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Pokemon Global Trading Service: 10 million served
The Pokémon Global Trade Station, which you probably know about from using it yourself, is a system that lets American gamers make really unfair trades to Japanese players eager for their English-named Pokémon. And it has been very successful in that regard!Nintendo announced that over 10 million transactions have been made on the Bidoof Unloading Station Game Breaking Station Global Trade Service. We hope there are plenty of game-ruining, over-leveled Pokémon left for us when we start doing trades! We've been too busy writing about Pokémon to play Pokémon.
Feds impose "partial ban" on Qualcomm-powered phones
Stock up on those 3G handsets, folks -- they could become very valuable commodities here in the next few weeks. As part of an ongoing series of spats between wireless giants Qualcomm and Broadcom, the US International Trade Commission has ruled that handsets containing Qualcomm 3G chipsets (and that's a whole heck of a lot of handsets) that are manufactured starting today may not be imported into the US. By all accounts, this appears to be much more than legal posturing on Broadcomm's part -- a ban is a ban -- and we've gotta believe this'll resolve itself right quick. But if for whatever reason it doesn't, get ready for an eBay free-for-all in a gloomy, scorched-earth future where the only high speed handsets are pawned for thousands of New Dollars on the black market. [Warning: subscription required]
Have PSP? Will trade for python
This is quite possibly the strangest tip we've ever received on PSP Fanboy. A Brooklyn native is looking to purchase a PSP. In exchange, he's offering his 4-foot long python. The snake is "very friendly" and even "comes w/ tank." What a steal! He's even willing to take a broken system! To take advantage of this lucrative deal and get your very own snake, click here.[Thanks, TJ!]
Profession revamp preview
Professions have been on the drawing board for changes for a good while, but until now Blizz have been very tight-lipped about what specific modifications they might be making. No more! Nethaera has posted a nice preview of changes that are being made to many professions for "the next content patch," i.e. 2.1 (The Black Temple). Before I go into detail, note that Neth said her post "does not contain all of the upcoming changes, but instead gives a brief look at what is to come," so bank on more surprises to come. Anyway, this round is mostly buffs and new recipes, with a major nerf to alchemy.Full post copied after the jump as usual, but here's the changes I found more interesting: Alchemy: Elixirs now stack in two categories, Battle (Offensive) and Guardian (Defensive) Elixirs. You can only have one of each type of Elixir up at a time. As a result Elixirs now stack with class abilities such as "Arcane Intellect." I totally called this (as did many others, I'm sure). The intended effect is obviously to reduce the maximum possible effect of consumables in raids and other such situations, and this will go a long way towards producing that effect, without hurting alchemists too much (in my opinion). Engineering: "Seaforium" now opens locked chests as well as locked doors. About time; having to skip locked chests if I didn't have a rogue in the party has been annoying. But will Powerful Seaforium Charges open the top-level locked chests, or are we going to see new seaforium? Engineering: 11 new epic goggles have been introduced at 350 engineering skill and are available from the trainer. They range from cloth to plate, and have a variety of stats to appeal to most talent specs. This is probably the biggest change to any profession. I've always loved the goggles Engineering had to offer, and now engineers have something epic to work towards. Exciting! Fishing: The fishing timer has been reduced from 30 to 20 seconds and it now takes less time to fish. Sweet! I always though 30 seconds was a bit too long. But on the down side, Fishing has been removed from Arathi Basin and Alterac Valley -- what, you mean I have to actually fight now?! Jewelcrafting: The jewelcrafting UI now has gems split up by color so it is easier to find gems of a specific color to create. This is long-overdue; Blizz's profession UIs are so primitive it's not even funny. I would recommend ATSW as a replacement, but it tends to crash my client sometimes. Now where's my gem category in the AH? Jewelcrafting: Jewelcrafters can make two new melee oriented meta gems. One is found randomly as a world drop and the other sold by the <Faction> reputation vendor. Definitely needed -- but what do they mean by <Faction>? Scryer or Aldor? HH or Thrallmar? Any faction? Jewelcrafting: New recipes have been added that use the Jaggal and Shadow Pearls. Time to stop vendoring those, I guess. Skinning: Skinning higher level creatures will give more leather; you will no longer get a single leather scrap. Good, it was getting silly. Read on for the full blue post.
Gangs get games for guns
Apparently figuring that drug runners would rather shoot a virtual gun than a real one, Mexico City authorities have started a program allowing gun owners in the crime-riddled Tepito area to trade in their firearms for game systems. Reuters reports that a high-powered machine gun will net a $756 computer, while turning in a smaller gun earns an Xbox (presumably a 360, though the article is unclear) or cash.Organizers reportedly took in 17 guns on the first day -- a relative blip in a region afflicted with 2,000 drug-related killing last year, but still a good start. Here's hoping these criminals find the idea of virtual violence much more engrossing than real world carnage.Previously: GRAW 2 to be seized by Mexican state gov't
Mexican government swapping Xbox / PC for gang's weaponry
Here's an interesting one. It appears that a newly-elected mayor is trying desperately to restore order to the "notorious inner-city barrio of Tepito," but rather than raiding gang hangouts and throwing 'em all in the slammer, the Mexican government is looking to reward them. In a presumably last ditch effort to curb gunfighting, officials are offering up computers ( reportedly worth $769) to gunslingers who give up a "high-caliber weapon such as a machine gun," while folks coughing up smaller artillery will be blessed with an Xbox console. Notably, the effort is already seeing minor "success," as some 17 guns were turned in on the program's launch day alone. Look, we know it's a hard choice between gaming and booze (and hair, for that matter), but we seriously doubt that turning citywide bullies into hackers and couch potatoes is the ideal solution here.
DS is the future, PSP is the past, says EB
GamersReports has found an EB Games ad that tells you to trade your old systems from the past, such as the original "Phat" DS, the GBA SP ... and the PSP? While Nintendo and EB may want you to think that the DS Lite is the "future," it's everything but: the system is based on tech comparable to the N64 era. Where's the PS2-quality graphics? Or the ability to play multimedia and browse the web? While the games can be quite good, to think of the DS Lite as a "future" tech device would be akin to calling the Commodore 64 a "next-gen" system.[Thanks, Chi!]
Wii Warm Up: What do you do with your booty?
We're talking about booty in the pirate sense here (can we say piratical?) -- specifically, all your gaming booty, and we want to know what you do with it. Are you an obsessive collector, stockpiling all the games you ever obtain, until your walls are lines with cases? Do you sell them or maybe trade with other gamers? Or do you put up with the jankery that is gaming store trade-for-credit deals, simply because it's easy? 'Fess up -- we want to know all about what you do with games once you've finished them.
DS Daily: To keep or not to keep
There are as many philosophies about what to do with games you've finished as there are types of gamers. Some people keep everything, building collections which can later be sold for fat stacks of cash on eBay. Others need a revolving door installed at their local gaming store to handle the volume of their trade-ins. So what about you? Do you rent? Scheme games off your friends? Or are you planning to build a fort of discarded games strong enough to fend off an undead invasion?
Trade your car for a PS3
Apparently, the offers to trade PS3s for Wiis on Cragislist were just the tip of the iceberg. This morning, tipster David Phillips pointed us to this interesting Craigslist listing offering a PS3 and two games for "a car or parts and labor on my jeep." A quick search finds a couple of other listings offering up a PS3 in exchange for a new ride or money to fix an existing ride. There are also some postings going the other way, offering a 1987 Volkswagon Golf, a 1991 Mazda Protege and even a 1968 Ford Falcon in exchange for a PS3 or other electronics. Apparently entertainment is more important than mobility for some traders, which got us wondering what else people would be willing to give up for Sony's super-system. Food? Shelter? Warmth? First born? What would you give up for a PS3?
Deal or no deal: $100 off PS3 by giving up PS2
Gamestop and EB Games is offering $100 off the purchase of a PS3 by handing over your PS2. The PS3 does play PS2 games, albeit a little jagged, so getting $100 off for trading it in could be construed as a good deal -- especially if you're part of the PS2 sporadic "disc read error" crew. This advertisement and deal is one the first true signs that retailers have stock and want those systems out the door. We now wait to see if any other retailers begin offering deals to move PS3s. Stores aren't making very much money off of the systems, so moving those puppies out is top priority. The real profit exists in getting customers to buy games and accessories. So, while the retailer gets rid of their stacks of immovable PS3 consoles with this deal, they also get your old friend who certainly will sell. This deal means Gamestop gets your $400 - $500 from the PS3 purchase, plus whatever accessories and games go with the sale, and then they will sell the traded-in PS2 for another $100 to someone not ready to upgrade. Ding, they break even or profit, and everyone walks away happy.
Craigslisters trading PS3 for Wii + money
Jason McMaster over at GigaGamez has noticed an interesting trend in new generation system listings on popular classified site Craigslist. Apparently, dozens of posters are looking to trade their PlayStation 3s for a Wii and some extra spending cash.A quick scan of the trade offers in the San Francisco area shows that most of the offers are looking for a Wii and roughly $350 in exchange for their PS3. Others are looking to trade their Sony system for two Wiis or offering slightly more ludicrous exchanges. There are also some listings offering to trade their Wiis for a PS3, but not nearly as many came up in our searches.What's motivating all these trading offers? McMaster theorizes the traders are completists looking to dump a second Sony system for a hard-to-find Wii or single owners disappointed with the PS3s lackluster lineup. For some, though, the explanation is a simple misunderstanding: "I made a grand mistake in getting my kids a gift for xmas. I thought they wanted a ps3, but rather they wanted a wii." There's no need to argue, parents just don't understand.[Via Guardian GamesBlog]
Men prefer hair over gadgets
While all of us at Engadget are mostly dreaming of a digital Chrismahanukwanzakah, apparently a good number of our male readers are looking for something a little closer to home that will boost their self-esteem and sex appeal. (We know, we were surprised too.) Indeed, according to a study sponsored by Merck and conducted by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery, over half of more than 2,000 balding men surveyed said that they would trade something from their collection of consumer electronics for more hair on their head. Of those surveyed, 26 percent said they'd trade a stereo system for a more beefy coiffure -- ok, that seems pretty fair. However, 17 percent said they'd trade their laptop (huh?), while another 17 percent said they'd give up an "expensive car" (wha?) for more follicles on the ol' chrome dome. But what we were most surprised about is that 13 percent of men surveyed said they'd trade their prized plasma TVs (have you guys seen the stuff on Engadget HD lately?), and a final six percent would trade a boat (are you guys nuts?) for some of the hairy stuff. Assuming these numbers are accurate, if we had Rumpelstiltskin-style machine -- that is, one that could turn silicon into hair -- we'd quit this whole blogging thing in a second.
Did You Hear Steve Irwin Died?
Boy, MBAzeroth hit the nail on the head with this one. Raise your hand if you heard about the sad death of the Crocodile Hunter from the LFG or the Trade channel. I must have heard about five or six of these conversations this weekend (and even I threw a "no way" in the /raid chat when I first heard about it)."[3. Trade][Rokusha]: died from stingray barb tot he hbeart [3. Trade][Ampersand]: so sad [3. Trade][Gunor]: YEAH [3. Trade][Bigjim]: thats what he gets for f'n with animals. [3. Trade][Carnivera]: the stingray rolled a crit with its barb "20" [3. Trade][Aborted]: that was a 62 elite Stingray tho [3. Trade][Halfmoo]: Probably named as well. [3. Trade][Clownshoes]: I can't beleave that happen by a sting ray [3. Trade][Halfmoo]: Only a named stingray could bring down my man steve. [3. Trade][Crilogan]: and it was a named raid boss [3. Trade][Carnivera]: yep."What is it about WoW players that attracts us to this story? Maybe it's just because everyone was online playing when this happened over the holiday weekend, but nobody was talking about the VMAs or even the Lamont victory when that stuff happened last month. For some reason, when it comes to this culture, it's Steve Irwin and Chuck Norris that piques our interest.And for the record, RIP Steve. No matter how much you guys joke about it, the man was an icon, raised awareness of wildlife and conservation issues all over the world, and he left behind a wife and two children that (I remember seeing on one of his shows at one point) he loved very much.
iLounge reviews USB transfer device
iLounge has posted a review of Hitch, a sort of USB middle man device that allows transferring files between two USB devices, including iPods. The Hitch is apparently a little slow, taking 6 seconds to transfer a 4MB song, but hey: it beats needing a computer to do it if you're a chronic swapper borrower, or if you're getting into the 'I bought a new iPod and I need help to move over all my music' business.There is one catch with the device specific to the Mac community though: it can't read HFS formatted iPods. Still, I figured this was worth posting, as not all of our readers are 100% Mac users all of the time (and yes, it's ok. We won't hold it against you). Plus, if we can help get the word out on such a handy device, maybe enough Mac users *ahem* could send an email to Sima Products, the Hitch's manufacturer, and make a request for some HFS love.
