We've got an intriguing trade-in solution for the folks who're itching to make the switch from HD-DVD to Blu-ray. Future Shop is offering a special trade-in offer wherein you can trade your HD-DVD player for CAD$ 100 off a combination Blu-ray and HD-DVD player. More on this after the jump!

 Based on an info snippet picked up from Canada's Future Shop retailer chain, Apple might just might be releasing two new MacBook SKUs into the market. Screenshots that hint at this possibility are available in the full article.

Harmonix's Rock Band (PS3 and Xbox 360) has suffered numerous delays, and gamers in Canada may have to go through another announcement of a delay once again. This time, the game's distributor, Electronic Arts, places the blame on the underestimation of the demand for Rock Band in Canada.

Canadians already itching to get down to some serious head banging to the tune of their very own copy of Rock Band (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3), unfortunately, will have to wait a bit more. The rumor mill is again working on overtime: according to some retailers, the Canadian release of the music video game by Harmonix Music Systems has been delayed even further to the 28th of this month.

Curious to know why? Read on after the jump.

If you're still not over about Microsoft's move on coming up with a new SKU for Xbox 360, we have a simple and direct advice for you: simply get over it, embrace the change, and "jump in." The new SKU is quite aptly called Xbox 360 Elite and even this early, the demand for the monster of a console is growing.

As a matter of fact, a handful of retailers are already accepting pre-orders for the said SKU. For the early birds in the U.S., fans can just go with Circuit City as no other retailer, we believe, have began accommodating early adopters. The deal will cost US$ 479.99.

If you happen to be living in Canada then lucky you as you have more options. Your Best Buy are also accepting pre-orders for CA$ 549.99 or just around US$ 5 higher than that of the U.S. Online retailer Future Shop, likewise, is also offering pre-orders for the same price. The estimated time of arrival of Xbox 360 Elite is on May 4.

We had a report yesterday on the possibility of having a motion-sensing controller for Xbox 360 and Microsoft said that it will wait and see if demands pick up.

Logically, prices of new commodities start to go down after they've started picking up. The universal law of supply and demand, you know how it works. However, it seems that this isn't the case for the PlayStation 3 in Canada. To add more to this rather out of place practice, the apparent change in pricing came after reports of more units shipping back there.

Over at retail store Future Shop's online site, they're currently listing the 6OGB behemoth for CA$ 699.99. It was originally tagged for just CA$ 659.99 or somewhere around US$ 560. On a different note however, it looks like our Canadian friends didn't mind at all as all the units in the said store have already sold out.

So what's up with this? Well, Gaming site GameSpot was able to talk to one Sony Canada representative.

Although the suggested retail price (SRP) of the PlayStation 3 in Canada has not changed, some Canadian retailers have chosen to increase their retail price as a result of the weaker Canadian dollar. This increase is solely at the discretion of the retailer, as Sony Computer Entertainment Canada has not issued a price increase.

Well, if that is the case, we suggest for our friends who haven't bought the PS3 yet to look around first in other stores. In these times, we mustn't underestimate the power of a thirty dollar saving.

If you're talking bling-bling, you can't get any icier than this. Fine, you might have decked your DS Lite with some Swarovski crystals, but that's like so yesterday, apparently. What with all the raving and wanting to mod/ice/personalize gadgets and devices, there's yet another new option for the market. Folks up in Canada can purchase a golden stylus to make their DS unit richer than a 16th century fief lord.

Future Shop is now offering an 18 karat golden stylus for CA$ 19.99 (around US$ 17.50) but currently it's already out of stock (believe it or not). Being gold and all, it's perfectly balanced in weight to improve its functionality.

Hey, for less than 20 bucks, we'd say that's as cheap as they come. It surely doesn't cost you an arm and a leg, except maybe if you were a 16th century serf...

CheapAssGamer member "hack" found an interesting flyer at his local GameStop. He asked an employee about it and was told that Wii (same applies to PS3 if the flyer is true, but he didn't ask about it specifically) pre-orders would only be taken for one week. The pre-orders start on Monday, September 18th. Any store can stop pre-orders at any time. This isn't what annoys me though, this part makes sense after all.

Pre-order deposits of $50 have to be made through trade-in credit. That's right, you have to trade in $50 worth of games or accessories to get your pre-order. This is by their trade-in values, which are notoriously low. Any promotions going on can be taken advantage, such as the "Trade 3 get $10 bonus" offer going on right now.

On top of that, even though you're guaranteed to get a Wii, you aren't guaranteed to get it on launch day. The ones who reserve first will be the ones to receive the console as they get it. Only one reservation per console per household.

A few Q/As he provides:

Q: Why is the pre-order process being done this way?
A: GameStop/EB is trying to be more cautious and is trying to plan out the pre-order process better. This is an attempt at a different way of handling pre-orders. They say that they take in a large amount of pre-order money and when products launch, many people don't actually pick up their pre-order. That means GameStop/EB has to continually keep track of these unclaimed pre-orders, and that incurs costs. Its a way to keep down costs, and at the same time, its a way for you to actually keep your money in case you do not pick up your system (because your pre-order money is converted basically into store credit).

Q: Will you have lots of Wii accessories (controllers, etc.) on hand for launch.
A: Yes.

Q: Will you open at midnight?
A: It depends. Some stores may, and others might not. My particular store is trying to open at midnight, but its slightly more difficult since its located in a closed mall.

Remember, this is not confirmed. I wouldn't say it's a 100% false, but it isn't confirmed. I actually think they might go this route. If they do, I'll be most likely be pre-ordering at Future Shop or some other store.

The Canadian need for speed will be taken care of with a new combo sale for gamers. Kotaku got a tip from a reader, showing one of the first pictures of what looked to be the Xbox 360 bundle that comes with a copy of Project Gotham Racing 3 that we mentioned in an earlier article.

While most of the commentors focused more on the typo of the title than the actual article, one reader was kind enough to do some fact checking, and proved the existence of the bundle. The online site Future Shop lists it as the "XBOX 360 Project Gotham Racing 3 Kit," with the following description:

Purchase XBOX 360 Bundle and receive an XBOX 360 Project Gotham Racing 3 Kit FREE!
Kit Includes Project Gotham Racing 3, a 1250 Points Card and an XBOX Live 3 Month Card.
while supplies last.

All in all, that's actually not a bad deal. There's only one thing, however. It seems to be a Canada-only promotion, much to the dismay of some non-Canadian gamers. Oh well, c'est la vie.

The Gran Turismo series is the one racing simulator that holds a special place in the hearts of millions of gamers everywhere. The upcoming version of Gran Turismo that is planned for the PS3 will be a groundbreaking step in the evolution of this genre.

Unfortunately, we can only hope that  this game will be released any time soon! Many of us are still bitterly awaiting the promised release of a version of Gran Turismo for the PSP, but I for one am willing to believe again.

For those who can't bare to place their trust in the gaming industry again, maybe you won't have to. According to Canadian online retailer Future Shop, not only can we expect to be treated to a next generation version of Gran Turismo on the PS3 in a timely manner, we can expect to see "exclusive use of the PSP and Eyetoy brings the realism you expect from a GT game" as well.

Although, the $74.99 CAD (~$65 US) price tag was expected, I was still startled to see such daunting prices staring back at me. While this is obviously one of those topics that should be taken with several grains of salt, here is a retailer that is planning to start selling this game in Canada on November 30 for about 75 dollars.

Thanks goes out to Rashy A for the tip!