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GameStop, Amazon discount PS3 and PS TV ahead of Black Friday
Black Friday may be two weeks away, but retailers are already dropping the price on two pieces of Sony hardware: PlayStation TV and PlayStation 3. Both systems will start at $80 and $200 respectively through Amazon and GameStop for the holiday season, though GameStop notes that the deals are temporary and are "first-come, first-served." The PS TV's DualShock 3 bundle is also down to $100 at the two retailers, saving game streamers $40 off the bundle's regular price. Thrifty buyers can also opt for deals on PS3 bundles, such as the 12 GB PS3 with Disney Infinity ($200) or a 500 GB console with either The Last of Us or Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham and The Sly Collection ($250 each). Sony isn't the only company offering early discounts this year; Microsoft cut the Xbox One's price by $50 for the holidays and already listed the Microsoft Store's Black Friday deals. [Image: Sony]
Deals with Gold: Catherine, EA Sports UFC, Fallout
Deals with Gold isn't fooling around, as five Xbox One games and eight Xbox 360 games are discounted this week. Of the bunch, one game is on sale for both Xbox Live Gold and Silver members, as all Xbox One players can download EA Sports UFC for half-off. The other four Xbox One games on sale for Gold subscribers are Stick it to the Man, KickBeat Special Edition, Divekick and CastleStorm's Definitive Edition, each for 30 percent off their respective prices. As for Xbox 360 players with an Xbox Live paid subscription, both Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas are 67 percent off this week through Games on Demand as well as Catherine, which is 60 percent off. Serious Sam Double D XXL and Serious Sam 3: BFE as well as the latter's Jewel of the Nile DLC are 67 percent off on XBLA. Rounding out the group is Foul Play, Pool Nation and How to Survive, each discounted by, you guessed it, 67 percent. The deals are good through Monday, November 17. [Image: EA Sports]
Destiny unlocks its first raid and goes on sale
Destiny hasn't been out for every long now, but if you've been power-leveling along, you might very well be level 26 or above. And that's a good thing if you want to take on the game's first raid, which has just been unlocked for players. The Vault of Glass can now be entered, with hardcore enthusiasts already rushing to be the first one to clear its challenges. As with all of Destiny's raid content, a fire team must be assembled out of members of your friend list, as there is no matchmaking option for Vault of Glass. Haven't yet picked up the game? Well, you can do so now at a discount; despite the short amount of time Destiny has been out, retailer BrandsMart is reportedly offering the game for $30, which larger retailers such as Target and Wal-Mart may or may not price match. (Reports are conflicting.) While you likely won't be ready for the Vault of Glass if you take the offer, you will be able to get in on the ground floor a fair bit cheaper, so it's still a win. Kotaku argues that as of this morning, Destiny has "resoundingly mediocre review scores" with "76.29% on GameRankings and a 77 on Metacritic." Our sister site Joystiq reviewed the game this morning, giving it four out of five stars.
Return for a free week and get major discounts during Final Fantasy XI's anniversary event
This fall marks Final Fantasy XI's 12th anniversary, and as part of the lead up to the celebration, former players are invited back for a free week of play! Dubbed the Return Home to Vana'diel Campaign, the event lets all players who have ever previously paid for a subscription to FFXI return from Wednesday, September 10th, at 11:00 p.m. EDT, to Wednesday, September 17th, at 10:59 a.m. EDT. To be eligible, accounts must either be currently canceled or have the "To be Canceled" status as of September 8th at 10:59 a.m. EDT. Starting at the same time but lasting a week longer are special discount offers for everyone. Until 10:59 a.m. EDT on Tuesday the 23rd, players can grab the following digital downloads and services for significant savings: Seekers of Adoulin Expansion Pack -- $4.99 (83% off) Final Fantasy XI: Ultimate Collection Seekers Edition -- $9.99 (75% off) World Transfer Service -- $9.00 (50% off) All deal are through the the Square Enix e-Store. If you've wanted to get back into the game to see what has changed or want to pick it up and check Vana'diel out yourself, this is a good opportunity to dive in.
Landmark on sale on Steam
If you want to get in on testing Landmark, you've got to drop some cash first. That's just the way it is. But the good news -- aside from the fact that buying test access also involves owning the game when it launches for real -- is that you can get away with dropping substantially less cash for a little while longer. Landmark is on Steam as an early access title, and it's currently having a sale that shaves 66% off of every founder's pack available right now. Due to the sale, prices range from $6.79 for the lowest tier to $33.99 for the highest. Already bought one of the entry packs? You can also pick up an upgrade for your founder's pack at a similar discount, so if you bought the lowest tier a while back you can upgrade to the top for a cool $27.20. Act fast, though; this sale is only running for a little while longer. [Thanks to Christian for the tip!]
Apple offers $100 gift card and $200 discount in annual back-to-school promotion
Apple is a creature of habit, and one of those habits is launching a stellar back-to-school sale every year right around this time. So, not to disappoint the droves of college students preparing to march back into the halls of educational institutions around the globe, Apple's student discounts are once again in full effect. Like last year, Apple is offering discounts of up to US$200 on Macs and $30 on iPads to those who qualify. On top of that, you can also score a $100 gift card with your Mac purchase or a $50 card when you buy an iPad or iPhone. You can score the hefty discounts by shopping on Apple's online education store, where you'll need to provide proof of your eligibility -- such as a copy your student ID -- in order to receive the reduced prices.
PlanetSide 2 offers massive deals for the holidays
Nothing says happy holidays in PlanetSide 2 like a brand-new gun to blow the opposing factions to smithereens! And thanks to two weeks of deals, you might just be able to pick up something special to share your holiday spirit. From December 18th, 2013, through January 1st, 2014, PS2 will have a daily sale that includes 50% off an entire category (such as Helmets or Rifles) as well as a special Item of the Day that members can buy for only 1 SC. Players who aren't subbed can also take advantage of the deal of the day, but their cost will be 99 SC. Want to see what each day's deal is? Log in and check it out!
Sony Online Entertainment offers bonus Cyber Monday cash
Cyber Monday is like Black Friday without the waiting in line or the limited-stock items left on shipping pallets throughout the store or any of that insanity. But it's very similar insofar as you can find deals that are theoretically meant to be for others but wind up mostly being presents to yourself. Case in point, Sony Online Entertainment's sale today on Station Cash. No, it's not cheaper to buy, but you get a lot more for what you buy. Until 11:59 p.m. PST today, all Station Cash purchases receive a bonus 25% Station Cash above and beyond the normal amount. That's not counting various games holding their own sales within the in-game marketplace, meaning that you could wind up with more Station Cash and individual items costing less money. So it's sort of like everybody winning, except it's really just you winning multiple times. But get on the deal soon before it evaporates.
Apple gives Europeans Black Friday discounts, US settles for gift cards
If you've been mulling the latest Apple gizmo but wince at the prices, today could be the day to act. That's because Cupertino's offering UK discounts of up to £81 on the latest and greatest iMac or MacBook models and £31 off of the iPad Air. Other iPad models are discounted too, and you can score a deal on the iPod Touch or accessories like the Parrot AR drone. As for the US and Canada, gift cards are being handed out in lieu of cash off, including $75 offerings on the iPad Air, $150 for iMacs and MacBooks and $50 for an iPod Touch. As for the rest of the EU, other countries like France and Germany are seeing similar cash discounts to their UK counterparts on the same products. Not everything is on sale, though. For instance, the iPad Mini with Retina display is still full price. Still, if your iProduct trigger finger's been feeling itchy lately, hit the source.
Xbox Live Black Friday deals on now through December 2
Microsoft is heavily discounting 52 Xbox 360 games and add-ons this week on Xbox Live. The games on sale separate out into three categories, a full list of which can be found after the break. The week-long deals, which run from today through December 2, include both Skyrim, Fallout 3 and Tomb Raider for half-off as well as Sleeping Dogs (38 percent off) and Mark of the Ninja (66 percent off). Xbox Live will feature two separate one-day sales as well, with games like WWE 2K14 and Diablo 3 being discounted by 33 percent as well as Rayman Legends and the Halo 4 Champions Bundle by 50 percent on November 29 only. Among the games on sale for Cyber Monday (December 2) only are Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, Red Dead Redemption, Dark Souls and The Witcher 2 for 75 percent off each and Battleblock Theater for 67 percent off. We suggest you clear some space on your Xbox 360 hard drive, pronto.
Google Offers now lets you clip coupons without paying in advance
Mountain View wants you to know that Google Offers isn't another Groupon copycat; that's why the service is now taking a different approach. Whereas you've previously had to pay for discount vouchers in advance, you can now clip them for free and then pay for purchases in-store, making Offers more convenient to use. The company's also introducing coupons outside the main Offers app, adding them to Wallet, Maps and Search, as well as programming Google Now to flash a notification whenever you pass by a participating establishment. Here's some even better news for veteran users, though: you can either get a refund for unused offers you've paid for, or get your money back as Google Play credit. If you go the latter route, you'll get extra dollars on top -- enough to jazz up your phone with SwiftKey or Photoshop Touch.
Back to school: Apple offers $200 college discount for Macs, $50 gift card for iOS devices
A reminder of what we reported when it launched on July 2: Apple is hoping to attract computerless college students towards its wares by offering discounts and extras on computers and mobile devices. There are a number of different programs you can qualify for if you're a student (or parent of a student) purchasing a MacBook, iMac, iPhone or iPad for educational purposes. Depending on the Mac model you have in mind, you can get up to $200 off the regular retail price and also score a $100 App Store gift card, which should help you load your new computer with plenty of scholastic software... and maybe some Angry Birds. iPad and iPhone buyers can get a $50 App Store gift card. To take advantage of these deals, you can shop for your gear at retail locations or on the Apple Store for Education, which has all of the available discounts already in place. When checking out online, you'll be prompted to fill in the name of your school, and for the most part, Apple uses the honor system when it comes to applying the price cuts. However, if you make your purchase at a retail store -- or you're one of the online customers Apple randomly audits to ensure you're not a fibber -- you'll need to provide a school ID or some other form of verification.
Pinterest introduces email alerts for price reductions on pinned items
Pinterest has been a boon for digital scrapbookers, and today, the company is rolling out a new feature to appeal to its bargain-hunting user base. When the price drops on an item you've pinned, an email will be zapped to your inbox to alert you to the discount. If you're the kind of person who uses the site to sort out your shopping needs, it might be right up your alley, but not all pinners will appreciate the influx of messages. The feature can be switched off from the account settings menu, though even when it's on, Pinterest insists that emails will be bundled to avoid clutter. Discount alerts are set for a gradual roll-out, so if you're not seeing the option under settings yet, sit tight.
The Secret World unleashing Guardians of Gaia anniversary event July 3rd, on sale now [Updated]
Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of the horror- and conspiracy-laced The Secret World, and Funcom is hosting a week-long bash to celebrate the milestone. Joel Bylos introduced this latest event in his June Game Director's letter: Dubbed Guardians of Gaia, the event involves the awakening of massive guardians formed of the primal elements and meant as another line of defense against the Filth. Just like in the End of Days event, players will have to band together to rein in these guardians. The luckiest of players will come away from the fight with a Guardian of their very own. But that's not all. With free gifts for all players, a 30% discount on almost everything in the store, and daily bonuses (either double XP, double AP, or double SP) all week, it's a good time for players to jump into the game. As an added bonus, anyone who has ever played any Funcom title -- whether currently active or not -- will be able to log in and play TSW for free for the duration of this event, no purchase required. For those who don't, the game up on sale on Amazon right now for $9.99. The Guardians of Gaia will end when Issue #7 A Dream to Kill releases July 8th. Need a fix before then? Check out the update's comic after the break, and look for Massively's tribute to the game's first year in a special Tuesday edition of Chaos Theory tomorrow. [Updated to add Amazon sale information. Thanks to JohnT_NC for the tip!]
Uncharted Waters Online discounts Steam packages before a big patch docks
Is your ship in Uncharted Waters Online something less than ship-shape? Perhaps you could put the wind back in your sails with one of the special item packs available for the game on Steam. In anticipation of the game's next major patch arriving on the 28th, Netmarble has lowered the prices on all three packs by 70%, allowing characters to leave port with big boosts for fewer of your hard-earned real money. The Booster pack is down to just $1.49 and provides faster experience gain, faster ship movement, and the ability to revive fallen sailors away from a port. The Premium pack is only $2.99, offers even faster experience gain, and also sets up you with 200 million ducats (in-game currency) and possibly even a rare ship. Last but not least, the Sea Adventure pack is down to $11.99 and offers the best possible experience boost, 300 million ducats, and several exclusive items. So if you're looking to set sail, a little money now will help you find your fortune.
Guild Wars 2 is on sale until February 25th
Hey, you. Yes, you, the person reading this post right now. You want some Guild Wars 2? You want to get in cheap? I know a guy who knows a guy who can get it for you really cheap, man. Specifically, the guy in question is the guy who runs the official store on the game's website, which is offering the game for about 30% until February 25th. So it may actually be multiple guys or girls, since one would imagine ArenaNet has several people working on the store page. Prospective players or current players who dearly want another copy of the game can buy the standard edition for $39.99 or the Digital Deluxe edition for $54.99. No word on exactly when the sale will end on the 25th, but we'd recommend just going ahead and picking up the game now if it's on your agenda. It's not going to be any cheaper tomorrow.
Google introduces its Zavers digital coupon service
Didn't think there were enough coupon services? Well, Google thinks it can do it right with its new Zavers "digital coupon solution." The big G claims that its take on discounts and deals allows companies to measure customer habits and coupon usage stats to better target their campaigns. But, what does it mean for shoppers? They can find the coupons relevant to them on specific retailer websites and add them to an online account. When they hit the checkout with a full basket, the discounts are automatically accounted for. Zavers is also integrated with Google Wallet, as long as you use it to pay for items in-store. We're not sure exactly how this will work yet, but we'll just have to wait until Zavers is properly up and running.
Walmart offering iPhone 5 for $127, 4S for $47, iPad for $399
If you're planning on picking up some Apple goodies for your loved ones this holiday season but haven't yet done so, Walmart may be your new best friend. As 9to5Mac reports, the retail chain is offering some pretty hefty in-store discounts on several brand new gadgets starting today. The full list of deals reads as follows: 16GB iPhone 5 - $179 (with new two-year contract) 16GB iPhone 4S - $47 (with new two-year contract) 16GB iPad (newest version) - $399 (plus a $30 iTunes gift card starting December 17) Target stores are also jumping on the iPhone discount bandwagon, but in a slightly different way. The retailer will offer Virgin Mobile's prepaid 16GB iPhone 4S for $399 (down from $449) starting on December 16 at Target Mobile stores.
Google acquires coupon-focused Incentive Targeting for undisclosed sum
Google is no stranger to the business of discounts and special offers, but it looks like it's decided to reach outside the company to further bolster its offerings. The company confirmed today that it has acquired the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based marketing firm Incentive Targeting for an undisclosed sum. While not offering too much in the way of specifics, Google said in a statement that "we look forward to working with Incentive Targeting in our ongoing efforts to help consumers save time and money and enable retailers deliver relevant discounts to the right customers." For its part, Incentive Targeting has said that it "set out to do for retail couponing what Google had done for online advertising: make it simple, relevant, measurable, and effective," and to that end it has developed a variety of tools for retailers and manufacturers alike, all designed to deliver coupons and discounts in a more targeting manner. You can find the company's full statement on its website.
Apple discounts Macs, iPads and more on Black Friday
Apple kicked off its Black Friday sale today with discounts on iPads, iPods, Macs and accessories. The retailer is offering the following deals: iPad with Retina display for US$468 (Save $41) iPad 2 for $368 (Save $31) iPod nano for $138 (Save $11) iPod touch fifth generation for $268 (Save $31) iPod touch fourth generation for $178 (Save $21) iPad Smart Cover - Leather for $48 (Save $21) iPad Smart Cover - Polyurethane for $28 (Save $11) iPad Smart Case for $34 (Save $15) Save $101 of the price of MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and MacBook Pro with Retina display AirPort Express Base Station for $88 ((Save $11) Time Capsule for $278 (Save $21) AirPort Extreme Base Station for $158 (Save $21) Apple Magic Mouse for $58 (Save $11) Apple Magic Trackpad for $58 (Save $11) Apple Wireless Keyboard for $58 (Save $11) Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic for $22 (Save $7) Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic for $68 (Save $11) You can shop for these deals online or head out to your local Apple Store, which is open for extended hours today.