Filed under: Meta (about Joystiq)

Sure, we’re overloaded with games to catch up on, but there’s no reason we can’t set those aside for a night and enjoy gaming sans electricity. We’re going to take this moment just to say that Monopoly Here and Now is not a version of Monopoly we at Joystiq HQ will sanction. Sorry, but Montreal and Riga will never replace Park Place and Boardwalk in our hearts.

• Alexander Sliwinski is EuroTripping.
• Christopher Grant: Still winding my way through the truly charming world of Albion in Fable 2, with the occasional multiplayer bout of Left 4 Dead to distract me. There’s also that Japanese demo of Resident Evil 5 …
• Griffin McElroy: After discovering my PS3 is backwards-compatible with PS1 games, I’ve actually been playing through Final Fantasy IX again. So very, very good.
• Kevin Kelly: Connected with some old friends from high school through Facebook, and we’re playing Left 4 Dead. I also just got into Age of Booty and am addicted, although I suck at it.
• James Ransom-Wiley: Can’t seem to eject Left 4 Dead from the Xbox 360 tray. Hoping the Prince will arrive this weekend and whisk me away before I transform into a full-fledged “Zombie Genocidest.”
• Jason Dobson: Holidays give us all the excuse we need to party, and nothing goes better with get together than terrible singing. I’ll be breaking out Lips for the first time this weekend and offering friends and family the very best Dido impression I can muster.
• Justin McElroy: I’m about to go fire up Prince of Persia. From there? Who knows?! Metal Slug 7? Something else? It’s really mysterious.
• Ludwig Kietzmann: I’ll be playing Prince of Persia and Fable 2. And to make me appreciate them even more, I’ll also be finishing off Sonic Unleashed. Hmm.
• Randy Nelson: Every Vault-Tec Bobblehead will be mine. (Yes, I’m still playing Fallout 3. I’ve invested something like a gazillion hours so far.) But! That plan might be thwarted by Prince of Persia. Not that that’s a bad thing …
• Ross Miller: Will be going nuts on Prince of Persia this weekend, with intermittent bouts of Left 4 Dead and Tomb Raider: Underworld. Don’t judge me, especially when Ludwig’s finishing Sonic Unleashed.

WRUP is going Off the Grid originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Oh, snap! Out of seemingly nowhere, Google has revealed the Android Dev Phone 1, a SIM- and hardware-unlocked G1 designed to be sold exclusively to hard working developers. The handset ships with a system image that’s fully compatible with Android 1.0, and obviously, it complies with any SIM card and can “flash custom Android builds that will work with the unlocked bootloader.” In other words, the mobile should seriously appeal to devs who live far, far away from areas blanketed with T-Mobile coverage. In order to get one, you must first register as an Android developer on the Android Market site (which involves a one-time $25 setup fee); once you’re in, you simply surf over and nail the “Purchase” link. For $399 (including free shipping in the US of A), this swanky G1 — custom back and all — can be yours, and it’s scheduled to ship in 18 international markets soon. Would it be too much to yell “snap!” again?

[Thanks, Ryan]

Filed under: Cellphones

SIM / hardware-unlocked Android Dev Phone 1 surfaces for $399 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is the one you’ve been waiting for, Engadget fans. We’ve decided to end the year on a high note with a big reader meetup and holiday bash for our faithful readers! On December 19th, we’re blowing it out at the completely amazing Hiro Ballroom in Manhattan. We’ll have a big selection of gear and giveaways on hand, including products (both to play with and to win) from: Nokia, Microsoft, T-Mobile, Voodoo, SanDisk, Peek, Sling, Rhapsody, and more! And believe us, there really is more to come. Here are a few details:

• We’re giving away tens of thousands of dollars in gear! Including…
  
• SanDisk 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB microSD cards for the first 200 people through the door!
• Free food, and free drink tickets for the first 500 people, totally awesome music all night
• Live Q&A session with Engadget editors
• The event is 18 TO ENTER / 21 TO DRINK, and ADMISSION IS FREE. Sorry younger readers, but we’ll do a follow-up all ages event soon!

When: Friday, December 19th, 7:00PM to 12:00AM

We’re still working out details as well as adding to our roster of giveaways and companies which will be in attendance, so expect updates as we move towards the event. If you’re planning on coming, shout it out in the comments!

Filed under: Announcements

Engadget reader meetup / holiday party in NYC, December 19th! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Government/Legal, Chrysler, LLC., Ford, GM

It’s taken two rounds of Congressional hearings, some major pride swallowing and three detailed business plans, but it looks as if the Detroit 3 will be getting the federal loans they need, though not as much they asked for. A deal was reportedly reached between Democratic leaders and the White House that will supply around $15 billion in federal loans to the struggling U.S. auto industry. While General Motors, Ford and Chrysler asked for a combined maximum of $34 billion, the $15 billion is designed to ensure they stay alive until March when the issue will be readdressed with the input of a fresh Obama administration. GM and Chrysler reportedly need around $11 billion to survive the new year, while Ford has said it would only need government aid if one of the other two went under.

We’re hearing that a deal was reached between Democrats and the Bush administration late Friday after top Dem. Nancy Pelosi gave in to the White House and its position that the money should come from $25 billion in loans previously approved to help the automakers retool for energy fuel efficient vehicles, rather than drawing the aid from the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Fund for struggling financial institutions. In return, Pelosi is seeking a guarantee that the money would be replenished in “a matter of weeks.”

Both the Senate and House of Representatives have confirmed they will be meeting on Tuesday to vote on the deal, and it’s expected that strong oversight of how the loans are used, whether in the form of an individual car czar or committee, will be part of the final package.

Party on, Detroit.

[Source: Reuters, Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty]

BREAKING: Automakers to get $15 billion in federal loans originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: PC

Talk about perfect timing: the economy is in the crapper; the holiday rituals are bleeding you dry; and your 486DX2 is having trouble keeping up during those late-night Left 4 Dead sessions. But don’t lose hope! Our PC-inclined cousins at Big Download are giving away an iBuyPower Paladin F870-SB rig, sporting the latest Intel Core i7 processor technology, 1TB of hard drive space, 6GB of RAM, two ATI 4870 video cards, 8-channel surround sound, a Blu-ray drive and a 20.1″ Sceptre widescreen monitor - worth approximately $2500.

Don’t want to drop any of your rapidly evaporating loot on something like this? Hit up Big Download to learn how to enter. You’ll have until Monday, December 8th to get your entry in, so that’s enough time to procrastinate just a little bit longer but not too long, okay?

Big Download is giving away this gaming PC originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Remember the Logitech G9? The totally boss, customizable gaming mouse with awesome mod possibilities like adjustable weight and LED inserts? Well, the G9 Laser Mouse ID Grip is out and ready to take the mouse-gripping experience to the next level. The ID grip will allow G9 mouse enthusiasts to have any image they want custom printed onto the insert of the mouse. The insert will also give the mouse a somewhat new shape. It’s available to order online now — you upload the image and they’ll print and send it your way for $19.99. Seems like maybe Logitech’s sold so many mice that they’re willing to let anything fly, and we do have some good ideas for this after all.

[Via IGN]

Filed under: Displays, Peripherals

Logitech G9 Laser Mouse ID Grip takes customization to a new, annoying level originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: FPS, Multiplayer

If you have the Limited Edition PC version of Call of Duty: World at War, this weekend is all about you. As we reported last month, this weekend owners of the Limited Edition version of Treyarch’s recent WWII shooter get double XP points in the game’s multiplayer servers.

The Double XP time period ends at 11:59 am on December 12. If you own the PC Limited Edition version of the game you are already set to go since your CD keys are already been tagged as being part of that exclusive group. All you have to do is join an online multiplayer server and you will automatically get double the normal experience points for that time period.

[Via email press release]

Call of Duty: World at War Double XP weekend begins originally appeared on Big Download Blog on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360

With new publisher in tow, and new 10-hour campaign out in the open, Starbreeze’s more-make-than-remake Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena is barreling towards that early 2009 release with a few more tricks up its sleeve … well, Riddick rocks a tank-top, but you get the idea. CVG has details about the game’s multiplayer modes - yup, they’re adding in multiplayer, where the original 2004 release had none. Now, we’re with you: not every FPS needs a multiplayer mode - more often than not, they seem like back-of-the-box bullet-point more than integral component - but let’s give Dark Athena a chance, shall we?

In addition to standard-issue 12-player deathmatch and CTF modes, Dark Athena boasts an interesting “Butcher Bay Riot” gametype featuring three teams of four players each, ranging from guards to mercenaries to prisoners, each trying to make their way to a “central power cell.” More interesting than that: a “Pitch Black” gametype featuring a (get this!) pitch black arena full of grunts armed with little more than a flashlight and a gun, each looking for he-can-totally-see-in-the-dark Riddick. Kill Riddick and you’re Riddick next round. Rinse, repeat. With 20 maps “planned” for the final product, it sounds like Dark Athena’s multiplayer may be more than an afterthought - but we’ll let you know as soon as we see it.

Chronicles of Riddick multiplayer includes ‘Pitch Black’ mode (no word on grues) originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you improve the XPERIA X1? If you answered, “remove the keyboard and add a mangled iPhone UI,” then the iFone x1 will be right right up your alley. Of course, this ain’t the first phony X1 we’ve seen, but it might be our fave. What can we say about this one? It appears to be running Windows CE, it quite possibly supports dual SIM cards, and it has an FM receiver (probably). Does that excite you? In the mood for a good laugh? In either case, be sure to check out the hilarious translation below, and don’t forget to peep the video after the break.

[Via Pocket Now]

Continue reading Keepin’ it real fake, part CLXX: the highly confused (and confusing) iFone x1

Filed under: Cellphones

Keepin’ it real fake, part CLXX: the highly confused (and confusing) iFone x1 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Podcasts

This week, Xav gives a heartfelt goodbye to BigDownload.com in his final episode of the BigCast. Joystiq’s Ross Miller comes in to talk about Left 4 Dead. TheBBPS.com Editor-in-chief Dan Zuccarelli drops by to shower Fallout 3 with love and Massively’s Kyle Horner drops in for all three segments which includes GTA IV problem talk, Mirror’s Edge disappointment and more. This is an epic return, clocking in at nearly 2 1/2 hours of BigCast action. We’re back, baby! This is the BigCast.

The BigCast will return soon with a new host, James Murff. Stay tuned for even more awesome PC podcast love from the fine folks at BigDownload.com.

Question? Round-Table Idea? Email us: podcast [at] bigdownload [dot] com

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3).
[RSS MP3] Add the BigCast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.
[MP3] Download the standard BigCast MP3 directly.

Join Our Steam Group: Big Download Official Steam Community Group
Find Us On Facebook: Big Download Fan Page

Hosts: Xav de Matos and Kyle Horner with special guests Ross Miller (Joystiq) and Dan Zuccarelli (TheBBPS.com)

Produced by Xav de Matos

Music: Intro/Outro: “Am I Awake” by They Might Be Giants Segment Breaks: “Goodbye, Goodbye” by Hotspur

BigCast 019 — Peace Out, Xav originally appeared on Big Download Blog on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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