Anilrgowda

A couple of announcements for two of the big gaming consoles this festive season as they woo the public with some free content. As expected, Sony has announced the free High Def demo of Gran Turismo will be available for download from the PS3 PlayStation Network from December 24.

Following the scrapping of a full blown version, this HD concept demo features one track, Ten cars - with more unlockable and a couple of game modes to tide GT fans over until GT 5 in 2008.

The download will be available for a limited (not specified) time, as is some content for one of the more popular Xbox 360 games.

Bethesda have decide, for a short time only to give away the "Mehrunes Razor" download for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

Formally available on Xbox live for 250 points, new price 0 points.

A quote from developer Bethesda sums up the deal neatly; "We're pleased to announce that we've worked with the good folks at Xbox Live to give away one of our most popular downloads for Oblivion - Mehrunes Razor - for a limited period of time. Starting this Friday, Dec. 22, Xbox 360 gamers will be able to download Mehrunes Razor for free. This offer is only for a limited time...from Dec. 22 to Dec. 31. On Monday, Jan. 1 it will go back to its standard price."Presumably hoping to catch some last-minute seasonal shoppers, Microsoft has announced that its standard American Xbox warranty has been extended from 90 days to one year. The one-year warranty on hardware was already the standard for customers outside the US and Canada. Customers who have purchased an Xbox within the last year will automatically qualify for the new warranty, effective from the date of purchase. Owners who have already paid for a repair, but who would have qualified for a free warranty service otherwise, can apply for a refund.
The Xbox 360 is facing increased competition with the recent release of Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PS3, though it has still performed well in pre-Christmas online searches. Microsoft's recent strategies to attract customers include development tools to build games for the console.