XBox 360 Rally

This is “t3h w31rd”, a weekly segment here at X360R that spotlights the more… “unique” side of gaming. Sure, while most blogs tend to stick with industry news about the latest updates on games and rehashing release dates, “t3h w31rd” dares to venture into the dark underbelly of the video game industry, to find the best in out there, off the wall, and just plain odd gaming stories that will either leave you in stitches, or scratching your head.

So, without further adieu, I present… t3h w31rd.

Kidnapper posted images on Xbox Live community site
Naturally this story was going to lead off t3h w31rd. Now, I had never heard of “Gamertagpics.com” before this story, and I’m sure I wasn’t alone so I’m certain that they are happy about the press, but this story in and of itself is pretty out there. Basically it boils down to this: This manager at some pizza parlor, Mike Devlin, kidnapped this 13-year-old kid as the child was getting off the school bus. Witnesses described the white truck that Devlin and the recently acquired boy sped off in, and found a truck that matched the description in a suburban St. Louis apartment complex. When police went to investigate, they found the boy, as well as Shawn Hornbeck, who had been there for four YEARS!

Here is how this pertains to gaming: Mike Devlin had a profile on Xbox Live, “DevilDevlin.” This is where the aforementioned website comes into play: You see, if you search for DevilDevlin at Gamertagpics.com, you will find a picture of Shawn Hornbeck standing in front of the apartment building he had been living in for four years. But wait, it gets more and more out there. According to neighbors:

“Residents said they often spotted Shawn out and about, visiting friends on his bicycle or playing video games with the apartment door open.”

So, apparently this kid had been kidnapped four years ago, yet here he is, just hangin’ out with friends and playing on Xbox Live, apparently never having tried ONCE to escape. This leaves me with two conclusions.

1.) This Michael Devlin is the coolest mother [censored for the children] to ever live, or…
2.) This is a testament to how great the Xbox 360 truly is.

Elsewhere in the w31rd…

Custom Xbox 360 Casings
Don’t tell me you’ve never looked at that eggshell white Xbox 360 and said to yourself “God, I wish she were black.” I know we all have, though the color may differ. I know quite a few of you would love yours to be really, really shiny. Personally, I’ve always wanted to see what goes on inside my console, and there hasn’t been a console since the Nintendo 64 that gave us the see-thru shells that I thought were so kick ass. Well, for $49 (plus shipping & handling) you can get your own custom Xbox 360 shell, and by going to their website you can get instructions on how to replace the existing shell with the new one. That way you don’t go and screw yourself with this blatant violation of the Xbox 360 warranty.

The Ultimate Toilet
Roto Rooter, you know, the guys who make sure that burrito night in the Walker home doesn’t lead to mass hysteria and ritual suicide, are giving away perhaps the greatest thing ever. Just look at the list of what all they were able to fit into this throne that is TRULY fit for a king:

Flat-Screen HDTV
iPod w/ Dock
TiVo
DVD player
Laptop
Beer tap
Mini Fridge
Bullhorn (Huh?)
Bike Pedals (Oh, now you’re just being ridiculous)

…since you’re reading about it here, you probably could’ve guessed that yes, an Xbox 360 comes with it.