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Retailers seek to promote HD DVD / Blu-ray titles equally
My, how things have changed in just a few short months. While we once groused over retailers not devoting enough attention to high-definition film, it wasn't too long before the SACD and DVD-A kiosks were canned (hey, it's our best guess, anyway) and HD DVD / Blu-ray titles received expanded exposure. Now that both formats are still holding (relatively) strong, it looks like the major players are seeking to provide an equal amount of promotion for each "until customers tell them they shouldn't." Jim Litwak, president and CEO at Trans World, was even quoted as saying that while Blu-ray sales were currently trumping HD DVD, "the customer is still saying that they want HD DVD." Firms such as Amazon, Best Buy, and Virgin Metastores were all noted as companies unwilling to "snub" one format while the war raged on, and that sits just fine with us.
Zune fire sale sees reductions of up to sixty bucks
Hey wait Microsoft, weren't you supposed to be working on reducing the prices for that other consumer electronics device? The Zune appears to be in the middle of a sale at the moment, as several US retailers have put the price of the portable media player down with reductions being above 20% in the case of Staples's $60-off promotion. We all know how fickle retailers are when it comes to pricing -- if one does it, they all do it -- but surely it's not a great sign for the Zune to get such significant discounts under a year after its launch. This could be an indication of an impending announcement of a successor for the Zune (in which case this price cut is doubleplusgood), but it's not like you know who ever had to lower prices to raise interest in their outgoing PMP models.[Thanks, Bryan P]Read - BestBuy ($220)Read - Amazon ($209)Read - CircuitCity ($200)Read - Staples ($190)Read - Wal-Mart ($199)
Best Buy sued over shady intranet site
Tsk, tsk. Looks like Best Buy will indeed be paying up for the misdeeds involving that dodgy intranet we saw a few months back. Connecticut's attorney general announced a lawsuit against the big box retailer and accused it of "deceiving customers with in-store computer kiosks and overcharging them." Attorney General Richard Blumenthal was quoted as saying that the store "gave consumers the worst deal with a bait-and-switch-plus scheme luring consumers into stores with promised online discounts, only to charge higher in-store prices." The suit seeks "refunds for consumers, civil penalties, court costs, a ban on the practice, and other remedies," and while Best Buy spokespersons are vigorously denying the allegations, Connecticut's consumer protection commissioner even said that there was "certainly an element of deception here." Reportedly, the in-store kiosks were somehow an "alternate way to get information about products," but when that information ends up costing your customers more than they should be paying, we doubt the judge will look kindly upon it.
Tweeter stores streamlining stores/operations
Life can be hard for upper-end electronic relaters these days. Well with Walmart poking fun at 'em in commercials and Home Depot contemplating getting into flat screen sales but we strongly feel that stores like Tweeters will find that niche they need to survive. They will not, and shouldn't, compete with big box pushers like Best Buy and Circuit City's but rather focus in on custom installations and competent salesmen. Their restructuring plan includes shutting the doors of 49 stores, two regional locations and exiting certain regions of the country. The company is closing all the stores in California, Tennessee, Alabama, New York, and most of Georgia within two to three months. While we don't understand how some of those states are not preforming for Tweeter, they know their company a whole lot better than we do. The rest of the plan includes retooling other stores into their Digital Playground layout and "significant reinvestment in its people." Hopefully Tweeter can survive these low price/low revenue days cause as nice as it is to get a low price, it's almost as nice as shopping in a professional, knowledgeable atmosphere.[via CE Pro]
Retailers tell Sony: change PSP, or else
According to 1UP, retailers have been telling Sony to change the PSP, or else they'll stop carrying the machine altogether. Shipments of the system plummeted about 72 percent from the year before, with a meager 10,000 machines shipped to retailers last Fall. (Of course, the system has gained much more momentum at the beginning of this year. Looking at hardware sales, one can see that the PSP is still doing well--just not as well as the DS.)Retailers have supposedly asked that Sony reduce the price of the PSP, but apparently, there's no plans for a price cut. At the Destination PlayStation event for retailers, Sony announced something else that got retailers excited: what it is is unclear at this point.The theories have ranged from new system colors, new bundles, to a new system redesign. Hopefully, we'll see more when the PSP's second anniversary comes up on March 24th.[Thanks, Aaron!]
Earth to consumers: extended warranties are a bad deal
It's no secret that you and your loved ones will probably drop some serious coin this holiday season (Black Friday in particular, we're sure), and while future repair costs may cross your mind, Consumer Reports recommends that you brush off that extended warranty those big box retailers will be shoving in your cart. Stores like Best Buy typically don't garner massive profits from just selling the snazzy new LCD or LCoS televisions, but "around 50 percent" of the extended warranty's pricetag goes straight to their pocket, and rarely do consumers need the coverage until after it's up. Studies have shown that most major breakdowns occur after the warranty period expires, and that in most cases, the repairs cost "about the same" anyway. Two potential exceptions were RPTVs and laptops Apple computers. The report stated that RPTVs have erroneously high repair bills and can be difficult to ship / move when the time comes for fixin', and since Apple's machines only come with "90 days of phone support," it was recommended that you pick up that AppleCare box with your purchase. Notably, studies found that notebook damage didn't occur nearly as much as generally believed, especially during the first year or three when the warranty was in effect. Nevertheless, it's estimated that non-savvy consumers will drop a combined $1.6 billion on fruitless warranties this year, so just be sure you're not one of 'em, cool?
Black Friday promises deals on HDTVs, riots likely
Ah, Black Friday. Two incredibly delightful sounding words in the ears of bargain hunters everywhere, and this year's episode promises to emphasize HDTVs more than ever. With the big day looming, certain retailers have already disclosed attractive pricing on LCD and plasma sets, including the magical "$999" price point for 42-inch displays (albeit probably ED). Best Buy is hoping that the increase in volume will lead to increased demand for in-home installations, and with a new wave of gaming consoles hitting the market just a week earlier, HDTV sales could see a huge boost from gamers looking to take advantage of that 720p/1080i/1080p bliss. LCDs seem to be the biggest draw this year, as plasma pricing has hit a bit of a wall, while LCD technology continues to get cheaper. Marketing analysts have also predicted that consumers may see the stellar one-day deals as good reason to upgrade their old sets in order to take advantage of Blu-ray / HD DVD technology, and have also noted that this year is likely the "last hurrah" for EDTV sets. Regardless, getting your hands on any of the hotter deals will likely be a chore, and if you're not exactly keen with lining up outside a retailer's door at 3:00AM, just hold tight for that soon-to-come Cyber Monday, cool?
Xbox Live Arcade titles coming to retail [update 1]
Steam isn't the only digital distribution service offering games up in delicious digital bits; Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade has been selling kids Geometry Wars crack for $5 a hit ... just to get you started. So it should come as no surprise that, like many of Steam's games, some of Xbox Live Arcade's will be coming to retail as well. According to Next Generation, "Peter Moore is pushing to extend the Live Arcade brands to retail, arguing internally that original games like Geometry Wars, retro hits like Smash TV and casual games like Hardwood Hearts will extend Xbox 360's appeal to non-hardcore audiences."I know where they're going with this: around half of the 360 owners aren't on XBL, yet they might want to jam on some Joust. Thing is, the whole idea is that some of these games, which had their retail heyday 20 years ago, made the jump online to cut distribution costs and bypass the limited retail interest. Ultimately, Microsoft will need to cherry pick games whose retail prospects would make the move worthwhile. That means more Geometry Wars, less Smash TV.[Via Evil Avatar][Update 1: A tipster claims MS released the following info to retailers today. The $39.99 package, which will be dubbed Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged, will include XBLA superstar Geometry Wars, along with Texas Hold'em, Wik, Bejeweled 2, Outpost Kaloki X, Hardwood Backgammon, a free 1-month Gold membership, 100 free Microsoft bucks, and should be available in early September. Thanks, Loki.]
BestBuy.com is selling PS3 games also
BestBuy.com isn't just offering Wii titles for an unconfirmed price with unconfirmed release dates. Nope, they've set up shop offering nine PS3 titles for pre-order. The purported launch titles include: Devil May Cry IV, Final Fantasy VII, Indiana Jones, Killzone 2, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Medal of Honor: Airborne, Resident Evil 5, Tekken 6, and WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw 2007.Now, we don't have to remind you that retailers are a notoriously unreliable source of accurate information regarding launch dates and prices. Some of their Wii titles have already been confirmed as not being launch titles, but there they are. That said, what can we extract from this list: $60 prices, in line with the Xbox 360 and higher than Nintendo's status quo $50 price; $60 for Sony-published titles like Killzone 2, unlike Microsoft's lower $50 price; and Final Fantasy VII?! That wasn't just a tech-demo?At least with BestBuy.com, they're not going after the nice interest-free loan most retailers do. According to their pre-order FAQ:Q: When will I be charged?A: You will not be charged at the time you place the pre-order. Only when your item ships will your credit card be charged. If you order additional items along with your pre-order, you will be charged for each item as it ships.Still not sure why you'd want to pre-order software months before we know anything, but it's your future-money. Pre-order madness:PS3 titles listed for Oct. 1st and ready for pre-orderMore Revolution pre-release madness from GameStopZelda Revolution: wishful thinking or calculated scam?Halo 3 on pre-sale[Via Engadget]
