bonus
Latest
Dreamcast Collection gets dreamy pre-order bonus vinyl Down Under
Though we still lament the all-too-early demise of the late, great Sega Dreamcast, its maker lets us know from time to time that our unending loyalty does not go unrequited. Case in point: the pre-order bonus item for Dreamcast Collection in Australia. It's a silver record (an ancient audio storage media made of vinyl) containing songs from Sonic Adventure, Space Channel 5: Part 2 and Crazy Taxi in a sleeve that looks like a Dreamcast. Pretty cool, right? Pretty collectible, too, no doubt. The Sega Europe Blog has a bunch and intends to give them away in an upcoming contest. Hopefully, foreign fans will get a shot at them -- hey, we can dream, right?
inFamous 2 'Hero Edition' appears briefly on Amazon, includes Cole's bag
If a recently uploaded (then swiftly removed) Amazon listing for an inFamous 2 "Hero Edition" was legitimate, then the gaming community might just solve one of life's great mysteries when the Sucker Punch sequel comes out later this year: What the heck is in Cole McGrath's little backpack? The answer: A thermos, a Nintendo DS, some comic books, a half-empty bottle of flat soda, an ancient Crunchy Peanut Butter Clif Bar, and a tube of assorted Pogs and Slammers. In other words, the essential objects we carry with us when forced to leave the safe confines of our domestic abodes. Yes, one of the bonuses listed with the Hero Edition -- alongside an 8.5" Cole MacGrath statue, a voucher that gives access to new powers, weapons and character skins, an inFamous comic from DC Comics, and the game's soundtrack -- is a "Replica Cole MacGrath sling pack." We must have one, if only so that we can be halfway to becoming a city-climbing crimebuster. (All we'd need is, you know, powers. And courage. Like, any courage at all would help.) The special edition also includes a $99.99 price tag, and a super unofficial May 24 release date. We've contacted Sony for more details about ... well, everything.
KLA-Tencor CEO rewards 5,400 employees with iPads
Talk about a logistical nightmare for an IT department! Last summer, 5,400 employees of semiconductor maker KLA-Tencor were rewarded for their hard work with brand new iPads, according to a report from CIO. After the company posted revenue of US$1.8 billion, the CEO decided that his employees deserved the device and even had his CIO and IT department help them all in setting up their new devices for personal and corporate use. This isn't the first time we've seen iPads given out as a bonus. Schools have gotten in on the action, with Seton Hill providing them for all their students, while Financial Times recently handed them out to 1,800 staff members, and Oprah gave them away to her studio audience. Guess I should find out which company/talk show is giving them out next!
The Blood Lord has come to Vindictus, and he brings... football
Perhaps you've been enjoying Vindictus but thinking the whole time that something is missing from the game. Something that would really make all of the fantasy action click together for you. Something like, say, footballs. If so, well, we don't know what to tell you except that your dream has come true. Coinciding with the arrival of the Blood Lord is the addition of footballs throughout missions, as well as special football-themed costumes for players to unlock by using the pigskins as a weapon of war. Essentially, defeating bosses with creative use of the football will net players coupons that can be redeemed for football jerseys, which combine with football helmets (available in the cash store) to unlock special bonuses for players. It's certainly apropos of the current playoff season, albeit in a setting where it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Still, if you're looking to meld ferocious fantasy violence with the thrill of kicking the winning field goal, the video past the cut makes it clear that Vindictus has you covered. (Oh, and there's a vampire lord.) %Gallery-114025%
'Gods Eater Burst' GameStop pre-order includes bonus DLC
If you plan to pick up D3 Publisher's anime-style, Monster Hunter-style PSP action RPG, Gods Eater Burst, you might as well pick it up from GameStop. D3 announced today that pre-orders from GameStop will include an exclusive downloadable content pack, including new missions and fights against two of the game's creepy, part-weapon "Aragami" monsters. That's not a typo in the headline, by the way. D3 sneaked in a name change recently: The game is now "Gods Eater Burst" instead of "God Eater Burst." We guess D3 didn't want to give the impression that it was about eating the God ... just some gods.
Financial Times gives iPad bonuses to staff
The Financial Times (FT), that UK-based financial newspaper printed on distinctive salmon-colored paper, is serious about the future of media on tablets like the iPad. FT launched a free iPad app back in May that has been an success story for the paper, with 400,000 subscribers paying for full content as of October, 2010. iPad users are accounting for 10% of new digital subscriptions, and the FT has pulled in over £1 million in ad revenues since the launch.The FT app received one of the prestigious Apple Design Awards at WWDC 2010. Just to show how serious the FT is about the iPad and the future of digital media, FT Group CEO John RIdding today announced that all 1,800 staff members will receive a £300 / US$480 rebate against the purchase of an iPad or similar other tablet. That adds up to a bill of about £540,000 or $864,000 for the company. What's the reason for the bonus, which will be active through June 30, 2011? Ridding said that it's partly because as a reward for the strong performance of the organization over the last year, and that the company wants to "encourage all our staff to be expert and experienced in using..." tablets. That's not all, though. The FT is also offering a series of master classes and workshops designed to help employees get the most from their use of the iPad. It's a fascinating announcement, and we wonder if other media giants embracing the iPad will follow suit. [via paidContent.UK] Correction from the Financial Times: There have been over 400,000 downloads of the iPad application since launch, driving 10 percent of digital subscriptions. FT digital subscribers reached 189,022 as of October, up 50% since the beginning of the year.
God of War: Ghost of Sparta includes downloadable Deimos for GoW 3
It must be really, really hard being the brother of the God of War series' surly protagonist, Kratos. Not only was the ash-covered warrior probably a brutal roughhouser in his youth, but his siblings more than likely get pummeled with guilt at family reunions: "Why can't you be more like your brother? He's killed like, twenty gods, you know?" You'll get to suffer these slings and arrows if you pick up Ghost of Sparta, as early, specially-marked copies of the game will include a voucher to download a character skin modeled after Kratos' bro, Deimos, for use in God of War 3. Deimos, who bears a strong familial resemblance to the titular Ghost of Sparta, isn't just more hirsute than his brother, he also comes with "enhanced combat damage and the ability to receive 4x the amount of Health, Magic and God Orbs," according to PlayStation Blog. The voucher will be available in early copies of the game, in the hardware-bundled Entertainment Pack and for PSP Go users who purchase the title from November 2–9 on the PlayStation Store. Don't miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime experience to play through a God of War game with a full head of lustrous, waxen hair. Check out a new, extremely bald trailer for God of War: Ghost of Sparta after the jump.
God of War: Ghost of Sparta pre-order bonuses announced
If the recently announced God of War: Ghost of Sparta hardware bundle just isn't enough Kratos to satisfy your obsession, Sony's keen to remind you that you can deepen your devotion by pre-ordering the game. Your commitment will net you a bonus pack of extras; each of which will be individually highlighted on the PlayStation Blog over the following weeks. While only the Kratos PSN Avatar has been fully revealed, it's probably not too much of a stretch for God of War devotees to imagine what the other bonuses entail. Also included with a Ghost of Sparta pre-order: the original soundtrack, the "God of War Live" creative directors documentary, a Legionnaire character skin, and both a PS3 Dynamic and PSP theme.
Bonus item event in Final Fantasy XIV's beta
Final Fantasy XIV's open beta is only going to last until the 19th, which is just a stone's throw away. This would be worse news if not for the fact that the collector's edition of the game will be launching three days after that, meaning that the game's fans will have other things to do shortly thereafter. (The game's detractors don't really need the game to run one way or the other.) But if you'd like to take part in one last hurrah before launch, Square-Enix is hosting a special event on the newly-added Karnak and Narshe servers. All characters created on the special servers before 1:00 p.m. PDT on the 16th will have both the Onion Helm and Asuran Armguards added to their inventory. The former is the bonus for pre-ordering the collector's edition of the game, while the latter is the reward for also owning a copy of Final Fantasy XIII. It's not quite the potpourri of good news revealed from the pre-launch event yesterday, but it promises to still be a nice chance for Final Fantasy XIV beta testers to go out with a bang.
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Limited Edition is same price as standard version, adds bonus cars
EA's new marketing strategy, "Project Buy The Game Immediately," will be applied to certain launch copies of Criterion's upcoming Need for Speed game. When Hot Pursuit is released on November 16, the so-called "Limited Edition" of the game will be offered for the same $60 price as the standard version through participating retailers -- and "while supplies last." The Limited Edition will include two exclusive cars (see below) and immediate access to four additional rides, which are otherwise unlocked through the painstaking process of actually playing the game. Exclusive access to: Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione Ford Shelby GT500 Early access to: Audi TT RS Coupé Chevrolet Camaro SS Porsche Cayman S Dodge Challenger SRT8
Etrian Odyssey 3 also includes two-sided poster
Pre-ordered copies of Etrian Odyssey 3 already include the 60-page "Forests of Eternity" artbook, but Atlus has added a little more bounty to the game, in the form of a two-sided poster.
Buy Yakuza PSP, get ... a razor
You've heard of this old marketing technique: give away the razor for free with copies of Black Panther: New Yakuza Chapter, then sell the blades. Wait, what?
Valve to release GL code, games on Mac see sales bumps
Boy, if you had to choose one company (including Apple) that has really led the charge for Mac gaming recently, I'd have to say Valve takes the cake, and that's no lie. Not only has the company brought an unprecedented set of quality titles to the Mac with Steam, but it's now announced that it will be sharing some of its graphical code for the Mac with Steamworks developers. That graphics layer coding is apparently the "real hard work" in making a game for the Mac, and Valve is trying to make that as easy as possible for its partner developers. Why? Because -- and get this -- games sell more when they're on the Mac. Games that have added a Mac version since Steam went live on the Mac are seeing a 15 to 20% sales increase. That's actually for both platforms -- most Steam games available for the Mac share ownership on both Mac and PC, so they're not really tracking sales of one platform or the other. Still, having a game available on the Mac is a big bonus, as not only does it make Mac players possible, but it drives attention for both platforms (as you may have even seen here on our site -- when we post that a game has finally come to the Mac, even PC gamers consider going back to check it out). Excellent news for developers already working with Steam, and also good news for those of us who enjoy running our favorite games from the dock rather than the start menu. Even Apple hasn't put the kind of work into reviving Mac gaming that Valve has in just the past few months. [via Joystiq]
Flameseeker Chronicles: Heroes ruined Guild Wars
Oh, settle down. I'm not stating that as a fact, I'm just repeating what others have said. It's an old argument, but one that's recently come to my attention several times over the past week, so I want to take a look at the argument today. Heroes came to Guild Wars near the end of 2006 with the introduction of Nightfall. They were a huge upgrade from the much-maligned Alesia and her companions. Sure, you had to level them up, but you had as much control over their runes and insignias, skill bars, and weapons as you did your own. The addition gave players the option to add three of these customized companions, making it much easier to continue adventuring even if you couldn't get a group at the moment. It sounds perfect, right? Not everyone agrees, and it's a debate that flared back up in the past months when the possibility was raised of companions in Guild Wars 2. Hit the handy "read more" button to check out both sides of the argument.
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions' other costumes revealed
You didn't think that Peter Parker's wardrobe would only contain four outfits in his upcoming outing, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions, did you? No, no sir. Revealed during Marvel's Comic-Con panel were a handful of new costumes that will be unlockable in-game -- a few of which will be instantly unlockable as pre-order bonuses from select retailers: Scarlet Spider (unlock code included with Kmart pre-order) Negative Zone Spider-Man (unlock code included with Best Buy pre-order) Spider-Armor (pictured) Mangaverse Spider-Man Additionally, the previously revealed GameStop-exclusive Cosmic costume (which includes variants for each dimension) and the Iron Spider-Man suit featured in the 2099 universe (and immediately unlockable with an Amazon pre-order) were also shown at the panel. It's as yet unclear if the newly announced costumes will be tied to certain dimensions within the game or wearable throughout, like the Cosmic getup. [Update: Clarified details about the nature of the pre-order bonuses and previously announced costumes.]
Force Unleashed 2 'Maulkiller' GameStop pre-order bonus revealed
Hardcore preservers of Star Wars canon might want to avert their eyes while we share with the rest of you Gamestop's recently announced pre-order bonuses for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2. No peeking! Okay, we good? Cool. Folks who reserve the game will be able to play through the game using the "Maulkiller" skin, which is a genetic fusion of Sith superstars Darth Maul and Starkiller. See -- they took the awesome stuff from both dudes and combined it into a doubly awesome doubledude. Can you handle the power? Pre-orderers will also get the Maulkiller Silver Saber Crystal, which, according to Gamestop, "allows the player to consume less Force energy when using Force powers in order to devastate enemies." It also turns your lightsabers silver, which we all know to be the world's best color. Those chumps wielding red, green, blue and purple laserblades are going to be so jealous.
Sonic Colors pre-order GameStop bonus is this Sonic hat
You may get burned for the umpteenth time by pre-ordering Sonic Colors before the reviews are in, but at least you'll get an awesome hat out of it. Reminiscent of the Scribblenauts "Rooster Hat" bonus, this Sonic hat is the worm on GameStop's hook for purchasing either the Wii or DS version of the game. The hat will be handed over for both online and in-store purchases when the game launches. If recent history serves as any indication, it may be easier to justify spending the money if one thinks of the game as being the pre-order bonus for the hat. %Gallery-95227%
Iron Spider-Man is Amazon 'Shattered Dimensions' bonus ... unlock
What If... Cosmic Spider-Man and Iron Spider-Man were pitted against each other as opposing retailer pre-order bonus characters? Further complicating the continuity of a not-so-tidy superhero storyline, Amazon is offering to manipulate the appearance of the Iron Spider-Man costume in Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions' 2099 dimension for your pre-order purchase of the game. In other words, "you'll receive a code to unlock Iron Spidey early," explains HeroHQ, Activion's Marvel games web base. Amazon will also ship you an art book. Sulking there in the background, the previously revealed GameStop pre-order bonus, Cosmic Spider-Man, is playable in all four of the game's dimensions (of which still only three have been revealed). Cosmic Spidey will actually have a unique look in each dimension and is being advertised as a true "exclusive" for GameStop pre-order purchases (but is not listed as a bonus for the Wii version of the game). Not such a thrilling "What If" scenario, after all. Now, if we add Spider-Ham to the equation ... %Gallery-96661%
Pre-order Monkey Island 2 on Steam, get the first one free
We've devised a fool-proof plan for getting games at zero cost on Steam: just wait for the next game in the series to come out, and pre-order said sequel. It's an offer Steam users have no doubt become familiar with in the past and one that's being extended yet again -- anyone who pre-orders Monkey Island 2: Special Edition: LeChuck's Revenge before its July 7 launch will get Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition for free. Already own the remake of the first game? Well, you could take that complimentary download and gift it to a friend's Steam account. Or, you could just wait for The Curse of Monkey Island: Special Edition to come out, and then get Monkey Island 2 for free, provided you've got supernatural reserves of patience.
Crackdown 2 demo now available; Facebook game unlocks bonuses
Can't wait to earn 'Cheevos for the many, many heads you'll be busting in Crackdown 2? You can get an early start today -- the 1GB demo of the game, now available on Xbox Live Marketplace, features accelerated character leveling, four-player co-op and the ability to start earning Achievements, which will fully unlock when you boot up the retail version of the game, coming July 6. In addition, the Crackdown 2-themed Facebook game Chuck's Duck 2 unlocks a new difficulty in the demo and a multiplayer weapon for use in the retail version of the game. Appropriately, said weapon is an exploding, sticky rubber duck. That ought to strike some fear into the hearts of Pacific City's mutant inhabitants, shouldn't it? Xbox.com: Add Crackdown 2 demo to your Xbox 360 download queue
