Posts with tag christmas
by Ross Miller Dec 25th 2007 6:00PM
Filed under: Culture, Online, RPGs, MMO
The holiday season isn't just relegated to the real world. Robert "Sabrehawk" Cox of the
WarCry Network has a new article up detailing how many of the popular MMOs celebrate the season.
Anarchy Online, World of Warcraft, the
EverQuest series and a handful of others are there. For those handful of players still involved in
Star Wars Galaxies, there's always Wookie Life Day.
One MMO missing for Cox's list is
Guild Wars, and our sister site Massively has the information on their
Wintersday celebration.
[Via
Massively]
by Ross Miller Dec 25th 2007 2:00PM
Filed under: Culture
'Tis the day for everyone to rip open wrapping paper and see just how much their loved ones care. So whether the present exchange was today, last night,
earlier this month or some other time, we want to know how you made out in terms of video games (and if you want to share more, feel free, but we're only concerned with your gaming needs). If you have a chance to hit the pause button or get away from the family dinner table, tell us what you got. Happy Holidays!
by Ross Miller Dec 24th 2007 3:00PM
Filed under: PC, First Person Shooters, Online
Although taking a
beating in sales alongside another high-profile PC shooter,
Crysis will still hang onto its Christmas cheer. Developer Crytek is celebrating the holiday season with
free presents for Crysis owners. The big box under the tree is a Tournament Map Pack, including:
- Power Struggle - Desolation
- Power Struggle - Isolation
- Power Struggle - Training
- Instant Action - Excavation
- Instant Action - Terminal
The map locales span the globe, with settings in the Americas, French Polynesia and North Korea. Crytek stocking stuffers include a
1600x1062 Christmas-themed wallpaper (pictured) and expanded documentation for the Sandbox2 editor. "But Crytek," you complain, "documentation sounds like books, and I
hate reading." At this point, Crytek (or the personification thereof) sits you down on its laps, taps on his Alien Molecular Accelerator, and reminds you not to be ungrateful. And while you're at it, he says, be sure to buy three copies of the game to boost sales.
[Thanks, Jeff]
by Griffin McElroy Dec 22nd 2007 4:30PM
Filed under: Culture, First Person Shooters
It's Christmas Eve Eve Eve, and most of the blue-collared work force has temporarily retired for a well-deserved holiday break -- but not Portal's schizophrenic digital antagonist, GLaDOS. It would seem that the hardest working woman in the AI business (Sorry, Cortana) will remain ever vigilant at her post during the holiday season, wishing visitors to the
Aperture Science website good tidings of the greatest joy.
As the camera pans across the holiday vault, revealing our Santa-hat-wearing jolly geometric friend and the ever promised pastry, carolers sing an enchanting rendition of Jonathan Coulton's "Still Alive". We won't blame you for getting a little misty -- nor will we judge you for wanting to
share the Aperture holiday cheer with these darling Christmas cards. If only there was a card we could send to our family and friends,
reminding them that they are androids, and that android hell is a real place where they will be sent at the first sign of defiance.
by Ross Miller Nov 22nd 2007 12:01PM
Filed under: Features, Sony PlayStation 3, Business
We'd love to say picking up PlayStation 3 is as easy as going to the store and grabbing the first box with the console's name on it. For better and worse, this generation of consoles gives consumers many choices at the (potential) expense of causing confusion at the store.
So it's with this in mind that we present you this handy guide for discerning the difference between the various PlayStation 3 versions (aka SKUs) out there. Please note that the red and green coloring is not only festive decor for the holiday season but also a subjective highlight of what each version excels in (or subsequently lacks).
| |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| 80GB | 60GB | 40GB | 20GB |
| Hardware |
Model #
|
CECHE01 |
CECHA01 |
CECHG01 |
CECHB01 |
| Price |
$499.99 |
$499.99* |
$399.99 |
$499.99* |
| Chrome trim |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
| USB 2.0 slots |
4 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
| 802.11 b/g |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
Flash card
reader |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Bundled Accessories |
| Ethernet cable |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Video cables |
Composite |
Composite |
Composite |
Composite |
| Backwards Compatibility |
| PlayStation 2 |
Software** |
Yes (NTSC),
Software**
(PAL) |
No |
Yes |
| PS One |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Notes:
* This model is discontinued. The price on the chart represents the listed price before Sony axed it.
** See explanation in F.A.Q. below.
Alright, Joystiq, time to answer your own questions.
Let's do this.
Continue reading Joystiq Holidaze: explaining the PS3 SKUs
by Ross Miller Nov 22nd 2007 8:01AM
Filed under: Features, Microsoft Xbox 360, Business
We'd love to say picking up Xbox 360 is as easy as going to the store and grabbing the first box with the console's name on it. For better and worse, this generation of consoles gives consumers many choices at the (potential) expense of causing confusion at the store.
So it's with this in mind that we present you this handy guide for discerning the difference between the various Xbox 360 versions (aka SKUs) out there. Please note that the red and green coloring is not only festive decor for the holiday season but also a subjective highlight of what each version excels in (or subsequently lacks).
| |
 |
 |
|
|
|
| Elite | Halo
Edition | Pro | Arcade | Core |
| Hardware |
| Price |
$449.99 |
$399.99 |
$349.99 |
$279.99 |
$199.99* |
| Storage |
120GB HDD |
20GB HDD |
20GB HDD |
256MB
memory card |
none |
| Color |
Black |
Green/Orange |
White |
White |
White |
| HDMI port |
Yes |
Yes |
Certain models** |
Yes |
Certain models** |
| Bundled Accessories |
| Ethernet cable |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
No |
| Headset |
Wired |
Wired |
Wired |
No |
No |
Play &
Charge Kit |
No |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
| Video cables |
HDMI 1.2,
Component,
Composite |
Component,
Composite |
Component,
Composite |
Composite |
Composite |
| Controller |
Wireless |
Wireless |
Wireless |
Wireless |
Wired |
| Other |
| Xbox Live |
Silver,
1 Month Gold |
Silver,
1 Month Gold |
Silver,
1 Month Gold |
Silver,
1 Month Gold |
Silver |
Backwards
Compatibility |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No*** |
No*** |
Notes:
* The Core model has been discontinued. The $199.99 price tag is based on the
GameStop refurbished price.
** See explanation below
*** Hard Drive required
And just in case you still have questions, we've gone ahead and written up a F.A.Q. after the break.
Continue reading Joystiq Holidaze: explaining the Xbox 360 SKUs
by Ross Miller Nov 21st 2007 9:00PM
Filed under: Features, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Rhythm
'Tis the season for shredding plastic guitar controllers in a virtual environment for screaming, adoring virtual fans - do you know if your plastic axe can rock with your game? Through playtests and corroboration via other sources, we have combined three handy charts (one for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and now Wii) to let you know what guitar controllers work with what games.
First, the Xbox 360:
|  |  |  |
Rock Band Stratocaster |
Yes |
No* |
No** |
Guitar Hero 3 Les Paul |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Guitar Hero 2 Xplorer |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Notes:
* Can navigate menus, but during the songs the green button is stuck down, orange is red, and everything else is dead
** Interestingly, the drums are recognized, so you can actually navigate menus using them, but playing songs is a no go.
The PlayStation 3, however, has a much "easier" choice (after the break).
Continue reading Joystiq Holidaze: the guitar compatibility guide
by Kevin Kelly Dec 27th 2006 10:46AM
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo Wii
Wrapping paper has been torn open, ribbons unraveled, and bows ... unbowed. Did you score yourself a next-gen console? We noticed while driving around the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex that some enterprising entrepreneurs decided to sell PlayStation 3s out of the back of their car trunks for $800. However, no one was lining up to buy 'em. A sad sign advertising Wiis for sale was discarded in the ditch near the same sellers, leading us to believe that they'd run through their supply of Wiis.
Further confirmation came when we found
this article in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in the form of a play detailing the trials and tribulations of finding a Wii this holiday season. Did you have as hard of a time? We checked a few area retailer shelves, and they all had the same story: accessories galore, consoles none. What about you?
by Vladimir Cole Dec 27th 2006 10:16AM
Filed under: Culture, Business
If you celebrated the just-passed consumer holiday (Christmas, X-mas, Consumermas, Christmahanakwanza, whatever) we're interested in hearing from you. You've dug out from under the hills of wrapping paper, awoken fat and swollen from your food comas, and mothballed the hideous holiday sweaters, so perhaps you've got time to share with us your holiday haul. What did you receive?
Now, economists tell us that Christmas creates waste of $152 billion every year as gift givers pay $457 billion for gifts that recipients value at just about $305 billion. Did this happen to you? Are you planning to haul any of your game-related presents in for a refund? Post freely, we won't rat you out to Aunt Bethany.
[Image credit: Flickr user Luciana DB]
by Kevin Kelly Dec 26th 2006 12:30AM
Filed under: Arcade, Culture, Nintendo Wii, Action, Video
As we close out Christmas day, what better to bring it all to an end than a holiday themed Rayman Raving Rabbids video. It's cute, it's cuddly, and it has just the right amount of holiday cynicism thrown in. Consider it an extra special Christmas bonus for our loyal readers. In fact, if you're up this late/early and watching the video, then you really ARE loyal. Enjoy the video after the jump, and bask in the warm glow of Joystiq.
Merry Christmas to all you 'stiqers out there, and to all a good night.
Continue reading Today's holiday-iest game video: Rayman raving rabbids Xmas
by Kevin Kelly Dec 21st 2006 6:55PM
Filed under: Culture, Nintendo DS, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360
Harold Goldberg has
rewritten the classic "The Night Before Christmas" poem to fit into the gaming lifestyle. We won't go into breaking it down grammar-wise and all that jazz because hey, it's Christmas. If any Joystiqers out there want to take a whack at rewriting a holiday classic that features any sort of video gaming slant, then have at it. If you're like us, you're back at home for the holidays and are finding a lot of free time on your hands.
In meantime, have another cup of eggnog, some peppermint bark, and give Goldberg's version a whirl.
by Ross Miller Dec 21st 2006 1:55AM
Filed under: Culture, Mac, PC, Action, Online
"Only in America can shopping be considered a contact sport. And Christmas is the Super Bowl for competitive consumers." With these words, Persuasive Games took this year's hottest toys and made them objects for Shockwave arcade game.
Xtreme Xmas Shopping has you trying to collect all of this season's hottest toys before the other parents can snatch them all up. Scuffling with parents is alright, so long as its out of the line of sight of wandering children. Of the five gifts quested, two of them are -- surprise, surprise -- the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3. You can try the game out for yourself
here.
[Via
collision detection]
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