This week’s roundup continues from last week when we saw Sony decimating their workforce by making 2,000 jobs cuts. Despite the sour news however, we begin today with Jared’s weekly look at the injustices perpitrated against video games and gamers by the popular media.

Microsoft announced 1,400 job cuts, and one department gets hit the hardest

The computer and video game giant announced today that they would be cutting 1,400 jobs due to the lack of profits during their holiday quarter.

Microsoft said, yesterday, that its Entertainment and Devices division saw an increase in sales with the Xbox 360 selling a record number of 6 million units during their holiday quarter.

Despite this record number, profits were down, and Microsoft has taken action by cutting 1,400 jobs. ZDnet reports the bulk of the job cuts seem to be in the EDD department, which is control of the Xbox 360, the Zune, PC
Gaming, and Windows Mobile.

After hearing this, these upcoming stories might begin to cheer you up.

Capcom Executive announces a 150 to 200 million dollar budget for the Lost Planet Movie

Toshihiro Tokumaru, Head of Character Content Business for Capcom, announced that the new Lost Planet movie “will cost somewhere between 150 and 200 million dollars to make."

Tokumaru announced this while giving a PR interview about Capcom’s relation with the film industry and their future plans.

Tokumaru also said the producer of the film is Avi Arad, who also produced Spiderman.

Just to put it into perspective, The Dark Knight cost 185 million to make.

With a big budget and an acclaimed producer, Lost Planet is shaping up to be a big project and could be the next big video game turned movie blockbuster.

Okay, enough about Microsoft job cuts and movies. Straight video game news is up next on the round up.

Halo Wars is finished and is ready to be released

Microsoft Game Studios announced today that Halo Wars is ready to be manufactured.

Now that Halo Wars is ready, Microsoft will be releasing a video documentary on the game, and will release the Halo Wars demo on Febuary 5th on Xbox live before the release date on March 3 in the U.S.

The beginning of Halo Wars also marks the shutdown of the developer who makes it.

Microsoft will be shutting down Ensemble studios, as has been planned since last September.

Hello to Halo Wars, and a bittersweet goodbye to Ensemble Studios.

Last story, but definitely not the least…

LittleBigPlanet scores 10 Interactive Achievement Award Nominations

The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences has announced the nominations for the 12th annual Interactive Achievement Awards, and LittleBigPlanet for Playstation 3 is the front runner in the show.

AIAS has given LittleBigPlanet 10 award nominations in the categories of Console Game of the Year, Overall Game of the Year, and Outstanding Innovation in Gaming among others

Other big hitters in this year’s Interactive Achievement Awards are Gears of War 2, Fable 2, Left 4 Dead, Metal Gear Soli 4, and Fallout 3.