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Trade in two games to get Brawl cheap at GameStop
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/nintendo/Trade_in_two_games_to_get_Brawl_cheap_at_GameStop'; Still not sure how you're going to raise enough money in time to pick up Super Smash Bros. Brawl in two weeks? Before you start robbing any banks or turning tricks at the corner, consider this option -- starting today until March 16th, you can trade in two Wii games at GameStop to reserve the epic fighter for only $9.99. Yes, you'll still need to spend some cash, but at least you won't be getting into cars with strangers. Didn't your parents teach you anything?We've pasted the list of trade-in games eligible for this preorder deal right after the post break, so check that out if you're interested. Keep in mind that you can manage a better bargain for some of these titles using GameStop's current "trade in two Xbox 360, Wii, or PS3 games and receive an extra $10 trade-in credit" offer.
German retailer discounting Sony BDP-S300 for HD DVD player trade-in
We're not exactly sure what German retailer Saturn plans to do with any HD DVD players that are surrendered as folks waltz in to take advantage of its latest offer, but we suppose the refurbished section could receive a boost in inventory if nothing else. Judging by a recent flier from the store, it's offering consumers a €150 ($221) discount on Sony's BDP-S300 -- which is overpriced at €499 ($734) -- if they trade their HD DVD player in at the time of purchase. Also of note, we can't seem to find if there's any fine print about what HD DVD players are acceptable, but it is certain that this deal is only available overseas at the moment. Not a bad idea to get customers to jump ship, though.[Via Blu-ray, thanks Bhargav N.]
Make those used game trade-ins worthwhile by donating to troops
Many of you aren't fans of a certain trade-in retailer that we know, so why not donate some of your used games instead?Drew Koehler started Trade-ins for Troops, a charity dedicated to giving used video games to U.S. soldiers that are currently overseas. As Koehler puts it, "I think there are a lot of people that may be interested in supporting in a non-financial way, and it's a great opportunity to show the world that gamers care about our troops and would want to see them supported while they are away from home." We agree, good sir. The charity is especially interested in receiving handheld titles, since portable systems are popular among the troops, but all games are welcome. Video games are a welcome distraction to the men and women overseas, so this charity seems like a nice and easy way to give back a little for the sacrifices they've had to make. With that said, it's time for us to stop being PSA Fanboy; and now, back to your regularly scheduled programming.
TechForward and NEW sparking trend of gadget buyback services
It's no secret that gadget aficionados like ourselves have mounds of kit that was hot stuff in its heyday, but figuring out what to do with it once its prime has passed is still a mystery to some. 'Course, the entrepreneurs in the crowd simply offer their previously loved wares up to the world via eBay (or similar), but for those lacking the time / motivation to do so, rest assured, companies are on the prowl to totally take advantage of you. TechForward and NEW are two firms that are looking to make a mint from entering the gadget buyback realm, and as you'd probably expect, the cash doled out to suckers individuals who bite on this is woefully less than market value -- but then again, it's ultra-convenient, shipping is free and it's guaranteed, hassle-free money. Sounds like the pawn shop just got with the times, eh?[Image courtesy of PlanoPawnShop]
GameFly testing pre-played trade-in program
GameFly, the by-mail game rental service, is beginning to offer select members the option to trade in their used games for credit toward membership fees. We contacted GameFly and a company representative said, "We've been testing a trade-in program for a few months now. When we are convinced that there is sufficient consumer demand and the customer experience is highly robust, we expect to make it available to all our members. For now, it is still in beta form and we continue to monitor the results."If the program is implemented we'll have to make it a mission to get a comparison chart between GameFly and GameStop trade-in values. If GameFly's exceptional store prices are any indication (and naturally assuming they don't resell games at a loss), we fear that trade-in values won't be that much better. But poking around the GameFly store it's quite clear why the company is testing this trade-in program, especially after its end-of-year sale -- the current console store selection is practically cleared out![Thanks Shoeshineboy]
Sony offering $100 off BRAVIAs for your unwanted television
Promotions like this are far from revolutionary, but with piles of wrapping paper and cardboard boxes about to consume any remaining free space in your home, we figured you may as well get $100 back for that ancient TV sitting on the junk pile. Effectively immediately, anyone that drops off an old television for recycling (locations listed here) will receive a $100 coupon towards the purchase of a BRAVIA HDTV. Unfortunately, the coupon is only valid at Sony Style stores, at SonyStyle.com or through Sony's telesales office, and any non-Sony dropped off will lower the coupon's value by "$25 - $50." So yeah, we appreciate the effort here, but the terms and conditions aren't exactly the most desirable.
Alienware announces AlienExchange trade-in program
While they're still far from eMachines-territory, those in the market for an Alienware system can now knock a few bucks off their desktop or laptop of choice -- if they're willing to fork over some of their old gear, that is. That can be done as part of the company's just-launched AlienExchange program, which will let you trade in everything from cellphones and MP3 players to game consoles and digital cameras to computers and monitors in exchange for an AlienWare gift card or a plain old check. Those trading in their old Alienware system will also get an additional $200 on top of the regular trade-in value as a bonus. If that sounds like reason enough to clean out your closet, you can hit up the link below to get a quote on your gear, after which Alienware will send you a shipping label to send it all in.
DS Daily: The burden of releases
Invariably, we want more games than we can actually buy. We have to make some tough decisions at times, and occasionally, games get left behind. What's your strategy for getting your hands on as many games as possible? Do you do trade-ins or sell used games somewhere, like on Amazon? Do you rely on holiday gift requests to get the games you want the most? Do you rent? Or do you maybe work something out with friends so that you each buy different games (when you can, outside of multiplayer needs) and trade off? The worst option, of course, is going without. Even though we've certainly had moments of that, we still shudder at the very thought of making such agonizing decisions. When you do choose to let a wanted title pass you by, do you try to pick it up later, or just let it go?
360 Elite trade-in offer further clarified
The Gamestop Xbox 360 trade-in increase we talked about earlier in the week needs further clarification due to the evidence we just received. Kevin, a Gamestop assistant manager, sent us scans of the actual coupon flyers for the Elite trade-in promotion. All the Xbox 360 trade-in increases that what we reported on earlier ($250 Premium, $200 Core, $50 Xbox) are correct, but the promotional dates and how the program works is a little different than what we were told. In a memo to Gamestop managers, it clearly states that the Xbox 360 Elite trade-in coupon flyers must be held until April 29th (Elite launch day), when they'll be given out to all Elite purchasers. Then, before May 27th, you can bring in your special coupon from the flyer, old Xbox 360, and the receipt from your Elite purchase to get the increased trade-in values. This will allow you to buy an Elite, take it home, transfer all your data from your old 360, and then go back to Gamestop to trade it in for the increased value.Sorry for the confusion everyone, but it sounds like the managers we talked to either don't read their memos or just don't care what corporate says. We can't argue with flyer scans from Kevin. Xbox 360 Elite flyer proof posted after the break.
EB Games: PSP is pass, DS Lite is the future
Wait, you didn't know? The future is where all the fun is. It's where children laugh in unceasing delight, merrily skipping through the radioactive wastelands with their DS Lites held tightly in at least one of their seven hands. Indeed, a copy of Hotel Dusk is just the thing to idle the day away and distract from the impending threat of multi-headed toaster beasts roaming the world.Thus is the picture painted by a recent EB Games flyer posted in the NeoGAF forums, urging consumers to trade in the past and embrace a more touchy-feely sort of future. As if hurling the PSP into "the past" wasn't confusing enough, the original version of the DS also finds itself traveling through time. Doesn't that create some sort of inconceivable time paradox?
GameStop reaching out for your Twilight Princess
Ring, ring ... ring, ring. Have you recently been disturbed by Aeris' dinnertime calls? GameStop's automated insider dialed up Opposable Thumbs to drop a hot tip: Twilight Princess now has a $35 trade-in value -- "if you're finished with it, why don't you bring it to the store and trade it in?"Apparently GameStop, which controls most of the US's used-games market, is squirreling away as many of those one million Zelda copies in circulation as it can, just in time for ... spring? GameStop's spam-calls might indicate that the retailer is not reaching its double-sale quota. GameStop is probably having trouble buying back copies of Twilight Princess (so it can sell them again for a solid profit); likely because consumers are holding on to the game. And so the calls go out.Inside the store is one thing -- but pestering your loyal customers on their phones? That's just squirrelly business practice.[Thanks, 32_Footsteps]
Helio letting new subs trade in old gadgets
In one of the more innovative promotions we've seen lately, MVNO Helio has begun offering recent subscribers up to 30-days to send in their old gadgets in return for not a service credit, but cold, hard cash (in the form of a check mailed two to three months later). The so-called Trade-Up program, developed in conjunction with Market Velocity, lets new subs sign up online and get the trade-in value for some of the more popular cellphones, PDAs, digital cameras, and gaming consoles from yesterday and today -- although since the quotes are based on your own unprofessional evaluation of your gear's condition, the actual amount of loot you receive may vastly differ from what you were expecting. The prices Helio is willing to pay range from 10 to 20 bucks for older devices in disrepair to several hundred dollars for meticulously cared-for smartphones and high-end digital cameras -- they'll even give you $26 if you've somehow managed to keep your first-gen Gameboy in mint condition for all these years. The only real losers in this program are the proud few who've chosen to say "iDon't," because Helio will happily take your old iPod off your hands, but want nothing to do with players from SanDisk, Creative, and friends.
Sony offering trade-in credit for your old laptop
While not quite as sweet a deal as getting a free computer for your rusty and bloodied old gun, Sony has still managed to one-up rival Apple's PC recycling program by actually offering you a cash incentive to bring in your used, non-Mac notebook when you go to purchase a new one from the Japanese electronics giant. Depending on your machine's capabilities, the company will give you anywhere from $23 (for a Pentium II-powered lappy) all they way up to $318 (for a Pentium 4 rig) as a trade-in credit towards a new Vaio, with Sony-brand laptops unsurprisingly fetching more loot than products from other manufacturers. Consumers interested in this deal can either bring their old gear to a Sony retail store or simply mail it in when they order online; as for us, we'll still be paying full price for our Sony products, because the CSR we spoke with just laughed and hung up when we asked how much they'd give us for our still-working Osborne.
DS Lite trumps Xbox 360's trade-in value in Japan [update 1]
According to Xbox Circle Cheap Ass Gamer, a DS Lite nets a 18,000¥ (about $160) trade-in value at Enterking, a Japanese gaming retail chain. That's about $10 more than its MSRP (16,800¥) and roughly $25 more than the trade-in value of an Xbox 360, which Enterking lists at 15,000¥ (about $135).In fact, 15,000¥ is also the trade-in value for a PSP Value Pack and a slim-line Silver PS2. The original DS models aren't far below that mark, still worth 14,000¥ (about $125).[Update: redirected to Cheap Ass Gamer's April 4th post, from where this information was lifted over a month and a half later. CAG's CheapyD writes us with some more current information: "Currently, my guess is that the trade-in values of the DS Lite and Xbox 360 are about even. Right before E3, I was actually able to buy a new DS Lite at that very store for 16,800¥ (MSRP)."]
