Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360

If you’re going to plunk down your hard-earned cash on a product replacement plan for a game system, it’s got to be for the Xbox 360. You don’t have be a statistics major to figure out that you’ve got a good chance for troubles with the system and if you don’t want to be out a console for a few weeks or out some money, the replacement plan on the 360 is probably the only one that’s not a rip-off.

Perhaps realizing that they were inadvertently offering the consumer a good deal (and losing a fair bit of coin in the process) GameStop has halted sales of the product replacement plan on all 360 models, according to a memo gathered by GamersReports. If you were among the smart kids who already had a PRP though, don’t worry though: Yours is still in effect until it expires.

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Filed under: Culture, PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters, Puzzle

It’s one day before Halloween, do you have your costume prepared? If not, allow us — or, rather, Karen Chu from 1UP — to help you out. Chu has created a Weighted Companion Cube (of Portal fame), just over one cubic foot in volume, and outlined the process on her blog.

It starts out with a foam core cube, modifies plans from a papercraft found on 4chan, and finishes with a liberal application of metal spay paint and six foam core discs to form a friend guaranteed not to stab you. It’s rather amazing the culture that has sprung up over a virtual, inanimate object. If anyone has the schematics for a model portal gun, we’ll be happy to drop our current costume plans and run around our respective downtown establishments in an orange jumpsuit and aforementioned accessories, blasting Jonathan Coulton from a portable stereo.

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Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business

Although it’s great of website XboxFamily.com to think they got six copies of Grand Theft Auto IV’s final box cover art — and it’s very nice of them to share the three different images (pictured) — it just ain’t so. Apparently someone at Take-Two shipping thought the site was a retail outlet, because what they actually received were mock boxes intended for retailers to put out.

A representative at Rockstar wrote back to Joystiq saying, “Those are NOT final box art … [they] are actually mock boxes provided to retail outlets.” Don’t expect the final box art to be revealed until closer to release. Rockstar just wants consumers remembering that GTA IV is expected next year as they are browsing the game section this holiday season.

Continue reading Grand Theft Auto IV mock boxes for retail

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Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm

Some may think Rock Band’s Fender Stratocaster-inspired guitar is the sexiest thing in that $200 box [correction: $170 box!], but they’re forgetting about the USB hub that Xbox 360 players will be using to plug in all those wired instruments. We have to admit, we got a little hot and bothered when we first spied the above picture of the sleek, stylishly-designed four-port hub.

1UP has even more naughty, gratuitous shots of this bad boy, and baby oh baby, they are smoking. We just can’t wait until we get to fondle that hot piece of tech for ourselves come Nov. 20. *Drool*

Update: We just noticed that this hub seems to require external power from an A/C adapter wall unit. Significantly less sexy …

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Filed under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters, Business

Update: The source article cited by 1UP is outdated and concerns the studios’ now dashed prospects at the time the Halo film was originally canned. Joystiq regrets the error.

The Halo film is not “entirely dead” as director Neill Blomkamp said earlier this month. In fact, preparation for the movie continues at Peter Jackson’s WETA Studios while Microsoft pursues new distribution partners, according to a report in Variety (via 1UP).

Concerning the previous deal that went sour, Ken Kamins, a representative for Jackson and partner Fran Walsh, told Variety that Universal had a meeting on behalf of both studios with the filmmakers just prior to a significant payment due date.

“Basically, [the studios] said that in order to move forward with the film, the filmmakers had to significantly reduce their deals,” said Kamins. “They waited until the last minute to have this conversation. Peter and Fran, after speaking with their producing partners and with Microsoft and Bungie, respectfully declined.”

“We’re very confident this film will move forward with the creative partners intact, who will take the film to production,” said Kamins, who also noted that everyone involved is still confident with Blomkamp as the director.

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Just because Insomniac’s latest title, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, is in the can and on the shelves, that doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten about them there Chimera. Insomniac’s other PlayStation 3 title, Resistance: Fall of Man, is getting its sixth patch, as well as some new content.

Revealed in the latest episode of their Full Moon Podcast, patch number six will not only be re-balancing weapons, but will also include — brace yourselves — a new screenshot taking function. Paying attention to the competition much, eh? Additionally, a Clank backpack, Magna boots, and Ratchet’s as bangles are being release for use in Resistance multiplayer (via MyResistance.net).

Aaron and I had a chance to chat with Insomniac’s James Stevenson recently, and you should be able to hear our full "interview" in the next episode of Podtoid. Keep your pants on.

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It’s not like we’ve ever had a real problem with PlayStation 3 systems overheating or making much noise, but owners of the new 40GB model will be pleased to learn about a couple of related extra little bonuses packed deep within their new console.

Engadget says that a new 65nm version of the Cell processor has been packed into this PS3, which brings down the power consumption from 200 watts to 135. That makes for cooler running and quieter systems. I don’t know how much this will help your electric bill, but you’re screwed anyway as a gamer.

It turns out that a few other modifications were made: a new motherboard, a smaller heat sink pipe, and an on-board battery (for time keeping when unpowered) have also been worked in. 

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XboxFamily has posted up some pictures of the official Grand Theft Auto IV box art. For both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, you will have the choice of three seperate box designs to reflect the inner you. Are you a foreign criminal, a man with a phone or a slut? Any one of these images could grace your very own copy of GTAIV.

Rockstar apparently told XboxFamily that there will be a fourth box as well, but so far there’s no news on what that image will be. Perhaps it’s a returning character that is currently being held under wraps? Possibly, but I could just be setting us all up for crushing disappointment when it’s just a guy with a gun … again.

Go check out the other box shots and let us know what you think. I wonder if the different boxes will translate into more sales. I dare say there are enough stupid people out there who’d want to collect the whole bloody set.

[Update: Kotaku says that Rockstar has recently announced that these are not, in fact, official and are mere concepts at this stage. Expect the final box art to change between now and then]

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In case you didn’t know, Manhunt 2 is released tomorrow, set for a fitting Halloween release date. As expected, the imbecile parade has been out in full force, with panic and fear setting in for the release of this so-called ‘violent’ videogame (remember, un-sentient plastic is incapable of violence).

We’ve had Rockstar defending its artistic creativity, and everyone who isn’t Rockstar attacking everything else. The parade of over-reaction is far too long and stupid to cram into one frontpage post, so please join me after the jump, won’t you? We’ll have tea, cakes and more violence pornography than you can wave a blood-drenched crowbar at.

Remember, if you buy Manhunt 2 tomorrow, you will murder someone the next day, and if you read the rest of this article, you’ll feel like taking that crowbar to yourself.

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I don’t know what it is with you people. You think any game that involves aiming, shooting, swinging, shuffling, kicking, punching, poking, or pulling would be great on the Wii. So when rumors spread across the Internet that Portal might be ported to Nintendo’s console, ya’ll went wild.

Sorry guys — right now, it’s a no go.

"It’s an extremely interesting idea," Valve’s Doug Lombardi told CVG, "but there’s nothing in product — not yet, anyway."

CVG goes on to point out that Lombardi didn’t outright deny it, leaving this open for Nintendo fans to dream about. There’s no reason Valve couldn’t get the Source Engine up and running on the Wii, but do they really have to? Is there anyone out there who really wants to play Portal that doesn’t have a PC or another next-gen console?

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