Does this sound familiar? You are sitting at your computer, most likely at work or school and you check out Xbox.com (I won't tell, or will I? MUAHAHA), to see what new content is up on Marketplace. Maybe you see a new Theme you want to download, or notice that the map pack you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived.
So, you sit there and let the profanity fly (hopefully in your head) because there's nothing you can do, but wait until you get home. Those sexy Gamerpics, movies and additional levels just sit there and mock you saying, ‘I know you want me, but you’ll have to wait to queue me up for the download.’
Guess what? Not anymore.
Once the New Xbox Experience launches you will be able to browse Xbox LIVE Marketplace on your PC (even using text search) – and if you see something you like, you can add it to your queue and even purchase it right there and then. As soon as you get back home to your Xbox 360 and turn it on, the content will begin to download. Think about it – by the time you finish getting out of your shirt and tie, or skirt, or pajamas, or pink fuzzy bunny outfit, you will have a new Xbox LIVE Arcade game to play or a new TV show to watch.
Check out the screens of Xbox LIVE Marketplace on the Web, coming November 19when the New Xbox Experience launches.
As always, click on any of the photos for a larger version or visit our flickr set.
Customizing the appearance of your Windows installation can be frustrating, because both Windows XP and Vista are limited to the Microsoft's default themes out of the box. However, with a bit of tweaking under the hood, your Windows setup can try on a wider range of looks than come pre-installed. Let's take a look at how to patch your Windows installation to allow customized styles, and a few places to find new and interesting styles online.
Vocabulary and Methods
When talking about the physical appearance of Windows there are two terms that are distinct but often used incorrectly in place of each other. Visual styles, which have the .msstyles file extension, are the files which supp;y all the information about how the interfaces within Windows should look. The toolbar skin, start button skin, borders, buttons, etc. are all stored in the visual style. Themes contain a visual style along with additional settings such as icons, wallpaper, etc. Later, when browsing for goodies, keep in mind that a theme pack will have further customization than a visual style pack.
Throughout the tutorial you'll need to be able to access the menu within Windows where you can chane your themes and visual styles. The following screenshots are from Windows XP but the essential menus are nearly identical in function in Vista, too. For reference, here is how to access both:
First, Back Up Your Current Theme For Safe Keeping
Although you'll most likely find a new style that you really enjoy, on the off chance that you don't, make a backup of your current theme for you to restore later if necessary. Backing up only takes a moment and will allow you put things back exactly as they were before you started customizing, right down to the wallpaper. From within the Themes tab click Save As and name your theme whatever you'd like. Save it in a safe place.
Second, Patch Your Windows Install
Patching your system for themes allows you to use non-Microsoft approved visual styles. At the very root you're simply replacing the Uxtheme.dll with a modified version that doesn't verify if the style has been signed by Microsoft. It used to be that patching your Windows installation was a hassle, a small one, but a hassle nonetheless. Now both Windows XP and Vista have patching programs available that make it no more hassle than clicking a button and rebooting. There are various programs that can do what the free patches do with some additional functionality thrown in, but they are hardly worth the $20 and up fees they command.
For Windows XP, download the Uxtheme Multi-Patcher. Run the file, click through the prompts and reboot.
For Windows Vista, download VistaGlazz. Run the file, click through the prompts and reboot.
Both patching programs will allow you to reverse the process should anything go wrong by simply running the program again. (However, I've been patching Windows installs for years without a hitch.)
Finally, Download and Install Custom, Third Party Styles
The best way to verify if your patch job has been successful is to browse some of the great repositories of visual styles and select a few to try out. Below are some samples of the most popular styles at DeviantArt.com. Before you begin downloading through, a quick overview of where the files go is in order.
If a style pack is zipped up properly then installing it is as simple as unzipping the files into the C:\Windows\Resources\Themes directory. Check when you open the zip file if the files have nested directories. If you install a visual style or theme and something is amiss, check the following list to ensure the files ended up in the right place:
.Theme files must be in the /Themes/ folder, not within any subfolders.
.MSStyles files must be in their own sub-folders. If the style name is NewStyle.msstyles, then sub folder in /Themes/ must be /Themes/NewStyle/
If your style pack came with a shellstyle.dll, that also goes within it's own subfolder, i.e. /Themes/NewStyle/shell/
If you have any problem with loading a style or theme, go back and double check for spelling and capitalization. The names are case sensitive. If a file has a combination of upper and lower case letters, the folder name you place it in must be spelled exactly the same.
Now let's take a look at some popular third-party visual styles in action.
If you have a little bit more time and would like to grab a theme hot off the press, check out the active forums where style designers throw up their newest work:
Adhering to an old saying -- "If it's too good to be true, it probably is" -- might have saved money and prevented headaches for hundreds of people who are unhappy with websites claiming to offer irresistibly priced video game systems.
The premise was innocent enough: a factory-refurbished Wii for $19.99, or an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 -- including a one-year warranty and free shipping -- for $34.99. That's less than the price of a game remote.They were offered on several related websites, such as PS3-Bargains.com (pictured above) and RefurbishedWiis.com. The websites' lists of frequently asked questions say the "slightly worn" systems are offered at such a low price — more than $150 less than anywhere else — because the site gets paid by sponsors "for every survey you fill out."
But customers are complaining that although their credit cards were billed, they never received the game consoles, let alone any surveys to complete.
According to analyst Aaron Naternicola of the Internet Crime Complaint Center (a collaboration among the FBI, the National White Collar Crime Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance), 18 related websites have generated hundreds of complaints about unfulfilled game console orders, and four other websites -- apparently connected to the first group -- generated more than two dozen complaints about software related to the World of Warcraft game that didn't work as promised. (The 22 websites are listed after the jump.) Efforts by The Times to reach the proprietors behind the websites were unsuccessful.
As of Tuesday morning, the IC3 had received 324 complaints from consumers about the game console websites since August 2007, which the IC3 says amounts to about $17,100 in lost money. The magnitude is rare, reaching a level hit by only a dozen or so cases a year, Naternicolasaid in an e-mail.
"Any time you have double-digit complaints, that's considered more than just noteworthy," said Craig Butterworth, spokesman for the National White Collar Crime Center. "The higher those numbers go up, the more serious it becomes."
The Better Business Bureau also has received a series of complaints claiming "delivery issues." (A spokeswoman said the bureau doesn't disclose the specifics until after cases have been resolved.)
Thanks to Better Business Bureau reports, the IC3 was able to draw connections among ...
... the 22 websites, which are advertised through Google AdWords, from patterns in names, addresses and e-mail handles, Naternicola said.
The IC3 fielded eight complaints last year and 18 more in the first half of this year against sites related to the $24.99 World of Warcraft Gold Duplicator. The sites pitching the software, which buyers complained didn't do what it claimed to do, were advertised in the Warcraft world by characters who would spam in-game chat rooms.
Then in July, grievances about undelivered game systems began rolling into the IC3 with more frequency. Just last month, the group of sites attracted 215 complaints.
Irate buyers congregated on Internet message boards, attempting to have the sites shut down and calling for legal action. "I was tricked," a user who went by the name hatesbeingrippedoff wrote on a forum on 419Legal.org. "This is a total fraud and I hope we can get a class action lawsuit." Many said they were concerned about identity theft and canceled their credit cards. "Although it's just $35, that doesn't mean he's not going to use all the credit card information he's acquired so far for his dirty little self," wrote a user posting under the name NessaLee.
Although the federal agencies aren't saying who they think is behind the offers, the websites appear to be based in Pensacola, Fla., and Atlanta, according to investigations by The Times, Internet message boards and an anonymous sleuth. Accounts registered with fake names and periodic expirations of domain names have helped conceal the sites' proprietorship.
One unlikely target of citizen investigators: a Catholic-goods reseller who says he has nothing to do with the case. Amateur sleuths discovered that, on its FAQs page, the Online Catholic Store lists the same phone number that's on the refurbished console sites (it lists a different number on its contact page). The number sends callers to a voice-mail box for a company calling itself Consoles for Less.
Ken Fabrick, owner of the Catholic-goods website, said he had previously registered the toll-free number with Internet calling service Vonage but no longer owned it. He said he had forgotten to update his site's FAQs page with the current phone number. When asked about the game console websites, he said, "We're not associated with them at all."
A Vonage spokesman said he couldn't disclose information about who currently owned the account because of federal privacy laws but said, "It's ours, and it's active."
Butterworth says the IC3 is assisting authorities with an investigation, and Vonage says it will fully cooperate with a government subpoena if one is filed.
-- Mark Milian
Sites that users have accused of not delivering game consoles and World of Warcraft software, according to the IC3:
With Microsoft's official confirmation of the Xbox 360 price cuts that puts Arcades at $199, 60GB Pros at $299 and 120GB Elites at $399, it looks like retailers are moving quickly to get the old Xbox 360 20GB models off their shelves by resorting to some old fashioned clearance pricing. The recently discounted to $299 20GB Xbox 360 models are now showing up at retailers across North America at even lower price points due to the fact that the 60GB model also dropped its price to $299. Essentially making the 20GB a bad deal. As a result, Best Buy and Amazon.com are currently selling the 20GB 360 model for $259 while Futureshop in Canada has discounted the 20GB model to $199 and is bundling it with Gears of War and DOA: Xtreme 2. Happy shopping!
August 31, 2008 - One of the most popular games at PAX is Gears of War 2 at the Microsoft booth. The booth featured ten stations set up for five-on-five multiplayer. And these stations were not only never empty, but the line to get some face time with the Locust was consistently four or five deep. On tap at PAX this morning was the Guardian multiplayer game where two teams of five set upon each other to hunt down the single Guardian, a designated player that -- while alive -- allows his teammates to re-spawn when killed. Should the Guardian fall, team members only have one life. Once everybody on a team falls, the Guardian status shifts to the best player from the previous match. The map for our session was Security, an outdoor station full of giant blocks to use as cover while closing in on the Guardian. While playing, I was happy to see the game running so smoothly. Of course, this wasn't being played over the Xbox Live with players across the country, so who knows yet how lag could possibly affect the game. But as I moved in on the Guardian with teammates, I noticed their clothes fluidly rippling as they dropped into the groupie run to dash from wall to wall. In Guardian, the leader must be taken out via execution. You cannot simply pop the Guardian with a torrent of bullets and then let them bleed out in a corner. You must smash skulls or cleave them in two. This really inspires teamwork. At least one player always stuck to the Guardian not only to ward off incoming attacks, but revive a wounded Guardian before a finishing move could be executed. Cliffy B has pointed out that the violence in Gears of War 2 tends to veer toward "slapstick" instead of gruesome, kind of like the bloodbaths that spill all over "Evil Dead 2." He's right on this count. As I watched other players engage in chainsaw duels and carve COG warriors like Thanksgiving turkeys, the screen ran red with blood. But it's not like entrails and muscle chunks are flying everywhere. The goal here is not shock-horror -- it's over-the-top lunacy bathed in a fair amount of crimson. The chainsaw duels look cool from a third-person perspective. When I spied one going down in our game, I'd purposefully close in to watch the animations. Even in a multiplayer game with so much going on, the animations looked smooth as sparks flew and eventually meat was flayed from the bone. Watching other gamers play Gears of War 2 was interesting, too. Seeing Gears of War 2 in-person is not exactly new for many people at IGN due to events like E3 and GC. But it was obviously something very special for the PAX attendees. They were genuinely eager to get their turn. They'd point out things from the line, such as the chain saw duels. And when you step back and see the game from their perspective, you understand the value of a show like PAX. I'm sure all of those gamers were going to buy Gears of War 2 anyway, but getting to play it early like that probably guaranteed quite a few more Day One purchases.
Here are some gameplay tips and tricks for the Fable II Pub Games, as well as more info on debt in Fable II and the Pub Games. If you are wondering about a 'much talked about' exploit, just ignore it (and know that a patch is on the way). I've got about 800 gold now, managed to build up to 2100 but paid off some debt. Could just as well have taken it on the chin and do community service for that crime...
Some general tips:
Better tables, better odds: While all of these games have a slight long-term advantage for the house, you might easily win money in the short term. But if you don’t, there’s no need to despair. Once you unlock the higher-limit tables, you’ll have a better chance to earn back your money in a few lucky hands. Or, if you’re a conservative player, you can earn money by playing in tournaments.
Tournaments: Every tournament is a “rich” game, meaning that on average, players will win more gold than they put in. This is because, along with the tournament buy-ins, the house adds extra gold to the tournament prize! In addition, you can win unique items by placing “in the money” in each of the 15 tournaments: this is an even greater value in the world of Fable II.
Tournaments: Tournaments are played against computer opponents. You can win gold in tournaments, even free tournaments, because the house always adds a little extra gold to sweeten the pot. In addition, you can also win amazing items that you can’t buy anywhere else in Albion.
Game tips that might help:
Free Money: The house always adds money to the prize pool of a tournament, which means you have a chance to come out ahead.
Play a Tournament: The top five finishers in any tournament get a cash prize... and a unique Fable II item!
Borrowing Chips: You always borrow chips when you join a game. If you win, you cash out with your winnings. If you lose, you add to your debt.
Debt: Having a large debt in the Fable® II Pub Games won’t hurt you, but owing too much money is considered a crime in Fable II. Nothing too nasty or annoying when you play the game...so don't panic!
KeyStone:
Improve Your Odds!: The odds in Keystone are better at the high-limit tables. Unlock new tables to improve your odds.
Odds Chart: You can see the odds of every bet on the table by holding down the left trigger.
FortuneTower:
Improve your Odds: For better odds, look for the decks with fewer number cards; this makes the Heroes more likely to be dealt!
Taking a Loss: As painful as it feels, sometimes cashing out with a slight loss is the best play.
SpinnerBox:
Bonus Symbols: Some machines have bonus games: free spins, payout multipliers, or a hidden fourth switch!
Free Spins: In a Free Spins game, you’ll win a free spin for every bonus symbol that appears. These spins are made at the same initial wager, and can even win more free spins!
Payout Multiplier: In a multiplier game, each bonus symbol adds to a growing multiplier. This grows spin after spin until a round with no bonus symbols.
Fourth Switch: In a Fourth Switch game, a spin with three bonus symbols opens a secret fourth switch. This single switch always pays like three of a kind!
Improve your Odds: Higher-limit Spinnerbox games usually have better odds for the player. When you play at higher limits, you’ll win more for every gold you bet.
Oakfields - a place in Albion with a great pub!
When you do build up debt in the Fable II Pub Games and merge these characters, your debt will be outstanding with the Pub Games Masters at one of Albion's many different pubs. It won't affect the wealth of your Fable II Hero character in a negative way, but owing too much money in Albion is considered a crime, for which you will need to pay a fine - or do community service.
We've given away one token code to download the Fable II Pub Games to one lucky comments poster on this blog entry. Our member Valku can now start betting!
People seem to really like this App Store thing we keep hearing about, and apps are selling for the iPhone and iPod touch like hot cakes. One too-descriptively-named app, 1337pwn XBOX Live Friends Application (iTunes link), may soon enjoy even greater success, thanks to Microsoft.
For iPhone-slinging Xbox owners, 1337pwn XBOX Live Friends Application lets Xbox LIVE users view their friends' online status, what games they're playing, view various profile and game stat information, send messages, and even integrate with Twitter and Google Maps location information. It sounds like a handy app for just about any Xbox LIVE gamer, but Microsoft apparently wasn't happy with 1337pwn's previous prices of $8 and $5, so as iPodNN pointed out, 1337pwn XBOX Live Friends Application is now free. Guess you just can't please every customer no matter how hard you try.
More accurately, according to 1337pwn's blog post we found, "Microsoft is halting the sale of any XBOX Live-related applications in the iTunes AppStore." Apparently, Redmond isn't happy to see developers build applications that make its platform and services easier to use and more appealing to a broader range of users. Fancy that.
As you can see from the iTunes Store link above, 1337pwn XBOX Live Friends Application is fortunately still standing, and is now available for the liberatingly low price of free.
By David Chartier | Published: August 21, 2008 - 09:13AM CT
You could buy a new 60GB Xbox 360 for $350. Or, if you are reading this post right now, you could buy a new 120GB Xbox 360 Elite for $350 and get two bundled games free. We'll let you decide whether the 60GB version's tweaked RAM placement is worth $100 and a few games. (But just so you know, it is not.) Available at Dell until August 20th, enter V8Q199$GCXJWL$ at checkout to get the savings. Oh, and free shipping, too. [Dell via FatwalletThanks James!]
We should also expect hardware and game bundles for all hardware versions coming in the fourth quarter, just in time for the holidays.
In addition, the mole revealed that the upcoming release of Forza 2 Platinum Hits will include all the DLC tracks that were made for the title, which is a good way to add value to the game.
The possibility was discussed months ago and now forceunleashed.org has learned that Lucas Arts' own marketing manager Matt Shell has confirmed that a Star Wars: The Force Unleashed demo will be releasing to the Xbox Live Marketplace sometime next month. Interesting too is mention that the demo will feature a different experience than the game itself, with a remade Tie Fighter Construction Facility, extra force powers unlocked and a special conclusion to the level that isn't seen in the retail version. Force Unleashed, good or bad? We'll give you an answer next month. [Thanks, Mads Klitgaard]
If you downloaded an Xbox Original title from Xbox LIVE be sure to check out the pages for each game on Xbox.com. Each games page has a link to a PDF of the games manual, as well as a controller map to tell you what is where:
Also, (and I have not seen this mentioned anywhere yet) grab the free theme and picture pack that each new Original has available. The quickest way to find them is by going to the Marketplace blade>Game Store>Xbox Originals then choose a title. From there you can download the free theme or picture pack, as well as purchase the game.
In a few days, on November 23rd, Black Friday 2007 will officially kick off and millions of dollars will be spent. Lines will form outside of retailers hours (some even days) in advance, shopping madness will ensue and some of the best deals will be ripe for the picking. It'll be crazy like it is every year, but if you're brave enough to venture into the Black Friday death trap then we figure the least we can do is point you in the right direction. So, we painstakingly dug through all the day after Thanksgiving ads, found all the Xbox 360 deals and posted them for you after the break. Best Buy, Circuit City, Gamestop, KB, Kmart, Radio Shack, Sears and Target ... they're all there. But you should also know that a lot of retailers (like Wal-mart and Toys R Us) will be doing online mystery deals Thursday that'll go hand in hand with their printed Black Friday offerings Take a gander through this year's Xbox 360 Black Friday deals and prepare to be unprepared. The black is upon us! (DB) = Door Buster item that's limited to a few hours in the early AM. These will be hard to find. Best Buy - Buy Xbox 360 get GHII bundle for FREE (DB) - $5 Games: GUN - $15 Games: Tony Hawk's Project 8 and Def Jam: Icon - $20 Games: GRAW 2, Spider-man 3, Stuntman: Ignition and Call of Duty 3 (DB) Circuit City - Buy Xbox 360 get wireless controller for FREE - Buy Halo 3 or Assassin's Creed get $10 gift card for FREE - GHII bundle for $59 - PGR4 for $45 (DB) - $10 Games: Call of Duty 2 and Call of Juarez Gamestop - Xbox 360 Drive FX Racing wheel for $40 - Xbox 360 Power Kit for $10 - $15 Games: Full Auto, Condemned: Criminal Origins and Civil War: A Nation Divided - $20 Games: F.E.A.R. and Dynasty Warriors 5 Empires - $40 Games: Transformers: The Game - $50 Games: Oblivion: The Elder Scrolls KB Toys - Buy 1 Get 1 Free: Entire stock of video games (DB) Kmart - Xbox 360 wireless controller for $39 - $50 Games: Madden 08, NBA Live 08, Skate and Medal of Honor: Airborne Radio Shack - Xbox 360 Play and Charge Kit for $10 Sears - GHII bundle for $59 (DB) - Intec Intercoolorer or dual charge pack for $20 - $40 Games: Spider-man: Friend or Foe and Transformers: The Game - $50 Games: Skate, Tony Hawk's Proving Ground and Medal of Honor: Airborne Target - Buy Halo 3 Xbox 360 and Halo 3 get $60 gift card for FREE - Xbox 360 wireless headset for $48 - $17 Games: Saint's Row - $38 Games: Tony Hawk's Proving Ground, Spider-man: Friend or Foe, NCAA 08 Football and Gears of War - $48 Games: Call of Duty 4, Orange Box, PGR4 and Skate
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The IC3 fielded eight complaints last year and 18 more in the first half of this year against sites related to the $24.99 World of Warcraft Gold Duplicator. The sites pitching the software, which buyers complained didn't do what it claimed to do, were advertised in the Warcraft world by characters who would spam in-game chat rooms. 
![Surprise [:O]](http://community.lionhead.com/emoticons/emotion-3.gif)
![G o o d [Good]](http://community.lionhead.com/emoticons/g_o_o_d.gif)
chance to come out ahead. 
People seem to really like this App Store thing we keep hearing about, and apps are selling for the iPhone and iPod touch like hot cakes. One too-descriptively-named app, 1337pwn XBOX Live Friends Application (
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