The first big hit for Xbox Live was FASA studios console adaptation of their hugely successful MechWarrior PC titles. Now dubbed MechAssault, it helped define the kind of gameplay Xbox Live became known for.

I see Majesco has a title called “MechAssault: Shadow War” coming to the DS. Now before I get too far ahead of myself, Rare has licensed some of their owned titles to THQ for publication on GBA, so its not without precedent. I just find the timing a little odd. Microsoft has denied up and down they’re doing a portable system, and the development in Oragami helps prove that. MechAssault 2 also kinda tanked, but that doesn’t mean Microsoft should be giving up one of its best franchises exclusivity.

Release date is set for late June 2006, but a quick google search shows no results for screenshots, announcements, etc… just pre-order pages at a dozen retailers. Is this title dead or alive? Hard to say, but if MA:SW makes it to DS, it’ll make a dandy title for online support.

I guess the first one didn’t take.
If region coding wasn’t an issue, I’d have surely imported one of the ones stores are selling for under $200.

I want one. Like right now. But I don’t have the spare cash, and if I get a second job then I won’t have time to play it or anything else for that matter. Whats a gamer to do?
I’m going to try to gank one for free. After examining security and risk factors of my local Best Buy, I decided the safest way is to follow up on one of the billions of pop-up and banner ads telling me I can get one free or win one.
First things first, I made up a new gmail account just for email pertaining to these offers, surveys, and contests. I want this free, but I’m not going to flood my own inbox with new spam.
Next I just dropped “Free xbox 360” into google and clicked the first link. It asked me for simple information first like “Where should we ship your free gift?” and then asked me to check out some “great” offers. After clicking “No” to college degrees, cell phones, and diabetes treatments… i was taken to another page of offers. And a lot of them were repeats.
After turning down roughly 70 offers, I get to the meat of it. I have to complete 2 trials off a list before proceeding to the “shipping” phase. At this point, I finally go down to the disclaimer at the bottom. I must complete 2 trails now, with 4 more trials in the future in order to get to the 360. That doesn’t sound too bad, as long as I can cancel these when I’m done and still get my Xbox.
I’ll update later as I get closer and detail any time or actual dollars spent in pursuit of my reward.

By the way, within 20 minutes of starting I already had 3 spam messages in my new email.