Beanie guy and the panda

Xbox has "reimagined" a pair of classic Xbox 360 Gamerpics for the modern era, and I was not prepared for all the memories these i?mages would kick up. The team dropped a set of new avatars this week, and two of them �a bubble-gum punk with a beanie and a happy panda �should look familiar. Their roots go back to the early days of Gamerpics.

//twitter.com/Xbox/status/1536810214338400256

At the risk of strolling? too far down memory lane and collapsing into a pile of dust, it's fun to think back on the original Xbox 360 Gamerpics �which profile pic did you use?

If you aren't a digital avatar hoarder (or if it's simply been way too lon?g), here's a refresher.

Classic Gamerpics from the early Xbox 360 days

[caption id="attachment_330881" align="alignnone" width="800"] _{The original Xbox 360 Gamerpics (via Fandom).}
[/caption]

These Gamerpics were so pervasive, and I'm reeling. From the pink-haired cat girl, to the black skull with a flame backdrop, to the classic dog.jpg, these gamer pictures should be nostalgic for anyone who remembers the early blade-flipping days of Xbox 360.

As someone who has drifted away from the Xbox ecosystem in recent years, I haven't thought about these profile pics in a long, long time, but the memories are rushing back. Xb?ox 360 was such a dominant force, and while I've largely gotten away from competitive onli?ne gaming in my 30s, I sure had some late nights with Xbox Live in the 360's heyday.

I'm not sure if anyone will want to suddenly "upgrade" their gum-chewing guy or panda if they've held on after all these years, but if so, you can change your Xbox avatar in a browser over here??. The reimagined classic Gamerpics should be at the top of the list.

As Reddit user ktsmith91 argues, the beanie Gamerpic "doesn't look as douchey as it should," which partially goes back to the types of people who used that pic back in the day. Another user, FredFredrickson, shared a gallery of their fan-made HD Xbox 360 Gamerpics. If you're looking for something higher-res but still really faithful to the originals, there y?ou go. It's hard to move on from an established online look.

The post Xbox just updated two classic Gamerpics for 2022 appeared first on Destructoid.

A BB Freebie

It's Death Stranding Day, and that's significant for a few reasons. It signals the return of Hideo Kojima in his first game back sans Konami. It's the latest blockbuster PlayStation 4 exclusive, always notable events in their own right. Most relevant to the majority of people, it's the day you can finally stop speculating about Death Stranding and just see it for yourself.

I am not here to tell you about Death Stranding. Chris already did that. I am here to tell you that you should claim some free baby in a jar PlayStation avatars. Technically, it's BB -- Bridge Baby, obviously -- and that's a pod meant to sim??ulate a mother's womb. But before we knew all that, it was just an unexplained baby in a jar, another Kojima ec??centricity we were left to presume would eventually make sense.

With all that pretext out of the way, here's how you get your BB avatars. Use the code "47XM-C3N8-GTFN" under the Redeem Codes section in the PlayStation Store. It's a universal code, so don't worry about other people baby bumping you. However, it's only good until November 10, so nab it before it ??expires.

Okay, go back to building bridges and slamming Monster Energy drinks. Don't fillet you toe. Jordan force??d this upon me, so?? now I'm gonna make you look at it. GAH!

I'm very into the hiking game. Except for ~this shit~, which sends a lightning bolt down my toe every. single. time. pic.twitter.com/iTW9NBlTbv

— Jordan Devore (@DtoidJordan) November 8, 2019

@wario64 [Twitter]

The post Here are some free Death Strandi??ng baby in a jar PlayStation avatars appeared first on Destructoid.

Oh joy!

Coming at some point this year, Microsoft will be launching a "Career" system for gamer profiles that will follow you around through all of your activities on Xbox. This new effort is meant to reward people, such as esports players, who stick with a single game for longer periods of time with rewards for their Xbox Avatars (a system I'm sure most of you forgot about). Yo?u'll be able to obtain levels, prestige your rank, and even get loot crates with cosmetic items through various quests that will be available.

This new system also seems to take play time into account, so if you've logged 500 plus hours on Rocket League like a certain editor at Destructoid, you'll now be able to brag about it better on your profile. To be clear, this whole initiative won't replace achievements, but supple??ment them better for people who don't actively hunt gamerscore.

This reminds me a lot of what Valve did with Steam profiles. While achievements are just as convoluted to access on Steam as on Xbox One, there are ??other ways you can "level up" and unlock cosmetic things like profile backgrounds and badges. It makes for a cool little initiative to actually play games you've purchased instead of just shoving everything into an infinite backlog.

That being said, I wish I cou?ld figure out how to even find my avatar on Xbox One. I've only changed it on my PC or 360.

Microsoft is workin?g on a new Xbox 'Career' system with levels and Avatar loot crates [Windows Central]

The post Microsoft will be adding a ‘Career’ system to Xbox One with loot crates appeared first on Destructoid.

Express your attitude

The underrated anouncement from Microsoft at this year's E3 is the fresh new avatars coming later this year. They are much more animate and have higher quality models than before, now resembling the park-goers from Planet Coaster. There is a much better color wheel and options to use a wheelchair or even a robotic arm. Of course there are many costumes as well?? (don't expect them to be free).

I loved fooling around with my avatar and looking at all my friends avatars on Xbox 360, especially when you could scroll left and right through your friends and see their avatars with their toys and what not. The Xbox One has never entered my home (or many homes in Japan for that matter), so I never realized they didn't really update the avatars at all from 360, which was quite surprising to me. On top of just playing Barbie with them, I loved their use in 1 vs. 100, the return of which may make ??me consid??er an Xbox One. May.

The post Xbox One avatars are getting an extreme makeover appeared first on Destructoid.

Hurry, or 'xXBonerf4rt69Xx' will be taken

It doesn't seem to be common knowledge, but sometime over the last couple of days, Nintendo opened up the section of their website that allows you to select your online name. You can change your user ID any time, and it will be attached to your Nintendo account. For some reason, you won't automatically be assigned the name already associated with your Nintendo Network ID (NNID). Fortunately, it's not too difficult to set it ??up, so I'll walk you through it using my own ID as an example. 

If you haven't set up a Nintendo ID and/or My Nintendo account before to use the Wii U or 3DS, you'll need to do that first. After that's done, head to accounts.Nintendo.com, and look for the "User ID" section?. Click the Edit button, as shown.

If you've set up 2-factor identification, the website will send a verification code to the email address on file. It may also require you to change your password if you haven't ??logged in for a while. Once you've entered the verification, you'll be returned to the screen above and will be able to request your desired username. Usernames have to have at least six characters, and as you might expect there are filters in place to prevent usernames from having any slurs or profanity in them. 

Once you have your desired name in place, it will show up on this page, and will presumably be shown underneath your chosen avatar icon on the Switch's version of a friends list. If you're unhappy with the name you chose, you can always come back and change it later. That's all there is to it. What nam?e will yo?u be going by?

The post P?SA: You can? select your Nintendo ID before the Switch comes out appeared first on Destructoid.

Switch avatar icons revealed

Ever since consoles began connecting to the internet, choosing an avatar for your online persona has been part of the experience. While prio??r Nintendo consoles made you create Miis as your online representation, it looks like the Switch will also let players choose from a number of preset options in addition to Miis. 

You can see the premade icons below. As you can see in the video, you'll be able to customize the background color of these icons, and choose the facial expression and pose of your Mii if you choose to use it as your o?nline avatar. There's a w?ide range of familiar Nintendo avatars available.

We're less than two weeks away from the Switch's launch, and it's hard not to be at least a little excited about getting to try out a new console. I'll probably be using one of the Inklings as my avatar, for obvious reasons. There are lots of options here, though I admit I was surprised not to see Kirby or any Pokémon. I suppose the icons are limited to first party Nintendo titles exclusively, thou??gh there's nothing saying more can't be added at some point down the road. Which is your favorite?

Here's The User Icons You Can Use on ?Nintendo Switch [MyNintendoNews]
MoldyClay64 [Twitter] 
Japanese3DS [Twitter] 

The post Here’s what you’ll look like to other Switch players appeared first on Destructoid.

A tradition spanning two decades

_{Nope, if James Cameron's involved, something's probably wrong.}

So, you're heading to PAX West this weekend? Great! But let's not forget about all those folks who aren't so fortunate. Penny Arcade eXposition tickets are a hot commodity, and unfortunately, not everyone who wants to go can get? in.

That doesn't mean they can't be there in spirit, however. There's a long tradition of jbsgame.community members sha??ring some of the fun they've had at PAX with their friends who couldn't make it. How, you ask? Well, I was just getting to that.

As you may have inferred from the title of this piece, I'm here to tell you about how you can participate in our unofficial Adopt an Avatar program. I've been on both sides, both an adopter and an adoptee, and can attest that it's a l??ot of fun either way.

_{No, that's not quite right, either.}

So what is PAX avatar adoption? 

A few years ago, Rand. M. Dixon put up a post that explains the concept quite succinctly. Avatar adoption means that people who are attending PAX bring a printout of one of their fellow community members' avatars a??round the show with them, and take some photographs to commemorate the event. Once you're back home, write up a community blog and show everyone how you and your adoptee enjoyed the show. It doesn't have to be fancy, it doesn't have to be silly, it doesn't have to be well written. You just have to make the commitment and follow through, and I guarantee that the person or persons whose avatars you are adopting will be appreciative. 

Adopting avatars helped me have a point of conversation and break the ice when I was first t??rying to meet people in this community. It helped me out of my shell a little bit. It's fair to say I wouldn't know several ??of the people I now consider friends if not for this program. If you participate, you'll probably have more fun at the show, and you'll get to relive your experience while writing your recap blog, so, y'know, win-win.

Sounds great, how can I get involved?

If you'll be at PAX this year, share the love with some of your fellow community members. Write a Cblog or a Quickpost letting people know you're going, and offering to adopt an avatar or two. Or, if you're not able to attend, let people know that you're interested in having your avatar adopted in the same way. You could also hook up in the comments down below. You can always use the site's Direct Messages to coordinate, or even a third-party site like Twitter. Do it soon, though -- since the s??how starts on Friday, people are already on their way to Seattle.

Once you adopt an avatar, it's your responsibility to show them a good time. Get lots of pictures with the??m. You could take some photos of your avatar by the various show floor booths, being held b?y celebrities and Dtoid staff members, or just checking out the various sights, sounds, and, yes, even smells around Seattle.

You mentioned some kind of history?

Tragically, the first instance of an avatar being adopted (when WalkYourPath brought Kauza along) has been subjected to the ravages of time, and none of the pictures are still active. But yeah, this has been a thing all the way back to 2009. There are over 250 posts about avatar adoption on the site, and I'm willing to bet a lot of those links lead to some interesting stories. Oh, and about that subheader? If it works for Mickey Rooney, I think it's fair to claim it here too.

Well that sounds lovely. Do you have any examples?

I'm so glad you asked. Here are several great examples. I want to stress, your adoption blog doesn't need to be as e??laborate as these. A picture is worth a thousand words, so the more pictures, the better. You no have need write good.

So what should I expect if I'm adopted?

Well, GlaDOS will probably make fun of you. Apart from that, your avatar will be treated to the myriad delights of PAX, and you'll be able to live vicariously through your adopting benefactor. Just be aware that you'll be at the mercy? of your adoptive parent, and they may not monitor your activities to make sure you don't wind up in a compromising situation.

_{Six years later, and I'm still raising a platoon of Squidclouds. Please, talk to your avatars about safety and responsibility.}

I??n all seriousness, your avatar ??will be in lots of pictures with the folks who did make it to PAX. Like Dixon said, your host's level of involvement and creativity may vary, but it's a safe bet that you'll be represented in one of our group shots, at the very least. If all goes well, your host will follow through and post a blog detailing the trip, and you'll both get to enjoy a little bit of internet camaraderie.

Once again, avatar adoption is a lot of fun for everyone involved, so I encourage everyone who's going to get involved. Do it today!

The post Heading to PAX this week? Adopt an Avatar! appeared first on Destructoid.

Those eyes cut through my soul

In a great win for inclusiveness in gaming, Xbox has let tell that wheelchairs are being introduced for the Rare created Xbox avatars.

In a Twitter conversation, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer was told "depending on how skeletons are done on avatars, wheelchairs might be relatively simple and the #rightthing" to which someone suggested starting a petition. Spencer quickly chimed in stating that there is "No petition needed, we hear you.  This is something that we've alr?eady looked at, not far off." Mike Ybarra, also part of Xbox, gave us a sneak peek as seen in the header image above.

Interestingly it looks like avatars themselves may be getting a redesign, or at least they look slightly different or more detailed to my imperfect eyes. Speaking of eyes, their so??ulless eyes are kind of creepy.

Good o?n Microsoft and Xbox for doing the #rightthing here, I just hope there is more than one option for wheelchairs in case players want something a bit more conservative with less branding. I can't imagine people will be too happy if all wheelchairs have a Xbox flag attached if that does happen I can see #NotYourBillboard trending upon release.

Xbox avatars to introduce wheelchairs [VideoGamer]

The post Xbox avatars to get wheelchairs, possibl?y new designs appeared first on Destructoid.

This, this is my fetish.

Finally...next gen has arrived. Finally.

The post Watch an Xbox Avatar shove Hot Pockets up its ass appeared first on Destructoid.

More expensive than the classic horse armor

Grown men who feel connected with female ponies from a cartoon aimed at young girls are currently celebrating and throwing money at their TV screens as five My Little Pony avatars are now available for the P??layStation 3 at $3.99 each.

Do people hones?tly care about their avatars on PlayStation consoles? I've never really gave mine much thought. That being said I bought my a??vatar on the Xbox 360 some clothing as well as a nice big girthy corndog for a dollar.

Wario64 [Twitter]

The post My?? Little Pony avatars available for PS3 at $3.99 each appeared first on Destructoid.

We also have a PlayStation Home shirt for all those times you use PlayStation Home

You may recall about a year-and-a-half ago, when we unveiled the Destructoid line of merchandise for your Xbox Live Avatars. At the time, the biggest request was that we get a Mr Destructoid helmet to join the cool shirts and hoodies and stuff we had. Well, t??hat time has finally co?me!

Click this link right now to deck out your Avatar with the only piece of virtual merchandise you can ever buy and not feel completely bad about. At $2, it's less than the cost of that Taco Bell you ate last night, and you know you regret that.

And while you're there, check out the rest of our merch in the Community Collection! It's all priced very reasonably, and every? little bit helps out the site <3

Don't own an Xbox? Well, we've still got you covered. Click here for a free Dtoid PlayStation H??ome shirt! You know you want de?m boob eyes.

The post Hey! You can buy a Mr Destructoid helmet for y?our Xbox Avatar appeared first on Destructoid.

Up for grabs are the Rocky collection on Blu-ray, t-shirts, figurines, and more

[Update: Contes?t over! Winners are Marche100, MJMyLover, and Michael Peditto!]

Our friends at Flashman Studios and MGM recently unveiled a collection of clothes and items in the Xbox Avatar Marketplace based on everyone's favo??rite Italian Stallion, Rocky Balboa. To mark the occasion, they've given us a ton of Rock??y swag to hand out to lucky Dtoid readers!

Included in the prize packs are Rocky: The Undisputed Collection on Blu-ray (consisting of all six Rocky movies), real-life t-shirts, vinyl figurines, Microsoft Points cards, and more. Hit the jump for details?? on how you can win!

To enter, you need to take a picture of yourself in your best Rocky pose and post it in the comments below. At the end of the contest, I'll choose from among all th??e entries and assign the prizes below:

1^st Prize

• Real-life "Rocky and Butkus" t-shirt
• Set of four POP! Movie vinyl figurines (Rocky, Clubber, Apollo, and Drago)
• Rocky: The Undisputed Collection Blu-ray box set
• 3200 MS Points card

2^nd Prize

• Real-life "Italian Stallion" Rocky t-shirt
• Rocky: The Undisputed Collection Blu-ray box set
• 2400 MS Points card

3^rd Prize

• Rocky: The Undisputed Collection Blu-ray box set
• 1600 MS Points card

You have until this Friday, July 5 ?at 11:59 PM Pacific to enter, and the contest is o??pen to anyone with a US mailing address. Limit one entry per person.

Good luck, and have fun!

The post Con??test: Win ??Rocky movie swag and MS Points from Dtoid! appeared first on Destructoid.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Oh, Microsoft. Again you open the floodgates of charity and let the waters of? value drench your consumers until they're t??o the point of drowning in hot deals and fun times. It's no surprise that the people, your people, have gathered en masse to sing the praises of your generosity.

Not long ago, you benevolently declared that the Xbox One "overdelivers value," but apparently it doesn't stop there. Oh, no! Now you've bestowed upon us a free Avatar t-shirt that sports the radiant logo of your upcoming wondermachine? Thanks for throwing us an (X)bone; we're not deserving of this sort of p??hilanthropic gesture.

Free Xbox One Shirt for your Xbox 360 Avatar [Major Nelson]

The post MS overdelivers ?value with free Xbox One Avatar shirt appeared first on Destructoid.

Celebrate the launch of Star Trek: The Next Generation Avatar items on Xbox Live

[Update: Contest over! Winners are ZeroForte, Pixielated, dunnace, A Char, WSwan, Swishie??e, DrippingSins, Shawn Kelfonne, Char Aznable, and Matt Evans.]

Our friends at Flashman Studios recently unveiled an awesome new line of clothing, costumes, and accessories for your Xbox Live Avatars. (If you're into that sort of thing. Which I am. So shut up.) The new set lets you dress up as your favorite Star Trek: The Next Gene??rat?ion character, be it a Klingon, a member of the Borg Collective, a fateful Red Shirt, and more! (Did I mention OMG Geordi's visor?!)

To mark the occasion, they've given Destructoid a ton of Star Trek-themed swag to hand out to lucky readers! Included in the prize packs are some real-life Star Trek costumes, Season 1 of TNG on Blu-ray, the TN??G soundtrack, Microsoft Points, and more! Hit the jump f??or all the details, and instructions on how you can win!

To? win one of the ten prizes below, you need to write a Star Trek-themed poem in the comments. Haiku, limerick, sonnet -- whatever's clever. Here's one I just came up with:

Captain Kirk, Mr Spock and Uhura
Beamed down to the planet Centura
Red Shirt Rico was scared
His life wouldn't be spared
When Kirk said it was an aventura

(Finally putting that creative writ?ing degree to good use??!)

The best poem (based on my judgement) wins the grand prize below, second and third best will take home those respective prizes, and? seven runners-up will win Microsoft Points cards worth $5. You have until this Friday, June 7 at 11:59 PM Pacific to e?nter, and the contest is open to US residents only. Good luck!

Here are the prizes:

Grand Prize

• Choice of a Rubies Star Trek TNG officer costume (Command, Science, or Operations)
• Star Trek TNG Official Soundtrack (Provided by La La Land Records*)
• Star Trek TNG Season 1 Blu-ray Collection
• 3200 MS Point Card
• $25 Star Trek Into Darkness Fandago Gift Card

2^nd Prize

• Star Trek TNG Official Soundtrack (Provided by La La Land Records*)
• 2400 MS Point Card
• $25 Star Trek Into Darkness Fandago Gift Card

3^rd Prize

• Star Trek TNG Official Soundtrack (Provided by La La Land Records*)
• 1600 MS Point Card
• $25 Star Trek Into Darkness Fandago Gift Card

7 runners-up

• $5 MS Point Card

*The Star Trek The Next Generation soundtrack prizes are courtesy of La-La Land Records. Visit them at www.lalalandrecords.com.

The post Contest: Win 3200 MS Points??, Star Trek swag, and more! appeared first on Destructoid.

Bunch of promos for the the new season

Venture Bros is back! Season 5 started up this past Sunday, and for those of you that missed the first episode it's available to stream in full on Adult Swim's YouTube ch?annel. Or you can download the first episode on your Xbox 360 for free until June 9.

You can also purchase some Venture Bros Avatar items! Hank and Dean's tops, Molotov's eye patch, Sergeant Hatred's helmet, Dr. Killinger's mask, Baron Underbheit's jaw, Triana's top, Dr. Girlfriend's pink retro costume, The Monarch's costume, Phantom Limb's outfit, and a speedsuit are all on offer here ranging from 80 to 240 MS Points.

That's not all! Team Fortress 2 got some more Venture Bros. items, which consists of a bacteria blocker, weather master helmet, and breather bag. The only cool thing here is the weather master helmet though. Oh, and Valve released their first ever Team Fortress 2 commercial, which, uh, kind of sucked. I mean it was great for fans that already know about the game, but it didn't do anything to try and draw ??interest from new potential players. Marketing!

The post Venture Bros all up in Team Fortress 2 and Xb??ox Live appeared first on Destructoid.

Microsoft expands Xbox Live Rewards

Microsoft is rolling out additional Xbox Live Rewards offers on April? 1 in the form of MyPunchcard, which is more or less what it sounds like. At least for the month of April, this promo is Xbox Live Arcade-o?riented:

• Play 20 hours of any combination of arcade games, receive a free avatar item
• Purchase any four Arcade games for 400 Microsoft Points or more from Xbox Live, receive a one month Xbox Live Gold membership
• Spend 3200 Microsoft Points on Arcade games, receive 800 Microsoft Points in return

That first one seems laughable, but what about the other two? For the sake of comparison, this is $40 in XBLA titles for $10 back; throughout March, Sony gave back $10 for every $50 purchased on PlayStation Network -- though that? was not restricted to just PSN games. Also, just to be clear, you need to become a Rewards member to take part in this.

Play To Earn from Xbox LIVE Rewards [Major Nelson]

The post Buy four XBLA gam?es, get a free month of Xbox Live Gold appeared first on Destructoid.

I demand a do-over

I'm on vacation this week. I was looking to take some down time before this crazy year for videogames offici??ally kicks off. With both PAX East and GDC coming up later this month, I'm trying to rest up, but this busted corgi avatar had me hopping out of bed to say my piece.

The newly added Dogs and Puppies avatar pack for Xbox Live Arcade would normally be something positive, but its "corgi" puppy avatar is so ug?ly and off that I can't help but be disappointed.

What is up with its legs? Where are the cute, stubby paws corgis are known for?  And flopped ears? Corgis have pointed, beautiful ears -- not those abominations. Oh, and the tail. Though things are changing, most Pembroke Welsh Corgis have no tail -- they're either docked or tailless. If the do?g had its tail, it would be lon?g and fuzzy, and not gross like this.

Have you people ever looked at a corgi? Check my Pinterest board to see how off you are.

Is a re-do out of the question? If you need help, I am happy to offer any assistance. We can't just? let this go. 

The post FAIL: This Xbox Live Arcade avatar is NOT a corgi appeared first on Destructoid.

Watch the greatest trailer Capcom's ever made

Capcom has today revealed its ultimate gift to Mega Man fans everywhere. To celebrate the blue hero's 25th anniversary, Capcom h??as seen fit to grace the world with the only gift that me??asures up -- Xbox Live Avatar items!

Dress up your mawkish Xbox idol to look like Mega Man himself, or don the armor of adversaries such as Cut Man, Fire Man, and Guts Man. As you might expect, the fans are lapping it up with eager gratitude.

"FUCK YOU CAPCOM YOU FUCKING ANAL PIECE OF SHIT," writes one happy gamer. "FUCKING COCKMONGOLING SHITFAGS RUINING FR???ANCHISE AFTER FRANCHISE THAT HELP BUILT YOU FUCKING SHIT COMPANY. FUUUUUCK YOOOOOU!"

Another commenter could hardly contain his pleasure as he wrote, "Just kill my mother while you're at it."

Some members of the fanbase were hoping for a new videogame, or maybe even the return of the fabled Mega Man Legends 3. I don't think anybody, however was prepared for something this incredible. This magnificent. This glorious. 

And if you can't see why this is so exciting? Well ... you just don't "get" Mega Man, do you? 

Not like Capcom does. Blessed be its Holy name.

...

...

...

Oh God what has Capcom done?

The post Mega Man 25th anniversary celebrated ?with Avatar GLORY! appeared first on Destructoid.

Help us celebrate the Blue Bomber's 25th anniversary and win a bunch of free stuff!

[Update: Contest over! Winners have been notified v??ia email!]

In celebration of Mega Man's 25th anniversary (which we've been covering all week!), our friends at Capcom, Capcom-Unity, and Flashman Studios have joined forces with Destructoid to give out a TON of???? sweet Mega Man swag to the Dtoid community!

Up for grabs are 10 codes for Mega Man avatar items for your Xbox 360, 10 Mega Ma??n helmet plushies, and one grand prize winner will take home a Mega Man sho??ulder bag filled to the brim with awesome goodies! (Entire prize listing and gallery after the jump!)

For a chance at one of these prizes, just leave a c?omment and tell us th??e name of your favorite Mega Man boss! Limit one entry per person, and the contest is open to US residents only. You have until this Sunday, December 23 at 11:59 PM Pacific to enter! Good luck!

Grand prize (1):

• Mega Man X shoulder bag
• Bass keychain
• Mega Man 10 iPhone case
• Proto Man patch
• Mega Man 1up head patch
• Mega Man X4 wrist band
• Servbot Bobble Budds (x4)
• Mega Man Archie comic trades, Vol 1, 2 and 3
• Mega Man helmet plushie
• Mega Man avatar item for Xbox 360*

Runners-up prizes (9):

• Mega Man helmet plushie
• Mega Man avatar item for Xbox 360*

*Depending on availability, winners may receive Micr?osoft Points cards in lie??u of actual avatar item codes.

The post Contest: Win some awesome Mega Man swag! appeared first on Destructoid.

Black Friday from the comfort of your home

Xbox Live has already started discounting games and digital trinkets for this big shopping week. Most notably, Spelunky and Rock Band Blitz are? down to 600 Mi??crosoft Points each. You should probably buy those, particularly the former if you're looking to get some local multiplayer going on Thanksgiving.

Major Nelson has posted the full list, which is good until Monday, November 26. All told, this is an eclectic group with stuff like Forza 4 content packs, Sega Vintage Collections, and male-only Avatar gear. Those who are only now getting an Xbox 360 might ?be able to find some good deals in here beyond my aforementioned recommendations.

Xbox LIVE Marketplace Holiday Offers [Major Nelson]

The post Xbox Live Marketplace holiday discounts are live appeared first on Destructoid.

The Xbox 360 indie scene is filled with a ton of throwaway games and "experiences" that incorporate your Xbox Avatar into the gameplay. It's not surprising that Microsoft's own Avatar Motocross Madness for Xbox Live Arcade sits in a neglected corner at PAX next to the much-more-frequented Tomb Raider and Forza Horizon booths.

Admittedly, I walked by the empty game booth a few times before my curiousity got the best of me and I decided to finally take a look. In a few minutes of play, I got the impression that Avatar Motocross Madness might be a bit mo??re robust?? than what you might expect.

The main game mode I checked out involved a race in an Egyptian desert environment, called Dynasty City. The full game will have three ??different main locations -- Egypt, Australia, and Iceland -- and about four races at each location, for a total of 12 races.

What immediately struck me during my hand?s-on was that the vehicle handling was pretty tight, and that steering and performing tri??cks felt natural.

In Avatar Motocross Madness, you gain boost through performing tricks in a simplified version of the trick/boost reward system seen in games like Pure. The ??tricks generally seem to be your standard motocross set, though getting in a timely landing does play an important role lest you face a nasty crash and penalty that halts the game for a moment before letting you get back into the race.

The racing seems fairly well balanced, as I felt like I was being challenged enough to keep things interesting throughout the t??rack. It took actual sk?ill to keep up, rather than the sort of rubber-banding A.I. that games of this nature often employ.

Avatar Motocross Madness also has a free-roam mode that immediately brought to mind hours I once wasted driving around in Smuggler's Run or even the earlier MX vs. ATV series for PS2. In this mode, you wander around the desert environment grabbing coins and collectibles. I was told that alth?ough there was a time limit in the demo shown at PAX, the actual game would have no such restriction.

Another mode absent from the demo that is sort of like the free-roam mode is called Trick Session, where you compete against the ghosts of other players or against A.I. bots to get the most tricks in a timed free-roam session. While Avatar Motocross Madness certainly doesn't seem to stray from an expe??cted formula, I came away from the demo actually enjoying my time with it.

To be completely honest, I stopped by the neglected booth a couple more times during the weekend just to get a quick fix of a genre that I tend to love as a pick-up-and-play experience. As much as I absolutely hate most titles I've seen that incorporate Xbox avatars into their gameplay, I feel it'd be a sh?ame not? to mention this game as a genuinely enjoyable one that's not too casual and not so hardcore that it gets to be frustrating.

Let's just hope the price point will match the experience when ??the game releases in ?2013.

The post PAX: Avatar Motocross Madness is actually decent appeared first on Destructoid.

Welcome to another BIG night in the realm of FNF!

First up, King Foom will be playing RaiderZ again with the folks from Perfect World, and giving away a ton of PC peripherals in the process! Up for grabs are $400 worth of keyboards, mice, and headsets -- awesome! Be sure to tune into Dtoid.TV at 4 Pacific to check out the stream, and click here to grab a RaiderZ beta code for yourself and join in the fun!

Then at 5 Pacific, Destructoid's own Andrew Benton will be joining me for an Xbox LIVE Community Playdate! We'll be playing Full House Poker alongside other Dtoiders and members of the "Community Collection Crew" while shamelessly shilling our new Avatar gear. Look us up if you want a seat at the table!

And if you'??re not interested in either of those... well, play something else! Either way, we hope? to see you online!

New to FNF? Read this! Each week, a bunch of us Dtoiders get together to play videogames online! It's a 100% community-run event, so feel free to join i??n or even host something yourself??!

The planning for FNF starts in the forums, where community members sign up to host matches and post their pertinent details (game, time, Gamertag, etc.). Then, every Friday, reminder posts go up in the community blogs thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers, and I recap it all here on the front page to give it a bit more expo?sure.

To join in, simp?ly send a friend request to the match host! If you'd rather host something yourself, sound off in the comments section be??low!

Still confused? Check out our FNF FAQ! Big thanks to Dtoider ChillyBilly for all these aweso?me headers!

Tonight's Game:

• Full House Poker
  Hosts: Mr Andy Dixon and Andrew Benton (GT: Mr Andy Dixon and P0WER GL0VE)
  Time: 5 PM to 8 PM Pacific

Tonight's Game:

• RaiderZ
  System: PC
  Time: 4 PM to 10 PM Pacific

Foom will be giving out A TON of awesome PC hardware courtesy of our friends at Perfect World, so be sure to tune in to Dtoid.TV to be a part of the action!

Tonight's Games:

• Battlefield 1943
  Host: Mr 3man (GT: TheOne3man)
  Time: 7 Pacific | 10 Eastern

• Gears of War 3 (MP and Insane Horde)
  Host: Usedtabe (GT: Us3d ta b3)
  Time: 8 Pacific | 11 Eastern

• Battlefield 3
  Host: SuperMonk4Ever (GT: SuperMonk4Ever)
  Platoons: Destructoid (Full) | Dtoid Reinforcements
  Time: 8:30 Pacific | 11:30 Eastern

Check out the 360 FNF blog for more info!

Tonight's Games:

• Battlefield 3
  Host: KymikoLoco (PSN: KimikoLoco)
  Platoon: Destructoid
  Time: 6 Pacific | 9 Eastern

• Payday: The Heist
  Host: Trev (PSN: ElZilcho)
  Time: 8 Pacific | 11 Eastern

• Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine
  Host: Trev (PSN: ElZilcho)
  Time: 9 Pacific | 12 Eastern

Check out the PS3 FNF blog for more info!

Tonight's Game:

• Mario Kart Wii
  Host: Christiangamer 2.0 (Skype: Christiangamer64)
  Time: 7 Pacific | 10 Eastern

Check out the Wii FNF forum thread for more info!

Tonight's Games:

• Heroes of Ruin
  Host: Wolfy-Boey (5327-1072-2012)
  Time: 5 Pacific | 8 Eastern

• Mario Kart 7
  Host: smurfee mcgee (5284-1410-9454)
  Time: 6:30 Pacific | 9:30 Eastern

• Kid Icarus: Uprising
  Host: smurfee mcgee (5284-1410-9454)
  Time: 8 Pacific | 11 Eastern

Check out the 3DS FNF blog for more info!

Tonight's Games:

• Tribes Ascend
  Server: Destructoid (NA East)
  Time: All day, every day!

• Team Fortress 2 (Mann vs Machine)
  Host: Swishiee (Steam: Swishiee)
  Time: 7 Pacific | 10 Eastern

• Team Fortress 2
  Server: 63.208.142.126:27015
  Time: 9 Pacific | 12 Eastern

• Hit up Steamtoid to find more games!

Check out the PC FNF blog for more info!

The post Friday Night Fights: It’s poker time! appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid is joining forces with 360Sync, Platform Nation, and the rest of the gaming communities featured in the latest batch of Xbox 360 avatar gear for a massive Xbox LIVE Community Playdate!

Tomorrow from 8 to 11 PM Eastern, join the "Community Collection Crew" for a rousing round of Full House Poker! And while you're there, gaze upon the beauty that is the new Dtoid avatar shirt, hat, hoodie, and wristband??!

Representing Dtoid this time around (in full green helmet?? garb) will be the avatars of myself and Mr Andrew Benton (??Gamertags Mr Andy Dixon and P0WER GL0VE, respectively). Want to see if my "tell" is what you think it is? Strap on your Dtoid shirt and hit us up for a seat at the table!

We'll see you online!

The post Join Dtoid tomorrow? for an Xbox? Community Playdate! appeared first on Destructoid.

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today's news was fairly light due to Max and I both feeling like we got run ov??er by a bus, but don't let that affect your enjoyment of our fine program. We still tried really hard! ...Okay, mildly hard.

Anyway, to go along with today's release date announcement for the upcoming WoW expansion Mists of Pandaria, we also got new gameplay trailers for Sleeping Dogs and Transformers: Fall of Cybertron, our first hands-on preview of Dead Space 3, and some dapper Destructoid gear for your Xbox Live avatar!

The post The DTOID Show: Dead Space 3, Sleeping Dogs, & SWAG! appeared first on Destructoid.

Destructoid clothing items have officially arrived on the Xbox 360 Avatar marketplace today! We have Destructoid branded wristbands, hats, hoodies, t-shirts, and varsity jackets for male and female Avatars ranging from 80 to 160 MS Points. Finally, you can senselessly adorn your v??irtual you to show off to your virtual friends in virtual reality on the Xbox 360. The future is now! 

And for all of you PlayStation fans, don't feel left out! We have a male and female shirt you can put on your PlayStation Home character too. Just use this code to redeem your FREE sh?irt:?? G3DD-NJNH-ABMD. 

The post De??structoid merch hits the Xbox 360 Avat?ar marketplace! appeared first on Destructoid.

Folks, time to pack your shit up and leave, because the Joke Boat has officially set sail for cleaner waters. The long-runnin?g and increasingly tired "arrow in the knee" meme has been embraced by Bethesda, and gi?ven legitimacy in the form of an Xbox Live Avatar prop. 

"Can your avatar dodge the horrible fate of many a guard in Skyrim? Find out with the Skyrim Arrow in the Knee prop," boasts the Marketplace listing. 

The prop costs 240 Microsoft Points and does exactly what is promised -- it sticks in your Avatar's knee while everybody you show it to secretly wishes you would just piss off and die. Definitely worth paying for, if you enjoy buying humor that got old two weeks after Skyrim launched. 

This post?? makes me sound a lot more bitter an?d resentful about this than I actually am. Oh well.

[Thanks everyone who sent this in!]

The post Joke’s over: Skyrim ‘Arrow in the Knee’ is an Avatar prop appeared first on Destructoid.

Our world is an truly amazing place sometimes. Despite two decades of online interactions which have exposed me to the very stupidest things humanity can offer, it nevertheless manages to sneak in a surprise now and again. Like this morning, when I was sifting through e-mails and discovered a link to this "Hot or Not" site for Xbox Live Avatars hosted by Party Up Gamer.

All the pointlessness of Xbox Live Avatars combined with the ancient (by internet standards) practice of rating them on a one to five?? scale based on how "hot" or "not" they are. And yet, I still found myself c?licking through half a dozen avatars (rating every one a "3" because I don't know what the hell constitutes a "hot" or "not" avatar). Sometimes I absolutely disgust myself.

Avatar Hot or Not: Let's Play Together [Party Up Gamer]

The post Signs of imp??ending doom: Hot or Not for X??box Live Avatars appeared first on Destructoid.

Hey?? guys! Here's our first official episode of The Destructoid Show of the new year. Like, in the studio. With a script. 

For starters, we briefly discussed our stance on SOPA and encouraged you guys to go make a fuss. As for news, it looks like the PS Vita's already on sale, as in discounted, in Japan, Microsoft says XBL avatars can't have guns, but they can have tattoos, and Mass Effect 3's pre-order bonuses involve GUNS. Finally, some folks on 4chan have formed 4Leaf Studios, and they just released a visual novel/dating sim called Katawa Shoujo, which is free for d??ownload. It's about children with disabilities. 

For the second half of the show, Tara and I kicked the ass out of a Pelican case with our producer's Xbo??x inside it. Did?? the Xbox break? Find out.

Also, just a reminder, we'll be back with our usual LIVE show this Friday at 3:30 PM Pacific Time on our YouTube Channel. 

The post The DTOID Show: Xbox Live Tattoos, ME3 guns, & Vita Sales appeared first on Destructoid.

In a rather strange, although not at all surp??rising move, CafePress has anno?unced it's new partnership with Microsoft to bring your very own Xbox Live Avatar to life on various gear. CafePress has always been an online retailer centered around user-created content, so it's very appropriate.

It's as easy as going to xbox.cafepress.com, entering your Gamer Tag and selecting one of ten poses you want to appear on whatever various items you want. That is, if you actually want anything. Who out there cares enough about their avatar to do this? Sure, my Master Chief avatar will always look okay, but what if you try to get your avatar to resemble yourself and one day you decide to change up your avatar? All you'll have is a reminder of what your avatar used to look like.

The post CafePress partners w??ith Xbox to put your avatar on swag appeared first on Destructoid.

Do you love The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim so much that you want to spend extra money on loosely related digital content? I knew you would! Let me point you to the new Skyrim launch avatars on Xbox Live Arcade. They'r??e available now, and you'll find a full list of them after the jump.

I'm sure you already knew this, but Skyrim is set for release on Xbox 360,?? PlayS??tation 3, and PC on November 11, 2011

The Skyrim Launch Collection includes the following:  

• Dragonborn Armor – 400 MSFT points | $4.99 
• Dragon Bone Armor – 400 MSFT points | $4.99
• Mage Robe – 320 MSFT points | $3.99
• Dark Brotherhood Armor – 400 MSFT points | $4.99
• Dragon Bone Helm – 240 MSFT points | $2.99
• Dragon Prop – 240 MSFT points | $2.99
• Elder Scroll Prop – 240 MSFT points | $2.99
• Magelight Prop – 240 MSFT points | $2.99
• Stormcloak Helm – 240 MSFT points | $2.99
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Premium Theme – 240 MSFT points | $2.99

The post Get your Skyrim launch avatars on XBLA now appeared first on Destructoid.