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Microsoft adding free games to Xbox 360 bundles
Microsoft has fired yet another salvo in the battle for casual cred, including free, family-friendly titles with every Xbox 360 purchased this holiday season. Beginning some time this month, those who purchase the $199 "Arcade Holiday Bundle" will get SEGA Superstars Tennis and five unidentified XBLA games. Or, pick up the the Xbox 360 ($299) or Xbox 360 Elite ($399) Holiday Bundles and get LEGO Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda gratis. Third party publishers get to empty out their warehouses and the 360 looks even more adorable to soccer moms and your grandma. Everybody wins!
Japan gets Gran Turismo, LittleBigPlanet 80GB bundles
Famitsu has already spoiled one of Sony's TGS surprises, but don't worry. You probably won't be that interested anyway. A couple of Japanese hardware bundles were revealed via Famitsu. The 80GB model will be hitting the region in two flavors. The first bundles Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Spec III with an 80GB system and a DualShock 3 for 39,800 yen ($398/€292). What's Spec III? Again, don't get too excited. It's a Blu-ray release of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, including all the patched in features and content. Because Japanese people hate connecting their PS3s to the internet. The second bundle will be known as the "PlayStation 3 LittleBigPlanet Dream Box" and will obviously include LittleBigPlanet along with an 80GB (in either black, silver or white) and two DualShock 3s. The box will also be covered in artwork of Sackboy. The Japanese will be able to pick this up for 44,980 yen (450/€329). LittleBigPlanet will also be bundled with DualShock 3 controllers, saving customers almost $35 in comparison to purchasing the items separately. Early copies of the game will come with a code to download an Ape Escape monkey costume. Hopefully, this isn't the extent of Sony's announcements at TGS tomorrow. We'll be there to bring you any interesting info from the show.
Sony clarifies UK PSP-3000 release
The previously announced European PSP-3000 bundles might not see their way across the English channel. According to GamesIndustry.biz, The bundles for the silver PSP-Brite with Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters and the black PSP-Brite with a 4GB Memory Stick remain a continental affair that might not be seen in the UK at all. That leaves Britons with future packs for Go! communication, FIFA, Harry Potter, and Buzz! Master Quiz. In addition to this, Sony corrected previously known information regarding British prices and dates, saying that the £149.99 price tag and October 17 date are set for a bundle yet to be revealed. A stand-alone system will be released in the UK sometime after the launch of the new bundles. As for the rest of Europe, you should not worry. You're still getting all eight promised bundles with the R&C pack hitting the market first on October 15 for €199.99 as previously announced. The 4GB Memory pack will release across the European continent in "early November."
Carrier bundles get investigated, prices made clear
Piecing together a programming, internet and digital phone package (or any mixture of the three) can be a real headache. Granted, many consumers only have one or two choices outside of satellite, but even choosing between those few can be a daunting task. Electronic House has taken the time to put together a number of easy to read charts that explain how much the average user will be billed for depending on which services they choose. Of course, we'd highly recommend lobbying your CSR for discounts (promotional or otherwise) before paying the full tab, but the writeup in the read link is a great place to get your bearings.
IGN compares all the PSP bundles
There sure are a lot of PSP bundles out there. IGN PSP (having nothing better to do) compared all the Entertainment Pack bundles announced by Sony. Which one gets the win? Will Daxter's attractive combination of 1GB Memory Stick and Family Guy UMD win out, or will God of War's bloody combo of Superbad and Syphon Filter: Combat Ops win the hearts of the IGN editors?The winning choice is the Daxter pack. According to the IGN editors, "if you're starting from scratch, the Daxter Pack gives you an engaging game, funny UMD, and enough memory to get your PSP on its feet." Of course, if you already have a Memory Stick, you can't do wrong with the God of War pack. For PSP newbies, however, we totally agree with IGN's recommendation.
Amazon bundles up Blu-ray Discs
Hardly a day goes by without some form of Blu-ray price slashing on Amazon, but it being the onset of the weekend and all, we figured we'd share the e-tailer's latest scheme to get these discs a-movin'. Rather than offering up Blu-ray titles in some sort of BOGO fashion, the outfit is now packaging three flicks together primarily based on genre and hacking "45-percent" from the price. Truth be told, the $20-per-title that this averages out to isn't the most stellar of deals, but it's not too shabby if you're particularly fond of a certain trio. Check the read link to see if any catch your eye.
MGS4 'Gun Metal Gray' PS3 bundle exclusive to Konami website
While we've known for some time that the "Gun Metal Gray" PlayStation 3 bundle -- featuring a shiny 40GB model, a matching DualShock 3 controller and a Limited Edition copy of geriatric sneakfest, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots -- would be available to Americans, we didn't know until now that it would only be available to Americans logging onto Konami's website. Online and inevitably scarce pre-orders for the $599.99 package will start on May 19th, so you'd better get clicking if you want Snake and Gray Box to face off in your living room.No, we mean it. Judging by Konami's labyrinthine sign-up process for the Metal Gear Online Beta, you'll need at least several days to prepare a registration, obtain an ID, convert that into e-currency, trade it in for the microfilm, enter the password, steal the key code, write the secret URL on a postcard and summon Hideo Kojima in an arcane ritual.Note: This bundle is different from the regular, $499 MGS4 bundle which includes an 80GB PS3 and a DualShock 3.
Sony announces new PS3 bundle for UK
A new Playstation 3 bundle will go on sale in the UK this Friday, featuring two first-party titles along with the 40GB model of the PS3, GamesIndustry.biz reports.The bundle, which will retail for £349.99 GBP, allows consumers to pick two games from a list of first-party titles to accompany the console. The list includes big 2007 titles like Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Ratchet & Clank: Tools of Destruction, and SingStar (with microphones). With the 40GB PS3 normally priced at £299.99, this deal probably won't incite a voracious demand for the console, but it is a nice way to pick up a few games on the cheap with a new system.Full list of titles available through the offer after the break.
Wii bundles do not make Reggie a happy bunny
See that look? Yeah, well jerk, that's the exact look Reggie Fils-Aime is giving you right now, should you happen to be one of those retailers forcing consumers to buy bloated Wii bundles.Chatting to Reuters, Reggie stated that Nintendo was "not [a] big fan" of the practice, and pointed out that bundling the Wii in such a manner "masked" the price advantage enjoyed by the console over its rivals. Not that high prices seem to be putting many people off, but we certainly see his point.Reggie also said that retailers had been informed of Nintendo's displeasure over the matter, before ominously adding "We don't have to remind retailers of the strength we have right now. We are simply making an observation and that reinforces our point quite nicely with retailers." You tell 'em, Reginald.[Via Go Nintendo]
MacUpdate promo bundle unlocks PulpMotion, deal ends tonight
The good news: against expectations (well, mine anyway) the MacUpdate Promo bundle has sold well enough to unlock the final application in the ten-pack, the Aquafadas slideshow creator PulpMotion. You now have until shortly after midnight ET to get the full bundle for $49.99; see my earlier post for the full app list.The bad news: right now it appears that http://mupromo.com is responding only intermittently, perhaps due to heavy volume. If you can't get to the site immediately, wait a few minutes and try again.Update: The original deadline appears to have applied only to unlocking the full bundle; you now have another eight days to buy, if you choose.
British retailers going bundle crazy
Over at the always entertaining UK: Resistance, resident jaded cynic Cmdr_Zorg has a few strong words to say about certain UK retailers, specifically those who refuse to play fair when it comes to the increasingly rare Wii.The source of Zorg's chagrin? That said merchants are now using the insane popularity of the Wii and crippling shortages to flog desperate consumers bundles which are, to put it charitably, a load of old bumwash. Electronics chain Dixons is one of the culprits in this growing trend, with its cheapest Wii bundle clocking in at £350 ($725). All have sold out, presumably to people who would normally have lol'd heartily at the idea of buying Smarty Pants.Admittedly, some of the bundles being offered by Dixons contain titles that every one of us should own, but that's not the point: let us make those decisions!
New Xbox 360 bundles arriving end October
If you've yet to get yourself an Xbox 360 in this post-Halo 3 world, Microsoft is of a mind to sway you with fast cars and terrifyingly tight pants this holiday season. New Xbox 360 bundles (yep, these ones) are set to arrive "retail-wide by the end of October," with both the $349.99 "Pro" and the $449.99 Elite models offering two games at no extra charge -- racing sim Forza Motorsport 2 and supervillain clobberfest, Marvel Ultimate Alliance. Though Project Gotham Racing 4's arcade styling would have held more general appeal than Forza's serious nitty-gritty, the latter's unquestionably a fine game for a freebie. The same holds true for Marvel Ultimate Alliance, a fun and accessible adventure both online and off. We rather like this bundling business.
Heavenly Sword + Formula 1 bundle confirmed ... for France
Kotaku, our friendly blogging neighbours, have solved The Case of the New PS3 Bundle. Contacting SCEE directly, they were able to determine that while the new Heavenly Sword plus Formula 1 bundle is real, it's only going to be available in France and will be released there on September 19th. SCEE also confirmed that each European market is able to set up their own starter pack deals, which is why this one is only available in France. No doubt we'll be seeing more of these bundles come out in various countries with different games in each. First one to release the Heavenly Sword + Warhawk pack wins.
Rumor: New Xbox 360 bundles due for the holidays
The industrious Frenchmen of gamick.fr say they spied the above image at a Microsoft marketing site that pretty clearly depicts a new 360 bundles for the Elite model, packed with Forza 2 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. (A Premium model version was found later.) There's literally no other information available at this time save for these images, so we don't know if the packs will be priced at the recently slashed rates. Although the sticker does say that they're free, so we're betting that they're basically deal sweeteners.Also, the photos were reportedly labeled as "Holiday Value Bundles" (they seem to have since been removed) so we're guessing they'll be here just in time for your grandma to knit you a sweater instead of buying you one. Adding to this pile of mysteries: The lack of any similar bundle for the Core model ... interesting. [Via Kotaku]
It's a Wonderful DS Lite
Square Enix's Wonderful World edition DS Lite marks the first of what we're sure will be many Gloss Silver bundles to grace Japan, but will never -- absolutely never -- see an official release in the states. Set for release along with the game this June 27th, the limited edition handheld shows of the "It's a Wonderful World" logo and Tetsuya Nomura's skull badge design. Pricing for the set hasn't been announced yet, but expect to pay a king's ransom if you plan on importing.
Pirates rule the Philippine seas
After a tour of the country last year, Indian President Abdul Kalam described the Philippines as a "smiling republic." Wherever he went, Kalam was met with smiling faces. Well, you'd be grinning too if you saw how cheap their games are. Thanks to the black market, popular Nintendo Wii titles are priced as low as $5 in some shops. Piracy has become so widespread in the Southeast Asian country, even Sony admits that most of its Playstation software sold in the Philippines are bootlegged copies.Filipino site GameOPS found that many stores also offer modchip installations. For about $51, you can have your system hacked to play these counterfeit games at the local mall or market. Furthermore, some shops advertise console bundles, selling imported and modded US Wiis with five copied games of your choice for around $450. Similar deals for chipped Xbox 360 systems with 10 pirated titles are actually cheaper at $388.With such a high level of piracy already in place, Nintendo will have a lot to work against when -- or if -- it decides to finally launch the Wii in the Philippines.
Adobe unveils new Creative Suite 3 packages - watch the live webcast this afternoon
Today is the big day, ladies and gents - Adobe has officially unveiled a plethora of new Creative Suite 3 packages and products, all of which are available for preorder now. With this new suite, the acquisition of Macromedia in April of 2005 has come to fruition, with all products now under the Adobe umbrella and incorporated into various new CS3 product bundles.To aid in the selection of a new CS3 package, Adobe has created a thorough product matrix that makes even the many versions of Vista cry. To further help navigate all the new products and features, Adobe has of course revamped their Creative Suite product pages and has also posted some introductory videos to help bide the time until this afternoon's live webcast event that we mentioned earlier. The webcast begins at 3:30EST today, but don't fret if you're all booked up for the day - it will be recorded and available for streaming for the ultimate in 'pajamas-at-3-am' viewing experiences.Preorder pricing for Creative Suite 3 packages begins at $999 for a new suite (Web Standard), and $240 for upgrades (Design Standard). The Design suites are scheduled to begin shipping in April 2007, while Production Premium is slated for Q3 2007.
Lenovo selects Windows Live for pre-loaded search
Back in the 90's OEM PC manufacturers used to make some easy money by charging ISPs like AOL, Prodigy, and CompuServe to have dial-up software preloaded on their machines, and now the new millenium is finding the white box makers once again offering premium desktop and browser real estate to the highest bidder -- but this time around it's search giants Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft that are jockeying for space on your new machine. With the two largest manufacturers having already been spoken for -- Google famously partnered with Dell and Yahoo got in bed with both HP and Acer -- Microsoft's Live tools were running a very distant third until Redmond decided to look overseas and court Chinese powerhouse Lenovo. Well in a presumably nine- and possibly even ten-figure deal announced today, Lenovo will indeed be shipping all of its machines (including the ThinkPad and ThinkCentre lines) with the Windows Live toolbar and browsers pointed at Live Search, starting with rigs that roll off the line later this month. As you'd expect, the company is spinning this partnership as a big win for consumers, arguing that it "allows our customers to better communicate with us, in addition to giving them additional services." Well said, executive director of strategic alliances Peter Gaucher. In reality Lenovo just gets a big payday and Microsoft will likely see some boost in Live usage from newbs who don't know one search engine from the others; meanwhile, the rest of us will just have to take a few extra seconds to delete all the crapware and change our homepages.[Via laptoping]
Rumor: Another stash of Wiis coming to Toys R Us
... and another Matthew Lesko picture to summarize our feelings. Tipster HexiJosh was spot on about the last TRU Wii hoard, so we have no reason to disbelieve him now when he tells us that Sunday, March 18 is the day to queue up. Still, we're marking this as a rumor just to be safe.He says that Toys R Us stores are getting even larger shipments this time than last time-- his store is getting a minimum of 12 systems-- and that TRU is planning to sell them bundled with Sonic and the Secret Rings. We hope these bundles don't cost full price-- bundling is only fun when there's a discount involved, and even then it's kind of annoying.But complaining about bundles misses the point, which is HEY THERE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME WIIS FOR SALE. Plan your next weekend accordingly![Thanks, HexiJosh!]
On TextMate extras
Like me, there are probably a lot of fresh new TextMate users out there in the audience thanks at least in part to MacHeist, so I thought it would be pertinent to point out a few helpful resources Allan Odgaard (TM's developer) maintains at macromates.com. Of course the searchable mailing list and IRC channel are handy for getting your discussion on, over which TM user Brett Terpstra just shared a WordPress templating bundle he's created - quite possibly a good addition to that theming workflow we just blogged. Another powerful resource is the TextMate wiki, which houses a plethora of learning tools and resources such as a bundle repository if you're looking for some features or a language not included by default, as well as an RSS feed for bundle changes. Of course, what text app would be complete without user submitted themes? Last on my resource roundup (but by no means the end of what's available) are a few TextMate plugins, including a WebMate plugin that turns TM's Web Preview into a full-fledged WYSIWYG HTML editor based on WebKit. There's a lot more from where all this came from, so dive in or simply get your feet wet with this swiss army knife of text editors.
