That’s why we’re trying something new with our reviews. Over the next month (or less, depending on however many nights I deprive myself of sleep) Silicon Sasquatch will run a series of weekly articles I’m penning on New Vegas to investigate and dissect its noteworthy aspects in set blocks of hours, a section-by-section travelogue if you will. To attempt to review New Vegas after rushing through its campaign would only serve to dilute the experience of the game itself. Traditional reviews may work that way, but we have the opportunity to pace ourselves for this website.

Expect my first entry in the “New Vegas Travel Guide” this Friday, October 22. The initial post will highlight New Vegas’ beginning five hours, and will focus on whatever I see or do that strikes me in a good — or bad — way. Some reviews are painting New Vegas as a near-carbon copy of Fallout 3 but with more noticeable technical issues (at least in the Xbox 360 version, which I will be buying today). Glitches or not, my underlying aim with these articles is to break the game into chronological segments and fairly determine whether or not Obsidian’s efforts overcome any similarities to Bethesda’s work to make a distinct, legitimate product by the time the credits roll.

I’d like to let our readers know that I’m taking open submissions for questions, concerns or hopes you may have regarding Fallout: New Vegas; things that I should keep in mind for subsequent articles. Simply leave your cogitations in the comments section.

BFFs

I just learned something about myself, not more than 15 minutes ago: It’s apparently easy to break down my willpower when there’s a lonely and Xbox-shaped dusty void in my entertainment cabinet. I just placed an order on Amazon.com for a new Xbox 360 Arcade to replace my red-ringed console. I’d been waiting for a potential price drop, and with additional rumors swirling about a “slim” Xbox I was even more hesitant toward the idea of purchasing a replacement system. Microsoft’s advertising slogan asked me to “jump in,” but I had cold feet. That is until today, when Amazon began a fantastic promotional deal for the entry and upper-level Xbox models.

Now, we’re not being paid by Amazon to mention this. Wish it were so, but it’s not the truth. Yet despite the lack of shady corporate handshakes, in which rolled up $100 bills are exchanged, we at Silicon Sasquatch feel it’s only right to let our fellow gamers who are in search of a new Xbox 360 know about this deal. It’s great.

From today until this Saturday, March 27th, Amazon is offering two tiers of gift cards when you purchase a particular Xbox console (sorry: refurbished consoles and the Final Fantasy XIII and Splinter Cell Conviction bundles are exempt). The Arcade will net you a $25 digital card to the online superstore, while the extra-beefy Elite (coming in Winter and Spring varieties) will come with a $50 code. The link for the offer is right here, but the deal specifics need to be repeated for clarity’s sake: You, of your own volition, must add the appropriate gift card to your shopping cart in addition to your preferred console. Amazon won’t give you a code if you just order the console by itself. Don’t worry: the $25 or $50 is discounted at checkout.

Hopefully this is of use to gamers out there who are replacing a broken console like I am, or those of you who have yet to purchase an Xbox console at all.

Now if we can get Amazon to do this kind of deal for the PlayStation 3 and Wii, I’ll be a happy camper — and not of the online multiplayer first-person shooter variety; no one likes them.

Most obvious is our change in a layout theme. As much as we enjoyed the old look and its simplicity, I think we can all agree that too much white space only quickens corneal cancer — a problem our new theme certainly doesn’t have. I’m no doctor though, so please don’t quote me on that. Our pretend lawyer would be upset I insinuated anything we do might have caused cancer.

In the next few weeks our design team (consisting of Nick and I) will be working together to introduce a much-needed banner image for the top of the site, and what can only be called a “sweet” background pattern. We’ll also work on developing a trademark color scheme to differentiate us from the millions of other gaming blogs out there. So while that’s going on, I sincerely apologize for any hiccups and delays this process will likely cause. Look for larger article images, too.

I also need to mention our latest page, which we’ve named “Squatchcast.” It might not be obvious from the word we made up, but this is where we’ll compile our podcasts. Please enjoy them, and marvel at my potentially trademark-infringing header image.

Lastly, thank you for all of your support and patience. We’re almost upon our first anniversary of this blogging venture, and we have a lot more ground to cover to be exactly where we want. We thank you for sticking with us this far, and into the uncertain future.

Check back over the next couple weeks for our latest podcast, reviews of Modern Warfare 2 and Beatles: Rock Band, and don’t miss Doug’s freshly minted review of Forza 3!