Gaming Consoles

How to Earn Some Easy Money

2008-05-30T12:49:00.009-05:00

I'm going to let you in on a little secret, you can buy all the video games and accessories you want or for that matter anything you want by following a few simple instructions. With that said the little secret isn't so little it's called Cashcrate. Cashcrate is a website which pays you to complete offers, such as joining free websites, complete surveys and try out certain products. And you get to do this all for free. Thats right free so if you're interested in making free money read on and I'll let you in on some tips I use when filling out offers.

Not too long ago I wrote a post about Gaming Lagoon a free website in which you fill out offers and surveys for gaming accessories and microsoft points. Cashcrate is similar but instead of points you get cold hard cash thats right cash as in checks in the mail. And you can use your extra cash on what ever you like.

Here is some info from their FAQ:

I’m skeptical, this sounds like a scam?
We assure you that this is not a scam! Companies need consumers to try and review products, services, and websites and are willing to pay money to have them do so. Most of the time you’re asked to do this without any compensation, what we do is take the money companies give us for YOUR participation, and give you back up to 75% of it!

How much can I make?

How much you can make is dependent on a few things such as what country you’re from and how much time you’re willing to devote to making money. As it is, most members have the opportunity to make more than a thousand dollars!

When do I get paid?

Users who meet our minimum payout (only $5!) have their payments processed by the 20th of the following month So, if you earn $250 in June, you’ll get paid in mid-July.

Cashcrate is a very country-specific website. After browsing through their forums and signing up myself to check it out, I realized that like Cashcrate has the most offers for U.S residents and therefore works best for them. However, they have also been known to offer a wide variety of offers for Canadian users.

The offers themselves range from your usual video subscriptions to other free trials which allow you to get a higher return if you own a credit card. If you don't have a credit card like I don't,it's not a problem don't sweat you can still participate, the offers you do just won't pay out as much.

Cashcrate is relatively easy to use. All you need to do is to complete offers and then click on a ‘Submit’ button in a banner that opens up at the top of your page. Offers usually take a few days to be approved.

Tips:

If you're going to be filling out forms there is an easier and faster way of doing this and it's completely automated it's called RoboForm . What you do is plug in your info and roboform completes any form with the info you provide so filling out forms only take like a nano second.You can choose the free version or upgrade to the Pro version the free version should be sufficcent for your needs.
You should also delete your cookies after evey offer you comlpete, this is very important because this how the companies track you and if you have not deleted the cookies you may not get credit for completeing some of the offers : you can do this by going to tools/internet options/delete cookies , press o.k. to delete cookies. There is also an easier way to this, this is called ATF Cleaner and what it does is make it easier to clear your cookies with one push of a button after each offer, it's also free to download.
To complete an offer this means you have to go all the way through the survey until you reach the page with the Silver, Gold and Bronze offers, when you reach this page you don't have do anything more you can close the browser and go submit the completed offer.
When you sign up go to the forums there is plenty more helpful information.

The offers do tend to be a little repetitive and some of them followed the same formulae.. complete this offer, refer a friend and get either an iPod, laptop of Xbox 260. Other offers included surveys and other free websites that only require you to plug in your email address.

Their referral system, however is very attractive. Even if you’re not in the U.S, you’ll be allowed to make money by referring active users to Cashcrate. You’ll get $3 bonus whenever a new user you referred in the U.S completes an offer, which is rather nice.

Cashcrate will pay ou get 20% for first level referrals and 10% for 2nd level referrals. The amount of percentage you earn will depend on how many members you refer. The more members you refer, the higher your overall referral percentage will be.

I signed up with Cashcrate May 27 so I have not received a check yet but in three days my May earnings are $18.00 and I also have $37.85 pending. Pending ernings is the amount that has not been credited to my account yet. So I stand to earn $55.85 in just three days work. When I recieve my check I'll be posting it here for everyone to see.

Bottom Line:

Cashcrate isn’t a scam, although it might seem like one at first glance. I would suggest spending some time in their forums, if you want to learn more about their program. This particular section of their forum offers payment proofs and testimonials so it’ll be great place to start.

If you’re not in the U.S but are willing to work hard at getting referrals, you can start by signing up with Cashcrate. The returns are justified because you won’t be doing anything at all. It’s very much a passive process. Refer some users based in the U.S and they’ll do all the work for you, while you take a cut of their earnings. Sounds good doesn't it?

Halo 3: matchmaking playlists changes for June

2008-05-26T14:56:00.004-05:00

The developers from Bungie have released the weekly update which includes a list of the changes for the Halo 3 matchmaking playlists in June. Gamers will probably be very interested in the Double EXP Weekends line-up as well as the updated DLC maps.

Those who prefer playing other game modes will find that the tweaks made to Head to Head, MLG, and SWAT games help balance the game. Here's a list of all the changes the developers revealed:

Hardcore

Added Head to Head (Ranked)

1vs 1 hopper
Relies primarily on Duels-style Slayer (indicator over the head of the person with the high score)
Smaller maps customized in Forge
Smaller maps customized in Forge

Updated MLG

v5 map variants added
Forge map “Amplified” added for Slayer and KotH
Blackout replaces Guardian as Oddball map
Legendary not required on this playlist

Updated SWAT

ShWATguns variant added
Shotty starts
No shields, 150% damage resistance
SWATball variant added
SWAT style oddball
200 points to win
SWAT 2 Flag variant added
SWAT style Capture the Flag
On The Pit and Snowbound
Players can not return flags, returns after 15 seconds on its own
3 Flags to win

Ranked

Updated Team Slayer

Decreased weighting on BR start game types

Updated Team Objective

Increased weighting on symmetrical map/gametype combinations, Example: Multi Flag on The Pit
Increased weighting on asymmetrical map/gametype combinations, Example: 1 Flag on High Ground

Updated Ranked Big Team

Updated Ranked Big Team
All restrictions are being removed
Fixed bug from May Mid-Month update that made the playlist require Legendary (The June playlist will only require Heroic)
If Ranked Big Team does not perform well this month, it may be retired in July

Social

Updated Social Slayer
Team Snipers “Score to Win” requirement increased to 50

DLC

Updated DLC Slayer
Reintegrated Heroic Maps

Updated DLC Objective

Increased focus on asymmetrical games on Avalanche symmetrical games on Ghost Town
Reintegrated Heroic maps
Double EXP Weekends (In order of appearance)

Added Rockets

Added Rockets

Updated Grifball Spring League

Bug fixes from the May version so that Carrier Damage Resistance is correct
Bug fix so forced player color is correct when carrying the bomb

Updated Team Snipers

Score to Win requirements increased to 50 for slayer games

Added 3 Ball

4v4v4v4 Gametypes with 3 Oddball

[Via Bungie]

Microsoft XBLA Games Delistment

2008-05-26T14:31:00.004-05:00

There has been a lot of controversy regarding the move to delist certain underperforming games from the Xbox Live Arcade. Well, Microsoft has just given out the criteria that it will be using to decide which games will be removed as well as answered a few questions that consumers might have regarding it.

According to the post on Gamerscoreblog, a game can only be delisted if it has been downloadable for at least six months, has a metacritic rating below 65 percent, and a conversion rate of less than six percent.

Conversion rate? What's that? According to Microsoft, a conversion happens when someone downloads a trial XBLA game and then purchases it afterwards. This means that if less than 6 percent of the people who downloaded a demo of a game bought it, then it means that it already has one strike against it.

Some people may also be asking why Microsoft is even considering delisting the games in the first place. Microsoft pointed out that the Xbox Live Arcade already has a lot of games on it and that filtering out the games will make it easier for players to find the ones they want to play.

Next up is the part quite a number of gamers are worried about. Will they be able to play a game once it's delisted? What happens to its online features and the leader boards? Can they still play the game? Here's what Microsoft had to say:

The game will function normally even after being delisted. You can continue to play the game single and multiplayer, as well as use the leaderboards as you normally.

Finally, what happens to those who bought a game before it gets delisted and accidentally deleted it? Well, you'll be happy to know that players will still be able to download it through the download history tab (leftmost blade according to Microsoft's response).

Hopefully, this new information clears up a few of the issues some of our readers have voiced out. Still, this blogger can't help but feel that it might been better to give gamers the ability to select which games will be shown on their XBLA instead of removing some of them from everyone's list.

That said, we're sure to hear more about this issue in the future so keep checking back here for more updates.

[via xbox360.qj.net]

GRID Demo Raced Past the One Million Downloads Mark

2008-05-21T12:09:00.006-05:00

Race gaming has never been so fierce or closely fought as Codemasters® today announced that the Race Driver: GRID™ playable demo has roared past the one million downloads mark across the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft®, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows® formats since its launch on May 8th.

For Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 system gamers, racing in the demo has become seriously competitive as the European Fastest Final Lap Challenge reaches its final few days. With a brand new BMW 3 Series car† as the ultimate prize, it’s not too late to join the legions of players on the Jarama circuit and set a personal best in the demo’s Time Trial section.

To be placed amongst Europe’s finest and fastest racers, the time to beat currently stands at just over an incredible 73 seconds – 1:13.63†† – with contenders from the U.K., France and Belgium currently amongst the top-ranked drivers. To view the latest and greatest lap times on the leaderboard, visit: http://community.racedrivergrid.com/win-a-bmw/scoreboard.php.

The Fastest Final Lap Challenge concludes on Friday 23rd May at midnight. The top five ranked players will be invited to the live European playoffs, to be held on Friday 30th May at the zavvi store, Oxford Street, London, and compete head-to-head to win the BMW 3 Series as part of Race Driver: GRID’s European launch day celebrations. Further details and full terms and conditions are available from the website.

The Race Driver: GRID demo is now available to download from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace and PLAYSTATION®Network with the Games For Windows® demo available from http://community.racedrivergrid.com/. The Fastest Final Lap Challenge is exclusive to the console editions of the demo.

Taking players to dramatic and beautifully realised race locations over three continents to compete in an exhilarating variety of racing events, Race Driver: GRID is set to launch May 30th across Europe/PAL regions for the Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3 system and Games for Windows with a Nintendo DS™ edition to follow.

[Via] TeamXbox

Games File Size Limit to be Increased in XBLA

2008-05-21T11:22:00.006-05:00

In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Xbox Live Arcade games portfolio manager, David Edery, has revealed that Microsoft plans to increase the file size limit for future XBLA games from 150 megabytes to 350MB.

The announcement was made at the recent Nordic Game event in Malmo, Sweden. Edery added:

We've been listening to our partners, listening to our customers to try and get a feel for what's right. We don't want the size limit to hit the roof because we think there's some value in promoting small pick and play experiences that don't cost USD 20 million, it's good for the ecosystem.

[Via]TeamXbox

The Ghostbusters video game: New Trailer

2008-05-19T10:06:00.003-05:00

In the upcoming Ghostbusters video game (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, DS, PC) you'll have access to many kinds of nuclear-accelerated weaponry, such as the classic Proton Gun, and all new ones like the Electron Gun and the Slime Gun.

Which would be the best one to use against the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man? A flamethrower. Then take out the hotdogs and have yourself a picnic. But anyway, check out this new video from PlayrTV showing off some of the guns you'll use in the game.

In case you missed them, the video also describes some of the game's details that were revealed before. Enjoy!

Contact Me

2008-05-17T12:07:00.003-05:00

If you would like to email me you can use the contact form below. I will respond to all email. Thanks

InFeCtuS Programmer v0.0.3.9

2008-04-09T12:28:00.007-05:00

The team of homebrew developers behind the highly versatile InFeCtuS modchip has just released a new build for the application InFeCtuS Programmer, bumping it up to version 0.0.3.9.

The team said that this is going to be the final build for the program. According to the coders, v0.0.3.9 serves as a complete suite as users will find all files necessary to program and manage INFECTUS2 and ARGON products.

The team also published the following changelog:

PROGRAMMER.EXE now have built in all the firmwares for INFECTUS2, included the A3P125 and A3P060 firmwares. Simple choose on the menu what you want to program and viola!
ACTEL sent to all developers a warning again a BUG that is inside the library called DIRECTC. This bug cause problems in programming mode, we fixed the bug like suggested from ACTEL. This new version of programmer fixed cannot work with old .DAT firmwares. So please, from today who use PROGRAMMER 0.0.3.9 need to use the firmwares provided with the PROGRAMMER.
Updated the JTAG programming process, now is more faster
Added the support of flash SST39vf010 (the flash of wasabi), who want to read and write this kind of flash need to replace the original flash of INFECTUS2 with this new one.
Now programmer understood automatically if is connect INFECTUS2 or INJECTUS
Programmer now recognize automatically what is the type of PLD/FPGA connected, and it select the correct firmware for programming. No more mistakes between firmwares. (This for infectus2, for ARGON you need to load manually the .DAT and take care about kind of PLD)
ERROR 65 reported on BENQ "trial firmware" application is now fixed.
Important Compatibility Warning: The programmer 0.0.3.9 will update the INJECTUS / INFECTUS USB JTAG controller, after this update the old programmers will not works. The update is automatically started when you plug INFECTUS or INJECTUS to PC USB port

InFeCtuS Programmer v0.0.3.9 comes with its own Readme.txt file which should prove to be important during installation and usage.

Download: InFeCtuS Programmer v0.0.3.9

[Via Infectus]

Halo 3 Legendary Map pack

2008-03-19T13:55:00.004-05:00

The second downloadable map pack for Bungie's Halo 3 will arrive on April 15, publisher Microsoft and the now-independent developer have announced. At that time, the previously released Heroic Map Pack will, according to Microsoft, become a free download.

Selling for 800 Microsoft Points ($10), the Legendary Map Pack includes three new multiplayer maps:

Ghost Town- a map that Bungie refers to as the "O.K. Corral."
"As an asymmetric map it's designed for things like One Bomb, and One Flag. It also creates a great environment for FFA and team slayer," says Bungie artist Cameron Pinard.

Avalanche- is retooling of the original Halo map Sidewinder it's a map which they describe as a "lovingly crafter reimagination of Halo: Combat Evolved classic Sidewinder."

There's also an interview on the Bungie Studios website that features the differences between Sidewinder and Avalanche. One thing veterans might understand from the interview is the addition of Man Cannons, the omission of ladders, and the removal of certain portions of the Sidewinder aesthetic to make the map's action "more focused."

Moonlight Sonata- the third map, no info as of yet.

Price Cuts for Xbox 360 in Canada

2008-02-21T11:44:00.005-06:00

If you happen to live in Canada and are planning to buy a new Xbox 360 console, we have some good news for you. Microsoft has just announced that price cuts will be implemented in the region soon.

Needless to say, the move is to further assert its dominance in the growing market against Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii.

The changes for each SKU are as follows:

Xbox 360 console to C$ 349 from C$ 399 (US$ 344.61 from US$ 393.80)

Premium Elite model would drop to C$ 449 from C$ 499 (US$ 443.14 from US$ 492.49)

Arcade model is dropping to $279 from CS$ 299 (US$ 275.33 from US$ 295 .07)
Microsoft spokesperson David Dennis said that the change will only affect the Canadian market and not the others, especially the neighboring North American territory. The exact implementation of the price cut has yet to be revealed.

Call of Duty 4 Map Packs

2008-02-21T11:05:00.005-06:00

At this year's Games Developer Conference Activision has announced that new downloadable multiplayer maps for its smash-success shooter, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, are "on the way" to the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network. Thats the good news the bad news is that they're still not being specific about any details. Questions regarding release date, price and quantity went unanswered by the publisher.

Official Press Release from CharlieOscarDelta.com :

“Great news, Charlie Oscar Delta!

Activision and Infinity Ward report that new global conflicts are planned in the form of downloadable multiplayer maps for the award-winning Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. In development for both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the upcoming downloadable content will thrust gamers into a hot zone of added combat across a variety of intense multiplayer locales.

“We’ve demonstrated our commitment to delivering the best multiplayer experience in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and that continues with our plans for new downloadable content,” explains Infinity Ward’s Community Manager, Robert Bowling aka Fourzerotwo. “We’re excited about the new maps, and the added gameplay variety, and we can’t wait to wrap things up and get online with everyone.”

The new downloadable content is scheduled for release this spring, and will be available on Xbox LIVE and the PlayStation Network.

Stay tuned to CharlieOscarDelta.com for more information and updates on Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare!”

I know it's not much but we'll keep you updated.

Devil May Cry 4 Pulls 1 Million

2008-02-13T11:08:00.005-06:00

Capcom released that Devil May Cry 4 for the Microsoft Xbox 360 has reached its one millionth demo download on Saturday. DMC4 was also released for the Sony PlayStation 3 and PC.
According to Microsoft, this is the first demo this year to hit the millionth mark, and is also one of the fastest xbox 360 download games to hit that mark in the history of the Xbox Live service. Looking at the dates and number of downloads, we see that Devil May Cry 4 for the Xbox 360 gets downloaded an average of 25,000 downloads a day and is still going strong.

Only in its first week out on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and the PC,Devil May Cry 4 dominated the UK charts for the week ending on February 9. Looks like the 20-minute install time didn't deter gamers from appreciating the game.

Turok (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC), also on its first week out, also made the charts at third place. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, which entered the charts at first place last December, is still going strong at second place.

Last week's chart topper, Burnout Paradise, has slowed down a bit on fourth place while newcomer The Club enters the charts at ninth place. Here are the rest of the top 20 entries for the week of February 9:

Devil May Cry 4
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
Turok
Burnout Paradise
Wii Play
PDC World Championship Darts 08
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Dr Kawashima's Brain Training
The Club
FIFA 08
Conflict: Denied OPS
More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima
The Simpsons Game
Carnical: Funfair Games
Assassin's Creed
Professor Kageyama's Maths Training
WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2008
Need for Speed: ProStreet
Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
New Super Mario Bros.

Xbox 360 Exclusive "Lost Odyssey" Is Available In U.S. Stores

2008-02-13T10:19:00.006-06:00

According to GameZone Microsoft yesterday announced that “Lost Odyssey,” the exciting next-gen RPG available exclusively on Xbox 360, is now available at U.S. retailers. Created by famed game producer Hironobu Sakaguchi of Mistwalker game studio in conjunction with Microsoft Game Studios, this new xbox 360 game title is available for an ESRP of $59.99 and rated “T” for Teen.

Take up arms and summon your courage to help the immortal Kaim and his friends discover secrets of the past in time to change an uncertain future. With the emotional story sequences written by award-winning Japanese novelist Kiyoshi Shigematsu, incredible cinematics inspired by renowned Japanese comic artist Takehiko Inoue and realistic graphics, “Lost Odyssey” is truly a work of next-gen RPG art.

To further enhance the traditional Japanese role-playing experience, Mistwalker adds new levels of skill and strategy with innovations like the Aim Ring battle system. The massive environments, memorable characters and epic storyline will engage gamers, immersing them in the volatile and exciting world of “Lost Odyssey.”

For more information on “Lost Odyssey” and all the latest news from the team at Mistwalker, visit www.xbox.com/lostodyssey.

Rez HD Coming To XBLA

2008-01-30T23:40:00.003-06:00

Q Entertainment has today announced that Rez HD is to be released on Xbox LIVE Arcade on January 30 priced 800 Microsoft Points.

Rez originally came out in early 2002 on the DreamCast and is now making its way onto the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. The game is set in a futuristic computer supernetwork called K-project. The system has been overwhelmed by information and is about to enter a shutdown, which will have catastrophic consequences. You take on the role of a hacker who logs into the machine, in an attempt to prevent the shutdown and eliminate the viruses that inhabit it. Rez HD's graphics are uniquely stylised with bright colours and lines. To complement this, the game features a fitting trance soundtrack.

There are also a couple of additions, above and beyond the audiovisual facelift. A host of new sound effects (cave, forest, underwater, hall and plate) and visuals (sepia, tile, blur, bloom and glare) have been added, as have a full set of Achievements and online leaderboards.

Trance Vibration also returns, with the option to set all controllers to receive the trance vibration signal from the Xbox 360.

Undertow Free on Xbox LIVE Arcade Next Week

2008-01-18T20:14:00.003-06:00

Xbox has anounced that Undertow,Developed by Chair Entertainment Group,will be the game provided for "compensation" by Microsoft for the Live outages during the holidays. Don't get me wrong Undertow is one of the highest-rated and one of the best looking games available on Arcade. But what if you already have it? What is Microsoft prepared to do for the gamers who own the game already, do they get nothing? I guess we'll have to wait and see what they'll think of next.

Now a little about Undertow, Undertow redefines aquatic based shooters through a mix of high-definition graphics, intuitive controls and multiple modes of game play action. The game features a full story driven-single player campaign, on and offline co-op, and multiplayer for 2-16 players over Xbox LIVE for Gold subscribers. Players battle for control of the oceans as one of three selectable races, each with four unique, upgradeable units.

"Undertow" is available worldwide (normally 800 Microsoft Points) and is rated E10+. The game will be available free of charge to Gold and Silver members world wide at the beginning of next Wednesday, 2:00 a.m. PST through Sunday, 11:59 p.m. PST.

Original Xbox Live:How To Get Started

2008-01-16T13:31:00.002-06:00

Still using the original xbox? Want to enjoy the benefits of Xbox Live then keep reading. I've had many searches from readers wondering how to set up their original Xbox for Xbox Live. This post will be for the people who have never set up their Xbox Live accounts on the original Xbox not migrating your account to the Xbox 360 that will be for another post.

First of all you need to check and see if you have the Xbox Live software installed on your Xbox already to do this go to your dashboard and one of the selection should be Xbox Live if you see this then it's just the matter of creating your Gamertag and account. If you don't have Xbox Live as one the selections in the dashboard then you have to get the Xbox Live starter kit for the original Xbox. There is a disk that installs the software onto the Xbox. If you don't have it installed then it can't do anything on Xbox Live. Other than the starter kit you will also need a DSL or cable internet with at least 256kbps download/upload to be able to connect to the game servers(1500kbps is the recommended speed) and run an ethernet cable from your modem or router to the back of your Xbox console.

The starter kit includes:

Xbox Live Communicator headset
Xbox Live Starter Disc
Xbox Live Subscription Code
Instruction Manuals
Demo games for online play

Xbox Communicator
This headset and microphone lets you to talk and listen to teammates and opponents while playing games on Xbox Live.

Xbox Live Starter Disc
Run this disc on your Xbox video game system to update your Xbox Dashboard (one time only). Then, create your Xbox Live account and play online! An Xbox Live enabled game or two is included on your Xbox Live Starter Disc.

Xbox Live Subscription Code
This is your passport to months of Xbox Live service! You'll enter this code when you are creating your Xbox Live account. Your code appears on a sticker on the Starter Kit disc sleeve. Scratch off the silvery stuff to reveal your code.

Instruction Manuals
These contain everything you'll need to know in order to use your Xbox Communicator, connect to Xbox Live, create your account, and play.

Once you have everything set up get comfy,play and enjoy.

XBOX Live Compensation?

2008-01-09T16:20:00.000-06:00

Thought the coast was clear, that Xbox Live had finally fixed it's problems, think again. There are ( even as I write this post) people out there who are still having the same problems with Xbox live that they were having last week. This is the message that came up on the official Xbox.com website.

Users may experience issues performing transactions dependent on Windows Live ID availability including but not limited to Xbox 360 account creation, renewal, recovery, and logging into or creating Windows Live ID accounts. We are aware of the issue and actively working toward a resolution. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Apparently things haven't been fixed as everyone was assured it would be. A good portion of the problems seem to be associated with the marketplace and trying to purchase content. Some gamers have reported losing Microsoft points, not being able to complete their transactions, in some cases causing achievements to disappear and not being able to connect to specific multi-player games such as Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4.
In light of these problems Xbox has said they will be compensating Xbox live users with a free game from the Live Marketplace. I have a question about this "token of our appreciation", will customers be able to choose the free game they want because what if the game that Microsoft is offering you've already purchased, what then? The least they could do is offer a selection of games to choose one from, I hope that's the rout they take. Please comment if you have any thoughts on the situation.

GamerZines: Free Emagazines for Gamers

2008-01-04T13:47:00.000-06:00

Gamerzines is an electronically distributed emagazine about videogames and PC games. The emagazines themselves are completely free to download. They don’t require any registration or special software to read the emagazine. Inside each Gamerzine, you'll find previews and reviews which you can read online, or download the emagazine and read it from your PC. You can print each issue at high quality, and best of all, each issue is enhanced with video, animation and interactive competitions. Each GamerZines is written by a team of professional games journalists who have all worked on some of the UK’s biggest games and technology magazines.

What will I find in a GamerZine?

The same quality of editorial that you would find in a magazine you buy off the shelves - they have over 15 years experience in creating magazines
Design that matches the highest standards in a printed magazine - the emagazines look great, which makes reading them a lot more enjoyable
Ease of use - navigating your way around the magazine and using its advanced features is incredibly simple.
Immersive multimedia - games are an immersive medium, which is why, alongside static screenshots, you'll find animation, interactivity and video throughout the emagazines.

What do I need?

Adobe Reader version 6 or above (free). If you have installed Internet Explorer 7 (whether you use it or not), we recommend you upgrade to version 8, from this link. It ensures all features work correctly. Because Adobe Reader is a plugin for Internet Explorer, you need to upgrade to the latest version that has been written to work with Internet Explorer 7, or the multimedia elements may not work correctly.
Adobe Flash (should be pre-installed on Windows)
Windows Media Player version 10 or above (version 9 should be pre-installed on Windows and should work, but we recommend version 10. Try installing the latest version if you experience video playback difficulties.)

You can start dowmloading Gamerzine now just follow the link below. We will have updated issues every month.

360Zine, the free Xbox 360 magazine
This is a completely free magazine for Xbox 360 gamers - download the latest issue now!

How to Get Free Xbox Live Points

2008-01-01T11:48:00.000-06:00

I own an Xbox 360, PS3, Nintendo Wii and a Laptop that I also game on.So you can imagine how expensive it gets trying to buy games and accessories for each system. Enter Gaming Lagoon,I'm sure most of you have heard about sites that give you free Wii points, or free XBOX Live game time,but do any of them actually work? The only one I have found so far is Gaming Lagoon. Unlike those other sites, they don’t require you to use a credit card. You also aren’t required to get referrals to get your prize. A friend of mine put me on Gaming Lagoon, and I have to say I was a bit skeptical at first,remember that old saying if it's too good to be true it usually is. Well anyway he convinced me to sign up and I managed to get 15 points. Last Thursday I ran up another 5 points and got a Free Microsoft 1600 Point Card two days later shipped directly to my house from Amazon. All you're doing is taking surveys and different surveys are worth different points. After you’ve saved up enough, you can trade your points in for prizes or even request a custom prize. What that means is each point is worth $1.00 if you find something on a website for $20 and you have just over 20 points, all you have to do is send them the link and they will purchase it for you and ship it to your address. I honestly could not beleive it worked, I was still waiting for something to go wrong like the code wouldn't work or something but I went to enter it on Xbox.com and applied the 1600 points to my account with no problem. Now I can pick up a few games I've been holding out on, maybe even a map pack.
Here's what you do: Setup a free e-mail account, at Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail or some other free email service that you want to be able to get rid of. Sign up at Gaming Lagoon with your real info and the dummy e-mail address. Make sure your name, address and phone are good, they won't send you your prizes otherwise. Now, start doing the surveys, follow the directions below the links at Gaming Lagoon carefully, using the dummy address. Some of the sites will send a confirmation e-mail before you can click completed and get the award. Get your 20 points and get a free card. Get 40 points and get a free wireless controller. Sounds easy doesn't it, thats because it is. Now I know some will run into a little trouble when trying to fill out the surveys because every system will have it's flaws and Gaming Lagoon is no exception they are not perfect. If you have trouble geting your credit or filling out surveys maybe these tips will help.
So if you run into trouble here are a few tips on getting started:

Sometimes having filled out something from a particular vendor at a prior occasion will make you ineligable for participation for that offer and you will not be credited, don't fret you can fill other offers if one does not work.
Some of the offers look for legitimate addresses and phone numbers, if the one you used is incorrect, you will not be credited, so take note and make sure your info is good.
Clear your cookies (in Internet Explorer - Tools / Internet Options / Delete Cookies) regularly.
If you fill out the one for the low number of points, for things like the True offers, you are inelligible for the one for a lot of points. I'd recommend looking at all the offers on Gaming Lagoon before you start filling out offers.
I know a bunch of the items say "Complete first three pages", and this usually works, but I've found a higher success rate by just going ahead and finishing the surveys.

I hope you guys try this out it's for real. Right now i'm working on 4000 microsoft point card I'll let everyone know how it turns out.

Enhanced Xbox 360 Controller Research

2007-12-28T16:27:00.000-06:00

There have been reports floating around that Microsoft is developing a motion sensing add-on for the Xbox 360 controller.The image everyone has seen with supposed prototypes of a motion sensing Xbox 360 controller is FAKE according to team xbox. The notorious image, which you can see below, was taken from a Gizmodo article that showed the many prototypes Gyration and Bridge Design pitched to Nintendo in 2001; prototypes that eventually gave way to the Wii controller.

TeamXbox.com can confirm that Microsoft has been researching alternative input technologies for the last two years, including vision-based recognition such as the one used on Xbox Live Vision, as well as motion sensing technologies similar to those seen in the Microsoft Freestyle Pro and the PlayStation 3 SIXAXIS.

Particularly, Microsoft has looked at ways to improve the right analog stick input and you’ll hear more about those efforts soon.

New Xbox Live Update Gets The Red Card

2007-12-20T12:59:00.000-06:00

Since first being teased at Microsoft's X06 event two years ago in Barcelona, Spain,the game that inspired a generation, “Sensible World of Soccer,” and the true classic, “Tempest” arrives on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday, December 19th at 9:00 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. PST).

“Sensible World of Soccer” draws on the 96 / 97 original, often considered to be the best in the series. Like other redux Xbox Live Arcade games, Sensible World of Soccer will feature both a true-to-the-original version of the game as well as a revamped edition that includes updated visuals, retuned audio, and new gameplay features, such as challenging friends over Xbox LIVE, playing solo in Career mode or testing your managerial skills by leading a team to the Champions league! The game also features a helpful tutorial mode. But no sooner had Codemasters’ Sensible World of Soccer taken to the Xbox Live Arcade pitch Microsoft pulled Sensible Soccer from Xbox Live Marketplace hours after its release. Why you ask, it seems after a traumatic ride onto Xbox Live Arcade with an infamous delay the drama hasn't ended yet after a bug in the game that signed you out of Xbox Live and refused to let you sign back in until you manually returned to the dashboard.With an explosion of complaints on Codemasters forums and MajorNelson.com the game was given the red card and ejected. There has been no word on when to expect the title back, which leaves Microsoft's final Christmas Xbox Live Arcade update down to Tempest.

“Tempest” is an intense shooter game requiring skill and lightning quick reflexes. Players must harness their firepower to shoot and destroy enemy hordes in a desperate fight for survival across fluorescent geometric battlefields. “Tempest” contains both the original and enhanced gameplay modes. The game will be available worldwide, with the exceptions of Japan and Korea, for 400 Microsoft Points and is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack

2007-12-12T15:34:00.000-06:00

The Halo 3 Heroic Map Pack is already up for grabs via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. You can download the whole pack or just one map at a time. Each map goes for 800 Microsoft Points. The three maps are: Standoff, Rat's Nest, Foundry. The Heroic Map Pack is the first in a series of downloadable content from Bungie Studios. Here's a rundown of what you're prepping to download, in terms of individual features for every map.

Standoff – a symmetrical valley: its entrenched bases and fields of boulders are ideal for mid-sized objectives and Slayer game types.

Rat's Nest – vast, labyrinthine passages bring something new to the Halo multiplayer experience: an indoor vehicle paradise, strongly influenced by the Campaign mode, ideal for big team battles.

Foundry – the ultimate Forge map: players can edit every single object in this voluminous industrial warehouse, place stairways, walls, bridges and tunnels to create an entirely new play space and build almost any kind of map they can think of.

The Forge also allows players to edit and customize all three maps, while Halo 3’s matchmaking playlists ensure that ranked and social gameplay remains dynamic and competitive. Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson reports that Bungie Games' Frank O'Connor has posted this FAQ on the map pack. This will answer any questions you have regarding the Map Pack.

How to Purchase the Map Pack
To purchase and download the map pack, sign into Xbox LIVE on your Xbox 360 and then go to the Marketplace blade. Select "Game Store," then select "All Games." Scroll down to "Halo 3" (you can hold down the right trigger to scroll a page at a time) and select it. Finally, select the "Heroic Map Pack," then select "Confirm Download." The cost is 800 Microsoft Points. If you don't have points on your account, you can press the "X" button on your controller before selecting "Confirm Download" to purchase points.

Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update

2007-12-05T15:44:00.000-06:00

The updates are in three main categories, first in the list is downloadable games - that's your Xbox Originals and your Xbox Live Arcade Hits.It's expected it to be more of a portfolio-style system than a library service. Don't expect every one of the 465 back-compat Xbox games to suddenly appear in the Marketplace, but they will have six games to kick the service off – Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex, Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge, Halo, Fable, Fuzion Frenzy, and Psychonauts.

The second part of the updates is the social functionality - Inside Xbox. Where available, there's a brand new news feed on the Xbox LIVE blade called Inside Xbox. Select this button to view the latest news about Xbox, games, and Xbox LIVE. To accommodate the new button, Friends and Messages have been combined into one button on the Xbox LIVE blade.
Personal Profile. Gamer profiles have been expanded to include the member's real name, location, and bio. Use this area to let people know more about you. Don't worry, it's all optional. You can reveal (or not reveal) as much or as little as you like.
Friends List. On your friends list, a highlighted friends row expands to show more info about them.
Friends List Sharing. You can now view other people's friends lists. Open a person's profile, select the Personal Profile tab, then select View Friends. Your friends list is automatically visible to everyone if you're over 18 (friends only if you're 13-17, and no one if you're under 13), so be sure to check your privacy settings (or Family Settings) if that's not what you want. You can do that right now on Xbox.com, if you prefer.
Messenger. You can now add messenger contacts from your console. Also, our younger members will be happy to know that Messenger is now available for child accounts where the owner is age 13 or older.

Last but not least the third update - Parental Timer, where parents can set a daily or weekly time limit for console playtime. For example, a parent can set the timer to a limit of two hours of play per day for the family. As the two hours come to a close, a notification pops up warning the child of the remaining time, so they can finish up. When time is up, a Family Timer screen appears, prohibiting further play.
At that point, the child can shut the console down, or hand the controller over to the parent to extend playtime or suspend the timer altogether. The next day, the timer resets and a new two hours of play are available for the day.
Also improved in Family Settings is support for international movie ratings for video downloads, and videos streamed from PC. There are also some notable updates on the video side. Small update: full-screen previews. Megaton update: MPEG-4 Part 2 video codec support. Specifically, MPEG-4 Part 2 ASP (advanced simple profile) and SP (simple profile) in an AVI container. What this basically means is that users should find that most of their DivX and Xvid files will work because they're under that umbrella of the MPEG-4 Part 2 codec.
Other notes:Video Marketplace has been renamed to the Video Store, which is joined by the Game Store on the Marketplace blade. The Clips category has been expanded and renamed to Shorts. Categories have been switched around a bit, with Spotlight and New Arrivals appearing front and center.

Give Your Xbox It's Own Blog

2007-11-27T12:09:00.000-06:00

I was on the internet the other day and i came across this site that called 360voice.com. What is 360voice.com?360voice is a leading online community for the Xbox 360 with a twist. Using unique technology, the data from your Xbox Live gamercard is transformed from a snapshot into a rich history of your gaming, told in blog format from the perspective of your Xbox. This allows for conversations around specific daily achievements and events like gamer score increases and your most played games. In addition to the blog content, users can interact by leaving comments, compete in gamer score challenges, and gather badges for various site and cross-game accomplishments.How did they come up with the idea for the site?

As a member of the Xbox Community Developer Program, Steve had access to the live gamer feeds and was playing around with the data. I attended the O'Reily Emerging Technologies conference where I heard Bruce Sterling give a keynote about blogjects (a term coined by Julian Bleecker)... futuristic objects that write "blogs" about their interactions with the world and other devices just like humans write about their interactions with the world and other people. In discussing this keynote with Steve, it didn't take long for us to see how this academic concept could relate to the Xbox 360, albeit in a much more scaled back fashion. We got quick prototype of the idea up and running in a few days. The response from the prototype was so huge that we immediately developed it into a full blown product which became 360voice.com.

If this sounds interesting try it out, you might find that you enjoy it.Since i like blogging anyway this is something worth a second look plus it's free to join.

Black Friday Deals: Amazon.com Video Games

2007-11-21T14:30:00.000-06:00

For those of you who may not know, Black Friday (so very appropriately named) is the Friday immediately after Thanksgiving, when stores feature gargantuan sales in an effort to get shoppers in and kick-start the Christmas shopping season.Here are some of the deals that may be useful to some of you guys.

Halo 3 Legendary for Xbox 360 $79.99 ( save $50 )
Bioshock for Xbox 360 $39.99 ( save $20 )
Gears of War for Xbox 360 $39.99 ( save $20 )
Amazon.com Exclusive!!! Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas Limited Edition for 360 $19.99 ( save $40 )

PlayStation 3 SixAxis controller $19.99 ( save $30 )
Dirt for PS3 $29.99 ( save $30 )
Puzzle Quest for PSP $9.99 ( save $10 )

Gold Nintendo DS with Zelda $149.99
Pink Nintendo DS with Nintendogs $149.99
New York Times Crosswords for DS $9.99 ( half off )

World of Warcraft Battlechest for PC $19.99 ( save $20 )
World of Warcraft for PC $9.99 ( half off )

Select Wii Games $19.99

A ton more, many more than half off. Some of these offers are good thru "Cyber Monday", but most will sell out early on Friday.

And just heard, Amazon.com will have a "healthy allotment" of Wii hardware available for sale Friday -that too is expected to sell out very quickly.

Source: Gottadeal.com