More than a year after Sony declared victory in the format war, it appears that Microsoft is officially embracing Blu-ray, to an extent. In an interview with Gizmodo, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer seemingly confirmed that the Xbox 360 will eventually be receiving an external Blu-ray drive.The confirmation came when Ballmer was asked whether the Xbox 360 would be getting a Blu-ray drive anytime soon. He replied, "Well I don't know if we need to put Blu-ray in there - you'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories."As Gizmodo points out, it's possible that Microsoft is merely pointing out that any Xbox 360 Blu-ray drive would have to be external, and that it's not an actual confirmation. For its part, Xbox 360 representatives are keeping their cards pretty close to their chest, saying that they're not ready to comment on future plans.

  Unlike previous Call of Duty games on PC -- and most other first-person shooters, not to mention most other genres, too -- Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will be shipping without the usual multiplayer server browser, instead making use of a new matchmaking service called IWNet. A petition asking Infinity Ward to reconsider its decision to allow traditional dedicated servers has now been signed by nearly 130,000 individuals. Amazon.co.uk's reviews section for the PC version of Modern Warfare 2 is littered with more than 125 1-star reviews, most all of which are complaining about IWNet and the perceived restraints it brings with it. It's clear that we're not dealing with a few fanboys who are crying foul, even if it is nothing more than the vocal minority.Infinity Ward has responded to the outcry by citing the many advantages that IWNet will provide gamers with. IW boss Jason West told Game Informer, "We're just prioritizing the player experience above the modders and the tuners." And clearly, the outrage is coming from the community that worships both mods and clan servers very highly. The simple solution would be to offer both server browsing and matchmaking, but West rightly concludes that doing so would "bifurcate the community."Community Manager Robert Bowling offered up a list of reasons why gamers should be happy with the move to IWNet -- most notably, fewer cheaters, a party system, and matchmaking. Sounds pretty good, right? And although West's joke that he told GI -- "We thought maybe it would be cool if the fans could play the game" -- may have peeved off some, there remains something about IWNet that has hardcore PC gamers pissed off. Something that they claim is more than just the idea of change.

  Speaking at a lecture for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), noted game designer Peter Molyneux finally gave official confirmation that Fable 3 will include Natal support. The revelation came by tweets from attendees Nicholas Lovell and Johnny Minkley (via VG247). There are still no details on how Natal will function for the upcoming game, but given that Molyneux is spear-heading the Natal effort, it was really only a matter of time before we heard official word on the inclusion.In fact, Molyneux hasn't been shy about dropping very clear hints in the past, so this really doesn't come as a surprise. So far Fable 3 is the highest-profile of Natal-supported games that we've heard of, and set to launch in the holiday season of next year. Natal has sparked a lot of buzz among gamers and developers, but a franchise title like Fable may be a sort of proving grounds for whether the function can find a place in so-called hardcore games.

  Konami has released the first screen for Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, their upcoming remake of the franchise's very first Game Boy title. And in keeping with their previous ReBirth titles, it looks a lot like a Super Nintendo game, in this case Super Castlevania IV.Based on the shot, it appears that Christopher Belmont's trademark will be making its triumphant return. With luck, that will be one of the few carryovers, as the original game was notably awful. This remake is a nice opportunity for Konami to make things right and give Christopher a proper debut adventure.

  Dead Space: Extraction has not gotten off to a particularly good start on the Wii. The rail shooter reportedly managed to sell roughly 9000 units between September 29 and October 3, which likely won't surprise publisher Electronic Arts, EEDAR analyst Jess Divnich told Edge. "Electronic Arts didn't market Dead Space Extraction as much as it does with other titles. And the success or failure of a Wii title usually correlates directly to marketing spend. If Electronic Arts spent little on marketing, I am sure the sell through was no surprise to them. So I do not believe sell through was a disappointment to EA." "Given Wii games tend to have a flatter sales curve, I don't think 20,000 plus units is out of the question for October and maybe we get a holiday bump in November and December."

  Civilization Revolution coming to iPhones and iPod Touches was enough of a time killer, but now the acclaimed series is coming to the ultimate time waster: Facebook. Firaxis boss Sid Meier announced today on the Civilization Fanatics' forum that Civilization Network is in the works, a Facebook game scheduled for release next year.Meier describes it:Civilization Network will allow you to join together with your friends to create the world's most powerful, richest, smartest, or just plain coolest civilization. You can coordinate your strategy to win great battles, share your technology to jump ahead of your rivals, lobby your family and friends to form your own government and win vital elections, manage and grow your cities to maximize production and happiness, spy on your enemies, and work with your friends to create the great Wonders of the World. The game will offer everything you enjoy in Civ in a fully persistent environment - you can play as much as you like, whenever you like, and it'll be free to play.Without any screenshots or more info, it's hard to get a firm idea of exactly how CivNet (that's what I'm calling it, at least) will be played. Luckily, you might not have to wait until 2010 to get your hands on the game -- a closed beta will be offered "soon," and Firaxis is looking for beta testers. There are no details on exactly how to sign up, so your best bet for now is to become a fan of the game's Facebook page.

  "I've been telling this to everyone who interviews me lately," said Hideo Kojima in an intervew in this week's Famitsu magazine, "but I think there are three games that stand out above the rest of the pack in the remainder of this year. One is Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, one is Uncharted 2, and the third is Assassin's Creed II. Those three are just incredible."That's high praise from a figure some would call the most talented game designer working out of Japan right now, and Assassin creative director Patrice D