Bored? Wanna Win A Game? Talk to me!


Everyone is in media lockdown mode, preparing for E3. No major announcements coming from the big companies, and the few things happening aren’t things that are capturing my interests. I don’t know why, just seems like a lot of “we knew it was coming” – even the big things like the Mythic Map Pack and such. I browse the usual sites, and the best I can come up with is reporting that the Wii’s Motion Plus add on will be available June 8th, for a mere $20 – or downright free with Wii Sports Resort.

With spring time boredom setting in, I have decided do something sweepingly fun. I want to build a community. Not just have a website, really give people a home. I have been a bit of a vagabond over the years, in different forum. And for a time, in each one, I really got the feeling like I was at home, and that these people were my friends. Some groups of people just fit well together. I’m hoping to find another group of those people – and bring them here. So let’s talk about games, movies, music, just go ahead and introduce yourself – kick off your shoes and do what makes you feel comfortable.

I thought you said I could win stuff? Oh you can. Register with WinBreak, post in the forum, and start making this place your own. See what kind of community this becomes, join the fun. Help give us our own identity – be the shapers and molders.

I still don’t have quite the pull that the bigger guys do, so when I do contests, they come right out of my pocket. So here’s what I am putting up for grabs: 3 “2nd place” winners will receive Xbox Live Arcade games (your choice of $5 or $10 title from the new Amazon Digital Marketplace). A grand prize winner will be selected and offered a prize valued at $20 – whether you want Wii Points, Microsoft Points, Multiple Arcade games, or PSN Store Credit.

How I will choose winners / Rules: Post in the forum. Each forum post containing substance you make will count toward your total number of entries in a random drawing. “Substance” will be judged by Garrett “NuAngel” Culver; obviously abusive entries (example: “I agree” being the entire contents of the post) and spam posts will be discredited as entries, and repeat offenders will be disqualified. No warnings must be given to those disqualified. This contest will end 11:59 PM EST July 31st 2009. Contest is open to residents of the 50 United States, D.C., and Canada (if prize codes have errors, something will be worked out). The process is ongoing. Each “2nd place” winner will be selected at random intervals between today, April 14th 2009 and 11:59 PM EST July 31st, 2009. The Grand Prize winner will be announced August 1st, 2009. WinBreak.com & Garrett “NuAngel” Culver reserve the right to cease the contest at any time. Winners of 2nd place prizes are also counted in the “Grand Prize” drawing, but are eliminated from remaining 2nd prize drawings. All winners will be announced on main page of WinBreak.com. If you have any problems with the registration process or forum, please contact us.

Contest: Texas Hold'em XMas!


UPDATE 1: Thanks to all of our entrants… sure, I expected more, but it’s still fun! Always good to give something away! Our winner this time around? TXPaladin!!!

We all know what time of year it is… the most wonderful time, so they say. For me, it’s being buried in ice and snow and hoping I don’t slide through every intersection that has a stop sign.

Still,it’s a season of giving, and that is what I intend to do. Up for grabs is a new-classic classic, but it sort of the best I could scrounge up with a last minute idea: Texas Hold’em for Xbox Live Arcade. I know, it’s not much, but it’s free, so just go give some change to the Salvation Army, come back here and enter the contest!

So let’s take a quick history lesson, shall we? The term “XMas” – many people believe that it was created as a marketing gimmick to remove the “Christ” from Christmas. I won’t bring religion in on this topic, but it should be noted that “X” is the Greek letter “Chi” (pronounced like ‘kai’) – the first letter in the Greek word for Christ (Χριστος). “XMas” is a term that has existed for hundreds of years.

All that having been said, I want to know what “X”Mas means to you!? Or even your version of the origin of the term “X”Mas. Be original, be unique, and come up with something heart warming, funny, or even completely absurd. Mix in “Texas Hold’em” to your answer, if you’re feeling adventurous!

To enter, register for the website and leave a comment on this post. Entries will also be accepted to the email address: Xbox_Xmas@WinBreak.com – please place “XMAS” in the subject line. I will select one winner by personal preference (judging the entries) on Christmas Eve (December 24th, 2008) at 10 AM EST. Entries will be accepted until then. Winner will be announced on the website, and the prize can be delivered via first class United States postage, e-mail, a private message via WinBreak.com or Xbox Live. The prize is one redeemable code for the Xbox Live Arcade game Texas Hold’em. I know, I know… but like I said, it’s free!

Unfortunately, due to the nature of these gift cards, they can only be activated in North America. Last time I had an Uno winner in Australia who couldn’t claim their prize, I don’t want to deliver the same disappointing results.

CONTEST: Design our new logo!

See the picture above? Take it, make it your own! 🙂

Or rather, make it mine. Here’s the skinny… I want a new logo. See that “X-Globe” Guide Button I use in my logo? It’s trademarked property of Microsoft! I’d rather have something that I can call “mine.” However, since I can’t make anything of mine own, and many of you can, I want to offer my readers the chance to make my new logo!

Let’s lay the ground work, the idea I’m shooting for is to turn the “X” in the guide button image into an “A” (as in “Angel”). Early samples I have seen from others have already included Wings around the logo, some of you may wish to do away with the “halo,” ring, make the “A” into the word NuAngel, or WinBreak, things like that… whatever you want to do, give it a shot! You can do whatever you want!

You can use the files from here as a starting point, or make your own:
http://NuAngel.net/logo_rc1.png – PNG (Macromedia Fireworks).
http://NuAngel.net/logo_rc1.zip – Zipped PSD (Photo Shop).

I will personally select a winner based on a design I like best. It would be great to get ‘source files’ from everyone, if possible. Individual layers, so I have the ability to make changes if and when necessary, and also (hopefully) not containing any materials which are the property of anyone else.

What’s the CONTEST part? Well, it hasn’t been totally decided… the contest has been announced to a few other communities who don’t have much to do with the Xbox / 360. The prize could be Microsoft points, an Arcade game, a retail game, a PC game, or just a deposit to a paypal account… the grand prize will be between myself and the winner!!! 🙂 That should be a pretty big incentive, I think… the value will be no less than $20 – and could potentially be much higher. Remember, we’re trying to make this into the new identity for WinBreak.com – that’s valuable to me! 🙂

Fine print junk: The winning artist will get credit on the website as the designer of my new logo, however, all submissions become the property of Garrett “NuAngel” Culver and WinBreak.com. You may make submissions as comments here as a comment to this post, email them to contest@winbreak.com, or brought to my attention via posts in threads on forums and other websites which I have presented the contest to.

For reference, this is a great source of Hi-resolution Xbox related images:
http://www.xbox.com/ja-JP/press/xbox360.htm.

[update 1] Find 360 in the wild: Win Uno… and the winner is…

FIRST, the submissions. 😉

GuyWhoLovesRice submitted a whopping FOUR pictures (remember, I said you could submit as many as you want).

TXPaladin submitted one, which he noted that because it included both the requred 360, and the TX in his gamertag, should count for bonus points.

LancerX7 said he looked all week and found nothing, then finally hacked his Logitech G15 keyboard to give us this message:

And then there was silence… there were no other submissions. Six total submissions from three total readers. Well, for the record, I enjoyed TXPaladin’s picture the most, but… because of the dedication of only three contestants making our first contest all the more special, I’m going to award the game to ALL THREE CONTESTANTS! EVERYONE IS A WINNER!

TX Paladin will get the official Uno CODE, for the other two, I will be “gifting” the game to you. I had no intention of doing this going into the contest, my pockets aren’t that deep, but I wanted to thank you all, and hope that maybe you spread the word. Thanks for taking part in our first contest, and making it memorable and enjoyable! Even with only 3 contestants, I consider the fact that I have any pictures to show off, a sucess. 🙂

Update 1: seems as though I’m a little more used to the “Wii.” I can’t “gift” games, and even the ability to gift POINTS seems to have been a “holiday promition” that billing.microsoft.com has disabled!! Very strange. I will work around this, I do not go back on my word! Lancer and Rice, you will be getting Uno, just hang tight! 😉