coloradojoe's Blog - 2old2play

Xbox 360 price drop

Price drop confirmed ? - Video game secrets are about as well kept as details of Lindsay Lohan's drinking habits, so when rumors of an Xbox 360 price drop started swirling around the net almost a week ago, it wasn't exactly a surprise when proof started to appear. First there was a Best Buy circular scan floating around, then a Toys R Us circular. Now this Circuit City ad seems to finalize what Microsoft has been "no comment"ing on for the past few days. The new prices, seen in the above circular will go into effect August 12.

Terry Terrones

Lost videogame trailer

That's right, I spelled the word 'videogame' as one word. Why? Its in a soon to be published video game writing style guide, part of which was written by Dave Thomas (no, not the founder of Wendy's), a friend of mine whose the gaming guy at the Denver Post, but that's beside the point.

After missing out on any information on the "Lost" videogame at E3, the trailer for it debuted this week at Comicon. Jack, Sawyer and Locke are shown in the clip but judging from the video, there's no Kate. What's up with that?!? I can live without whiny ass Charlie in a "Lost" videogame, but no Kate? I don't think so. Head here http://www.gametrailers.com/player/22761.html to take a peek at the trailer. I just hope this game doesn't suck like the X-Files game did.

Universe at War: Earth Assault Beta

In case you're interested, here's the pertinent info on SEGA's RTS, "Universe at War: Earth Assault" beta.

What is it: The Universe at War Beta is a closed public beta test of the near-final code for the game. It gives fans, community, press the opportunity to play the game in multiplayer mode.

When do signups begin: Signups officially begin on July 23.

When will signups end: Signups will end August 15.

Where can players sign up: Gamers can sign up at the official website, at http://www.sega.com/gamesite/universeatwar/.

Who can join: Anyone can apply to join the beta by signing up at the official signup page at http://www.sega.com/gamesite/universeatwar/. SEGA is taking the first 8,000 gamers that sign up on the official signup pages.

How are beta testers selected: The first 8000 people that sign up will be given spots in the beta. After signups end, the first 8,000 will be notified by email invitation that they have been chosen to participate in the beta.

How will invitees join the beta: Beta invitees will be sent an email with a unique code, instructions on where to download the client, instructions on how to install and play the game, and instructions on how to provide feedback. Beta recruits will also be asked to create a Sega.com account to receive exclusive Universe at War content when the game launches.

Beta test purpose: The purpose of the beta test is twofold: 1) as a development tool to playtest and balance the game, and 2) as a way to get gamers and RTS fans excited about Universe at War: Earth Assault.

What is the official start date of the beta: The beta starts on August 17. That is when those beta recruits selected can connect to the beta servers and begin playing the game.

When does the beta end: The beta ends on September 16. Beta testers will have their copies of the game timed out so that it is no longer playable after 30 days.

One for the thumb

I don't know what's worse, this idea or the fact that I'm 99.9% sure I'm going to order it.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., - July 16, 2007 – Electronic Arts Inc and Jostens. Inc. today announced that the highly anticipated Madden NFL 08 for next generation consoles will give players the opportunity to extend the Madden NFL 08 experience to the real world by giving them the ability to purchase their own custom-designed “Ring of a Champion”. Based on the player’s Madden Gamer Level, the Ring of a Champion showcases the progress of a Madden NFL 08 gamer, and each ring can be customized to recognize the player advancements through the game. These rings are a direct representation of a player’s achievements and game skills. Madden NFL 08 will be available for purchase beginning August 14.

“We wanted our gamers to have something tangible to recognize their achievements within Madden NFL 08 and we kept coming back to Super Bowl rings,” said Madden NFL 08 Lead Producer David Ortiz. “We wanted to remain authentic to the real Super Bowl ring therefore we forged a great partnership with Jostens to allow our gamers to proudly display their Madden NFL 08 skills.”

The Ring of a Champion series will serve as a visual tracking system for a player’s success within the game. As Madden NFL 08 gamers accomplish various achievements, they will progress through five different levels. Once a player has reached level three, the ring can be purchased through Jostens’ website utilizing the code provided within game. In addition to the 32 NFL team logos players can incorporate into their ring, the tops and sides of the rings can also be customized. If a player is able to execute an extraordinary achievement they can obtain the Epic ring status, which allows for enhanced design and uniqueness.

“We know that Madden NFL players are passionate about their game and take pride in their skills,” said Mike Bailey, president and CEO, Jostens. Inc. “We’ve had fun designing the rings with EA and hope they add a new dimension of reward to the game.”

Returning from E3

Hey everybody,

I just back from Cali last night and I'm beat. E3 might have ended Friday but I stuck around a little longer to play tourist. There's some random stuff I threw up on my blog at www.springsgamer.blogspot.com when I have the time but I'll be posting interviews with G4TV's Morgan Webb and Adam Sessler in the News section here within the next few days.

Later

Get your money back

Peter Moore recently announced that the Xbox 360 warranty coverage has been extended. No one is happier about this than my brother who just paid Microsoft $120 to fix his busted 360. The below FAQ is from xbox.com so if you're looking to get your money back, it might be worth a read.

Expanded Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage FAQ

Q: What are you rolling out that is new?
A: While we maintain our one-year console warranty (two years in some countries), Microsoft is extending the terms of its Xbox 360 warranty to three years for certain general hardware failures which are indicated by three flashing red lights on the console. This will apply to new and existing customers and we will retroactively pay back the out-of-warranty repair costs paid by customers for console problems indicated by the three flashing red lights.

Q: How does this warranty differ from your existing warranty?
A: Currently, any Xbox 360 is covered by a one year manufacturer’s warranty (two years in some parts of the world). If the console is out of warranty, there is a charge to have it repaired. It then comes with an additional one year repair warranty. With these changes, there is effectively a three year warranty with no charge for repair for general hardware failures indicated by the three flashing red lights error code which displays on the console.

Q: Is this effective worldwide?
A: Yes, these policies are global. The new policies are now being instituted in our customer service centers around the world, which may take a few days to fully implement.

Q: When does the policy change go into effect?
A: These new policies are now being instituted in our customer service centers around the world, which may take a few days to fully implement. They will apply to new and existing customers. For the latest information, customers should visit Xbox.com.

Q: Is there any health or safety issue at play here?
A: This is in no way related to any sort of product safety issue.

Q: Do I get a refund?
A: Yes, we will reimburse any customer who was out of warranty and paid for repairs due issues indicated by the three flashing red lights error message. Customer should expect to receive a check in 10-12 weeks.

Q: How does this affect my extended warranty bought from my retailer?
A: You’re still covered under your existing warranty for issues outside the scope of this specific three-year warranty.

Q: Have you identified a root cause that can lead to failure?
A: There is not a single issue that we can point to as being a problem. We test the product extensively, including accelerated life testing, but the nature of the console itself is very complex, as it’s a consumer electronic product that contains more than 1,700 different components and 500 million transistors.

There are a variety of scenarios that can cause a general hardware failure. Only the indicator (the three flashing red lights) is always the same.

Q: Who do I contact with further questions?
A: Please contact your local Xbox Customer Service (1-800-4-MY-XBOX in the US and Canada).

GTA: IV Trailer 2

Has anyone else seen the new trailer for GTA: IV? ( http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/trailer_splash.html) It takes a long time to load but its frickin' sweet! And no, I don't work for Rockstar.

Terry "coloradojoe" Terrones

Cyberball

Is anybody else out there a Cyberball fan? For the uninitiated Cyberball is the greatest robots playing football game of all time. It came out as an Atari arcade game in the late 80's and I was absolutely addicted to it. If you head over to my blog, www.springsgamer.blogspot.com, you can see a few youtube clips of the game. Anyway, for the longest time its been on the Xbox Live Arcade release list but it keeps getting pushed back. I can't wait to play against other gamers online and earn some cheap ass Achievement Points. If you love the game as much as I do, you can still find it on the cheap in used PS2, Xbox or Gamecube iterations of Midway Arcade Treasures Volume 2. Midway now owns the rights to the game and will more than likely be releasing the XBLA version. If there's any other Cyberball junkies out there, let me know.

Terry "coloradojoe" Terrones

Gun for Hire

My job is listed on the left as "Freelance Gaming Journalist" and I guess that requires some explanation, so here's a little bit of information about my writing career. Three years ago I realized I was a fairly decent writer. I started out innocently enough, ragging on my buddies on our fantasy football site. It was a blast to do and after football season was over I wanted to keep on going. I had a little writing experience (I worked as a reporter and editor at my college newspaper) but no professional experience. I started out by writing a newsletter with my brother. I had a hard time trying to think of a name but settled on Colorado Joe since I was writing about topics the average Joe would talk to his pals about. It was a one page, front and back newsletter with pictures and short stories that covered everything from games to sports, politics to pop culture. I had it placed in bars, restaurants and liquor stores around Colorado Springs. Soon I started a website for it, the now defunct coloradojoe.net (are you getting the theme here). Eventually my brother couldn't keep up and I ended up doing it myself.

Emboldened by the success of the website and newsletter I decided it was time for me to reach a bigger audience. I emailed the Sports editor at the Gazette, the local newspaper in town and told him I was interested in writing for him. To my surprise he responded, had me do a few practice stories and the next thing I know I'm covering a minor league soccer game. I did that for awhile and it was fine but writing sports stories was kind of boring. They're very formulaic and don't really allow for any creativity, you just tell the 5 W's and that's it. Any moron could do that. So I went to the Entertainment editor and started talking to him about writing for his section. Being a huge gamer I managed to convince him into letting me write a video game column. Since the column was brand new, I had to do a ton of leg work. I had to contact every gaming publisher and developer so I could receive games and get the lastest news. It worked out great! Over the last two years I've made tons of great friends, acquired a number of reliable gaming contacts and have interviewed ESRB Prez Patrica Vance, GameDaily's Eli Shayotovich, PSM's Chris Slate and OXM's Fran Reyes (twice). I also earned an invite to this years E3 and I'm really looking forward to the trip.

The freelance part of my job title means I don't just write for the Gazette. There's another local paper, the Colorado Springs Independent, that I'll be working with from time to time. I'm also up for a of Contributing Writer position at a well known website and a top tier gaming mag (wish me luck). Since I like to keep frequent readers of mine up to speed, I have a gaming blog (www.springsgamer.blogspot.com) that I update about 3 times a week. I also recently started a podcast with my brother where we ramble about all sorts of stupid things.

So where do I want all this to lead to? Working for a gaming mag (OXM, Game Informer or EGM would be cool) is my ultimate goal but I think I'd also enjoy working the PR side for a gaming company. Will it ever happen? I have no idea but that's what I'm hoping for. I think the late, great Casey Kasem said it best, "Keep your feet on the ground, but keep reaching for cigars"...or something like that.

Terry "coloradojoe" Terrones

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Dry Season

What a rough time to be a console gamer. Not much out there, especially with the Halo 3 beta no longer an option. Sorry Shadowrun fans but that game just doesn't do it for me. Some of the magic tricks are pretty cool but its way too laggy, no customizing the races and no single player. The ladder climbing animation (or lack thereof) is hilarious but I'm sure that was completely unintentional. How long until NCAA comes out?

Terry "coloradojoe" Terrones