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Walmart celebrates Black Friday a week early, extends Christmas price match
All Walmart wants for Christmas is cold, hard cash, so the company is dropping tradition and offering the deals in its recent Black Friday ad to customers as early as 8AM on November 22. Notable deals found in the ad include a 4GB Xbox 360 console for $100, a PlayStation 3 with The Last of Us and Batman: Arkham Origins for $250 and a $100 2DS handheld. Many games are also discounted, including recent hits like Assassin's Creed 4, Battlefield 4 and Beyond: Two Souls. Why release an ad specifically created for a singled day of the year before that day has ever rolled around? Simply put, Wal Mart is employing an especially aggressive sales strategy to combat the relatively short amount of time it has to entice holiday shoppers. "Black Friday is our Super Bowl and we plan to win," stated the company's chief merchandising officer, Duncan Mac Naughton. "With six fewer days from Thanksgiving to Christmas, the retail environment is more competitive than ever. Every opportunity to get a great deal - whether this weekend, on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday weekend - matters for our customers." Additionally, Wal Mart has revealed plans to extend its annual Christmas price matching promotion. Now, every item you purchase between November 1 and December 24 is eligible for a refund, assuming you find it included in any other stores' ads at a price cheaper than what Wal Mart's offering. Keep in mind however, that this deal does not apply to items purchased on Black Friday or Thanksgiving Day. This promotion also ignores items you've seen on Amazon or any other non-local retailer, removing the possibility of playing retailers off one another for massive savings. Update: An earlier version of this article mentioned a 250GB Xbox 360 on sale at $100. Walmart's sale is actually on a 4GB Xbox 360. We apologize for the confusion.
Now Playing: November 18-24, 2013
Bring the Xbox One launch to full speed this week with Forza Motorsport 5... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
New Nintendo eShop releases: River City Ransom, Adventure Time, Mario & Sonic
Everyone may be all abuzz with PlayStation 4 madness (you're keeping up with our launch coverage, right?), but that doesn't mean the eShop is taking a week off. In fact, it's a very solid week for all the Nintendo downloaders out there. Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games debuts on both Wii U and 3DS today, and staring on November 19, both platforms also pick up Adventure Time: Explore the Dungeon Because I DON'T KNOW!. Today on Virtual Console, the 3DS gets the classic beat-em-up and pompadour simulator, River City Ransom. Elsewhere on Virtual Console, Nintendo is running a sale on Zelda games. The 3DS and Wii U versions of The Legend of Zelda and Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link have been knocked down to $3.49 each. Meanwhile, Link's Awakening DX, the old Game Boy Color essential, is discounted to $3.99. The sale runs from Nov. 14, 9 a.m. PT through Nov. 21, 8:59 a.m. PT. And, what's this? A WiiWare game? It is! For all you Wii obsessives, your collection won't be complete without Deer Drive Legends.
Now Playing: November 11-17, 2013
The PlayStation 4's launch gets revved up this week with Need for Speed: Rivals... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Target's buy two games, get one free sale spans all consoles
It turns out the previously-reported buy two, get one free sale at Target stretches across all major consoles, and is on now through Saturday, November 16. The sale includes games like Pokemon X and Y, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, Grand Theft Auto 5 and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. We know what you're thinking: "What about all those launch games for PS4 and Xbox One that I want?" We filtered the platforms down on Target's sales page, and found that only four next-gen games are seemingly eligible for the sale: NBA 2K14 on PS3 and Battlefield 4, Fighter Within and Call of Duty: Ghosts on Xbox One.
Disney Infinity doubles quarterly earnings for Disney Interactive
The release of Disney Infinity drove a 107-percent increase in fourth-quarter revenue for Disney's Interactive division, the company revealed in its quarterly financial report. Disney notes that its Interactive division took in $396 million in revenue during the quarter ending September 28, 2013. Disney Interactive's revenue totaled $191 million during the fourth quarter of last year. "Improved operating results for the quarter and year were due to increases at our console games and Japan mobile businesses," the report states. "The increase at our console games business was primarily due to the fourth quarter release of Disney Infinity." The bounceback follows up on Disney Interactive's $54 million operating income loss in the second quarter of 2013. Disney Infinity represented a significant risk for the division, as parent company Disney passed on the opportunity to produce games based on the Iron Man and Star Wars franchises in order to focus on Infinity's development. During a conference call this week, Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that more than one million Disney Infinity Starter Packs were sold across all available platforms since the game's release in August.
Now Playing: November 4-10, 2013
Haunt your enemies this week with Call of Duty: Ghosts.. Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Nintendo's Wii Mini arrives in the US by 'the middle of November' for $100
Despite discontinuing Wii shipments in both Japan and Europe, Nintendo is apparently charging ahead with Wii sales in the US by offering a $100 Wii Mini this month with MarioKart Wii packed in. The previously Canada-exclusive console is the final iteration of Nintendo's extremely popular Wii game console, and looks distinctly different from the original hardware. In terms of functionality, the Wii Mini lacks backwards compatibility with the GameCube and cannot access the internet (yes, seriously). But if your'e looking to play some disc-based Wii games and hate less expensive used Wiis, this is your best bet this holiday.
Wii Mini arriving in US with packed-in Mario Kart Wii
The Wii Mini is coming to the U.S. this holiday season, Nintendo announced today. The redesigned system will be bundled with Mario Kart Wii for $100, and is expected to arrive by mid-November. Nintendo announced the Wii Mini in November 2012 before launching it as a Canada-exclusive that December. The micro-console doesn't include Internet connectivity, limiting players to single and local multiplayer games. Nintendo sold 35,700 units in Canada across its first two months on store shelves before bringing the system to the UK in March. Though the Wii has been discontinued in Japan, Nintendo announced in October that the traditional Wi-Fi-enabled Wii system will remain on store shelves in America.
Nintendo sells 300,000 more Wii U consoles, but over two million more 3DS handhelds
Nintendo's just released its financial results for the last three months, and while hardware sales have increased substantially, it still made a loss. Wii U sales have rebounded significantly. Following price cuts mid-year, it's added 300,000 more users (almost double the 160,000 sold in the three months prior), but Nintendo remains a long way from its aim of 9 million consoles sold by March 2014. So far, it's sold 3.91 million units total. Software sales hover just below 20 million in total, with Nintendo pointing to strong sales of Pikmin 3 and its Wind Waker remake helping to reach the five million mark. However, as the company frankly put it: "Wii U hardware still has a negative impact on Nintendo's profits," due to that aforementioned mark-down. This has resulted in a net loss of 8,024 million yen (around $82 million), compared to a quarterly profit earlier this year of $88 million. Meanwhile, handheld gaming continues to boom. Nintendo sold another 2 million 3DS and 3DS XL consoles, putting the current lifetime total at 35 million -- and this is before it sees the fruits of two of its biggest portable game launches: Pokemon and Monster Hunter. Nintendo looks likely to capitalize on its handheld success, with more than a few special edition handhelds coming soon, as well as its cheaper 2DS model, which has already gone on sale. NPD reported last month that Nintendo's 3D handheld (in all its iterations) outsold all other gaming hardware in September. The company has also started testing new different business methods, launching its first online hardware store in the UK. For now, it's likely to remain a testing bed. Nintendo didn't offer up any hints that it'd be expanding the service elsewhere any time soon, although it plans on "accelerating digital distribution of packaged software" across both of its consoles.
Now Playing: October 28 - November 3, 2013
Fight on land, sea, and air this week with Battlefield 4... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Young Justice: Legacy canceled for Wii U, Wii because of 'several factors'
Cartoon Network's Young Justice won't be leaving a Legacy on Wii U or Wii, after developer Little Orbit and publisher Warner Bros. opted to cancel the spin-off for the two Nintendo consoles. According to a statement on the game's Facebook page, the decision was made because of "several factors," including quality issues and low interest from retailers. The cancellation comes in the month before Young Justice: Legacy is due, but the action-RPG remains set for PS3, Xbox 360, PC, and 3DS. The game will star the show's league of precocious heroes, chronicling the events between the first and second series.
Pocket $200 for old consoles with new Alienware purchase
It's difficult to put a price on the seven years of memories you've shared with your 60GB PS3, but if Alienware had to take a guess, it'd say all that mushy emotional investment is worth $200 in cold, hard cash. Alienware's trade-in program now includes game consoles, offering $200 for the Wii, 250GB Xbox 360 Slim, 60GB PS3 "fat," 120GB PS3 Slim and 500GB PS3 "super slim" when you buy a new Alienware system. Consoles have to be fully functional and complete with power adapters. To receive the trade-in cash, first buy a new Alienware PC, then print out a prepaid shipping label via the Trade Up Portal and send in your console. Once it's verified, wait 40 days to receive the money. Last step: Splurge. Or save it, if you're the practical type. Alienware ran a similar trade-in program in 2007, offering cash for everything from MP3 players to PCs. With the Steam Machines on their way, a shiny new computer could be the way to go for those unimpressed or uninterested in major next-gen offerings.
Nintendo Wii's last holdout is the United States as European shipments end
The Nintendo Wii is now discontinued in Europe, joining Japan in halting shipments of the massively popular game console. North America is the Wii's final holdout, with Nintendo of America telling GameSpot, "There is no change in the status of Wii in the United States and it is available for purchase this holiday season." Of course, should you really, really want a Wii in Europe, there are still plenty of new and used options still in stores (not to mention the Wii Mini in some territories). And you could always buy a Wii U of course, which has near full backwards compatibility with the Wii. With poor Wii U sales worldwide, it looks like Nintendo's discontinuation of the original Wii is an effort to push people toward the new system. It could also simply be a question of market confusion: mainstream news outlets and late night talk show hosts have repeatedly referred to the Wii U as an "attachment" to the original Wii, confusing the GamePad for a peripheral. Getting the Wii off the market might just help with that confusion. Nintendo of course isn't saying exactly why it's halting shipments of new Wiis to Europe and Japan, and is instead pointing people toward its newest console. Perhaps that says it all.
Wii imports to Europe discontinued, Wii Mini lives on
Europe won't receive further Wii stock, leaving the original form of the Nintendo console discontinued across the continent. Nintendo UK told MCV there'll be no more Wii imports in Europe, although the company noted that the Wii Mini remains available. The news follows confirmation the Wii is still alive and kicking in North America, despite being discontinued in Japan recently. Wii shipments finally reached the 100 million mark this summer, underlining just how popular a console it was. With the Wii U nearly a year old and the 3DS overtaking the Wii's lifetime sales in Japan, now's as good a time as any to let the Wii catch some Ziis.
Nintendo of America: Wii to remain on store shelves in US
The Wii will be available in the US as usual this year, Nintendo of America has confirmed. Yesterday, Nintendo of Japan announced that it would discontinue production of the Wii, but the worldwide implications of this stoppage were unclear. "The announcement that the Wii console has been discontinued is specific to Japan," a representative told Gamespot. "There is no change in the status of Wii in the United States, and it is available for purchase this holiday season." Earlier this month Nintendo of Japan announced that Wii manufacturing is due to end soon. Nintendo has sold 12.7 million Wii consoles since its launch in late 2006.
Now Playing: October 21-27, 2013
Deliver fists full of justice this week with Batman: Arkham Origins... Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:
Wii discontinued in Japan
To put this situation into parrot terms, the Japanese SKU of the Wii is pining for the fjords. Nintendo of Japan's official site lists the console as "discontinued," according to Engadget's translation. Earlier this month we learned that Nintendo planned to halt production of the console, though it was unclear whether the company intended to shut down all manufacturing processes, or only those concerning the Japanese Wii. There's still no indication that supply lines in North America or Europe have been altered, but we've reached out to Nintendo to find out precisely what the dealio, yo. In any event, this means that there are now a finite number of Japanese Wii units in existence. We anticipate that the remaining new Wii units will undoubtedly be pitted against each other in a ruthless battle to the death – or a lot more people will be buying used Wiis, whatever.
GTA 5 extends (hit and) run as UK No. 1
Considering we're knee-deep in silly season, it's surprisingly quiet in the UK charts this week. Grand Theft Auto 5 makes it two weeks in a row and three in all as the country's best-seller, despite a 31 percent drop in sales from last week. Meanwhile FIFA 14 holds on to second place, and below those two it's practically an unchanged top ten. Still, there are some nuggets of interest to unearth. The biggest mover and shaker is Skylanders: Swap Force, the third major outing in the ridicu-lucrative toy-based series. While it doesn't move and shake enough to displace the top two, it debuts in third place ahead of Pokemon X, Y and Beyond: Two Souls. UK sales compiler Chart Track offers a couple of interesting stats on Swap Force, the first that it sold 35 percent less than previous entry Giants. As for the second, have a guess which of the game's gajillion platforms earned the most sales. If you said the Wii - with 37 percent for the record - give yourself a pat on the back and at least one sprinkled donut. Move outside the top ten and you immediately find Sonic: Lost World, just missing out in 11th. That's a combination of the significantly different Wii U and 3DS games, and a peek at the individual formats chart shows the console game in 15th and its handheld sibling in 28th. The blue blur's new adventure doesn't roll into North America until next week on October 29.
Nintendo stops selling Wii consoles in Japan
That was quick. Just a few weeks after it became clear that Nintendo would stop manufacturing the Wii for Japan, the company has quietly listed the console as "discontinued" (upper right) on its Japanese website. From now on, local gamers wanting a Wii fix will either have to pick up the backwards-compatible Wii U or hunt for leftover stock at retailers. It's not quite the end of an era when both the regular Wii and Wii Mini remain available in other countries; with that said, we wouldn't count on the last-generation system hanging around for much longer.
