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Best Buy, FutureShop accepting orders for 12GB PS3 in US and Canada
Looking for a cheap PS3? Good news: a flash-based 12GB PS3 is available starting today. You can order the system online or pick it up in-store through Best Buy, which has the system for $199.99, and in a bundle that includes the system and two games (Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception GOTY Edition and The Last of Us) for $259.98. For our Canadian friends, you can pick up the system via FutureShop. If the low memory won't cut it for you, the new model supports external storage through the system's USB ports.
Wii U ZombiU limited edition bundle invades Future Shop for $400
Future Shop lists a limited edition Wii U 32GB ZombiU bundle, going for $400 with a copy of ZombiU and Wii U Pro Controller included. The bundle has an estimated release date of February 17 and is available for pre-order now, while supplies last. FutureShop says there are only 95 of these bad boys, so if you want one act fast. Pretend a zombie is chasing you or something.Though Future Shop is a division of Best Buy, there's no word if the ZombiU Wii U bundles will make their way to the US or other territories.
Future Shop has exclusive Future Soldier bundle
Canada's Future Shop is home to an exclusive "Limited Edition" of Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. The $80 package comes with a steelbook case and a statuette, and is available for both PS3 and Xbox 360 in "extremely limited" quantities.We'd like to see this partnership taken further. With this promotion in place, it's a perfect opportunity to add verisimilitude to the game through the inclusion of Future Shop stores that could sell extra batteries for all that tactical equipment. Of course, in the world of Future Soldier, it would just be called "Shop."[Thanks, Zack]
Pre-order Diablo 3 from Future Shop, get this steelbook
Diablo 3 Pre-orders from Canadian games distributor Future Shop will snag a pretty pretty steelbook for free. The steelbook features character art and the standard Diablo 3 emblem. Future Shop warns there are "limited quantities," so if steel or books are your thing, you may want to jump on this one soon.In related news, Diablo 3 has 131 review votes on Future Shop for a score of 4.5/5, and we assume these are all based on the beta -- which is open for all this weekend -- and the box art. Unless the idea of a steelbook alone is really that cool.[Thanks, Zack!]
Canada's Future Shop adds Mass Effect 3 to Kinect sensor bundle
Attention, brothers and sisters of the Great White North: if you're in the market for a Kinect sensor, you probably want to pick it up from Future Shop. The retailer is tossing in a free copy of Mass Effect 3.All you have to do is add both the Kinect sensor and Mass Effect 3 to your cart, and when you check out the discount will be applied -- or, if you're one of those people who still shops for things in stores, you can break out the snow mobile and head to your local brick-and-mortar.
iPads replaced with clay, sold to unsuspecting Canadians
That fuzzy sensation we get when unboxing a new toy gadget is the fuel that keeps us going at Engadget. A feeling a few unlucky Canadian's were deprived of, after buying what they believed to be an iPad 2 actually turned out to be a slab of clay. In a calculated scam, crooks purchased real iPads, replaced them with terra-cotta tablets, then returned them to the store in re-sealed boxes. The fakes then found their way back on to the shelves, and into customer's baskets. It was Mark Sandhu who first reported the incident after gifting his wife something a little too slate-like on Christmas Eve. Initially Future Shop wouldn't refund Sandhu, possibly believing him to be the scammer; it was only after taking the story to CTV, and up to ten other cases coming to light -- including some from Best Buy -- that the retailer took the claim seriously. Future Shop has since issued a refund, and given Mark a real iPad 2 for his troubles. Next time, he might want to try an official retailer -- or not.
BlackBerry Playbook gets massive, temporary $300 price cut in Canada
So, PlayBooks haven't exactly been flying off the shelves... anywhere. Not even in RIM's native Canada. But that might actually change over the nex few days as BestBuy, Walmart, Staples and Future Shop have chopped $300 off the price of the QNX-based slate. The sale lasts from November 16th to the 22nd in Quebec, and the 18th to the 24th in the rest of Canada. Now, they're probably not going to eclipse the iPad in sales anytime soon, but a $200 16GB PlayBook is a much more compelling proposition than a $500 one. The WiFi only 32GB and 64GB models are also being discounted to $300 and $400 respectively which, in case you're not mathematically inclined, means the 64GB BlackBerry tablet will actually cost less than the 16GB version normally does. Obviously, though, you'll have to be quick -- we're sure this fire sale (tundra sale?) will have stocks running pretty low. [Thanks, Shawn]
Kobo quietly launches Vox Android tablet with 7-inch display, Gingerbread, $200 price tag
Canadian retailer Future Shop gave us an accidental sneak peek at the tablet last month, but now Kobo is making Vox official, complete with a 7-inch 1024 x 600 resolution AFFS+ display with multi-touch, a 7-hour battery and 8 gigs of internal memory with support for up to 32GB of SD storage. The $200 tablet is running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and is powered by an 800 MHz processor and 512MB of RAM. There's also a built-in speaker and 3.5mm headphone jack, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and a variety of pre-loaded apps (naturally you'll have access to Android Market as well). Vox is listed as in-stock on Kobo's online store, though you'll have to wait until October 28th for yours to ship. It'll also be available at Best Buy and Fry's Electronics stores in the U.S., and Best Buy, Future Shop and Indigo in Canada. Jump past the break for the PR from Kobo. [Thanks, Mankie]
Kobo's Vox Android tablet appears online briefly, gets Canadian release date and pricing
A day after another little-known e-reader manufacturer announced a tablet, a new Android slate from Kobo made a brief online appearance on Future Shop's site, only to be quickly taken down. According to the Canadian retailer, the FCC-approved tablet will offer up a 7-inch display with a 1024 x 600 resolution, WiFi, a speaker (perhaps the reason behind the Vox name) and 8GB of storage. The tablet is apparently set for an October 17th release in that country, priced at $250 Canadian. [Thanks, Carolyn and Bart]
Gears of War 3 preorder comes with bandages at Canada's Future Shop
Entering the annals of bizarre pre-order bonuses, Canada's Future Shop is incentivizing Gears of War 3 pre-orders with the "Curb Stomp First Aid Kit," a box containing a set of 24 Gears of War inspired bandages. So, when a member in your domestic COG army has a boo-boo, you can bandage them up quickly and get them back into the fight. Kissing of "ouchies" is optional. This bonus is separate from the Limited and Epic editions of the game, which include art books and a mini Marcus Fenix. The bandages are near the top of the pre-order oddities we've seen, but certainly not as cool as the Sonic scalp and Scribblenauts hat. Of course, Greece's Zelda Deku tree seeds still beat all. [Thanks, Chris K.]
Nexus S immigrates to Canada, Future Shop commemorates event with gingerbread muffins
It's been a good week for Canadians to get a taste of Gingerbread, with today marking the official release of the Nexus S for our friends up north. To mark the event, lucky Toronto residents were greeted with a release party at Future Shop, replete with ginger-themed treats and giveaways. With availability spreading across the country, Samsung's homage to Android purity is now available online through Mobilicity, Telus, Koodo, Wind, and Videotron, effectively tempting the majority of Canada with Google's finest offering. If you'll remember last week's report on Mobilicity's soft launch of this praised handset, we assumed Fido and Rogers were nipping at their heels... and while the Nexus S has yet to hit their online stores, you might find them sitting in your local Best Buy. So, Canada, how does it feel to get this awesome slab of engineering coming at you from all corners? Don't worry, we'll understand if this is an emotional time. %Gallery-121302%
BlackBerry PlayBook launch-date palooza: tablet to finally drop in mid-April?
A round of leaks today has potentially pinpointed the second week of April as the launch window for RIM's slick seven-inch PlayBook. An email purportedly sent out by Sears up in Canada confirms earlier echoes, informing buyers that the device will up for grabs on April 10, with preorders possibly beginning as soon as tomorrow. On top of that, an image from Staples' backend sent to Crackberry pegs a 33-day count down to start on the 15th, which lines up nicely with another leaked shot denoting an "ad date" of April 17. We've also received an unconfirmed tip from a Sprint rep saying that the PlayBook would be landing on the 15th, along with an a smattering of cases and a... stylus? Finally, we've been sent shots of some PlayBook signage apparently on display in a Future Shop in Canada highlighting the device's multitasking capabilities, reminding us "it's whats on the inside that counts." Oddly, the same signage mistakenly attaches the Xoom moniker, though we'd imagine that's just a blunder on the retailer's part. Of course, all of this is still completely unconfirmed by RIM itself, so until we hear otherwise, anything could happen. Signage shot after the break, and other photo goodness available at the source links.
Multiple Intel Core 2011 PCs spotted at Vancouver Future Shop, yes it's still the present
Ooh, what's this? A couple of desktops rocking Intel's latest and greatest, available for purchase perhaps a few days too early? Matthew T. spotted these machines at a Vancouver Future Shop, advertising Core i7 2600 and Core i5 2300 processors, which fall squarely in the Intel Core 2011 (née Sandy Bridge) family. Both come from Gateway and both offer all that core 2011 has to offer, which in the case of these desktops isn't too much since neither has a Blu-ray drive to take advantage of the new 3D HDMI 1.4 support and neither has much use for WiDi 2.0 wireless displays. But, don't let that stop you from being the first on your block to Core it up 2011 style. [Thanks, Matthew T.]
Trade in six games at Future Shop tomorrow, get a 32-inch LCD TV
Well, here's another reason for us to be jealous of our up-north cohorts -- for tomorrow only, Canadian tech retailer Future Shop is letting shoppers trade in six Wii, 360 or PS3 games for a 32-inch Dynex LCD TV, which normally retails for $300, which is absolutely crazy.
Sony Canada prices 3DTVs for June, Samsung models available at FutureShop
While the U.S. SonyStyle site continues to sit on information about 3DTV pricing, its cousin to the north has already listed the edge LED lit LX900 and HX800 series LCDs for pre-order, while Samsung 3DTVs have also hit shelves at FutureShop. Due in June (no need to rush the maple syrup season) the LX900 is out of the box 3D ready with integrated IR emitter and two pairs of glasses, for as little as $2,999 for a 40-inch going up to $5,499 for the 60-inch edition. As the same time, those looking to be merely 3D ready in case of another hockey matchup can opt for the also edge LED lit HX800 (glasses and emitter sold separately) available in 40-, 46- and 55-inch sizes for $2,599.99, $2,999.99, and $3,799.99 respectively. Hard to say what this means for the U.S. pricing, a quick look at other HDTVs reveals differences ranging from nothing to several hundred dollars and even for Canucks there's still no word on the LED backlit HX900 versions so we'd keep the wallet holstered until there's some sort of TSN 3D announcement.
US citizens: want to trade at Best Buy? Head north [update]
Update: A representative from Best Buy Canada has told Joystiq that any decision made regarding trades in the US "will not have any impact on Canada's operations at this point." The representative went on to say the trade-in program has been "very successful" in Canada and Best Buy Canada Ltd. has no plans to discontinue it. Original: Although reports indicate that Best Buy America's used games trade-in operations will come to an abrupt end, Best Buy Canada continues to offer the used and trade programs in its own stores. On February 1, Industry Gamers reported E-Play, the company that distributed used game and trade kiosks to Best Buy and Walmart, suspended operations. Currently, neither major retailer appears to be pursuing replacement programs in stores. In Canada, Best Buy and Future Shop both operate under the umbrella of Best Buy Canada Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of its American parent. The company currently runs used game and trade programs within stores of both brands, where customers are given a store credit toward other purchases in the store at each location's customer service desk. The process appears to be modeled closely after GameStop's approach, and the companies even offer similar multiple trade-in promotions (such as drastically slashing the value of games immediately following release). Joystiq has contacted Best Buy Canada Ltd. for comment on the recent news affecting its American counterparts, and whether its own operations will change as a result, but has yet to hear back as of this publishing. [Thanks, Nathan]
Teen found safe after running away to meet "WoW Soulmate"
We all know that online gaming can strike up a romance between players, but sometimes romance can be taken a bit too far. Over the holidays, 16-year-old Andrew Kane of Barrie in Ontario, Canada, decided that he had to meet his 42-year-old online lover, Lauri Price from Texas. Price had taken a trip up to Canada to meet Kane, but when Kane had asked for a ride from his parents to a nearby hotel to meet Price, his parents returned with the pretty much expected, "No." This lead Kane to run away from his house at the early morning hour of 2 A.M. on an awkward quest to meet his "World of Warcraft soulmate." Kane went missing for two days until he and Price were found at a Future Shop in Orilla, Ontario on December 31st via a tip from the public. Kane had apparently lied about his age to Price, saying he was 20. The legal age of consent in Canada is currently 16. Police have said that Price will not be receiving any criminal charges and is free to travel back to the United States. Kane had been "seeing" Price for over a year via their relationship on World of Warcraft. [Thanks for the tip, Eric!]
Acer Aspire Timeline found in the wild, chilling in Canada and up for pre-order in UK
Acer's been largely mum about its new Aspire Timeline laptop since its initial unveiling back in early April, but now it looks like the company's getting ready to roll out the portable to the customer base at large, if these spy shots from a from a Canadian-based Future Shop store are any indication. The list of specs is a bit hard to read, but from what we gather, the 14-inch Aspire 4810TZ-4129 is packing a 1.3GHz Intel Pentium SU2700, 4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, a DVD drive, WiFi, WAN, a touted 8 hour battery life, and Windows Vista Home Premium. No indication on the price or official street date, however, but if they're being sent to retail, we can't imagine we'll be waiting too much longer. Feast your own eyes on the specs sheet in the image after the break. Update: Reader Oleg has written in to let us know it's also up for pre-order at UK retail site PC World -- 14-inch for £550 and 15.6-inch for £600. [Thanks, waterboy99troop]
Boxing Day deals for Canadians
Today is what's known as Boxing Day in some parts of the world. This means that some retailers will be discounting goods. In Canada, such retailers offering big sales include: Best Buy Future Shop Walmart Toys R Us HMV (Thanks, Tom) Hit up those links to check out what deals they're running. Additionally, you can also cruise past the break for a list of the deals offered by Amazon Canada.
Canadian Zune undercuts American price, hip checks into boards
There was a time, not so many years ago, when smug Americans could scoff at the currency of our neighbors to the north, saying "That's what, fifty cents?" at any Canadian price whilst laughing heartily. Naturally we American's aren't quite so giddy these days, and while the US dollar is regaining some traction versus its northern neighbor that doesn't explain this Canuck second-gen 8GB Zune's price discrepancy. It's selling at Future Shop (which is like Best Buy, eh?) for just $99 CAD -- that's $82 US, and over $50 less than we can find it at any other reputable 'Merican retailer. It is a limited time offer, however, going back up to $149.99 CAD in just six days. So, you'd better hurry up and take off to the great white north -- Future Shop doesn't ship international, don'cha know.[Thanks, evil-m0nkey]
