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Micro Center offers convoluted process for two free games
If you're in the market for a new DS Lite and happen to have one of Micro Center's 21 US locations nearby, this might be the deal for you! Starting yesterday and lasting until this Christmas, the computer retailer will hand out two coupons, each one redeemable for a free DS game, used or new, to anyone who picks up a Nintendo DS Lite in-store.Cashing in those coupons is where this bargain starts to get complicated, however. One of them can only be exchanged during the month of December, whereas the other is only valid during January. Also, the game is only free if its value is $29.99 or less. Any more than that, and the coupons will just subtract $29.99 from its list price. This sounds way more elaborate than it needs to be, but knowing the ridiculous lengths that gamers often go to for free stuff, we're sure that some of you will still take advantage of the sale.[Via CAG]
DS Fanswag: Win a copy of Etrian Odyssey
Wouldn't it be awesome if your mailbox randomly generated spankin' new DS games? While we may not have mastered nanotech, we can offer you the next best thing, which is a chance for a free copy of Etrian Odyssey. All you have to do is leave a comment below. Convince us that you burn with the desire for Etrian Odyssey, and we just may draw your name. It helps if mathematics happen to be on your side. Entries will be accepted through June 21 -- as soon as the clock ticks over to midnight on the 22nd, your chance to enter will disappear, so get commenting! We'll notify the winner on Friday, June 22.The rules are simple, but all fine print aside, all you have to do is leave a comment on this very entry. Make sure you enter a valid e-mail address in the applicable field, because if you don't, it won't matter if we draw your name -- if we can't get in touch with you, we'll have to give your game to someone else.The official rules for the DS Fanswag giveaway
Toys R Us: Buy 2 games, get 1 free [update 1]
Deals don't come along very often for gamers. Pre-order bundle packages, $60 games, along with the nickle and diming of Xbox Live -- it's all sinister and dirty. That's why the Toys R Us buy 2, get 1 free, is always a beacon of hope in a relatively dismal consumer market.If you've never experienced the joy of this deal, it is as legit as it gets. Naturally, the free game is the one of the three with the cheapest price tag. This deal works best when you get all $60 games or $20 games in a bundle. The sale runs until Saturday in stores and online -- it doesn't work on pre-orders.If you don't mind sloppy seconds, Gamestop and EB Games is also having a buy 2, get 1 free sale, on used games and DVDs. Nothing wrong with used, just means it has more experience.[Update 1: Added Gamestop and EB Games info]
Acclaim's MMO strategy examined
Next Generation brings us the lowdown from Howard Marks -- CEO of the newly-reopened Acclaim -- on Acclaim's MMO strategy. His plan is to bring Eastern games to the West with no subscriber fee, but instead to make money via in-game ads and micropayments.Next Gen's feature asks if this will work in a market with no real precedent. By dropping the phrase "free game" and instead focusing on games as a service, Marks intends it to. However, his strategy doesn't come across with a lot of confidence in this article. It'll be interesting to see if Acclaim manage to set a good precedent for an East-to-West business model, and more importantly whether others follow suit.
Q: What's better than a game? A: a free game
If you're itching to play a game but are short on cash, then don't panic: here's a list of more than 42 free games and places to find free games. The list ranges from the obvious (Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory) to the classics (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and all the way back to the original controversial game (Grand Theft Auto). A few of the games don't exactly fall into the "free" bracket (Air Hockey for example is actually a shareware game) but if you ignore this, there's a lot of fun to be had for not much more than a short wait while your download finishes. Make sure to drop us a line in the comments if you've found any other free titles.Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to try and figure out how to stop a bulldozer from pulling my house down.
