic stated that once retail units are built the lag should drop considerably.

Softkinetic representatives stated that the system isn't quite ready for retail. They surmise that consumers will probably see it in homes by 2010. Aside from gaming uses, Softkinetic mentioned that the technology works very well for gesture based interaction with TVs, which were demonstrated at this years CES in January.

OnLive threw the gaming world into a tizzy this last Tuesday, and since then other names started crawling out of the woodwork. In case you haven't heard, OnLive just announced a subscription-based streaming games service. The company claims that by using either a web plugin, or their MicroConsole, you will be able to run the newest PC games at HDTV resolutions with no downloads, and all on the most pathetic of computer hardware. We have a detailed look at the service in our feature over here .

If that wasn't astounding enough, David Perry of Acclaim (formerly of Shiny Entertainment) runs out and says me too! His company, an outfit by the name of GaiKai, just popped into public existence. Apparently he was planning on holding out until E3. Gaikai offers a similar service, except without the MicroConsole aspect that OnLive has(or at least until Perry says they have a little box as well). GaiKai calls their service Streaming Worlds and it only requires a web browser with Flash installed.

Then, we spoke with Jules Urbach, CEO of OTOY and Lightwave. His company basically offers up cloud computing (the technology behind these services) to the highest bidder. This essentially makes them a mercenary computing outfit of sorts, that has the side benefit of being able to stream games as well. In our conversation with him, he stated that his company is in talks with publishers and a whole host of other outfits that want to use the service.

If you're confused, you're not alone. All of these companies have a ways to go before we see them at a consumer level. There's a million questions out there and few answers to go with them. Now I'm just waiting for Valve to announce that Steam will henceforth be known as Stream. We've still got one more day - it could happen.

Good ol' Major Nelson has a public service announcement up regarding Microsoft's Windows Live ID and Gamertag dormancy/cancellation policies. The post reads like a problem off of the LSAT - lots of contingencies, and interrelated account policies that sound confusing. Here's the original text:

What happens:

In the rare case that you DO NOT sign in to Xbox.com or another website that uses Windows LIVE ID (like Hotmail) it is possible that your Windows LIVE ID expires (goes dormant.) An Xbox LIVE Gamertag is unrecoverable from the system only when the associated Windows Live ID has become dormant and the Gamertag has been deleted from all Xbox 360 consoles.

Members with dormant Windows Live IDs can continue to enjoy the benefits of their Xbox LIVE Gamertags on their Xbox 360 consoles, including earning Achievements; however, they will not be able to use their expired Windows Live IDs for activities such as account management on Xbox.com.

It is important to note that an Xbox LIVE Gamertag is unrecoverable from the system only when the associated Windows Live ID has become dormant and the Gamertag has been deleted from all Xbox 360 consoles.

What you can do to prevent having any problems:

We recommend that people log into their Windows Live ID on Xbox.com or Xbox LIVE Marketplace on the Web at least once every four months.

What we're doing:

We are actively working on an update that will allow you to link your Gamertag to a new Windows Live ID if one becomes dormant.

Razer products have style. Starting with the Boomslang from years ago, the company always kept an eye on form, presentation, and functionality. The Mako 2.1 speaker system doesn't veer away from the company's roots in the least. Like other Razer products, the Mako has looks to kill and sound quality to match. Priced at $399, the Mako doesn't exactly sit alongside budget computer speaker setups, but it more than justifies the price tag.

Simple, refined, and understated the Mako satellites sit easily on your desk, happy not to make a nuisance of themselves. The two matte-black, bowl-shaped speakers sit low enough to plunk down directly underneath an LCD should space be a concern. The downward firing design of the satellites makes them great for desks. By using a table to reflect off of, the sound becomes more diffuse, which makes it harder to obfuscate. Consequently you get a fuller sound across the room rather than just directly in front of you.The subwoofer looks like a large black mushroom on the floor, acting as the central point for all connections as well as the source of bass.

Unlike most speakers, you won't find binding posts on the backs of these speakers. A simple CAT5 connector replaces the archaic red and black screw posts. Setup is pretty much foolproof when you don't have to worry about wire polarity anymore. That goes doubly so for a bi-amped setup like the Mako. Separate amplifiers located in the subwoofer power the tweeter and woofer of each speaker. By using discrete amplifiers for each speaker component Razer ensured accurate component level power adjustments via their Class HD amplifiers. The amplifiers are actually a modified form of Class D amps, tweaked to give high efficiency and lower noise levels.

For Razer, even something as mundane as a volume knob can be point of distinction. Shaped like a shiny black puck, you won't find a single button on the device. The entire UI is touch based and lights up with soft blue glow. Dial up the volume to ridiculous levels and you'll enter red LED territory. Hold your finger down on the logo to turn the set on and off. You'll also find connections for headphones and a line-in on the side of hub.

Razer sent over a few development mockup shots of the Mako. It's interesting to see how the product evolved over time and what design decisions the company made in the end. Somewhere along the way, Razer ditched the buttons and high gloss finish. Looking at the finished product, we'd have to say they made the right changes.

The sound quality is stellar. Crisp, detailed treble. Bass that's not overly boomy. You don't get deep visceral bass that rattles your rib cage, but for that you're going to have to get something considerably more sizable. The 120Hz subwoofer crossover is noticeable, but it's not much of a problem if you keep the subwoofer close to the satellites to minimize sound localization issues. We're kind of bummed that the set didn't have any digital inputs, Razer indicated that they considered adding the functionality but decided against until MP3 players start to come with them. Outside of that, the Mako didn't disappoint in the least. It's a great addition to an office space or bedroom.

We just met with Mad Catz's Alex Verrey here in our San Francisco offices to get hands-on with the Mad Catz Street Fighter IV product line-up and to find out what makes them special.

First off, forget everything that you might remember about the cheap Mad Catz accessories from the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube days. All of Mad Catz's new Street Fighter IV controllers have tremendous build quality and feel terrific in hand. The company worked with Capcom and expert players to make sure that the sticks meet the standards of serious Street Fighter enthusiasts. Mad Catz also had to get the approval of Capcom Street Fighter IV producer Yoshinori Ono on aesthetics and controls, and he wasn't afraid to send the joysticks back for more work if the button layout wasn't correct or if the controls didn't feel right.

Playing with the Mad Catz Street Fighter IV FightStick Tournament Edition is as close to the arcade experience as you're going to get. The stick uses the exact same Sanwa joystick and buttons found in the actual Street Fighter IV arcade cabinets in Japan. You used to have to build your own stick or get someone in a fighting game forum to make one for you if you wanted a controller that used genuine arcade parts. The FightStick is also very easy to mod in case you wanted to change out the artwork or even swap in an American-style joystick and convex buttons.

Experienced players will appreciate several features on the stick. The designers placed the start and select buttons on the front part of the box well out of the way of the joystick and buttons to prevent any inadvertent mid-game pauses. The controller also has a lock switch that disables the turbo and, depending on platform, the Xbox Guide or PlayStation Home buttons. A lot of players like to bring their sticks with them when visiting friends or traveling to competitions so the Tournament Edition stick has a small compartment for cable storage.

The Tournament Edition stick will be available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in the US on Feb. 17 for $149. The sticks aren't cross-console compatible but they will both work with the PC. Pre-orders have already sold out for the initial 3,000 unit launch allocation, but another shipment will arrive in late February according to Alex.

Mad Catz will also ship a regular Street Fighter IV Arcade FightStick for players looking for a more affordable joystick. The standard stick is smaller than the Tournament Edition and doesn't feature Sanwa hardware, but the joystick and buttons still feel great and you can't argue with the price. The PS3 version will retail for $69 and the Xbox 360 will sell for slightly more, $79, due to higher console licensing fees. The standard stick is as easy to mod as the Tournament Edition, so modders might want to pick up this model as a starter kit.

Ricardo sat down with Capcom's Seth Killian at CES last week to find out about the new Street Fighter IV sticks Mad Catz put together with the help of Capcom. Check out the video in case you missed it.

Keep your eye on the hardware blog. We'll have more on Mad Catz later this week!

It took seven years but Razer finally has a wireless gaming mouse: the Razer Mamba. Razer founder Robert Krakoff told us that the company started planning for a wireless mouse as early as 2001, but "would only do it if the wireless one could perform as well as a wired one." Krakoff credits the firmware design team for figuring out how to do wireless with minimal latency. The Mamba offers a 1,000Hz polling rate in both 2.4GHz wireless and wired modes (you can plug in the cord when it's time to recharge). The Mamba looks similar to Razer's popular DeathAdder model, but it has a few ergonomic improvements and an upgraded 5600DPI laser engine. Other features include onboard memory for profile saves, Teflon feet, and a traditional charging dock for players that refuse to touch cords.

The retail box resembles a trophy stand that has the Mamba sitting in the center of the package. Please forgive the fingerprints on the case--conference attendees had all morning to fondle the box before we got the chance to take a picture. The mouse will be available next month for $129.

Razer also had its newly announced Carcharias headset on display at its CES booth. The Carcharias features the circum-aural earpiece design that we love because the earpieces sit over the ears instead of pressing down on them. The built-in microphone uses noise filtering to ensure that your teammates hear nothing except your sweet voice when you're barking out orders. The headset will be available later this month for $79.

Logitech's back in the mix with a full update of their of high-end G-series PC gaming peripherals: the G19 Gaming Keyboard, the G35 Headset and the G9x Gaming Mouse.

The G19 keyboard builds upon the already feature rich G15 keyboard with several key upgrades. The G19 features a full color 320x240 LCD display capable of displaying all sorts of gaming information and non-gaming related information including images and videos. Keyboard controls will let you switch out what's displayed on the screen while you're playing a game. The G19 also features twelve fully programmable keys, with up to three different presets per key. Two onboard USB 2.0 ports provide additional peripheral hookups.

Logitech's new G35 headset offers 7.1 surround sound thanks to second generation Dolby Headphone technology. Dolby Headphone allows headsets to very realistically simulate a full set of 7.1 home theater speakers. The built-in microphone comes with noise canceling technologies and gives players the ability to mask their real voice. Choose between six different preset voices including cyborg, mutant, giant,troll, alien, and the ever popular space squirrel. Built-in controls let you adjust the volume, microphone, surround sound and voice presets. The G35 also comes with three different size headbands to better accommodate various noggin sizes.

Sensitive just got more sensitiver, or something like that with the new Logitech G9x Gaming Mouse. The G9x sports a brand new laser sensor that has adjustable settings capable of sending the mouse from 200 to 5000 DPI on the fly. The G9x comes with two interchangeable mouse grips like the G9, but has more memory for up for five different user profiles. The G9x also has the prerequisite adjustable weight system and multi-colored LED lighting system.

The G9x mouse, G19 keyboard, and G35 headset will all be available in March with $99, $199, and $129 MSRPs, respectively.