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Wii Warm Up: Pricing, from top to bottom
Wii games are available at a variety of prices, from the cheapest Virtual Console offerings, to budget new releases, and on up to the newest non-budget games ... and that's without even considering waiting a few months for games to hit the used or reduced-price bins. Of course, every system has its pricing tiers, and lucky us -- we get a break on new games. But even with that in mind, the costs can really mount up! The sensible gamer, however, can usually keep things within the realm of a reasonable budget. Still, with all of the people reporting yesterday that they hunt for bargains, we wanted to ask: how do you feel about current game pricing, from downloadable titles (on the Wii and elsewhere) to the prices of new retail games? Do you feel like you're getting your money's worth when you buy a game?
DS Daily: Gems on a whim
Sometimes, you pick up a game just for the hell of it. Maybe you think it looks funny or like a good time waster, or maybe you're dedicated to a certain franchise or genre so much that a few poor reviews aren't going to stop you. You buy it anyway, and it ends up being just great -- for you, at least. It's even better when you find a game that didn't do so well at a bargain price, take a chance on it, and find out you love it like you've loved no game in recent memory.These are always our favorites. It's an easy thing to buy a game that everyone seems to like or that gets great reviews. It just seems more satisfying when you happen across something and pick it up on a whim.
Phoenix Wright: Sales for All
Amazon has cut the price of Phoenix Wright: Justice for All, the sequel to everyone's favorite court-based adventure game, bringing it down to $19.99. We don't expect this deal to last for long, so race your shopping cart to the checkout lane as fast as your feet will allow.If for some reason, God forbid, you haven't played Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney yet and are hesitant to start the series midway through, don't forget that you can also pick up a used copy at GameStop or EB Games for as low as $21.99! We admit, that's still pretty expensive for a game as old as this one, but it's better than paying full price. All you'll need to take advantage of this sorta-bargain is the coupon we posted earlier this morning.
Save $5 on overpriced used games at EB/GS
We've always thought that GameStop and EB Games's used titles were, at the very least, $5 too expensive, especially when you consider the pittance they reward you with for trading in your games, old or new. The thrifty among you will find some solace in this coupon that both companies sent out last night, enticing you to "Save $5 when you buy any used DS game priced $14.99 or higher."You'll have a better selection picking out your game from the stores' shelves, but the coupon code, "EBC3002763," should also work with online purchases. If you head to their "Used Games" pages now, you might be able to scavenge preplayed titles like Elite Beat Agents and Resident Evil: Deadly Silence before the wolves descend upon them and tear their availability from your grip. Check past the post break for the coupon.
Canadians get 4 games free with 360 purchase
Canadian gamers are in for a treat this week, because Future Shop has an Xbox 360 deal you can't refuse. This week Future Shop is offering the Premium Xbox 360 Forza 2 bundle for $499, but they are also throwing in three free games to boot! The three free games included are Crackdown, World Series of Poker: Tournament Of Champions, and Hitman: Blood Money plus Forza 2 equals four free games with a 360 purchase. Now that's what we call gaming in a box. Though, we recommend holding out until tomorrow night to see if the rumored 360 price drop happens. If not, go get yourself a 360 ... you deserve it.[Thanks, DjDATZ]
MacHeist 2 hype begins with email and forum leaks
Like Mac software? Like stunts designed to promote and sell it? Then guess what, buddy-- you're in luck. It seems MacHeist 2 is just around the corner. Last year's ARG / bargain / Mac software love fest is coming around again, it seems, and while details are slim at the moment, odds are there'll be more very soon.The main site still says nothing, but over on the forums, things are starting to get interesting. First, head honcho Phill Ryu hints at something that might be a "Web 2.0" "Game thingy where you win stuff," and then shared a bunch of little pictoral hints about something called "groupthinkheist."Then, a tipster, who we'll keep anonymous, sent us word that an email had been sent announcing MacHeist 2 and sending everyone to... um... something. I couldn't get it to do anything now (you probably had to type in a code), but previously there was action going on there. That action was accompanied by more forums board talk, but apparently that talk was silenced. And all we're really left with is hype for something we knew was coming anyway.So are you all excited for MacHeist to come around again this year? I only watched from the sidelines last year, and it's really just a way to sell software (and not a very profitable way for devs, either). But it is a creative way, and I have to admit it sounds fun. What do you think?Update: Phill himself tells us this "event" is completely unrelated to MacHeist (so it definitely hasn't started yet), but that MacHeist 2 is coming later this year.Update2: If you're interested, lots more information about what's happening is showing up on this wiki.
Play-Asia's summer smoothie sale
For the next week, online shop Play-Asia will be selling all of its in-stock items at a 20% discount, excluding weekly specials or anything released in the past 30 days -- cross Jump Ultimate Stars and Doki Doki Majo Shinpan off of your to-buy list. All of the import retailer's eligible products have been marked with the smoothie icon shown on the right, so it's easy to spot which games are on sale. We've picked out several noteworthy bargains that you might want to consider: Moero! Nekketsu Rhythm Damashii Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 - $39.12 Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All - $23.92 Naruto: Saikyo Ninja Daikesshu 4 - $15.92 Gyakuten Saiban 4 Limited Edition - $103.92 bit Generations: Orbital, Soundvoyager, Dialhex, Boundish, Digidrive - all $11.92 Urban Life Style Cases, White and Light Blue - $10.32 Headsets, Nintendo - $10.32, Dragon - $5.52 Play Stand DS Lite - $11.92 Though the sale doesn't end until next Friday, a lot of these items won't stay in-stock for long. Don't be that guy who has to leave a comment about missing out on a particular deal![Via CAG]
Go ahead, Jump! Ultimate Stars sale
As if language barriers aren't enough to dissuade would-be importers from ordering Japan-only games, the pricing on these titles often border on lunacy when compared to what new releases usually cost in the states. So while Play Asia's Jump! Ultimate Stars sale for $29.90 might not seem like much of a bargain, keep in mind that the online fighter usually sells for a staggering $48.90.It's a great game though; many have even compared it to the Super Smash Bros. series, except in 2D and with twenty hojillion playable manga characters. Since Play-Asia will be honoring the reduced price until next Monday, that gives you plenty of time to consider whether or not this discount is deep enough to warrant a purchase. We think that it is!
Cha-Ching! WarioWare: Smooth Moves for $25
This item has been going in and out stock all morning, so it will require a bit of patience and providence to take advantage of this one-day deal at Amazon. If you don't mind spending the rest of your day watching the product page, however, WarioWare: Smooth Moves could be yours for only $25 (s/h included), half of its regular price! Just think of it as another minigame -- every click on your browser's reload button is another opportunity for you to win! Bwahahaha! [Thanks, Adam!]
Fire Sale: First-party component cables
"Oh my God! We're having a fire! ... sale. Oh, the burning!"It's been only a month since Amazon last hosted its half-off sale on Nintendo's component cables, but the online shop is already at it again with an even deeper discount for today's one-day deal. The first-party cables are listed at $12.99, the lowest we've ever seen them sold for! Of course, Amazon will ship its goods to you at no extra cost if your order totals over $25. Though this doesn't technically qualify as a "fire sale," we couldn't stay our hand at the chance to make an Arrested Development reference. Stop, drop, and roll past the post break for a video of Tobias Funke auditioning for a fire sale commercial.
Tamagotchi: Party On! for $18
Reviews for Tamagotchi: Party On! haven't been favorable, but if you've ever wanted to compete against your friends in an election for the Sparkling President of Tamagotchi planet, have we got a deal for you! Amazon is selling Namco Bandai's minigame collection at a bargain price of $17.99, shipping them out for free with orders totaling over $25, as usual. The deal ends today, and we don't expect the game to stay in stock for long, so snatch up a copy now, while you can![Via CAG]
Import Kururin Paradise for only $10
Long hailed as one of the GBA's best puzzle titles, Kururin Paradise never landed on North American shores, preferring instead to limit its release to Japan. Play-Asia has taken pity on our Kururin-less souls, listing the 8ing-developed game at a dicount price of $9.90! This deal lasts until next Tuesday, so you'll have more than enough time to collect change on the sidewalk for this purchase. Pilot your spinning craft past the post break for a video preview of this simple-but-addictive game!
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Sale
Chocobo Tales, Square Enix's Final Fantasy spinoff, made for a great release to pass the Spring months with, but it can be hard for a minigame-filled RPG to elbow its way to the front of a crowd filled with must-have DS titles. If you haven't had a chance to pick up Chocobo Tales yet, maybe Amazon's latest sale will be what finally motivates you. The online shop has slashed $10 off of the game's usual cost, bringing it down to a budget price of $19.99. This bargain ends today though, so quit being lazy about buying it!See also: DS Fanboy Review: Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales[Via CAG]
Now is the time to buy some RockMen
Online import shop Play Asia is trying to lighten its stock of mega-robot guys, hosting a week-long sale on RockMan 3 Zero. Capcom's GBA action-platformer has been discounted to $9.90, almost a fifth of its original price! RockMan 2 Zero boasts a similar discount as a limited time offer, but you get an additional dollar off if you bundle the two games together for your order, bringing the total cost to $18.80.And in case you've already forgotten, Renchi has also marked a number of its DS import titles down to $9.99, one of them being RockMan ZX! Geologists, rejoice![Via CAG]
DS Daily: Clearance addiction
We recently asked you how you got by in lean times. It's a topic we take to heart, since our countless millions are usually tied up in so many high-risk investments that we can't always get access to enough walking-around money to cover DS games and lobster stuffed with tacos. So we got into the habit of looking for deals.This practice creates an unfortunate compulsion. Sometimes, rather than buying the things we want, we'll buy stuff we normally wouldn't be interested in just because it's so cheap. There have been occasions where, based on a tip from CAG, we've loaded up on clearance games, only to be struck with buyer's remorse. Of course, there were other times when we've been surprised by quality, as was the case with our $2 copy of Nightmare of Druaga. It didn't change the world, but it was fantastic for a $2 game.Have you ever been afflicted by Cheap Game Fever? Ever find yourself getting up early to go to Circuit City for something you don't really care about?
4' Master Chief wall graphic free with preorder
If you have yet to preorder your copy of Halo 3, then we've uncovered a super deal for you. Circuit City is offering a FREE 4' tall Master Chief wall graphic with any Halo 3 Standard or Limited edition preorder. But for some reason this offer isn't valid for Legendary edition preorders, which we find a little odd. So, simply plop down a minimum of $10 on a preorder and you'll get a 4' tall Master Chief when the game ships in September. Heck, some of us may be willing to pay the $10 just to get the sweet wall graphic. Hurry fanboys and go preorder, preorder like you've never preordered before!
DS Daily: The bargain bin
With bargain titles, it's sometimes easy to spot exactly where the development money didn't go, but sometimes, those quick-buck, knock-off bargain titles can be just what you're looking for -- especially if, like most gamers, you have limited funds to pour into your hobby. It's even better when great games get ignored and thus end up in the bargain bin, which is always nice on the ol' wallet. Used games are another cheap way to feed your addiction, unless of course you're staunchly opposed to trade-in practices at most gaming stores.How do you manage when you're forced to game on a budget?
Front Mission: The sale
We've been excited about Front Mission: The First since we saw the remake's trailer last month. While Square Enix's mecha-based SRPG has a cult following in the states, none of the original game's various versions have ever made it to the US. If you've been thinking about importing this introduction to the Front Mission series, you're in luck! Play Asia has the game on sale for $19.90 (while stocks last), less than half the price of what eBay stores are asking for!Political-drama-based plots are usually awash with text, but since the game's menus are already translated into English, Front Mission: The First should still be playable even if you don't know any Japanese. It's not like there are any good SRPGs released in the west yet, anyway.[Via CAG]
Deals of Mana
Amazon must have a warehouse teeming with Childen of Mana shipments, as the online shop seems to have a sale on the game every other week. Square Enix's dungeon crawler has sold for less in the past, but today's $17.99 pricing is still a significant discount from it's regular $29.99 tag. This offer disappears tomorrow -- likely reappearing in a fortnight -- so don't wait too long to drop the game into your cart.Play-Asia's Heroes of Mana sale will stick around until the end of the week, but there's no guarantee that the title will stay in stock. The Japanese text might be too much for first-time importers, but according to what we've heard, this RTS/RPG is a quality purchase. You can grab Heroes of Mana for $19.90, paying an extra $2.60 for shipping to the US. [Via CAG]
Deal or don't drive it off the lot?
Mercury Meltdown Revolution's $19.99 pre-order pricing at Amazon could be the deal we've been all been hoping for. Of course, we're suspicious about the quality of Ignition Entertainment's budget title, but it's hard to argue with a bargain like that.Like a lemon on the used car lot, maybe the price suggests a faulty engine? Or perhaps Amazon just doesn't expect to sell many copies of the labyrinthine game, and the online retailer is looking to unload as much of its incoming stock as possible? Either way, if the idea of guiding a toxic, liquid metal ball through a virtual maze interests you even a little, this isn't a bad way to spend twenty bucks.[Via NeoGAF]
