Like they say, all's well that ends well -- and that's certainly true in the case of a gamer named Nathaniel. If you'll recall, the Xbox 360 owner had sent his very personalized console into Microsoft for repairs, making very clear that the signed and drawn-on system had great sentimental value to him... which the technicians in Redmond promptly ignored. After the console returned to him wiped clean of the aforementioned "value," it seemed like all hope was lost. Luckily, the kind souls at Bungie have taken it upon themselves to try and right the wrongs perpetrated in this case, and have mailed Nathaniel a super-ultra-mega awesome package, featuring a Legendary Edition helmet signed by most of the Bungie studio staff, the soundtrack disc signed by Martin O'Donnel, a jacket, t-shirt, limited edition wireless controllers, and much, much, much more. Hit the read link to get the full story, and check out Nathaniel's thanks to the gaming community and Bungie.

[Thanks, Saad]

We know customer support reps have a lot on their plates -- especially those responsible for answer the queries of 13-year-old Halo mavens protesting supposed hackers stealing all their kills -- but it looks like the Xbox Live support staff is dropping the ball on this particular issue. Pro gamer Skyllus vBi, a member of pro gaming group Team vBi, was awarded some super-rare "Recon Armor" by Bungie staff a few months ago for his entertaining method of suicide depicted in a popular online video. Naturally, his account became an immediate target for hackers, and they didn't have much trouble swiping his info. Turns out there's a bit of a flaw in the phone support system that allows a hacker to use social engineering to sweet talk account details out of a customer support rep without much hassle. Skyllus has had this particular attack performed on his account three times so far, and is having a bear of a time working it out with Xbox Live support staff. Not only is his precious armor in jeopardy from attacks like this, but all the credit card info and other personal details stored on a Xbox Live / Windows Live account. Stir in some of the login and account retrieval woes that many users have been experience of late and you've got a recipe for some much-needed intervention over in Redmond.

[Via Joystiq; thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Ok everybody, here goes round eight. This time we've got a Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo 3 wireless controller (Brute edition with Todd McFarlane collectible figure). Ready? Here's the deal.

We'll put up a gadget on the site, and you can only enter it until the next gadget lands (usually within a couple of hours). If you miss your shot, sorry, we're moving on to the next gadget. Good luck!

Oh, and don't forget the rules. (Yeah, there are always rules.)

• Leave a comment below. That's it! Who loves you, baby.
• You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) You can enter different giveaways in today's Black Friday giveaways, but you can only enter this one once.
  
• If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
  
• Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers or US contest laws if you have to be mad.
  
• Winners will be chosen randomly.
• Entries can be submitted until the next contest goes up. After that we're all done. Good luck!
• Full rules can be found here.

Last round's winner: Jonathan! (Remember, winners are selected at random.)

Ok everybody, here goes round five. This time we've got a Xbox 360 Limited Edition Halo 3 wireless controller (Spartan edition with Todd McFarlane collectible figure). Ready? Here's the deal.

We'll put up a gadget on the site, and you can only enter it until the next gadget lands (usually within a couple of hours). If you miss your shot, sorry, we're moving on to the next gadget. Good luck!

Oh, and don't forget the rules. (Yeah, there are always rules.)

• Leave a comment below. That's it! Who loves you, baby.
• You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) You can enter different giveaways in today's Black Friday giveaways, but you can only enter this one once.
  
• If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
  
• Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers or US contest laws if you have to be mad.
  
• Winners will be chosen randomly.
• Entries can be submitted until the next contest goes up. After that we're all done. Good luck!
• Full rules can be found here.

Last round's winner: Greg! (Remember, winners are selected at random.)

If merely looking at the oh-so-elaborate Xbox 360 Halo 3 Legendary Edition just isn't enough to satisfy you, Joystiq's got your fix. Those kindhearted folks are giving away a massive, massive prize that includes a Halo 3 Xbox 360 console, Halo 3 Legendary Edition game, a Halo 3 Zune, and 15 other accessories / peripherals to go along with it. What are ya waitin' for? The contest ends on October 2nd, so head on over (read: commenting here won't land you in the winner's circle) and toss your name in the hat, capiche?

Since we tend to concentrate on hardware on this little blog, you may not have realized that there's a rather seminal event occurring on the software side of things that has gamers pretty giddy, namely the release of Halo 3 for the Xbox 360. And what better way to display your fandom than with a Master Chief Mimobot USB 2.0 flash drive from Mimoco, a 1GB ($50), 2GB ($70), or 4GB ($110) piece limited to 5,000 units (3,000 each for the Red and Blue Spartan editions, pictured after the break) and pre-loaded with all sorts of swag sure to fill the emptiness in your life once you've completed the trilogy. Pre-orders have already started, so if you missed out on the last batch of space odyssey-themed paraphernalia, you'll probably wanna reserve one well before the official October 18th release at E for All.

[Via Gearlog]

Listen up kids -- the holidays have come way early. We've got our hands on the special edition Xbox 360 all done up in Halo 3 fashion... but that's not all. The boys from Redmond sent a massive, massive package our way, including a giant, custom army bag, custom dog tags, two army meal rations, a first aid kit, the Xbox itself, two Halo 3 controllers and a headset, plus some other stuff hidden in the nooks and crannies. But -- there's one thing in the box we weren't expecting... and that's the crazy Legendary Edition packaging for the game itself, housed in a full size, manically detailed Master Chief helmet. Hit the gallery and feast your eyes on all the (presumably) rare goodness in our Engadget-style unboxing of the bag and system. We can honestly say we're a bit stoked on this.

Just two days after learning that the oh-so-covetable Halo 3-themed Xbox 360 would be landing next month, EBGames now has the console available for pre-order. Currently, the site is listing September 16th as the official ship date, but we wouldn't put too much stock into that number just yet. Coincidentally, Microsoft has also made known today that "over one million" copies of Halo 3 have been reserved in North America, which reportedly shatters "pre-order records in the video game industry." Also noteworthy is the tidbit about the "exclusive Halo 3 Gamer Pics and Theme" that comes bundled in with the special edition package, and while we doubt this minutiae will sway you one way or another, at least you now know precisely what your $399.99 will be buying.

Read - Halo 3 Xbox 360 pre-order
Read - Halo 3 title exceeds one million pre-orders

We're not going to mince words -- this post goes out to everybody in the audience that wanted a little closer look at the Xbox 360 Halo 3 Special Edition console due out next month. Enjoy the eye candy!

If you haven't gotten hyped enough over the forthcoming third installment of the Halo series, perhaps you might want to get your paws on these illified (and expensive) toy guns from Jasman Toys. Apparently, the Halo 3-modeled firearms will not only look really bad-ass on your mantelpiece at home, but the recoiling, sound-projecting, light-flashing gats will also enable you to play a game of "advanced" laser tag, called "Halo Laser Pursuit." With the accompanying wearable laser target you can try and reenact your favorite scenes from the games, as the receivers perform somewhat like Halo's shields, or so says Jasman. Really the only way this game of tag differs from the actual game is that no one dies -- and it's not nearly as much fun. Priced between $79.99 and $119.99, available in October.

[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

As if Microsoft didn't have enough hype riding on its forthcoming Halo 3 ultra-blockbuster, the company is giving Halo fanboys another treat in the form of a green Halo 3 Special Edition Xbox 360 and accompanying controller, 20GB hard drive, and wired headset to ship this holiday season. It's not like Microsoft is compensating for anything, Halo 3 is undoubtedly going to be one of the biggest titles ever, but we're not sure how long these paint jobs can keep our interest when certain Sony Computer Entertainments are slashing prices right and left.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 controller is no stranger to hacks 'n mods, but unless your drawing skills are on par with Mr. Todd McFarlane, you won't soon be duplicating these on your own. Both the Spartan and Covenant wireless controllers are splashed in artwork by none other than the Spawn man himself on "high-quality, scratch and wear resistant plastic," and include a limited edition Halo 3 figurine to boot. Moreover, those who aren't down with wrapping their palms around a third-party controller shouldn't fret, as these special devices are first-party through and through. Lastly, an equally rare headset looks to also be available, but it skips the McFarlane makeover in favor of a simple Halo 3 logo. All three units are tentatively set to ship the first week in September for a stiff $59.99 apiece, but after waiting this long to finally have Halo 3 spinnin' in your console, you might as well complete the experience.

[Via Joystiq, thanks Mark]

You already knew Microsoft's limited release Zune Halo 3 Edition was coming June 15th to commemorate the big September 25th title launch, that it would come bundled with a booty load of Halo 3 content (soundtracks, pictures, movies, etc.), but now you can check it out for yourself all up close -- even see how it stacks up against classic brown. Lots of pictures in the gallery.

Oh yes it is. That special edition Halo 3 Zune is real, out, and up for pre-order exclusively through GameStop. Available June 15th (pre-order now), the $249 promotional Zune comes packin' a 30GB disk loaded with a flood of Halorific music, video and artwork. Although you've made your thoughts about Microsoft's would-be iPod killer abundantly clear, the tie-in with the hotly anticipated September 25th release of Halo 3 by Bungie Studio (owned by Microsoft) could generate some renewed Zune-buzz all but lost since its initial launch. Welcome to the Social Covenant kids.

[Thanks, Russell D. and everyone who sent this in]