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E308: The Joystiq / X3F reader meetup recap-o-pix
Last night, we went out of E3 in style and on our own partying terms by hosting a Joystiq and X3F Reader Meetup event in Santa Monica, California. The turnout was great (something close to 300 readers attended), we ate some pizza, chit-chatted some, gave out a couple hundred pounds of swag and the highlight of the meetup was Rock Band 2. You read correctly, the guys from Harmonix showed up with Rock Band 2 (which is freakin' amazing btw) and new instruments in hand to let everyone try out the new setup. All in all it was a great way to close out the E3 week and for those who attended, we send a gigantic "thank you!" your way. Without your support we'd be nothing but a few sad and lonely fanboys.Check out the photographic reader meetup recap below and for more meetup coverage, jump on over to Joystiq and browse their photos too.%Gallery-28049% Gallery: Joystiq Post-E3 2008 Party
E308: Time to leave, time to go home
We just wanted to update you on our (Richard and Dustin) current status as it pertains to E3 2008. Simply stated, the expo is now over and we're jetting out of Los Angeles in the next few hours. This in turn means a few things. The first, most obvious conclusion being that WE SURVIVED E3! The long hours we put in all week, experienced by not only those in LA but team X3F back at Fanboy Towers were grueling. But our brains haven't exploded under the stress so we can't complain too much. As a result of our leaving of E3 we probably will not be updating as much as we should be today. We'll do our best, but no promises. Finally, you should be seeing some E3 wrap-up coverage heading into the weekend and carrying over into early next week. We have a backlog of E3 hands on impressions and general news that (due to there only being 24 hours in a day) we just couldn't get to.Again, thanks to everyone for sharing a memorable E3 2008 with all of us at X3F. It was exciting, it was stressful, but overall we'll be walking away from this week with a grin on our face and dreams of special Xbox 360 releases that will be coming later this year. Tata.
E308 X3F Sticker Gallery: The lions roar
We have yet another photographic E3 delivery for you early this morning, so make sure you're at home ready for our arrival, sign on the dotted line and allow us to dump the visual goodness in your outstretched arms. It's totally worth it too, because we have another round of E3 X3F Sticker Gallery pictures for your viewing entertainment. We were able spread our sticker love onto the chests of Peter Molyneux and his entire Lionhead pride, the more than human Denis Dyack and Ensemble's long haired Graeme Devine. We'll continue our X3F sticker lovin' and you keep on your X3F sticker viewing. Go get viewing.%Gallery-27333%
E308: Fable 2 and Banjo reception in pictures
Here at X3F, we're party animals. No, no, no, scratch that, we're PAAARRRTAY ANIMALS! That's just how we roll and that's why we traveled back into Los Angeles last night to attend Microsoft's Fable 2 and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts reception. So, as part of the umbrella of news coverage we're churning out of E3, we thought we'd offer up all the pictures we took from the event similar to our Gears 2 reception pics. Which, coincidentally, was in the same venue. Enjoy the picture show and make your way to the break for a short (super short) off screen video of one of the Fable 2 Pub Game's "Wizard's Tower".%Gallery-27887%
E308 X3F Sticker Gallery: Left 4 Harmonix
Gather around the E3 X3F Sticker Gallery children, we have a treat for you today. As we scurried from E3 appointment to E3 appointment, event to event and wireless connection to wireless connection today, we obtained a few new sticker pics to add to our ever growing gallery. The X3F love is being spread just as promised, did you doubt us? View the new photograph additions in the gallery below featuring two sticker plastering pics of Valve's Doug Lombardi, a few guys from team Harmonix, a Fallout 3 statue and the crew from over at Sarcastic Gamer. Come on, stick it!%Gallery-27333%
The E3 Experience: Monday edition
All week long, I (Dustin) will be recapping my daily E3 experiences through ten, count 'em, ten photographs per day in a feature we're calling The E3 Experience. How fitting, no? Seeing that this is my first real E3 with a media badge in hand, I'm a self proclaimed E3 n00b and giving insight into the day's festivities from a n00b's perspective just makes sense. We don't know why it makes sense, it just does, okay? So, begin the Monday edition of The E3 Experience by clicking here, viewing the pics and reading the blurbs. Be warned though, you may not be ready for the truth that is the meaty underbelly that is E3.%Gallery-27652%
E308 X3F Sticker Gallery: The conference aftermath
After a stress filled, exciting and hella' amazing E3 Microsoft press conference, we figured what better time to stick high profile Microsoft folks with our X3F stickers than during the post-conference mayhem. So, that's exactly what we did. We cornered our victims while waiting in line, during the Community Briefing and at the Gamerscore Blog's Starbucks Meetup. We successfully spread the X3F sticker love by tagging Major Nelson, the entire GSB crew including John, Chris and Sara as well as Aaron Greenberg and Microsoft's Marc Whitten. We even ninja-stuck Joystiq's Ludwig while he was doing some "work" and refused to pay attention. That evil Ludwig. You can view all the E308 X3F sticker tagging in the gallery below, but know that we're far from done. The stickering will commence all E3 week long, so stay tuned!%Gallery-27333%
E308 X3F Sticker Gallery: Greetings from LA
Okay, so we aren't quite at the official start of E3 just yet (later this morning the big M will be holding there conference, which is the unofficial kickoff), but we are at the beginning of X3F's E3 week of coverage. So, that means we have a few pictures to add to our E3 X3F Sticker Gallery that come from our travels to Los Angeles as well as the past few 24 hours we've been here. This means that we haven't stickered any high profile developers or studio personnel, but we did get begin the spread of X3F love around the city. We have photos of a Super Richard, some lonely purple luggage, a pirate Alexander even a silenced Dustin. E3 has no clue what's about to hit stick it.%Gallery-27333%
E3: Plane landed and luggage unpacked, let's do it!
We made it fanboys, we actually made it! After safely trekking across the country with laptops in tow and a yearning for adventure, we've congregated in the Los Angeles area (home of Jamba Juice, you know) for E3 2008. To be truthful, Richard is still flying among the clouds but soon he'll land and meetup with Dustin, combine their efforts and take on a week long journey to bring you game news, previews and original content from the E3 expo floor. Xav and Terrence will be holding down Fanboy Towers while we're away, manning the NERF cannons if anyone should attempt to make an unauthorized visit. Get ready fanboys, X3F is attacking E3 all this week and only good can come from it.
It begins! X3F's E3 Sticker Gallery is live!
You've been waiting for it, you've been thinking about it and it has consumed your inner fanboy thoughts ever since we revealed our plans during this week's Fancast. Here it is, the one, the only, X3F's E3 Sticker Gallery! OMG MEGATON! (insert roaring applause and cheering here)This is the official launch of X3F's E3 Sticker Gallery, where during all next week, we'll be uploading photos of our specially designed X3F stickers being stuck on uber cool developers, video game celebrities, mascots and other objects that look like they need to be tagged with X3F sticker love. In a nut shell, we like to think of it as spreading X3F good will and fanboy'ism one vinyl sticker at a time. The plan is to update the photo gallery every day, so keep a focused eye the gallery for new additions. And if it wasn't already obvious, we kicked up the X3F E3 Sticker gallery with photos of the stickers being released from their cardboard box prison and another photo depicting a random wooden door getting a healthy dose of X3F sticker love.For those who are interested in owning an official vinyl X3F sticker-o-awesomeness, there's currently only one way to grab one. Attend the Joystiq reader meetup on Thursday in Santa Monica and X3F sticker love will be yours. %Gallery-27333%
X3F and Joystiq's E3 reader meetup: Thursday, July 17th in Santa Monica
Our community is oh so important to us, so whenever we get a chance, we love to chat it up with our fellow fanboys face to face, person to person and mono y mono. That's why we're doing it again this year, partnering with our gentle overlords over at Joystiq for the second annual E3 Joystiq reader meetup in Santa Monica next week! At Mahalo's headquarters, no less!The E3 reader meetup will feature plenty of social fun, free food and drinks, a bunch of video games to play (hooked up to a few very expensive projectors) and hundreds upon hundreds of pieces of swag will be given away. Over 200+ pounds of swag, ranging from video games to faceplates to peripherals to wearable swag. All being given away for FREE at the meetup! Though, we must admit, the most important reason you should attend is to meet the X3F crew. Yup, Richard and Dustin will both be in attendance along with a bunch of the Joystiq bloggers. Good times will be had!Be a social butterfly, stop by Mahalo HQ next Thursday, mingle a bit, win some swag, get your game on, meet the blogging crew and smile from ear to ear. Everyone can attend and don't forget to RSVP.When: 6-10:00PM pacific on Thursday, July 17thWhere: Mahalo HQ, 902 Colorado Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (map it!)Who: Every man, women and child of every age. Yes, even YOU can attend!Why: Because it's "good times".RSVP: Facebook
X3F Asks: What E3 coverage do you demand?
If you weren't already aware, team X3F (that's Richard and Dustin) will be boarding a plane this weekend, flying through the clouds and safely landing in Los Angeles, California just in time for this year's Entertainment Electronics Expo (E3) that's going down next week. So, that means we'll be bringing you daily coverage of all things E3 including game previews, news, interviews and other random goodness. But before we go, we need your help.To help us help give you the best E3 coverage possible, we want to know what content you're most interested in reading about. Would you prefer it if we'd focus more on game previews and interviews or is live blogging of all the various events and happenings of more interest to you? Or are you the kind of fanboy who wants to know all about the behind the scenes shenanigans that goes down on the expo floor and over at blogging HQ? To help gather your input, we created a handy poll for you to voice your opinion. Then, later in the week, we'll tally up the votes and use the results to provide the X3F community the bestest E3 coverage we can bring. Go ahead, tell us what you want ... we're your loyal blogging slaves all next week. Just be gentle.%Poll-16470%
Happy Fourth of July from X3F
Today is July 4th, which is probably just another uneventful Friday to those living outside the United States. But for those who live within the U.S. borders, today is America's birthday, the day we refer to as Independence Day, the Fourth of July or (what we've come to call it) Firework Bonanza Day! Hopefully, those who are celebrating the country's birthday are among family and friends, are taking it easy (for those who have to work, we feel for you) and consuming all kinds of semi-charred grilled foods. And here's to hoping that the weather cooperates, allowing you to get outdoors, enjoy life outside the Xbox 360 and watch some fireworks. Though, if the weather or annoying family members prevent you from viewing the fireworks spectacle, we fully support your decision to use Boom Boom Rocket as a substitute. From all of us at X3F, have a fantastic July 4th where, tonight, we'll be making a s'more just for you.
X3F has 100 Battlefield: Bad Company demo codes to give away
Do you want to try Battlefield Bad Company without having to pre-order the game (which is currently the only way to demo it)? Do you have an Xbox 360? Our sister site X3F has managed to nab 100 demo codes and are giving away the first 50 today. Enter by 10:00pm Eastern tonight. The other 50 will be given away tomorrow. Click here to enter.
Happy Bunny Day from X3F!
Today is Bunny Day (commonly referred to as Easter) and we just wanted to wish you, the entire X3F community, a very happy and enjoyable Bunny Day. Hopefully, you'll spend time with friends and family, eat yourself into a food coma, and maybe hunt for a colorful egg or two. We know we'll be out and about doing our Bunny Day traveling, but will also be sure to get a few solid hours of gaming in. And, really, that just may be the best plan. Hop onto Xbox Live, spread Bunny Day cheer and challenge your enemies to an egg-off (whatever that may be). Have an amazing Sunday and thanks so much for the continuing to support the craziness that is X3F. Hippity-hop!
You could win a Mass Effect 360 from X3F
Look at it. It's sexy, no? Well, the good news is that you're going to win this ultra-chic special limited edition Mass Effect-branded Xbox 360 Elite. The bad news? The previous sentence applies to exactly one of you. ... And it's you. ... No, not you. You. With the hair.In order to take your shot, you're going to beat cheeks over to our brothers-in-thumbs at Xbox 360 Fanboy for all the details. Oh, and you can enter every day, so you may want to clear your calendar, just to make sure you don't miss your chance.
Recap: X3F Live and Maybe Next Time Buddy
We did it guys! It was a huge success! Last night's Maybe Next Time Buddy X3F Live event (where we went on a mission to earn a certain achievement) was an overwhelming success as achievements were unlocked and I personally obtained 1000 Gamerscore in Halo 3. Woohooza! Click your way towards the break to read a detailed account of the event as well as view some screenshots featuring commentary (thanks to our new gallery system) and a crazy cool panorama shot. What are you waiting for guys? Get your click on ...
X3F Live: Maybe Next Time Buddy
I've put it off for way too long, I've procrastinated a bit too much, but tonight I'm going for it. With your help of course. Tonight at 9:30PM eastern (6:30PM pacific) I hope you'll join me as I make my way onto Xbox Live, play some Rumble Pit Halo 3 and finally try and earn my final Halo 3 achievement ... Maybe Next Time Buddy.I'll need a few dedicated fanboys to join me in my adventure as we'll veto our way through Rumble Pit in an effort to get a vehicle equipped multiplayer map to appear (I believe Snowbound is the only option). It'll be rough as one cannot be sure when the correct map will appear, but we'll be diligent in our quest for Maybe Next Time Buddy glory. Shoot me a friend request (SuperDunners) and hop into my Halo 3 party tonight at 9:30PM eastern when this Maybe Next Time Buddy edition of X3F Live goes down.Also, due to there being only one of me and only seven five other slots in the Rumble Pit party, we could possibly setup other Maybe Next Time Buddy achievement parties. If you're interested in hosting a Rumble Pit match whose goal is to earn this coveted Halo 3 achievement, simply comment below with your Gamertag, what time you'll be hosting and I'll update this post with the information. We'll make this the biggest, baddest and most successful Maybe Next Time Buddy achievement unlocking night EVAR! W00t!
Ask X3F: Dustin hijacked this edition
Shhh, keep quiet guys. As you know, Richard is busy in San Francisco roaming the GDC show floor, making connections, doing his thing and being all busy n' stuff. So, I figured it would be the opportune time to take over one of his weekly features seeing that I'm not at GDC and don't have any responsibilities. And after a quick search, I found my target. Ask X3F has been officially hijacked this week, oh yeah!Normally, Richard is very helpful and considerate to fanboys who send in questions for the column. He will even sometimes spend hours trying to find answers to random 360 technical questions or shoot emails off to industry folks to get the scoop. But that's not how I roll. No, not today. My Ask X3F hijacking is going to be rude, crude and so very un-helpful (is that even a word?). Prepare for some no holds barred un-Ask X3F that's chock-full of "bleh?" and "wha?" moments. Just don't tell Richard about this. I still require his signature on my paycheck every month.And for when Richard returns: If you've got a question for Ask X3F, or if you simply have something to share, send it to: ask [at] xbox360fanboy [dawt] com.
Bored with Halo 3? Introducing X3F Community Content
If you're looking to spice up that relationship between you and Master Chief (or the Arbiter, whatever you prefer), our comrades at X3F have launched Community Content, a weekly feature that aims to breathe more life into your matchmaking sessions by showcasing the best Halo 3 maps they can find.The first map to be featured is Zombie Plan. In addition to providing details on the scoring and set up of the map, Community Content also features strategy guide (in pictorial form) of the map. Looking to join the community? Follow these easy, step-by-step instructions. Game on! Gallery: Community Content: Zombie Plan Edition
