Joyswag
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Reminder: Design your Dead Space costumes!
What better way to curb your spending during these uncertain times than to win free stuff? No, we're not just handing it out, but if you can show us evidence of your homegrown American work ethic (or deep Canadian resolve), then you, dear generic Joe Six-pack / the Plumber / hockey mom, will have earned yourself a tax break, er, mucho Dead Space loot. Head over to the contest post for full details!
Joyswag: Enlist in the Call of Duty: World at War beta
Update: Contest is over! Check your emails tonight!Looking to play the Call of Duty: World at War beta this weekend? We've got ten Call of Duty: World at War beta codes to give out (for Xbox 360, just to clarify). We'll give out five via this post and the other five will be handed out on The Official Joystiq Twitter™ sometime tonight and tomorrow. All you have to do is tell us what war you think the Call of Duty should be set in next. The war on drugs? A Klingon Scuffle? A war ... of words?To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment telling us what war setting you would want to see for a future Call of Duty. Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and Infinity Ward will next develop Call of Duty: Truffle Shuffle Warfare. You want to tempt fate?) This entry period ends at 6:00pm ET on Friday, October 17th. We'll randomly select 5 winners at that time to each receive one (1) code for entry into the Xbox 360 Call of Duty: World at War beta. For a list of complete rules, click here. Our friends at GameDaily are also hosting a giveaway, so check it out.
Design a Dead Space costume, get a head!
Final Update: And the Dead Space Costume Contest winner is ...Update: That's it folks! The entry period is over. Thanks for participating!They say in space, no one can hear you scream. Luckily, here on earth, they'll hear you loud and clear if you win this cache of Dead Space goodies. But this is no ordinary Joyswag giveaway, folks. Oh no, you're gonna have to work for this one. You're finally being called upon to put those hard-earned hours in front of Project Runway to the test!Here's the deal: You design the winning costume, send us a JPEG, and we'll give you the head. In this case, 1 of only 8 fully modeled, handmade Dead Space helmets created for EA (embiggened view). You'll also receive the Dead Space game (PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 version -- your choice) plus game guide, Downfall (the animated prequel), the graphic novel, and art book (with 3-D glasses!). (Approximate value of prize is $600.) So bust out the scissors, sewing machine, gorilla glue, severed limbs, duct tape, and whatever else you can scrounge up ... and remember, take some risks! (Read: We don't want a thousand pictures of you all wrapped in tin foil.) Have fun!Update: To answer some of your questions, yes, the costume can be totally original (or based on the game's design) -- either way, it should complement the helmet. It's like Voltron: you form the body, we form the head. So, the costume must be fully realized (not a drawing, painting, proposal in comments, etc.). Consider your Halloween dilemma solved!
Joyswag: Video Games Live album
Update: Entry period has ended.If you can't make it to any of the upcoming Video Games Live performances, we'll bring the show to you. Joystiq is giving away five free copies of the recent Video Games Live: Volume One, delivered right to your door. Just leave a comment below (after you've read our interview with co-creator Tommy Tallarico), telling us what piece of gaming music you'd love to hear at a VGL concert, and we'll randomly select five winners to receive a copy. To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment telling us your favorite piece of game music that you'd like to hear played live. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and we'll force you to play the Atari 2600 version of E.T. forever, Clockwork Orange-style). This entry period ends at 11:00pm ET on Friday, October 10th. We'll randomly select 5 winners at that time to each receive one copy of the EMI Classics album Video Games Live: Volume One (valued at $15). Please check your e-mail! For a list of complete rules, click here.
Joyswag: LittleBigBeta code giveaway, day three
It's day three in our quest to hand out beta codes for LittleBigPlanet. We've got 10 for you today; all you have to do is leave a comment below telling us what your favorite LBP video on the internet is (so far). Examples include Tetris and LittleBigColossus. To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment linking us to your favorite LittleBigPlanet video so far (LittleBigRickRolls are fine, but basic Rick Rolls will be disqualified) You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and ... well ... you don't want to know). This entry period ends at 11:00pm ET on Wednesday, October 1st. We'll randomly select 10 winners at that time to each receive a LBP beta code. Please check your e-mail! For a list of complete rules, click here. Also keep an eye out on The Not Unofficial Joystiq Twitter™ for a chance to win more beta codes!
Joyswag: LittleBigBeta code giveaway, day two
Update: All codes have been emailed out for tonight. Check your inboxes!It's day two in our quest to hand out beta codes for LittleBigPlanet. We've got 10 for you today; all you have to do is leave a comment below telling us what internet meme you want to see turned into a level. To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment telling us what internet meme you want as a LBP level. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec and Rick Astley -- sorry dude). Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and an angry Walrus will come looking for his bucket). This entry period ends at 11:00pm ET on Tuesday, September 30th. We'll randomly select 10 winners at that time to each receive a LBP beta code. Please check your e-mail! For a list of complete rules, click here. Also keep an eye out on The Not Unofficial Joystiq Twitter™ for a chance to win more beta codes!
Joyswag: LittleBigBeta code giveaway, day one
Update: No more for today! All codes have been emailed out, try again tomorrow!Ready to make your own colossus? All week, we'll be handing out beta codes for LittleBigPlanet. We've got 10 for you today; all you have to do is leave a comment below telling us what you'll create in the game first. To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment telling us what you want to build first in LittleBigPlanet. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec and ImaginationLand). Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and Stephen Fry will never be friends with you). This entry period ends at 11:00pm ET on Monday, September 29th. We'll randomly select 10 winners at that time to each receive a LBP beta code. Please check your e-mail! For a list of complete rules, click here. Also keep an eye out on The Not Unofficial Joystiq Twitter™ for a chance to win more beta codes!
Joyswag: Fallout 3 Survival Guide and Vault Boy puppets
Didn't get your hands in on a Fallout 3 Vault Boy puppet from this year's PAX? The folks at Bethesda have donated a hand-ful (har) for us to give away, along with a couple of Vault Dweller's Survival Guides. All we want to know is what perk you would want in real life, whether it's an actual Fallout perk or something you just made up. (Our pick: Bloody Mess, without question.)To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment telling us what perk you would want to have in real life. Be creative and descriptive! You must be 18 years or older and a (non-zombie) resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec and Megaton). Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and the Brotherhood will pay you a visit). This entry period ends at 10:00pm ET on Friday, September 26th. We'll randomly select three winners at that time to each receive a Vault Boy puppet (valued at approximately $15); two of those will also receive the Vault Dweller's Survival Guide (approx. $0.15). Please check your e-mail! For a list of complete rules that you can expose to radiation, click here. Gallery: PAX 2008: The Pip-Boy Puppet Gallery: The Fallout 3 Vault Dweller's Survival Guide
Joyswag: The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed book
click to unleash excerpts from the book To celebrate the release of The Art and Making of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, LucasArts has sent over two copies of the book, which are currently getting midichlorians all over our lovely coffee table. So, to prevent our furniture from having the ability to Force Choke every person who spills a drink, we're giving them away to decorate your living rooms and grant your furniture the midichlorian count to Force Choke you.To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment telling us what force power, or combination of force powers, you'd use in your everyday life! Would you fly to work, strangle a boss, or simply heat your coffee? You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec and fully operational battle stations). Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and you'll be encased in Carbonite). This entry period ends at 7:00pm ET on Saturday, August 30th. We'll randomly select two winners at that time, who will each receive an art book valued at $30. Please check your e-mail! For a list of complete rules that you can peruse or crush with your mind, click here. %Gallery-29963%
Joyswag: Persona shirts, signed art books
Our initial plan was to give you excellent readers brand new copies of Atlus' upcoming Persona 4, a desire which those purveyors of quirk deemed noble, but overly contingent on them finishing the game. Sensing our outraged impatience regarding the anticipated RPG's December 9th release, they instead granted us some Persona 3 art books (signed by character designer Shigenori Soejima!) and Persona 4 t-shirts (tagless!). The chance to wear Persona on your person, eh? To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment telling us who your summoned Persona is! It could be anyone or anything from Cthulhu to something infinitely more evil, like TV's Patrick Duffy. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec and sprawling, otherworldly dungeons). Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and you'll be kept in detention). This entry period ends at 7:00pm ET on Friday, August 22nd. We'll randomly select three winners at that time, who will receive a signed art book and t-shirt, valued at $50 (can you really put a value on that signature?). Please check your e-mail! For a list of complete rules that you can peruse or shoot in the head, click here. If you're really set on winning, sign up for the Atlus Faithful spam ... err, mailing list -- another three winners will be randomly selected from Faithful members. Update: Entries closed! Keep an eye on your inbox over the next few days!
Joyswag: Samsung 22" widescreen LCD monitor
According to Samsung, the T220 display "looks more like a beautiful piece of art than a monitor." So, even if you're satisfied with the screen you've already got, why not enter for your chance to win this little marvel of modern art -- it looks great on the wall or the coffee table! And who knows, you may even use it one day ... (Geek out on the full specs here.)To enter this giveaway: Leave a comment telling us what kinda "art" you've got hanging on your walls. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (exceed limit and you'll be disqualified). This entry period ends at 6:00pm ET on Monday, August 18th. We'll randomly select one winner at that time who will receive a Samsung T220 monitor (MSRP: $330) -- please check your email! For a list of complete rules, click here.
Joyswag: Win a Kojima-signed copy of MGS4
Update: A winner has been selected and contacted via e-mail. Congrats!So this "Hideo Kojima" guy totally ruined our copy of Metal Gear Solid 4. He had the nerve to scribble all over it in permanent marker. It looks like he ... signed it? Yuck!His signature has obviously tarnished our copy. It's worthless now, so we're giving it away in this latest edition of Joyswag: Garbage Edition. Go ahead, take it away from us. We don't want it! Bah!To enter this giveaway, leave a comment expressing your earnest desire to collect our garbage. Comments must be left before 5PM EST on Monday, June 23rd. Only one comment per person per calendar day -- or else! One winner will be selected in a random drawing. Grand Prize Winner will receive a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (signed by Hideo Kojima and Yumi Kikuchi) for PS3 (MSRP: $60). Click here for complete Official Rules. Eligibility is restricted to the legal residents of the 50 United States (including DC) and Canada (excluding Quebec). You must be 18 years or older to enter.For another chance to win an autographed copy, visit PS3 Fanboy.
Joyswag: Win The Bourne Conspiracy and a briefcase of gear
[Update: Winners have been chosen, so make with the checking of the email. It could have been you!]Remember when we wrote a post headlined, "The things we do to get you swag"? There was a whole manufactured spy thing, set up by Sierra to promote their Bourne Conspiracy game, all in the hope that it would nab them some press on a certain gaming blog you happen to be reading. Well, look at that! It worked. We're giving away the fruits of our clandestine efforts – namely, the above pictured briefcase, stocked with: A courier bag with Bourne branding A Bourne-branded wrist strap that turns into a 2GB USB disk An Olympus VN-4100PC voice recorder with Bourne branding A Maglite flashlight with Bourne branding A Sony NWX-B105F Digital Music Player with two versions of a Gnarls Barkley track – along with a copy of The Bourne Conspiracy on Xbox 360 or PS3 signed by High Moon Studios, a black Bourne Conspiracy t-shirt (pick a size!); and a Bourne Conspiracy poster (total MSRP approx. $300). One runner-up will get a Bourne Conspiracy courier bag along with an unsigned copy of the game on the platform of their choice.All you need to do to enter is: To enter this giveaway, leave a comment telling us the number of ways you know how to kill a man with your bare hands (we'll be honest, we can only think of one ... and it also involves our feet ...) You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and you'll be disqualified, but enter again tomorrow) This entry period ends at 5:00pm ET on Friday, June 6th. We'll randomly select a winner at that time (please check your email!) For a list of complete rules, click here
Joyswag: PlayStation 3 (40GB)
Blockbuster wanted us to remind you of its plans to "significantly expand its games business," including the special $500 PS3 bundle comprising a 40GB console, a PS3 Bluetooth remote, an HDMI cable, Spiderman 3 on Blu-ray, the Transformers video game (for PS3, of course), and the opportunity to rent one free PS3 game or Blu-ray movie a week for twelve consecutive weeks.To help you remember, we're giving away a 40GB PlayStation 3 without all the other stuff. All you've got to do to win (perfect timing for Metal Gear Solid 4, eh?) is follow these five easy steps: To enter this giveaway, leave a comment telling us where you buy your gaming gear from (we concentrate really hard and it just appears). You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day (comment more than once and you'll be disqualified, but try again tomorrow). This entry period ends at 6:00pm ET on Monday, June 16th. We'll randomly select a winner at that time (please check your email!). For a list of complete rules, click here.
Joyswag: Win our copies of Mario Kart Wii (and some launch swag)
[Update: Entry period is over, folks. We're contacting the winners by email, so go check!] Looking for some new wheels? How about two of 'em -- that's right, two Wii Wheels, and we'll even throw in a copy of Mario Kart Wii ($49.99 value) with each (and, if you're lucky, an "I Heart Kart" air freshener), as well as some miscellaneous swag from the NYC launch party (1 t-shirt, 1 sticker and one "driver's license," a $15 value). Just follow these five steps and a winner can be you! To enter this giveaway, leave a comment on any of the designated gallery pictures (one, two, three) with your favorite track from the Mario Kart series. You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec -- désolée!). Limit 1 entry per gallery picture, per person This entry period ends at 8:00pm ET on Friday, May 2nd. We'll randomly select the winners at that time (please check your email!). For a list of complete rules, click here. %Gallery-21747%
Reminder: Win Persona 3 FES & signed art book!
What?! Joystiq's giving away the totally certified "Game of the Week," you ask? Don't ask questions! Just enter for your chance to win, right here. (You still have two opportunities left, if you leave a comment today and another tomorrow before 5pm ET!)
Joyswag: Win Persona 3 FES & signed art book
[Update: Entry period is over, folks. We're contacting the winners by email, so go check!] If you missed out on Persona 3, last year's criminally under-printed and underplayed -- but not under-appreciated! -- high school sim-cum-dungeon crawler, here's your chance to take "The Journey." (And for those who didn't miss out, we know you've been dying to discover "The Answer!") In conjunction with this week's release of Persona 3 FES, Joystiq and Atlus are giving away three copies of the game, each accompanied by an art book signed by lead artist Shigenori Soejima. This updated edition of the game features the original story ("The Journey") stuffed with new content, including quests, events, items and Personas, plus an additional 30-hour-plus episode, "The Answer," which promises to deliver the true ending. (Joytip: Game data from the original Persona 3 release can be imported into FES.) Just follow these rules to enter: Leave a comment telling us what you think "FES" stands for. (We know, we know, it's short for "festival" -- but c'mon! Be creative.) You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec). Limit 1 entry (comment) per person per calendar day. This entry period ends at 5:00pm ET on Friday, April 25th. We'll randomly select three winners at that time (please check your email!). For a list of complete rules, click here. (Total retail value of prize is approximately $35.) %Gallery-21233%
Reminder: You can still win our Metal Gear Online beta code
Are you so adamantly against the practice of video game reservation that you refused to drop the five dollars on a Metal Gear Solid 4 pre-order to secure a Metal Gear Online beta access code? Or, rather, did you place said pre-order, only to receive a hobbled, impartial code? Don't forget, there's still a chance that your kind uncle Joystiq can secure your ticket -- just drop a comment on our contest thread (don't forget to check out those legally airtight rules and regulations) by noon tomorrow, and you could be snapping, cracking, and popping stranger's necks before you know it.Update: Locked comments in this thread. You can't win here, you'll have to go back to the old page.
Joyswag: Win a Metal Gear Online beta entry code
[Update: Entry period is over, folks. We're contacting our winner by email, so go check!]Sure, in Europe the Metal Gear Online "Premiere Beta" is open to any and all who wander into the PlayStation Store beginning, well, right now. But that's just not how we do things here in America! ( ... and Canada.) We prefer our beta testing to be ultra-exclusive. We prefer passing a crisp bill across the counter in exchange for an entry code (and a DVD of some old footage). But, if you've been feeling distinctly un-American (shame on you!) and have failed to pre-order Metal Gear Solid 4, here's your chance to sneak right into the Metal Gear Online beta. Joystiq wants to welcome you to Konami's swanky 14-day parté by giving away one, single, solitary entry code into the beta (just one). Follow these five, deceptively simple rules to enter: To enter this giveaway, leave a comment crying out for Snake. (You know, something like: Snake? SNAKE? SNAAAAAKEE??!!) You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec -- sorry folks, but Snake just can't hear you from there). Limit 1 entry per person per calendar day. (We can only take so much of your yelling.) This entry period ends at 12:00pm ET on Monday, April 21st. We'll randomly select the winner at that time (please check your email!). For a list of complete rules, click here. %Gallery-20689%
The things we do to get you swag: Bourne Conspiracy strings us along
"Are you Mr. Stern, by chance?" A built man in a black suit asked, standing in front of a black Cadillac. His black sunglasses evenly split M.I.B. and The Matrix.I'd just stumbled into the daylight after an afternoon meeting near San Francisco's Union Square. I'd been standing on the sidewalk for a moment, shifting my attention between my notebook, phone, and this man. I'd stolen glances like I was meeting a blind date, wondering if this was my contact but not quite approaching himI confirmed my identity, and he motioned me over to the sedan. "I'll be taking you to the drop zone," he said and then was silent.A few weeks earlier, FedEx dropped off an unmarked, prepaid mobile phone. The carbon-copy shipping slip gave no origin address or FedEx account number. I called the delivery company and asked for more details, and all they could dig up was the location the phone was picked up. Some place called "Vivendi University" according to the agent. And so the marketing stunt began.%Gallery-20464%
