<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Grinding Down]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://grindingdown.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Paul]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://grindingdown.wordpress.com/author/mylifecomics/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Gift cards, and Microsoft Points, and bears! Oh,&nbsp;my!]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" data-attachment-id="1039" data-permalink="https://grindingdown.wordpress.com/2010/06/09/gift-cards-and-microsoft-points-and-bears-oh-my/amazon-shopping/" data-orig-file="https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/amazon-shopping.jpg" data-orig-size="640,426" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}" data-image-title="amazon shopping" data-image-description="" data-medium-file="https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/amazon-shopping.jpg?w=300" data-large-file="https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/amazon-shopping.jpg?w=640" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1039" title="amazon shopping" src="https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/amazon-shopping.jpg?w=500&#038;h=332" alt="" width="500" height="332" srcset="https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/amazon-shopping.jpg?w=500&amp;h=332 500w, https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/amazon-shopping.jpg?w=150&amp;h=100 150w, https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/amazon-shopping.jpg?w=300&amp;h=200 300w, https://grindingdown.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/amazon-shopping.jpg 640w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /></p>
<p>I have a love/hate relationship with gift cards. Many people probably find them to be the greatest gift ever in that they can now go out and buy anything. I have the exact opposite problem; with a gift card, I can now go out and buy <em>anything.</em> That anything, in my mind, is really anything, an extremely broad selection that comprises books, movies, games, art supplies, clothes, food, and so on.</p>
<p>That said, I&#8217;ve had an Amazon gift card sitting in my desk drawer since last Christmas. You know, that holiday from six months yonder. Yeah, I&#8217;m just not good at spending those things, and I guess I was waiting for something to really grab my attention, but it hasn&#8217;t yet. So I instead used it to&#8211;and here comes the irony&#8211;to buy 1600 Microsoft Points (MSP) for Xbox Live. Yes, I used a gift card to essentially buy another gift card. Do you dare ask why?</p>
<p>Well, there&#8217;s a special deal going on this week to get <strong>Peggle</strong> at 50% off, meaning 400 Microsoft Points. This deal is only good for Gold members, which I just currently happen to be. I&#8217;ve always been interested in the colorful, bubbly addictive puzzle since I played the trial version, and the deal was too good to pass up.</p>
<p>But now I have a problem. I have 1200 MSP remaining, and just like I had trouble spending my Amazon gift card, I&#8217;m struggling to decide what to do with them. I could get <em>three</em> more 400 MSP games, or an 800 MSP and a 400 MSP combo, or I could buy some add-ons to games already in my collection (i.e., <strong>Borderlands, GTA IV, Mass Effect</strong>). I&#8217;m not really interested in wasting the points on TV shows, Avatar items, or silly things like themes and gamerpics. So, any ideas? I heard <strong>Braid</strong> is pretty good, currently priced at 800 MSP. I guess I could ultimately hold on to them and wait for something else to come out (will <strong>LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4</strong> have DLC? I doubt it), but then I&#8217;m just doing what I&#8217;ve always done with these things: procrastinating.</p>
<p>One thing I know is that I most certainly will not be buying the Midnight Show DLC for <strong>The Saboteur</strong> despite how much fun I&#8217;m having with the game. <a href="http://firsthour.net/first-hour-review/saboteur">The comment at the end of <strong>The First Hour</strong>&#8216;s review of the game seals the deal;</a> I&#8217;m not playing <strong>The Saboteur</strong> for the nudity, I&#8217;m playing it to blow up Nazis and sabotage the bleep out of enemy headquarters.</p>
<p>But yeah. I need ideas for Xbox Live games. Remember, I have 1200 to spend. Please don&#8217;t suggest anything that is solely multiplayer as who knows how long I will keep my Gold account locked in. Thanks in advance! Phooey on you in advance too if you suggest nothing.</p>
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