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Promotional Consideration: Circuit City savings with Cecil
This week's installment of Promotional Consideration comes with an excellent bonus -- a Circuit City deal for the Final Fantasy IV remake, which ships to stores next week. The electronics retailer is offering a $10 gift card with any purchase of the 3D RPG, on- and offline. Factor in free-shipping for orders totaling over $24, and this makes up for "the Square Enix tax," that extra $10 the publisher often adds to its DS games.Now that we've done our part to sell the game to you, let's look at how Square Enix has been pushing Final Fantasy IV. %Gallery-3278%
Deal: Guns of the Patriots for $50, with $10 gift card
So if you haven't heard, Metal Gear Solid 4 is a pretty amazing game. If for some reason, you read this blog, and you don't have this game (why is that?!), this deal from Circuit City should help you get Solid Snake's latest adventure. The retailer is offering the game with a $10 discount, making it only $50 -- but they're throwing in a free $10 gift card for good measure. This is an incredible deal for such a recent release.[Thanks, Juan S.!]
Deals time: Price cuts and cheap games, oh my!
Thanks to an official Xbox 360 20GB price cut announcement, we have a very special edition of our weekly deals roundup featuring cheaper hardware, cheaper games and money savings all around. Let's get to it.This week, Best Buy has Xbox 360 20GB HDD consoles for $299 (obviously), is giving away $5 in concession cash and exclusive content with Space Chimps, selling Turok for $30 and, well, that's about it. Over at Circuit City, they're giving out a $30 gift card with the purchase of both a $299 Xbox 360 20GB HDD console and NCAA Football 09, a $10 gift card with the purchase of either GTAIV or Beijing Olympics 2008, a free plushy and with Kung Fu Panda ($40) and offering Space Chimps for $40 with $5 concession cash. Making our way over to Target, we find the best Xbox 360 console deal, which we actually knew about last week. They're giving away a free $25 gift card with the purchase of a $299 Xbox 360 20GB HDD console, so we advise making a stop at Target this week if you want the best "Jump In" deal. They are also giving out an eight pack of Coke Zero with the purchase of NCAA Football 09. Spend wisely and all that jazz ... happy shopping!
Best Buy accounts for most Blu-ray purchases, but Amazon and Wal-mart are catching up
Looks like all those specials are paying off for Amazon and Wal-mart, as surveys done last fall and this spring indicate they're narrowing the gap with "leading Blu-ray shopping destination" Best Buy. No nifty percentage numbers this time, but according to VideoBusiness, Amazon's own findings indicate its share of the Blu-ray retail market is 3.5 times bigger than its DVD slice. That seems to jibe with NPD's finding placing it number two, followed by Wal-mart (benefiting from enhanced Blu-ray displays and sales of its own), then Target and Blockbuster, respectively, having overtaken Circuit City in the period from fall to spring. Is there anything other than deep discounts and BOGOs that decides where you buy Blu?
Deals: $10 gift cards and Assassins for the cheap
This week at Circuit City, you can grab a few gift cards with your new video game purchases. Purchase either Unreal Tournament III or Beijing Olympics 2008 and get a free $10 gift card. If you're looking for new Xbox 360 Arcade hardware and are willing to purchase LEGO Indiana Jones as well, you'll be treated to a free $20 gift card. Their other deals include a free art poster with Civilization: Revolution and Assassin's Creed for the super low price of $30. Outside of Circuit City the deals are slim, but Best Buy is giving away a free eighteen month calendar with a SoulCalibur IV pre-order and Toys R Us is giving away a free $10 gift card with the purchase of a Guitar Hero: Aerosmith bundle or just the game (in store only). Now go fanboys, go and get your shop on.
Deal of the Day: Assassin's Creed for $30 at Circuit City online
Those of who were hesitating about Assassin's Creed may want to take a plunge with this deal, which takes 50% off the retail price of the game and includes free shipping. A look around shows the PS3 version of the game is still retailing for around $60 at online retailers. We've had the exact same deal before, so those of you who cursed the heavens when you missed it the first time around is getting a second chance.[Thanks, Chris!]
Blockbuster calls the Circuit City merger off, asks for class ring back
It looks like the potential lovefest that might have been the Blockbuster and Circuit City mashup has drifted away as quickly as it appeared. "Based on market conditions and the completion of our initial due diligence process, we have determined that it is not in the best interest of Blockbuster's shareholders to proceed with an acquisition of Circuit City," said Jim Keyes, head-pimp at B-Buster. We can't be sure what the result was with Circuit City shareholders or employees, but we're willing to bet it didn't look anything like that Best Buy rap video. One more time, after the break.
Deals time: Alone in the Dark, Battlefield and more
It's Sunday and that means it's time to open up the newspaper and analyze those Sunday retail ads. Joy! And if you're in the market for Alone in the Dark this week, you're in luck, because there are numerous deals to be had. So, let's get to it ...The only 360 deal Best Buy has going this week is a free $10 gift card with Alone in the Dark and, well ... that's it. Circuit City on the other hand is giving away a $10 J!nx gift card with Alone in the Dark, a free $10 gift card, weapon unlock code and grenade keychain with Battlefield: Bad Company, a free Hellboy II movie ticket with Hellboy: The Science of Evil, and either Bully: SE or SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 for $30. Also, if instant discounts are more your thing, Gamestop is offering Alone in the Dark for the discounted price of $50. Finally, (for our Canadian shoppers) Best Buy Canada is giving away Guitar Hero III with any Xbox 360 console purchase and either Shadowrun, Blue Dragon, Viva Pinata Party Animals or Project Sylpheed for $20. Enjoy Sunday and enjoy shopping.
The Wii owners' Sunday shopping guide
This week's Sunday ads bring some interesting sales and deals to the table. Most noticeably, it seems like Bully: Scholarship Edition has had a universal price drop, and now only costs $30. Circuit City is the only store to advertise this, but from checking around at other retailers, the slashed price seems like the rule and not the exception. While $50 for the port might have been too expensive for your tastes, $30 sounds a bit easier to swallow.All the other deals worth mentioning will probably only motivate folks who were already on the fence. Best Buy, for example, is offering a $10 gift card to those who purchase Alone in the Dark. As for Circuit City, the retailer has a handful of $20 games marked down to $15 (Balloon Pop, Furu Furu Park, and Prince of Persia: Rival Swords, namely).Topping it all off is Amazon's "Deal of the Day," which ends at 3am EST. Here you can find ezGear's Wii Rechargable Battery and Charger, which you can use to charge up your Wiimotes. We're not sure how reliable ezGear is when it comes to third-party accessories, but for $10, this dock might be worth a try.Hopefully your wallets will come out unscathed from this gauntlet of deals, but if not, feel free to rant at us for our evil, tempting ways.[Via CAG]Source: $10 gift card with purchase of Alone in the Dark at Best BuySource: Amazon's "Deal of the Day" -- ezGear's Wii Rechargable Battery and ChargerSource: Circuit City (for sales on Balloon Pop, Furu Furu Park, and Rival Swords)
Circuit City offering up Wii bundles as you read this
Still hunting for a Wii? If so, Circuit City's online store has them in around about ... now.Think supplies are going to last long? Hell no! Even though Circuit City is selling the things with an extra Wiimote, nunchuk and two of the titles listed below, we estimate these puppies will be gone soon. We'd usually criticize the practice of forcing customers to buy bundles, but we estimate that at least three or four of the six games being offered are must-haves: Super Mario Galaxy Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess Wii Play Carnival Games Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock Super Smash Bros. Brawl You're still here!? Go! Go! Go![Via Go Nintendo]
Pick up a $10 gift card by purchasing Blast Works
We're still shocked that Blast Works finally came out after all those delays (and according to a few emails that we've been getting from you guys, some retailers are also feeling disbelief). If you can manage to track down this content-packed shooter, though, we recommend trying your luck at Circuit City. This week, the folks at the good ol' city of circuits will hand you a nice $10 gift card with a purchase of Blast Works. Yet, don't fret if you're having trouble finding this game at brick and mortar locations, since you can also head to the retailer's online store. For a game that's only $40 to begin with, we have to say -- this deal is mighty tempting. Any takers? Gallery: Blast Works [Via CAG]
Rumor: Circuit City restocking Wii, Wii Fit
Reader Shawn, hailing from sunny and fabulous State College, PA (hey, we're practically neighbors!), wrote in to inform us that his local Circuit City had restocked Wii consoles and Wii Fit bundles. He received an email from the retail giant (he's likely signed up for some waiting list thing) and headed on down to his store to check. Sure enough, he found both in stock and ready to be liberated from the confines of the dusty retail shelf it sat upon.We did our own fact-checking, calling up the local Circuit City in our own town, as well as checked their site online. Online, we had no luck, but the young lady that answered the phone at our local Circuit City store said that they did indeed have consoles in stock, but they were holding them until Sunday. Then, they plan to hand out vouchers and sell the consoles like it was launch day. When asked about Wii Fit, she assumed the store would do the same thing, but had no official word to give.So, for those of you still in the market for either a console or Wii Fit, we'd suggest calling up your local retailers (it might be other retailers than just Circuit City) to see what the deal is. Because this isn't something confirmed by corporate (or a Sunday circular scan), we're going to keep it in the rumor pile.%Gallery-23454%[Thanks, Shawn!]
HP's Blackbird 002 gets exclusive configuration for retail launch
Just because you haven't seen one on every street corner doesn't mean that HP's Blackbird 002 gaming rig hasn't been around the block a time or two. Still, those of you who haven't found the nerve (or spare change) to pull the trigger can look forward to being tempted even more this summer. Starting soon, the Blackbird 002 will be available in an exclusive configuration at Amazon, NewEgg and select Best Buy, Circuit City, J&R and Micro Center locations. This launch marks the first time the unit has sashayed into B&M outlets, and packed within will be an Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 processor, dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT graphics cards, 4GB of Corsair Dominator RAM, 500GB SATA drive, 7.1-channel onboard HD audio, a 15-in-1 multicard reader, 900-watt power supply and an nForce SLI motherboard with RAID support. Said config will run customers $3,299, and a list of locations from which to buy it will be made available on June 29th.
Deals: Cheap MS points and get Mass Effect free
This week we're all business, because we have an overly long list of retail deals to ramble off. So, we'll forgo the fluffy intro and just get to it. Starting with Best Buy, all this week they're giving away a copy of Call of Duty 3 with the purchase of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and a free $10 gift card with purchase of The Incredible Hulk. Best Buy also discounted a few accessories, offering the Messenger Kit for $20, Wireless Headset for $50 and Vision Camera for $30. Heading over to Circuit City, you can snag a free $10 gift card with the purchase of either NASCAR 09 or Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit, get the Rock Band bundle for $155 and BioShock or Mass Effect for $32. They're also offering Burnout Paradise for $40, Frontlines: FoW or MX vs. ATV for $48, Need for Speed Carbon for $24 and our favorite CC deal of the week, 1600 Microsoft points for $15. Next up is Target, where they're giving away a FREE copy of Mass Effect with the purchase two of the listed Xbox 360 titles including Ninja Gaiden II ($60), RSV2 ($40), Scene It? ($50), Gears of War ($40), NASCAR 09 ($60) or Assassin's Creed ($40). And finally, because we love our Canadian readers so much, we hopped on over to Best Buy Canada and discovered they're offering two free games with any Xbox 360 console purchase (selection based on one of four game bundles) and a 12 Month Xbox Live subscription card for $50. Now run along and have a spectacular time shopping.
Circuit City has a Wii for you, but there's a catch [update]
Update: Well, that was fast. Sorry folks, looks like it's sold out.Sad to say, but it's the truth. You can order a Wii right now from Circuit City, but you're going to have to bundle some stuff with the console. When looking over what you have to buy, however, it's really not that bad of a deal because you should be expecting to buy these games anyway.So what do you need to purchase? Well, the Wii console (duh), an extra Wiimote and two or more of the following games and/or accessories: Wii Zapper Super Mario Galaxy Wii Play Carnival Games Mario Party 8 Super Smash Bros. Brawl Considering that you were going to pick up Super Mario Galaxy and Smash Bros. Brawl anyway (if you weren't planning on it, may we ask if you're insane?), it's not that bad of a deal. And, for those of you still desperate to get a console, this might be the best solution.[Via Go Nintendo]
Retailers contest FCC fines on in-store analog-only signage
To no one's surprise, retailers are putting up a fight against fines handed out by the FCC regarding point-of-sale notification that analog-only TVs will go black after the digital switchover. Circuit City was the first to lodge a complaint and Best Buy followed quickly afterwards. Among the retailers' complaints are: the required signage was never made available for comment, the acts were not "willful or repeated," and that the FCC has no jurisdiction over the sales. We've tried to use arguments similar to those first two on speeding tickets -- you guess the result. Whether or not the FCC has jurisdiction is the more interesting point; the commission justified imposition of its point-of-sale rules in part III-B of its "Second Report and Order." Our take is that this legal action is really just a not-so-friendly way to negotiate the fines down, and expect the retailer bandwagon to get crowded if this is successful.Read - Circuit City challenges FCC fineRead - Best Buy challenges FCC fineRead - FCC "Second Report and Order" [PDF link]
Wii's Sunday bargain bin
We love Sundays, as there are always new game sales to look forward to. Luckily, this week there are some sweet deals on a few Wii titles. Scouring through the ad listings at Cheap Ass Gamer, the ones we found of interest include: Okami for $29.99 at Best Buy Boom Blox with a free $10 gift card at Circuit City and Target Speed Racer for $29.99 at Target Keep in mind that while Circuit City offers its deals online, Best Buy and Target's are brick and mortar only. Also, Target deals vary by region, so the ones above may or may not apply to stores near you.[Via CAG]Read: Best Buy ad with Okami for $29.99Read: Boom Blox with free $10 gift card at Circuit City
Deal time: CoD4 GOTY for $49, gift card with Narnia
It's Sunday deal time and this week U.S. retailers are being stingy lil' buggers when it comes to Xbox 360 savings. For serious. The only semi-good deals we could scrounge up were over at Circuit City who is selling the Call of Duty 4 Game of the Year edition for $50 and giving out a free $10 gift card with purchase of Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. And that's it. Seeing that the good deals Stateside aren't as fruitful as we expected, we took our research up north and discovered that this week Best Buy Canada is offering The Darkness for $20 and both GRAW2 and RSV for teh free with an Xbox 360 Pro purchase. That's all we could find, now go be good citizens and spend your bi-weekly check on gaming related goods to help stimulate the economy. God knows it needs it.
Circuit City looks for a suitor, Blockbuster likely to be it
Oddly enough, the far-fetched proposal is apt to be accepted. Circuit City has reportedly solicited the services of Goldman Sachs to help "negotiate a deal," which will essentially put the troubled electronics retailer in the hands of someone else. As it stands, Blockbuster looks to be the most interested in picking up the pieces, with billionaire Carl Icahn (Blockbuster's largest shareholder) agreeing to finance the get-together. Of course, it looks as if Blockbuster may be the only outfit interested. Not like that's any surprise, however, as Best Buy itself is having to look to Europe to boost revenues with US consumer spending off from where it once was. The real question here is whether a Circuit City-Blockbuster combo would be the perfect concoction to turn things around for both flagging firms, or will we find that two sinking ships actually do go down faster when anchored to one another?
Circuit City has huge sale next week
Next week is going to be hard on your wallet. Circuit City is going to be having a big sale, according to DVDTalk, and our favorite Wii game is going to be available for insanely cheap. Supposedly, you'll be able to nab Suda 51's No More Heroes for only $19.99 (or you can try your luck at nabbing it from us). If, for some crazy reason, you haven't gotten the game yet, you need to do so next week.Aside from that, the deal is further sweetened through the retail giant offering buy one, get one %50 off on select games. These games include: LEGO Star Wars Super Mario Galaxy Super Smash Bros. Brawl Mario & Sonic at the Olympics Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 Mario Kart Wii Outside of the games, they've also got DVDs and other junk on sale. If you're into that sort of thing.[Thanks, Nate!]
