holidaze-2008
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Hardware shortages blamed for Wii's underwhelming December
Let's make this clear: Wii sold a helluva lot of units in North America during December. 2.15 million consoles in a single month is a number Sony and Microsoft can only dream about right now, but there's no doubt that the figures weren't as grand as expected. He who is Pachter predicted the console would clear the 3 million mark, only for the platform to fall short by 850,000 units.Why the lower-than-expected sales? As usual, analysts reckon they have the answer: more of those accursed hardware shortages. EEDAR's Jesse Divnich and Deutsche Bank analyst Jeetil Patel both believe demand outweighed supply for the third December running, with Divnich stating the Wii would have sold "north of 4 million units" if more consoles had been produced in time.Phew, panic over! Wii's not the next N-Gage or anything![Via Joystiq]
WoW Moviewatch: A very Northrend christmas: Out in the cold
The holiday season is behind us, and we're pretty much done with the holiday movie extravaganza. However, I wanted to take one last moment and enjoy a beautiful piece by Legs, titled "A very northrend christmas: Out in the cold." I'm not sure how we missed it before now, but I didn't want to let it be ignored this year. The music is gorgeous, of course. Compared to the more hard rock Christmas videos, Legs's piece really brings out the beauty and elegance of the holiday season. I like the way the young Orc child stares around with wonder, and the serenity displayed by the Blood Elf angel. The music is suitably haunting and harmonious, synching very well with the crystalline imagery of the video. This is the last of the holiday videos for this season. But, like I said, I wanted to make sure Legs got her due, considering the beauty of this piece. Click here to see it yourself! [Via Machinima.com, thanks to Lindi for the tip!] If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com. Previously on Moviewatch ...
Coupon: $10 off BioShock PS3, other 2K games
In case you're not in the habit of scouring 2K Game's site for coupons, might we direct you to the company's latest promotion? This coupon is valid through January 31, 2009 and good for $10 off the 2K games pictured -- more specifically, BioShock (PS3) and others. Just print out the coupon, multiple times if you'd like, and present it to a cashier at one of these local retailers: Wal-Mart Target Kmart GameStop Game Crazy Virgin Hastings Meijer f.y.e. Fred Meyer And no, this coupon is not valid for Go, Diego, Go! Great Dinosaur Rescue. So stop asking!
Xbox 360 'over-achieved' in Euro Christmas sales
Microsoft has deemed its European holiday onslaught a success, with Chart-Track data reportedly showing Xbox 360 sales "almost" doubling when compared to the same period in 2007. This made the Xbox 360 the fastest-growing system of 2008, leaving it in a prime spot for further 2009 traction, says Chris Lewis, Regional Vice President of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business for the EMEA region."Christmas 2008 was a resounding success for Xbox 360. 2008 saw us grow faster than any of our competitors and we over-achieved in sales during the crucial Christmas selling period," said Lewis. "With eight million consoles sold since we launched, and consistently out-selling PlayStation 3 in EMEA, we're poised to build on this success in 2009." Microsoft claims to have over a one-million unit lead over the PlayStation 3 in the EMEA region, which includes Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Canadian receives spirit of N64 kid for Christmas
Remember the kid that was so happy to get himself an N64 for Christmas? Of course you do, who doesn't? Well, it would appear the torch has been passed on to a small Canadian child, who is a bottomless well of excitement upon receiving a certain gift this Christmas. We won't ruin the surprise (you probably already guessed, anyway), so just head past the break and watch the video. Oh, and if you need a refresher on the N64 kid, hit up the video above.%Gallery-22424%
Priests: 2008 the year of change
That year flew by really quick, didn't it? Last year, I remember I was working my way through Tempest Keep (Kael'Thas even). 2008 brought in a complete set of additions and changes for the Priest class across all 3 specs. So, shall we get down to Priest class changes? Ranked in no particular order, we'll go over a few of the changes and the impact they had on the current game.
Joyswag regift giveaway: PS3 Wireless Keypad and AC Adaptor
[We've got our winner! Larry, aka Freak Mojo, wins the PS3 treats! Thanks for entering, everyone!]Just like you, we get all sorts of gifts around the holidays here at Joystiq HQ. Probably unlike you, we don't keep any of them (even the good ones!). With that in mind, we've got five days of regift giveaways planned, where you get some free stuff (and we get some of our HQ real estate back). Today, we're offering up the PlayStation 3 Wireless Keypad (our two word review: pretty terrible) and, since you need to charge the thing separately from your controller (no, really!) we're throwing in the PlayStation 3 AC Adaptor. We're still waiting for Sony to implement some sort of low-power charging solution in a future PS3 revision – until then, we'll keep charging everything off the 360.Here's how you win: Leave a comment expressing your holiday cheer ... in txtspk. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) Limit 1 entry per person This entry period ends at 8:30 pm ET on Wednesday, December 31st. We'll randomly select 1 winner at that time to receive the PlayStation 3 Wireless Keypad (ARV: $50) and the PlayStation 3 AC Adaptor (ARV: $25.00). Please check your e-mail! For a list of complete rules, click here
WoW Moviewatch: The Lamp
Today's Moviewatch is The Lamp, by Innovatif. Here's a tip that will help you from the beginning. The two characters are credited as "Blue Idiot" and "Red Idiot." They're not stand-ins for kids or anything, they're just a pair of idiots. That being said, I'm shocked and aghast that Alliance was used for token idiots! The Lamp is pretty amusing. I'm not sure I laughed out loud, but I was definitely grinning at watching the clods go through their Christmas morning. It doesn't hurt that their excitement over a found lamp reminds me of my favorite phrase - I love lamp! (Or, for me, I love Tank!) And is often the case when a pair of idiots find a shiny object, the story progresses and hijinks ensue. "The Lamp" is decent to watch, but I think it struggles a little bit against the recent rash of astounding films. I hope to see more from Innovatif, as I think this shows a lot of promise. If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
WoW Moviewatch: All I Want for Christmas is a Blue
I've mentioned it before and I'll say it again. I have a soft spot for good WoW music, and really enjoy the idea that I can put together a great holiday album of WoW themed Christmas music. theavatards have posted a great submission to that album on YouTube with All I Want for Christmas is a Blue. It is a simple story of a woman who always gets greens, and never gets a blue. The video itself is fairly easy on the eyes. It's got the singer, of course, and some nice use of surreality when she inspects real-life items for WoW-like quality. There's a little bit of in-game animation to make sure we know what game we're talking about here. The music is really where the piece shines, however. The music is simple and uncomplex, lending all of the song's focus on the singer. The singer does a great job of vocals, performing in a traditional holiday tone and method. This is totally worth checking out, and is already now living on my iPod. If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
Arcane Brilliance: The best and worst of 2008
Each year, Arcane Brilliance cooks up 52 columns about Mages, each one roasted at precisely the right temperature for precisely the right amount of time (usually a couple hours on Saturday morning over a soggy bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, to be honest). As we arrive at the 52nd week of 2008, Arcane Brilliance would like to thank each and every one of the Mages who come here every weekend to celebrate our wonderful class by reading a giant, well-cooked wall of text. Arcane Brilliance would also like to say to the Warlocks who come here to mock us and drink our delicious tears, "We hope your felhound eats you."Wow, so 2008, huh?A lot of things happened this year, right? Crazy.We here at Arcane Brilliance thought that since next week's column will be posted in 2009, we should take a moment this week to remember the year that was, and what it meant to all of us who walk the path of magic. There were some pretty high highs, and some exceptionally low lows, so we figured it would be fun to throw the highs into a ring with the lows and let them fight to the death. Join us after the break to see who wins!
Steam's holiday sale boasts 10-75% off everything
Steam is having a rather tantalizing holiday sale from now until January 2, with everything in the store 10% to 75% off. In case you missed it the first time, Team Fortress 2 is back down to $10. We recommend picking up BioShock if you've never played it, now only $5. The Valve Complete package is 25% off, now only $75, and the id Super Pack -- which nets you every single id title before Quake Wars -- is just $35. Our holiday money is officially spoken for.
What ho, Brits! Fifty Boxing Day deals to savor
Didn't think we'd forget about our lovable Brit readers, did you? No way, Jose! Numerous UK outlets have kicked off their post-holiday sales, and there are some worthwhile bargains to be had for those with gift money to burn.We've scoured the 'net for the best deals we could find on everything from new games (Disaster, Sonic Unleashed, Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City) to older games (Zack & Wiki, No More Heroes) to not-games (Wii Wheels, Nunchuks, Wii Points). Make the jump for the best fifty (and links to each!).
Boxing Day deals for Canadians
Today is what's known as Boxing Day in some parts of the world. This means that some retailers will be discounting goods. In Canada, such retailers offering big sales include: Best Buy Future Shop Walmart Toys R Us HMV (Thanks, Tom) Hit up those links to check out what deals they're running. Additionally, you can also cruise past the break for a list of the deals offered by Amazon Canada.
WoW Insider's Loot-idays: Day four
Merry Christmas, everyone! Hope this holiday is going well for you and yours, and that you got whatever you wanted under the tree wrapped in pretty paper this morning. If not, don't worry, you can always exchange what you got for what you want -- we won't tell anyone.Time to give some more cards away! You know the drill by now -- we've got four dance grenades and two pet biscuits for six lucky commenters on this post, thanks to our good friends at WoWTCGLoot.com (which is the site you should go to if you want to know anything and/or everything about the loot cards). To enter, just leave a comment on this post in the next 24 hours, and we'll choose six lucky winners to recieve card codes by email (so use a real one when you leave your comment). Codes are valid for EU or US realms, so wherever your character is, you can enter to win.Again, hope your Christmas is going well, and good luck in the contest!
The obligatory 'What did you get?' post
We realize not everyone celebrates Christmas, but a lot of us do. As such, use this post to discuss any and all Christmas gifts you got this year. Did you score a Wii? Get a new DS Lite? Did your folks buy you a, uh ... Xbox? So, relax, sip some eggnog and tell us if Santa deemed you naughty or nice in the comments below.Merry Christmas and thanks for reading!
Scattered Shots: The 2008 holiday gift guide for Hunters
Welcome to Scattered Shots, the other WoW Insider Hunter column. This week, we break from the gear guides for a little bit of holiday spirit. And nothing says holiday spirit quite like presents. Or at least that's what I tell people if they don't appear to be planning to give me a present.I'm not saying this week's column isn't for Hunters. That would be silly, what with this being a Hunter column and all. But this column goes out primarily to the Hunters' friends, guildmates, family members, spouses, significant others, and the like, who may be thinking, man, here it is, Christmas day, and I still don't have the proper gift. This column aims to help them find that gift. But hey, if you're a Hunter who wants to get something special for yourself too, you should still read on. You might just find an idea here.Yeah, I suppose if you wanted to get your Christmas shopping done for your special Hunter EARLY, this guide is a little bit late. But hey, there's 12 days of Christmas, and where I come from, The first day is the 25th of December. Besides, this is a Holiday Guide, and the Holidays, all told, extend to at least mid-January, right? So yeah, we're totally good. Anyway, if you have a Hunter on your gift list this season, here's some in-game gift ideas from various professions, dungeon drops, and elsewhere that just might woo your special Hunter, or appease them until next year, or whatever it is you may need to do.
WoW Moviewatch: Northrend Wonderland
Some of the (many) great things about the holidays are the wonderful movies created by machinimists. Some are serious, some are heart-tugging, some are just plain hilarious. Northrend Wonderland by Firebolt Productions falls into that last category. It's such a strong holiday comedy piece (for WoW players) that I'm sure I'm going to be playing it repeatedly tomorrow. The premise is simple. It's Winter's Veil in Northrend, and Arthas has the blues. One of his loyal minions offers the Lich King a stroll through the torture chamber to help perk up. Song and comedy ensue. The production values are good. I enjoyed the scenes, models, and camera work. But the soundtrack is really where Northrend Wonderland takes the cake. The music is awesome and hilarious. I guess the only criticism would be that the Darth-sounding voices of Arthas and minions can be tough to understand without subtitles, but that's why the subtitles are there. Click here to see it for yourself! If you have any suggestions for WoW Moviewatch, you can mail them to us at machinima AT wowinsider DOT com.Previously on Moviewatch ...
Joyswag Holidaze: Lumines Supernova (PSN)
WINNERS: Steve, Imi, Brandon, AAAChampions, JayJust in time for Christmas, we're giving away five codes for Lumines Supernova on the PlayStation Network. The classic PSP puzzle game is now on PS3, with fancy 1080p graphics and Trophy support. Oh, and a LittleBigPlanet skin. Leave a comment telling us if you'll be giving the code away as a gift -- or keeping it for yourself! You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) Limit 1 entry per person This entry period ends at 12 pm ET on Thursday, December 25th. We'll randomly select 5 winners at that time to receive a code for Lumines Supernova (ARV: $15.00). Please check your e-mail! For a list of complete rules, click here %Gallery-31089%
Wii Warm Up: Procrastinators, unite!
With this being Christmas Eve and all, it's the last shopping day before Santa comes shuffling down that chimney. So, do you have to pick up any last-minute gifts? If not, did you pick up any gaming gifts this year? Wii stuff? If the particular individual reads us and knows your account name, then, uh, lie.
2008 holiday card blowout, now with exclusive music!
click for all the Holiday cheer! var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/Joystiq_s_2008_gaming_industry_Holiday_card_spectacular'; It's that time of year: delayed travel, cold weather, spiked egg nog, and holiday gaming cards from the video game industry. They range from Konami's fairly plain jane attempt (No Snake? No Hideo?), all the way up to the custom old-school card created for us by The Minus World. What, no $20 gift card love from Sony this year? (But they did give us their AC Adapter peripheral.) At least Sony tried -- where's the love Microsoft, Nintendo? We'll even accept some coal -- just send us something for the holidays! Please?Foundation 9 wins the award for the niftiest card so far this year. It sent out a holiday card with an exclusive CD inside, complete with 11 tracks of holiday chip tune music created by 8 Bit Weapon, Leeni, Computeher, and others. We've got an exclusive track that you can enjoy without leaving the warm comfort of this post. Check out Doctor Octoroc's version of "We Three Kings" right here. Happy Holidaze! Some notable cards: "Barack O'Clause" from Reverb Communications LittleBigChristmas from SCEA Christmas Kingdom Hearts from Square Enix Little Sister figurine from 2K Games Christmas Cthulu from Penny-Arcade A Fallout Christmas by Bethesda %Gallery-39789%
