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Target deals: $70 EA Sports Active 2, $40 New Vegas and more next week
If you still haven't started your holiday shopping, and if you're actually not planning to start until next week, Target just may have a few gaming deals for you. The store will be discounting several titles next week beginning this Sunday, December 19. Some of the better deals include EA Sports Active 2 or the DJ Hero 2 turntable bundle for $70, though we should note that Amazon has the former for $60 today. Furthermore, Fallout: New Vegas can be had for $40, and you can get a $20 gift card with the $299 4GB Xbox 360 Kinect bundle. Check out some other highlights after the break.
Today only: Amazon slims down fitness game prices
Continuing its daily holiday sales event, today Amazon is shedding some unwanted weight off the prices of several fitness games. Highlights include the PS3 and Wii version of EA Sports Active 2 for $60, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved for $40, Personal Trainer: Walking for $20 and Just Dance 2 for $30. There are plenty of accessories on sale too -- and, bizarrely, America's Test Kitchen: Let's Get Cooking is also included in the promotion for just $7. Then again, we suppose all that working out probably will make you hungry. Head over to Amazon for the full slate of deals.
EA Sports Active 2 review: The (almost) perfect fit
EA Sports Active 2 may technically be a fitness game, but let me assure you: Niki, my virtual personal trainer -- she don't play. This sequel to the hugely popular EA Sports Active for Wii expands its fitness dominion to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, stepping things up by including motion tracking sensors and delivering real-time information about your heart rate, making it the most interactive exercise title to date. %Gallery-87892%
North American Kinect launch window games rounded up
When you get your shiny new Kinect, what games will you get with it? Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb has provided a handy guide to the full Kinect launch lineup -- including launch day games and those arriving soon after. If you wagered there would be four sports minigame collections (Kinect Sports, Deca Sports Freedom, Game Party In Motion and MotionSports), you win! The seventeen-game lineup also includes three dancing games (Dance Central, Zumba Fitness, and DanceMasters), four exercise games (Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, The Biggest Loser Ultimate Workout, EA Sports Active 2.0, and the aforementioned Zumba Fitness), and two 'boarding games (Adrenalin Misfits and Sonic Free Riders). See the full list after the break. Major Nelson notes that the Xbox 360 launched in North America with 18 games, just one more than Kinect is launching with -- bearing out Shane Kim's comment that Microsoft would treat the Kinect launch like a new system. Or, it would, if this list didn't count the Kinect games coming out weeks after the Kinect release date as "launch games" vs. the 360's 18-game launch day. In any case, the Kinect has a lot of choices, even if they're all within a few categories.
Venus Williams chosen as North American 'brand ambassador' for EA Sports Active 2
EA Sports has chosen tennis superstar Venus Williams as brand ambassador for its upcoming title EA Sports Active 2, the motion sensor- and heart rate monitor-equipped fitness title coming out on November 16. Williams will join her EU and AU counterpart David Beckham in navigating the risky straits of fitness game diplomacy, including dealing with the various intertitular carb and calorie accounting laws, drafting the Target Heart Rate Zone treaty, and rebuilding relations with Wii Sports after the devastating Mii riots of late 2009. Oh no, wait -- the press release says she will instead join Beckham and represent the brand to "show others that you can be active and reach your fitness goals while having fun at the same time." Our mistake.
David Beckham joins the EA Sports Active 2 'team'
A torn Achilles tendon might have kept David Beckham out of the World Cup, but he's still fit enough to start playing for the EA Sports Active 2 team. Peter Moore announced the soccer superstar's signing during EA's Gamescom press conference today, as the first of what should be several promotional spots of an active Beckham aired on a big screen behind the executive. Beckham will be on loan to EA in a "brand ambassador" capacity, which is to say his handsome mug will be plastered all over EA Sports Active 2 marketing materials across Europe and Australia; though it seems he will not appear in the US advertising campaign, despite being a "part time player" for the Los Angeles Galaxy. It also seems that he won't appear in the actual game -- too bad, since we've always wanted to learn how to bend like Beckham from the man himself.
Trademark lawsuit filed over EA Sports Active
Active Network Inc. has filed a trademark infringement suit against Electronic Arts over the EA Sports Active series. IGN obtained a copy of the lawsuit [PDF link] wherein Active Network claims EA is infringing on its "Active" trademarks, which -- as you must already know -- are "famous, arbitrary, and highly distinctive, and are recognized by the public," according to the suit. You are familiar with the famous Active Network, aren't you? EA declined to comment on the adjective-packed lawsuit.
EA Sports Active 2.0 coming this fall to Wii, PS3 and iPhone
EA Sports' "Season Opener" event at GDC contained one major announcement for the developer's bevy of franchises: EA Sports Active will receive the sequel treatment this Fall with EA Sports Active 2.0 (working title), an updated version of the exergame for the PS3, Wii, iPhone and iPod Touch platforms. The console versions of the game will come equipped with two motion sensors and a heart rate monitor the player can strap to their arms and legs. User information in this new game can be shared over an online social network, allowing fellow players to keep track of how frequently you've been skipping out on your demanding workout regimen. EA Vancouver is reprising its role as developer for the title. We'll let you know when we hear more about 2.0 -- like, for instance, why the game is apparently skipping out on launching on the 360.
