Blockbuster is trying pretty hard to make its mark in the gaming retail department, just as many other store chains are trying to do. The company’s Game Rush service wants a piece of the game sale goldmine, which is why Blockbuster will be expanding the service by offering more accessories for consumers.

Starting today, Blockbuster will now carry software, hardware, and accessories for the Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo DS systems. In addition to more offerings, the company will also be expanding the variety of games it has available for rent, as well as the number of existing rental copies.

Not only will the company be expanding its variety, but it will also try its best to get the gaming crowd’s attention with exclusive deals and promotions. One example, Blockbuster’s announcement explained a $499 PS3 bundle that included a 40GB system, an HDMI cable, Spider-Man 3 on Blu-ray, Transformers: The Game, a Blu-ray DVD remote, and one free Blu-ray or PS3 game rental per week for 12 weeks. Blockbuster definitely wants to compete with GameStop.

Take note that the company hasn’t mentioned the PSP or PC in any of its offerings. Blockbuster hasn’t totally revealed if they’re ditching the two consoles or just not giving them any attention yet.

Ah, well, I guess we won’t be seeing a Blu-Ray add on anytime remotely soon. -backflip)

You guys have heard that Netflix, Wal-Mart, and most recently Toshiba, who is the main backer of HD-DVD, are completely dropping the format, right?

Well, it looks like Microsoft is ready to put the final nail in the coffin by releasing a Blu-ray add-on for the 360 as soon as May ‘08. According to Smarthouse.au, Microsoft has pretty much finished developing the thing and it can be released to stores within around 3 months.

I just want to say that this is totally unconfirmed and from what I can tell, a completely unknown source, but it’s something I was discussing with backflip earlier today and it definitely sounds plausible to me.

According to the PlayStation Blog, Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will be available for Blu-Ray and PSN download on April 17. The price for the game will be $39.99. The Blu-Ray version of the game will include “an exclusive behind-the-scenes High Definition (HD) video feature called ‘Beyond the Apex.’” The video will take a look inside of the Gran Turismo series, showing gamers how the developers are able to capture the realistic aspects of racing.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue will allow players to race up to 16 cars at once, online and off. The game will also feature more improved AI and 50 cars and 5 tracks.

We’re branching out!

During the next few weeks, you’ll see an increasing number of articles covering the HD-DVD/Blu-ray format war, along with reviews of titles released on both formats. We feel that this format war is extremely relevant to the gaming industry, and therefore should be something we focus on in addition to gaming.

It may be a bit rocky at first while we integrate this new category into our routine, but things should go smoothly and you’ll eventually see a steady stream of articles posted.

We’re also looking for talented writers for this new category, and general gaming news, so you should check out backflip’s post for more information on that.