October NPD results are in. Nintendo had a strong showing, shifting 506,900 Wii units, no doubt thanks to the $50 price cut that went into effect late last September. Despite an overall slump in sales elsewhere across the spectrum, PS3 sales remained relatively brisk, edging past the Xbox 360 by around 70,000 in total unit sales.

All in all, it was a $1.07 billion month for the video game industry, a 13 percent drop from last year. Much of that decline can be attributed to the hardware sector. Expect things to perk up next month, though, evident by the blockbuster sales of Modern Warfare 2. Front-runner titles like Assassin’s Creed 2 and Left 4 Dead 2 will likely follow in its footsteps. See the full breakdown of hardware and software sales past the jump.

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As per usual, Valve are offering a special deal this weekend on Steam and this week it’s the turn of both Crysis and Crysis Warhead with a 50% saving on both titles to bring the price down to just £9.99 for each game.

If you haven’t already got a copy of Crysis or Crysis Warhead, now would be a good time to grab a bargain.

The launch of Modern Warfare 2 has catapulted Xbox Live activity, setting a new record for the number of concurrent users logged in. According to a Twitter tweet from Xbox community manager Major Nelson, over two million users were active on the service at once this week.

While the exact impact MW2 had on that figure is unknown, it’s safe to say it had a substantial effect. We’re just glad the servers didn’t end up buckling under all this load. It’s clear that the investments Microsoft has put into Live have paid off.

EA today announced that the concluding chapter to the Tiberian saga, entitled Commander & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight, will hit store shelves March 16 in the US, with a European release following on the 19th.

Exclusive to PC, those who pre-order the game at participating retailers will receive access to the upcoming beta test, as well as a copy of the game’s soundtrack and an additional prequel bonus mission.

Currently undergoing beta testing, the Xbox 360 dashboard update that integrates social networking services Twitter, Last.FM, and Facebook will be released on November 17 according to Xbox Live general manager Marc Whitten.

It’s a choice date, seeing as a slew of big-hitters are due out for release that day, including Assassin’s Creed 2 and Left 4 Dead 2. We somehow get the feeling that a lot of folks will be calling in sick on that day, and hey, we can’t blame you.

The next update to the Xbox Live network will be coming Tuesday [Fast Company]

Neon of Team Typoon, the same team responsible for bringing homebrew to the masses on PSP-3000 has released a brief video that demonstrates the possibilities of HEN (short for Homebrew Enabler) on a PSPgo unit in a custom firmware esque environment.

Genesis emulator PicoDrive is shown running Sonic through the go’s savestate-like Resume Game feature, which can continue play sessions even after a full shutdown. While there are no immediate plans to release this Kernel-level exploit to the public, we’re told that more footage in better quality is coming soon.

With an official count of 1.23 million units sold in the UK on launch day, Modern Warfare 2 is well on track to become this year’s biggest entertainment launch, just as publisher Activision said it would.

How is the proper sequel to 2007’s Infinity Ward-developed Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare stacking up in terms of worldwide sales? While exact figures are still unknown, Broadpoint AmTech analyst Ben Schachter surmises that 7 million copies went into the hands of gamers worldwide on day one.

It’s a lofty prediction, but very possible, taking the buzz surrounding this launch into consideration. If true, it’d mean that MW2 nearly doubled the units GTA IV sold on its first day. Quite an impressive feat.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Sold an Estimated 7 Million Copies Day One, says Analyst [GameDaily]

While Microsoft still has yet to officially announce it, online tech retailer Newegg is now listing a Microsoft-branded Wireless N adapter for Xbox 360, complete with photos of the unit. That’s proof enough, for us at least.

As expected, the price is set at $99.99. Pretty hefty we’d say, but then again, that’s what the G rated model of old used to cost before retailers cut it down to $79.99. Wireless on Xbox 360 comes at a significant premium, practically negating the cost-benefit on picking up a 360 over a PS3.

In a decision swayed by community votes, Capcom today confirmed that it will release the extra content contained within Resident Evil 5 Alternate Edition as DLC in the U.S. and Europe.

First revealed at TGS, this director’s cut version of the game features support for Sony’s upcoming wand motion-sensing controller as well as an extra segment of playable content starring Jill Valentine.

The content will be made available on PSN and Xbox Live Marketplace in Spring 2010. No word on price yet, but we’ll find out once the release date approaches. Additionally, Capcom has yet to detail its distribution plan for PC owners of the game.

Developer Gearbox Software today stamped a November 24 release date on the first batch of downloadable content for its open-world RPG Borderlands. Priced at $9.99, it welcomes players to Dr. Ned’s Zombie Island, an eery land inhabited by humans-turned-zombies following the breakout of a virus. It’s up to you to restore peace by finding a cure.

Note that this date only applies to PS3 and Xbox 360. There’s no word yet if PC owners will be able to access this content. We assume they will, but at a later date.