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xbox 360

Get Your 360 Fixed - Quickly - In Four Easy Steps

If you own a 360, odds are you've had to call Xbox support at least once. Maybe even more than once. And if you have, odds are also high you had a thoroughly unpleasant experience doing so. Next time you need to call them (or, for the lucky few, the first time), then, arm yourself with this quick and easy (and paraphrased) guide to getting shit done, courtesy of Consumerist reader Jason:
1. Call 1-800-4-MY-XBOX
2. Get a reference number for your problem as quickly as possible.
3. Hang up and call the escalated support number, 866-506-3826.
4. Talk to someone who knows what they're doing.
Easy, no?
How To: Quickly Contact Intelligent Life At XBOX Customer Service [Consumerist] [Pic]

8:20 PM on Mon May 5 2008
By Luke Plunkett
8,849 views, 139 comments

Latest by freespeech: I've called twice and never had a problem with the tech guy, as soon as he tried to go through the "repair troubleshooting" options I cut him off and said I already tried everything they suggest on the website. more »

parents

Video Game Safety For Parents

When I read the headline " Internet and video game safety: Ten practical tips to help protect your children" over at the UK Telegraph website, I was certain I was about to read some overblown warning about the dangers of violent video games. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by ten actual practical tips that encourage parents to be responsible about their children's internet and video game use. Who'd have thought?

Some video games teach children important skills, from cooperation to patience, but others really are just about gorily blowing other people's heads off. The more you understand about which games your child uses, the more you'll be able to guide their choices.
These are extremely helpful bits of advice for any parent concerned about their offspring's gaming habits. I'm not so sure parents on this side of the pond are hip to the concept of parental responsibility, but it's worth a shot.

Internet and video game safety: Ten practical tips to help protect your children [Telegraph.co.uk]

9:20 AM on Wed Mar 26 2008
By Mike Fahey
2,129 views, 44 comments

Latest by joelface: exactly. you dont let your children watch ANY movie. same with games. more »

A real-life Weighted Companion Cube in Toronto, separated through the two portals! The blue side of the portal is at http://www.bladediary.com/index.pl?stencil=390 and the orange is at http://www.bladediary.com/index.pl?stencil=391

The Matrix Online turns 3 today! So I decided to check out MXO after three years now.  I'm always skeptical about joining new mmo's and this one was a title that I originally wanted to check out back when it was in beta.  However all the negative press, high technical requirements, and average reviews made me pass on it.  Three years later it has an anniversary today and since I feel mmo's are usually more improved years after their release since most stuff is fixed and improved - I'll give it a whirl on my DX10 laptop. The game is surprisingly fun if your a huge fan of the Matrix films.  Sci-Fi mmo's don't ever get any slack cut for them since the most popular ones are the traditional cliché knights, swords, and magic.  While I can see it having some graphical issues, they seemed minor compared to what I read at release.  Lastly, the most impressive thing I noticed about MXO is the community.  They are the most friendly, helpful, and non-obnoxious (juvenile behavior, n00b calling, '1337' attitudes) mmo crowd I've met.  Even the forums are so welcoming and friendly.  Heck the moment I jacked in this really nice girl gave me a tour and shown me around the game. Overall I kind of wish I didn't wait out all these years on MXO, but I can say if your not a fan of the movies even by a little - then search further for your clichés.

[www.theonion.com]

There is an update on the PS3 version of Orange Box. Just thought of pointing it out.

Aren't you guy's going to cover GRID from codemasters (http://www.gametrailers.com/player/32013.html) since this looks amazing?  It's multiplatform but the enviromental rendering and car models look as good if not better then GT5.

Not sure why I haven't seen this yet, but the new COD4 maps have been revealed at IGN.com. http://ps3.ign.com/articles/859/859985p1.html

The 2nd Halo 3 map, Avalanche, of the Legendary Map Pack has finally been revealed for the day. It will be released on April 15th for 800 points and is in a way, a reimagination of the original Halo's Sidewinder. More Info @ http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=13382.

[morpheonmods.blogspot.com] I know you guys are all fond of the Bedazzeled Wiis, but I think this Wii Metroid mod needs to be shown on if it hasn't already..There's supposed to be a Mario Galaxy mod on there too, but, well, we all know how delays go..

Freeloader for Wii: All hype and no substance
Posted on March 19th, 2008 by ahmad
Dear readers. In my last post for a week (I’m visiting the big smoke - Auckland), I wish I could bring you some good news. Unfortunately I have to give you some "I told you so" news that skeptics like Newsy and I had been predicting since the announcement of Datel’s Wii Freeloader. Sure, the disc is allowing owners to play Super Smash Bros. Brawl (US) months before its PAL release. But what about future games, and what if Nintendo chooses to "break" Freeloader like they did with the earlier version (which was for GameCube games only)? When Freeloader Wii was first announced a few weeks ago, I immediately emailed Codejunkies and this morning received a generic email reply with the following FAQs:
Q. What if Nintendo release a firmware update which affects the usage of the Wii Freeloader ? A. No guarantee can be given of compatibility with future firmware releases so if Online updates are performed on your console this may prevent Freeloader from functioning correctly We recommend that you consider the benefits of any Online upgrade against the possible loss of compatibility with Freeloader and its functions. Q. A number of games will not function unless the upgrade program has first been loaded from the game disc how will my console be affected by allowing an upgrade program to run on my EUR console from a USA game disc for example ? A. The freeloader can allow for the upgrade program from a game disc to be selectivity loaded so that only updates which will not affect the usage of the console are loaded, we do recommend before you load any game which requires the usage of an upgrade program to check the FAQ section which is due to be added to our website in the near future. Q. Is the product compatible with any released Wii games ? A. If a game does not require the usage of an upgrade program before the game is loaded you should not experience any problems in using the game. If a game requires the usage of an upgrade program from the game disc the freeloader can allow for the upgrade program from a game disc to be selectivity loaded so that only updates which will not affect the usage of the console are loaded, we do recommend before you load any game which requires the usage of an upgrade program to check the FAQ section which is due to be added to our website in the near future.
I have only included questions and answers of interest above. The rest of the FAQs in the email appear below. Needless to say, this is not the magic bullet that some were hoping for. This is a massive blow to PAL Wii owners. Datel have been quoted as saying that future Wii firmware updates would not break the functionality of the Freeloader, but this information is contradicatory to that. Furthermore, they appear to be keeping quiet on this as I was not able to find these FAQs on their website. Frankly I find the original claims misleading - sure, the disc can disable firmware updates, but if these are required to play future games, then you will be left stuck in the past playing old games only. I will make my return next week after the dust has settled - have a safe and enjoyable Easter break.
Q. When will the product be released ? A. The product is now available for despatch. Q. Is the freeloader compatible with the Wii firmware version 3.2 and any versions prior to this version ? A. The Wii Freeloader works with all current versions of the firmware at the time of its release been v3.2 or below. Q. Can imported games be played online ? A. We are not aware of any problems in playing imported games online. Q. Can the Wii Freeloader be used on the a modified console ? A. We are not aware of any problems in using the Wii Freeloader on modified consoles. Q. Is there any problems in saving any region of game on any region of console for example saving a USA game on a EUR console ? A. We are not aware of any problems in saving any region of game on any region of console.

www.InstantAction.com has just opened its (metaphorical) doors to the gaming public at large (and possibly those at small as well)!


Yep, the site that sounds worryingly like it might start serving up softcore at any moment has entered open beta and anyone can sign up. InstantAction promises to serve up easy-access console quality gaming within your browser, and with offerings like Marble Blast Online and ThinkTanks available its easy to be ever so slightly less apathetic about life in general!

Thats without mentioning InstantAction's big hitter - Fallen Empires: Legions, the spiritual Tribes sequel that the Tribes community doesn't unanimously hate quite yet! Indeed, Legions will be having a developer chat with team lead Tim Aste soon, more details here: http://blog.instantaction.com/2008/03/chat-with-the-l.html


So get signing up and blasting some marbles or whatnot. Its got to be better than solitaire.

Jack comments on Manhunt 2 going on sale in the UK   http://www.destructoid.com/jack-thompson-tells-me-to-rape-a-child-advocating-molestation-is-not-cool-75534.phtm

[www.youtube.com] As Solid Snake would say   A METAL GEAR!!!? D:  

Coming Soon had a chance to speak with producer Michael De Luca (21, Ghost Rider) and he passed along news that a Metal Gear Solid movie, based off the long-running hit espionage video game franchise, is once again going ahead. The project has been in the very early stages for sometime (see eerily similar Slashfilm post from Feb ‘07), and faced a set back from the writer’s strike. Moreover, De Luca says that a meeting will take place in the “next few weeks” with writer/director Kurt Wimmer about adapting a screenplay for the film. Though De Luca didn’t directly state it, this probably means that Wimmer is also up to direct the big budget affair, as his previous films, Equilibrium starring Christian Bale and Ultraviolet starring Millo Jovovich, were similar fanboy-intensive, kinetic action/genre flicks. Neither one of those films connected at the box office, however, so MGS would be the director’s closest shot at bagging a sure thing, the whole video game curse notwithstanding. Wimmer’s next screenplay to hit the big screen will be April’s LAPD thriller Street Kings with Keanu Reeves. Video game synopsis: Metal Gear Solid follows Solid Snake, a retired soldier who infiltrates a nuclear weapons disposal facility to neutralize the terrorist threat from FOXHOUND, a renegade special forces unit.   Full Story at http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/03/15/kurt-wimmer-to-write-and-possibly-direct-metal-gear-solid-movie

Last week, with the new update, we saw little to no changes correct?  Well, that's just not the case with my PS3.  I hesitated at first, updating my PS3, but the next day, I finally updated.  Big mistake.  At first, there was no problem, everything ran fine...that is until I tried to play the Limited Edition of Stranglehold.  Now, I have gotten pretty far without any problem, but maybe by coincidence, the game started to skip and play sounds out of sync.  This all cleared up in a moment or so.  The real problem came when I tried to watch Hard-Boiled, it got to a certain point where it went all Bobby Drake and froze the damn PS3.  I had to manually restart the thing.  The next day I tried again, ending up with the same result. this time, I immedietely put the disc out and in, but when I put it back in it wouldnt start at all, wouldn't even see the disc.  I looked at the disc and it was freaking Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull clear.  So I tried all of my blu's, my games, my dvd's.  Hell, I even threw in some of my 8", 5.25", and 3.5", but they didnt fit.  Anyway, apparently the troubleshooters couldn't troubleshoot my PS3 and want it sent in.  Shyte, I might as well have got a 360 if I wanted to go through all of this, At least I would have Bioshock.  Now, if this gets posted, I promise to keep you all updated on the return...Yes, that does sound very exciting.  Goodnight, and good luck.

Rawstory.com just posted a small summary and video footage of a UK News report on the 3rdSpace gaming vest that lets users feel their characters being shot in games.  Activists in the UK are becoming alarmed by the vest thinking it will cause a rise in violence. http://rawstory.com/news/2008/New_vest_allows_video_gamers_to_0317.html

Sonic selling dried mango snacks! Saw this at my local chinese market. A black version of Sonic, (or maybe a happy version of Shadow the Hedgehog) on a box of dried mango snacks. Unfortunately, the contents in the box weren't mango snacks at all. Gotta love Chinese adverts! PIC1 PIC2