Pixel Theories | a gamer getting older...

New XBL Phising Scheme?

You have to love all of the new additions to XBL; it's potential and it's future.  But it's instances like these which give me pause at the audacity and just plain greed that seems to plague most online communities.  You've probably already heard of the free 1600 MS Points fiasco last year. It seems these lowlifes are trying a new avenue.
 

While I realized what this was.  If Batista here had my email that was linked to my 360, he could eventually find the login, look for the MS renewal/purchase emails, and soon be on his way to free MS Points till I realized what was going on.  So I gave him a bogus email account and asked him how he thought he "knew" me.  The response I got was below.

What jackass here either doesn't know or understand is that I have had the same MSN account since 1997, and I personally know everyone of these people.  If someone was missing from my MSN IM, I'd be the first to know. 

While it's above obvious that these people are preying on the weak, it should noted that not everyone will be "hip to the skip" in spotting these d-bags.  With that said, XBL Phishers may show some of the below characteristics:

• Low gamerscores.
• Low number of games played.
• XBL accounts will generally be from overseas: UK, Germany, etc.
• Tend to be vague on details, or none at all.
• Friends list will either be null/blocked.

These are just suggestions, you should also check their post history via Xbox.com, to see how active they have been in the community.  I myself don't have the best post history, but I have made at least a few posts since purchasing a 360 back in Nov of 05.  Lastly report these blythe's as soon as possible.  If we fail to help govern the community, we may be just as culpable as the criminals themselves.

Deal of the Week 10/26/08 - a day late

JR.com has Alone in the Dark for $20 simoleons.  Alone in the Dark is an interesting, but short piece of fiction.  A review is coming later, but this is probably one of the better adult action adventures on the Wii.  And if that doesn't tickle your fancy then pickup a 2 GB Sandisk card at Circuit City for $14.99 with free shipping. 

Terrible Terry Tate Tackles Sarah Palin

Quiz master John from Paddy Coynes led me to this video.

Hard to be a Seattle Fan these days

It's just that bad up here in the Pacific Northwest as far as sports teams go.  The Mariners lost 101 games this year, the Huskies are 0-6, the Cougars are 1-7, the Seahawks are 1-5, and the Sonics are no longer in Seattle.  It's just depressing.

The only ray of light will be the UW basketball team which starts play in November.  Hopefully they can get us through this dismal sports year with a decent season and a bid in the big dance in March.

"Say it Ain't Soooooooo"

Two weeks ago my wife and I went to the Weezer concert at Key Arena.  They are touring with a new band called Tokyo Police Club and the overly pretentious Angels and Airwaves.

Towards the end of the concert Weezer had pulled 50 people from the Seattle area on stage with their own instruments and played a few songs.  The moment was so cool that I have to share it with you.  Weezer also has more pics of the concert here (scroll down).

Like any other Holiday Season

This should be of no shock to anyone who has been paying attention to release schedules over the last few years.  With the changing of the winter season comes red leaves, cold wind, and of course the best line-up of video games of the year; and this year is no different.  There are close to 9 or more AAA titles that should be released within the next 10 weeks that will bleed dedicated gamers dry.  But in the end it will be the publishers that will lose. 

The cramming of so many good games into one season forces the majority of gamers to pick and choose which games they will buy and which they will rent.  Moreover, with the economy of late, it is likely that the industry will be just as affected as other industries that thrive on the shopping habits of middle class Americans during the three months of October, November, and December.  Perhaps it would be better if this orgy of upper echelon titles should be spread throughout the year, or at least divided into two separate divisions of release. 

Similar to that of the movie industry which releases two types of flicks during different seasons.  During the summer you see your typical blockbusters and big action epics, and during the winter you're more likely to see serious intellectual dramas.  Now I'm not saying that we should release all the FPS's during the summer and all the platformers during the winter.  What I am saying is that the powers that be should look to releasing some of the these quality games during the summer.  Reducing the competition in the winter and creating a market for premium games in the summer could lead to new prosperity and maximum earning potential for publishers throughout the year.

AAA titles being released in Oct-Dec

• Dead Space
  
• SOCOM: Confrontation 
• Fable II
• Little Big Planet
• Guitar Hero: World Tour
• Gears of War 2
• Resistance 2
• Call of Duty: World at War
  

Another idea could be to release certain games with the help of hardware suppliers after large trade events.  So hypothetically speaking Bungie and their publisher Microsoft could leak interviews, gameplay footage, and DLC announcements of Halo 3: Recon during e3; and release the game the week afterward.  But the problem is that dev cycles are difficult to budget, much less predict milestones, or deadlines and timing a release to coincide with a trade event is something that can only be done by larger developers, if at all.

My concern is that if publishers don't do well they will continue to do what they have done in the face of bad sales: rehash previously made games.  With profitability, publishers can take more risks on games with new mechanics, new ideas, and new controls.  That could possibly mean more games like Braid, and Katamari Damacy.  It's in the industry's best interest to conceive ways to sell top name titles during the entirety of the year, not just the holiday season.  To do so would signal a step towards financial stability, and creative growth.

Deal of the Week 10/19

Looks like JR.com has an open box set of Rock Band available for sale.  The set includes the game, the mic, the RB guitar, and the drums for less than 100 greenbacks.  For those who have yet to bite the bullet on this game and it's pricey peripherals; this is your chance at a $70  savings.  Though open box items have been refurbished to work as they should, the set may have some cosmetic inequalities.

Why I watch AOTS!

While I hate G4 for destroying TechTV; AOTS is one of the few things I still love about the television company.  This is mainly because of Kevin Pereira, one good television personality among the many.  His zany wit, poignant insight, and impulsive on screen antics during AOTS make the show a must watch for me.

I don't always get to see the show and the filter at work blocks streaming and embedded video, but moments like these are the biggest payoff for being such a fan.  Behold!  I give you the McKakke.

PAX Contest Update!

MightyHealthy beat zAioros by 17 points to take all the PAX Swag.  Thanks for playing guys!!

Daniel Floyd's "Video Games and ..."

Daniel Floyd or , kirithem, is a 24 year old grad student at Savannah College of Art and Design who creates the YouTube videos centering on Video Games and related topics.  The three video posted online so far refer to Storytelling, Tangetial Learning, and Sex.  The witty and valid arguments found within these videos have been based upon the writings of James Portnow, Brenda Brathwaite, and Leigh Alexander.

Floyd has strucutured these videos in the same sense of the Zero Punctuation shorts created by and featuring Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw.  Personally I have found "Video Games and..." a more meaningful addition than Zero Punctuation, or any of it's knockoffs, to the video game culture because it validates it's arguments with historial examples and well structured logic.

Lets hope Floyd finds more time in his busy schedule to create additional work for us to ponder on.