Here is how you enter:
- On Saturdays and Sundays, download and play any Xbox Live Arcade game.
- On Mondays, unlock any achievement while signed on to Xbox Live.
- One week later, check the winners list to see if your gamertag is listed.
- Send a friends request to LiveWireWeekend or LiveMUMonday to claim your prize!

See all the details and official rules here.

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From eDimensional: "Featuring a robust 12 button analog configuration with D-Pad and control sticks, the G-Pad Pro adds intuitive and precise motion sensing technology to improve gameplay performance in virtually any genre of gaming. Rotate the controller on multiple axis to gain four additional control options in three-dimensional space. The result is advanced new movement functions and a smoother, more dynamic ability to control in-game action. Users can adjust the sensitivity on-the-fly to cater to their own gaming style and various types of games.

Additionally, the G-Pad Pro is the only motion sensing gamepad to also offer force feedback officially licensed from Immersion. The tactile feedback combined with the motion sensing capability provides a true next-generation gaming experience and more immersive gameplay."

Pre-orders for eDimensional's G-Pad Pro Gyroscopic Gamepad are now taking place. The G-Pad Pro retails for $39.99 and will be available September 4, 2006. Visit www.eDimensional.com for more information.

Read the full press release.

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Back in the day, there was no "gamepad". Controls were built around sturdy arcade joysticks. Joystick controls provided solid horizontal and vertical movement as well as big durable buttons for hitting.

I experienced some frustration in Frogger, dying from hitting the water at times when my thumb ran across the Xbox 360's D-pad to try to make a sudden movement or get home in time. Then I remembered there was an alternative to the game pad on the Xbox 360. The Hori Arcade Stick. I found one at a local EB Games (marked down to $39.99 from $59.99). I hooked it up on and gave it a shot with some rounds in Frogger and found the joystick controls were more accurate. I made it quicker to Level 4, had less "slip-ups" on getting Frogger home. I tried it on Joust. The large buttons were easier for me to hit to improve the flight. It also helped in Street Fighter, making Honda's "Hundred Hand Slap" easier to perform with its big smackable buttons.

So without getting too lengthy, if you can track a Hori Arcade Stick down and are into Xbox Live Arcade games, I highly recommend trying it out. The Wii console is providing alternative controllers for its "Virtual Console" games. Maybe Microsoft will pick up on that and release some first party controller(s) for the 360 Xbox Live Arcade titles. For now, see if you can track down the solid Hori Arcade stick. The official Hori USA site (here), currently does not link to anywhere online where you can get one.

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Read more on the interview from Twitch Guru here. Computer Addiction Services is an outpatient clinic in the U.S. that provides treatment for game addiction. Read more on Computer Addiciton Services here.

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Best Video Game Score
Hitman: Blood Money (Jesper Kyd)
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (Tom Salta)
Dreamfall: The Longest Journey (Leon Willett)
Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Jeremy Soule and Julian Soule)
Electroplankton (User Generated Soundtrack)

Best Video Game Soundtrack
Fight Night Round 3
Burnout Revenge
NBA 2K6
Driver: Parallel Lines
Marc Ecko's Getting Up

Jump over to GameTrailers.com here to cast your vote (and listen to a sampling of the tracks).

Voting starts July 31st and ends August 28th. The MTV Video Music awards will be broadcast on August 31, 2006.

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Information released today from Sierra Enterainment says:
"F.E.A.R. Combat is the complete multiplayer component of F.E.A.R. and includes all the updates, additional official maps and additional official game modes all in one downloadable file. F.E.A.R. Combat users will be able to play against the owners of the retail version of F.E.A.R. as well as the other F.E.A.R. Combat users."

F.E.A.R. Combat features:
10 Multiplayer Game modes.
19 Multiplayer Maps.
12 different weapons.
Punkbuster support for anti cheat support.
The capability to download user generated content.

To get F.E.A.R. Combat, go to www.joinfear.com and register to obtain the free Combat keycode. You will then be able to download the update on its release on August 17, 2006.

Read more on F.E.A.R. here. The PC title will be coming to the Xbox 360 soon, which will also feature multiplayer game play.

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From Load Inc.: "‘Mad Tracks’ is a toy car game in everyday environments (restaurant, toy store, mini golf) featuring 23 original mini games and 23 crazy races for everyone. Get ready to battle with 12 stackable pick ups and power ups!"

If you want to get a sneak peek of the upcoming Xbox 360 Arcade title, a PC demo is available for download from the official site (here). The PC version retails for $14.99.

Mad Tracks will be coming to the Xbox 360's XBLA in October 2006, in the third or fourth round of Xbox Live Arcade releases.

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Dead Rising Signing Event with Keiji Inafune
Tuesday, August 8, 2006
4:00pm – 6:00pm

EB Games at Redmond Town Center
16495 NE 74th Street
Redmond , Washington 98052
425-895-8331

Read more from Major Nelson here or at the official Xbox.com site here.

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The original article from IGN: "A number of big-name publishers are set to release their Wii games in mid-to-late October, which suggests that a system debut could not be that far off. And several insiders have told IGN that Tuesday, November 2 could, in fact, be the big day.

Thing is, not all of our contacts are in agreement on the date. Some have suggested that November 12 could, instead, by Wii's launch date. Regardless, though, it seems that Wii fans can look forward to their console sooner rather than later.

Sources suggest that Wii will launch with a $229 price tag and will be available in both black and white.

Insiders claim to have seen final hardware. The Broadway CPU is allegedly in the 750 CL line, a continuation of the 750 GX series. IBM may be working on a revised Broadway chip with a lower clock speed for a future Nintendo handheld -- presumably one that plays GameCube discs.

Nintendo has allegedly bumped production of Wii hardware to 5.5 million units by the end of the year, a significant upgrade to previous numbers. The jump is purportedly based on the positive reaction to Wii from press and industry analysts at E3 2006.

The console is unlikely to be region-free, although the lock is unrelated to hardware; a firmware update could theoretically allow gamers to play import software."

Nintendo said it would not comment on the rumors. More info may be released at the Leipzig Games Convention in Germany in the last week of August.

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