Wait And Buy Portal 2 On May 1, 2011, At Kmart

I know you want to have fun with science, but just wait. Seriously, be patient and wait. I know that Portal 2 is all spiffy and new, and those ads you’ve been seeing on buses and TV are awesome, but you will regret it if you go out and buy the game before May 1, 2011. That’s because it’s going to be on sale at Kmart for almost half off next week. See? Patience will pay off.

That’s especially true since Kmart’s Portal 2 deal takes almost 50% off the price. Go somewhere else before Saturday and you’ll pay $59.99 for it. Wait, and you’ll only pay $34.99. It’s practically a steal. Especially if you grab the PS3 version, which includes Steam codes for a free copy of the Windows and Mac version. The KmartGamer twitter just made this announcement, so you’ll know before everyone else grabs their Sunday papers. The tweet doesn’t state if it applies to all versions, but I’m sure the PS3 and Xbox 360 ones will be covered.

In case you by some miracle haven’t heard, Portal 2 is one of the most anticipated games of the summer. It’s a FPS/puzzle game where players help a research subject named Chell escape from a laboratory and evil robots. The evil robots are also quite funny, by the way. There’s also a multiplayer campaign mode and it is the first game where PS3 gamers can play with Windows and Mac gamers.

Well, I guess I have plans for Sunday morning now. Anyone else going to take advantage of this deal?

Read [KmartGamer] Site [Portal 2

 

 

Source: http://www.gamertell.com/gaming/comment/wait-and-buy-portal-2-on-may-1-2011-at-kmart-34.99-sale/

Major Retailers Cut Price Of Wii To $169.99

Although Nintendo hasn't made it official, the Wii's price has been cut to $169.99.

Several major retailers, including GameStop, Best Buy, Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, Target, and others are now selling the console at the reduced price. At those locations, customers can choose between the Wii White or Black bundle, which includes the console, a Wii MotionPlus Remote, the Wii nunchuk, Wii Sports, and Wii Sports Resort. The bundle was previously available for $199.99.

The price drop is especially notable, since Nintendo has yet to confirm that it has officially dropped the price of its Wii console. The company also did not immediately respond to CNET's request for confirmation that the Wii has officially gotten a $30 price drop.

In either case, a cheaper Wii isn't all that surprising. Just last week, Engadget cited sources who said Nintendo was planning to cut the Wii's price to $150 by May 15. Nintendo declined to comment to CNET at the time.

Nintendo's Wii was stuck at its former $200 price tag since 2009 when the company cut the price of its console from $250. Since then, critics have been calling on Nintendo to slash the price of its Wii, citing slumping demand for its console. In 2008, the company sold over 10 million Wii console units in the U.S. In 2009, it nearly hit the 10 million mark. Last year, however, its sales dropped to 7 million units.

Nintendo chief Satoru Iwata brought up the idea of a price cut back in October in an interview with the Associated Press. He said at the time that he had ruled it out in the "near future" but stopped short of saying that Nintendo wouldn't eventually cut the Wii's price.

"Of course, we cannot say [a Wii price cut] will never happen," Iwata said at the time.

If the Wii's price stays at $169.99, it might not be long before Microsoft and Sony follow suit with price cuts for their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, respectively. In a research note to investors in February, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said that 2011 would be the year of the price cut in gaming.

"After maintaining console prices at historically high points throughout 2010, all three console manufacturers appear to us to be poised for price cuts in 2011," he said at the time.

Look for more on that front in June at the E3 gaming expo.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20055218-17.html#ixzz1Jzb5FOoW

Analyst: Nintendo 3DS Sales Hit 500,000 In March

Nintendo's 3DS led the gaming market in hardware sales last month, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter said in a note to investors today.

Pachter said he believes that Nintendo sold 500,000 3DS units in March, besting the Xbox 360 and Wii, with 480,000 and 410,000 unit sales, respectively. The analyst estimates that PlayStation 3 March sales hit 380,000 units.

Actual sales figures will be announced later this week by research firm NPD.

If Nintendo only sold 410,000 Wii units, its sales would be down 26 percent year over year. Microsoft's unit sales, on the other hand, would be up 42 percent compared with March 2010, while Sony's hardware sales would be up by 21 percent.

But it's Nintendo's feat in the portable space that might be most impressive. The 3DS, which allows users to play 3D games without the need for special glasses, hit store shelves March 27 in the U.S. That gave it just five days to trump other gaming devices that were sitting on store shelves for the entire month.

Even better news for Nintendo, the company told CNET in a statement last month that the portable's launch-day sales figures in the U.S. were higher than any other mobile-gaming device it has ever launched, including the venerable Game Boy and DS.

Of course, the fact that the Nintendo 3DS sold well in March isn't all that surprising. When the device launched in Japan in February, reports out of that country said it sold out in its first weekend of availability.

The 3DS also contributed to stronger industry-wide hardware sales last month. According to estimates from Pachter, sales were up 6 percent in March for a total of 2.275 million units sold across all devices. However, he said that software sales were down 8 percent last month to $805 million.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20052749-17.html#ixzz1JFIkxWFV

Nintendo 3DS Has Wow Factor--And Warning (Video)

Just when I thought 3D was a faded, "Avatar"-spawned fad, it starts popping up everywhere: TVs, smartphones, and now toys. I'm clearly not the target demographic for Nintendo's soon-to-be-released 3DS gaming device, but I can tell it's going to be a runaway hit with the kids. It's got the wow factor, the fun factor, and the pure novelty that combine to makes something buzz-worthy. But the part I wasn't expecting was Nintendo's serious warnings all over the device, packaging, and Web site cautioning that children aged 6 and under should use the 3DS only in its conventional, 2D mode. That's because, Nintendo has said, 3D viewing could potentially disrupt the developing eyesight of the younger set.

Concerned about the warning, we interviewed Dr. Andrew Iwach, an ophthalmologist in downtown San Francisco. As director of the Glaucoma Research Center, Iwach has done extensive research on the effects of 3D on kids' eyes. He told us the data on watching a 3D screen is inconclusive but that it doesn't point to any negative long-term side effects. He does caution, though, that moderation is always key when gaming.

That certainly proved true when my CNET colleague Donald Bell and I were playing around with the new gadget, which is set to hit stores March 27. Some of the features are seriously dizzying and nausea-inducing! (In fact, Nintendo's warnings have included advice to adults to take a break after 30 minutes of 3D play.) Among the more head-spinning features, for instance, are the augmented-reality games that read special 3D cards with the 3DS' cameras and then turn the surface of the cards into a playing field that interacts with you and the device. That's a great example of some of the seriously innovative tech behind the 3DS' wow factor. And again, I'm not the target audience for the Nintendo 3DS. But I have to say, whether we're talking about little kids or even adults, it sure is a good thing you can turn the 3D capabilities on and off.

Source w/ Video: http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-20047253-235.html#ixzz1Hvewcqbf

3DS Demand 'Very Strong,' GameStop Says

Demand for the Nintendo 3DS will be quite high, video game retailer GameStop predicts.

"We are seeing very strong demand for the 3DS," GameStop President Tony Bartel said during an earnings call yesterday, according to a transcript posted on SeekingAlpha. "We've been working very closely with Nintendo to maintain our reservations, to keep them open, and Nintendo has been very good with providing us with additional supply of 3DS so that we can keep our reservations open."

The Nintendo 3DS is launching Sunday for $249.(Credit: Nintendo)

Even so, Bartel said it's been a battle. Demand for the upcoming portable has been so significant that the company has been forced to work "every day with Nintendo to ensure that we have sufficient product."

The clock is ticking on getting that supply. The Nintendo 3DS, which enables people to play 3D titles without the need for special glasses, is launching on Sunday for $249. According to Nintendo, the device will launch with 18 games. Another 12 titles will hit store shelves in the next couple months.

Demand for the 3DS hasn't only been high in the U.S. The platform launched in Japan last month and promptly sold out in its first weekend of availability. Whether that will happen in the States remains to be seen, but for now, Bartel is confident his company will "have sufficient product at launch."

Speaking of the launch, both GameStop and Nintendo plan to hold special events to welcome the new portable to the U.S.

Nintendo said today that it will be host a launch event starting Saturday night and carrying over into Sunday morning at the Union Square Best Buy in New York City. The company is planning "live entertainment, branded giveaway items, and hands-on demonstrations of the new system." Leading up to the event, Nintendo will be offering demos to customers.

GameStop's launch event will be far more widespread. The company said today that it will open over 800 stores around the U.S. at 12:01 a.m. local time on Sunday to let gamers get their hands on the device as soon as possible. Another 2,400 stores will be open earlier than usual at 9 a.m.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20047072-17.html#ixzz1HdI5YS5m

EA: NFL Lockout Or Not, Madden Must Go On

Madden NFL 12 is scheduled to launch this August. And not even the National Football League labor dispute will stop it.

"Fans of Madden NFL will not have their seasons interrupted, regardless of when the labor issues are resolved," Rob Semsey, EA Sports' director of public relations, told CNET in an interview today. "We plan to release Madden NFL 12 in August as always."

Don't worry. Madden will be launching this year.(Credit: Electronic Arts)

Madden NFL 12 will be the 23rd release in the famed franchise. Since its launch in 1989, more than 90 million Madden units have shipped worldwide.

Unlike in previous seasons, Madden fans need reassurance this year.

Earlier this month, the collective-bargaining agreement between the NFL Players Association and the league expired as the sides failed to reach a suitable resolution that would extend their relationship. If the sides don't come to an agreement in the next several months, the 2011-2012 season won't be played. It's a real enough possibility that last month, Sports Business Daily reported that the NFL modified its deal with EA in the event no season is played.

According to that report, the NFL "significantly" reduced EA's "contractual obligation" to help the game developer. Jacksonville Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver said at the time that the move was designed to "give our partner some relief in the short term, but gain something on the back end." That deal also reportedly extended EA's relationship with the NFL past its original 2012 end date.

EA hasn't said how its bottom line would be affected if there isn't an NFL season this year. However, last week, Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter told The Hollywood Reporter that Madden sales rely heavily on an NFL season. And if the players decide to not show for work this year, it could "cost Madden around 50 percent of sales."

It's a possibility even EA has hedged its bets on. The company said during an earnings call with investors last month that it's planning for the worst--"no season."

Even if there is no season, this year's Madden gamers won't find generic team names or players. Semsey told CNET that "Madden NFL 12 will include all 32 NFL teams and more than 1,700 NFL players."

As with previous seasons, one of those players will be on the box this year. Starting today and extending through April 27, Madden fans can go to ESPN to vote on who they think should be this year's cover athlete.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was the Madden NFL 11 cover athlete

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13506_3-20045434-17.html#ixzz1HG4eu6Ld

Amazon Running 99-Cent Kindle Game Special

Amazon is discounting several Kindle games to 99 cents until March 27.

(Credit: Amazon)

Not too long ago, I wrote about the rise of the 99-cent e-book. Now Amazon's pushing 99-cent Kindle games as part of a special sale.

Amazon lists 12 games as part of the sale and they're climbing the Kindle best seller's list fast. As David Cassel, the editor at the Me and My Kindle blog, points out, "Six of the 10 best-selling items in the Kindle store are now games." Mind you, some of these are merely discounted from $1.99 to 99 cents. But oh what a difference a dollar makes.

Here's the full list of specially discounted games. The offer ends March 27.

• Scrabble
• Chess
• Sudoku Unbound
• Solitaire
• Mahjong Solitaire
• Texas Hold 'Em
• New York Times Crossword Puzzles (two sets of "easy" and two sets of "challenging" puzzles)
• Hangman for Kids
• Triple Town

Any of you playing games on your Kindle? Any favorites? Let us know.

Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20044006-1.html#ixzz1GyP6jLB6