GameStop will be opening at 6AM on Black Friday, a good 10 hours before most hardcore gamers normally wake up. The good news is that you can basically just stay up an extra couple hours, make your purchases, and then go home and go to bed.

Here’s a list of the goodies that’ll be on sale. Doorbusters are marked with an asterisk and will be available until 11AM.

Digital Media Cards

SanDisk Memory Stick Pro Duo 2GB (PSP) – $14.99

SanDisk Memory Stick Pro Duo 4GB (PSP) – $19.99

SanDisk Wii/DSi 2GB SD Card (Wii) – $7.49

SanDisk Wii/DSi 4GB SDHC Card (Wii) – $14.99

Video Games

AC/DC Track Pack w/Rock Band Purchase – Free

Assassin’s Creed II (Xbox 360) – $59.99

Bakugan Battle Brawlers (DS) – $29.99

Band Hero (Game Only) (Wii) – $59.99 

Batman Arkham Asylum (PS3) – $39.99 *

Batman Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360) – $39.99 *

Beatles Rockband (Xbox 360) – $49.99

Ben 10 Alien Force (DS) – $9.99

Ben 10 Alien Force (Wii) – $9.99

Borderlands (PS3) – $49.99

Borderlands (Xbox 360) – $49.99

Buy 2 Get 1 Free On All Pre-Owned Games and Accessories – B2G1 Free

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (PS3) – $59.99

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360) – $59.99

Call of Duty World at War (PS3) – $39.99 *

Call of Duty World at War (Xbox 360) – $39.99 *

Call of Juarez Bound in Blood (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Chicken Blaster w/Wii Rifle (Wii) – $29.99

Crisis Core – Final Fantasty VII (PSP) – $9.99

Dead Space (Wii) – $19.99 *

Dirt 2 (Xbox 360) – $49.99

Drawn to Life (DS) – $19.99

Drawn to Life (Wii) – $39.99

DS Duo Game Case & Stylus – $4.99

DS Lite Traveler Case – $4.99

Dynasty Warriors 6 (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Fallout 3 (PS3) – $49.99

Fallout 3 (Xbox 360) – $49.99

Family Game Night (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Forza Motorsport 3 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Fossil Fighters (DS) – $34.99

Game Boy Advance SP Pre-owned System – $29.99

Gears of War (Used) (Xbox 360) – $9.99

God of War II (PS2) – $19.99

God of War II (PS3) – $39.99

Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3) – $19.99

Grand Theft Auto IV (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Gran Turismo 3 (Used) (PS2) – $1.99

Gran Turismo 5 (PS3) – $29.99

Gran Turismo (PSP) – $39.99

Guild Wars Trilogy (PC) – $24.99

Guitar Hero 5 (PS3) – $39.99

Guitar Hero 5 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Guitar Hero Aerosmith (Used) (PS3) – $7.49

Guitar Hero Aerosmith (Used) (Xbox 360) – $7.49

Guitar Hero III Legends of Rock (Used) (PS3) – $4.99

Guitar Hero III Legends of Rock (Used) (Xbox 360) – $4.99

Guitar Hero World Tour (Used) (PS3) – $14.99

Guitar Hero World Tour (Used) (Xbox 360) – $14.99

Halo 3 ODST (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Jewelry Design (DS) – $19.99

Left 4 Dead 2 (PC) – $29.99

Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

LEGO Rock Band (Xbox 360) w/Free Lego Keychain – $49.99

Little Big Planet (PSP) – $39.99

Littlest Pet Shop Starter Kit (DS) – $14.99

Madden NFL ‘08 (Used) (PS3) – $2.99

Mario and Sonic Olympic Winter Games (Wii) – $49.99

Mario Kart (DS) – $34.99

Mario Kart Super Circuit (Used) (GBA) – $19.99

Mario Kart (Wii) – $49.99

Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story (DS) – $34.99

Mario Party (DS) – $34.99

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (PSP) – $19.99

MySims Agents (Wii) – $19.99 *

My Sims Racing (DS) – $29.99

Naruto Shippuden Ninja Destiny 2 (DS) – $19.99

NCAA Football ‘10 (Xbox 360) – $49.99

Need for Speed: Nitro (Wii) – $19.99 *

Need for Speed Shift (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Nerf w/Controller (Wii) – $59.99

Nintendo DSi Limited Edition Brain Age Bundle – $169.99

Nintendo DSi Limited Edition Mario Bundle – $169.99

Nintendo DSi System – $169.99

Nintendo DS Lite Pre-owned System – $59.99

Nintendo DS Original Pre-owned System – $49.99

Nintendo Wii Console – $199.99

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers Sky (DS) – $34.99

Pokemon Platinum Version (DS) – $34.99

Pokemon Ranger (Used) (DS) – $12.99

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS) – $34.99

Prototype (PS3) – $29.99

Prototype (Xbox 360) – $29.99

PS2 Console – $99.99

PS2 Pre-owned Console – $39.99

PS2 Slim Pre-owned Console – $49.99

PS3 120GB Console – $299.99

PS3 120GB Holiday Bundle with 3 Games – $299.99 *

PS3 DualShock 3 Wireless Controller – $54.99

PS3 Energizer Controller Charger – $19.99

PSP 3000 Core Pack – $169.99

PSP Assassin’s Creed Bloodline Bundle – $199.99

PSP Go In-Ear Headset – $19.99

PSP Go System – $249.99

PSP Go Traveler Case – $19.99

PSP Original Pre-owned System – $79.99

PSP Road Gear Kit – $9.99

Rainbox Six Vegas (PSP) – $9.99

Rock Band Unplugged (PSP) – $29.99

Scribblenauts (DS) – $29.99

Sims 3 (PC) – $29.99

Sing It w/ Microphone (Wii) – $49.99

Smackdown Vs Raw 2010 (Xbox 360) – $49.99

SOCOM U.S. Navy Seals (Used) (PSP) – $9.99

Spider Man (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Spore Hero Arena (DS) – $29.99

Spore Hero (Wii) – $19.99 *

Style Lab Makeover (DS) – $19.99

Style Savvy (DS) – $34.99

Super Mario Bros. (DS) – $34.99

Super Mario Bros. (Wii) – $49.99

Super Mario Galaxy (Used) (Wii) – $39.99

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Smash-Up (Wii) – $29.99

Tekken 6 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

The Price is Right (Wii) – $19.99

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (PS3) – $59.99

Various Charm Girls Club Games (Prom, Show, Mall) (DS) – $29.99

Various Littlest Pet Shop Games (DS) – $29.99

Wii Active – $29.99

Wii Energizer Power & Play Station – $19.99

Wii Fit Plus (Game Only) – $19.99

Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board – $99.99

Wii Motion Plus – $24.99

Wii Music (Used) (Wii) – $39.99

Wii Nunchuck – $19.99

Wii Play – $49.99

Wii Play (Used) (Wii) – $9.99

Wii Remote – $39.99

Wii Remote Controller Red – $29.99

Wii Sports Pack – $9.99

Wii Sports Resort – $49.99

Wii Sports Resort w/Free 2nd MotionPlus Controller – $49.99 *

Wii Zapper w/Link’s Crossbow Training – $24.99

Wireless Controller and Charger (Xbox 360) – $69.99

World of Warcraft Battlechest (PC) – $19.99

World of Warcraft (PC) – $4.99

World of Zoo (Wii) – $29.99

Xbox 360 Arcade Console – $199.99

Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle with 3 Games – $299.99 *

Xbox 360 Energizer Controller Charger – $19.99

Xbox Live 3 Month Gold Card – $19.99

Zelda (Used) (DS) – $19.99

GameStop Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

Read more Black Friday posts…

On the other hand, Miyamoto also said that Wii Music was getting an enhanced version. I don’t know what to tell you there, Shigeru. The game is a joke, and all of Nintendo is humoring you. Don’t push it. Just make more Mega Man 9 type games and make sure the next Zelda has time travel in it.

[via 1UP and CVG; image from College Humor]

Oh, I get it. It’s called “Shack” Friday at Radio Shack instead of Black Friday. Because “shack” sounds like “black” and “shack” is part of Radio Shack’s name. So basically, they just switched the two words around. I get it.

Know what else? The damn sale starts on Thursday! What a world! “Most stores open at 10 AM Thursday,” says the circular. And then they open at 5:30 in the morning on Friday! That’s Shack-rilege! See how I worked the name of the store into that one?

UPDATE: Radio Shack’s PR team was kind enough to send over high-resolution images of the national circular. Here are the links to the images:

Image 1 | Image 2 | Image 3

Anyhoo, here’s the good stuff. Doorbusters are marked with an asterisk.

Automotive

Gigaware Car Charger for iPod – $10.00

Sirius Stratus 5 Dock & Play Radio + Car Kit – $29.99

XM onyX Satellite Radio – $59.99

Blank Media

25-Pack of Gigaware 16X DVD-Rs – B1G1F

50-Pack Of Gigaware 52X CD-R – B1G1F

Gigaware 25 Pack of 16X DVD-Rs – B1G1F

Gigaware 50 Pack of 52X CD-Rs – B1G1F

Cell Phones

BlackBerry Curve 8520 (w/2-Year Agreement) – $0.00

Gigaware High Power Docking Speaker For iPod – $49.99

LG Xenon Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $0.00

Motorola CLIQ w/Motoblur (w/2-Year Agreement) – $79.99

Motorola i776 Cell Phone – $69.99

Nokia 2720 No-Contract Mobile Phone – $9.99

Palm Pixi Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $99.99

Palm Pre Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $99.99

Plantronics E210 Bluetooth Headset – $19.99

Samsung Impression Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $29.99

Samsung Instinct S30 Cell Phone (w/2-Year Agreement) – $0.00

Samsung Mantra Cell Phone – $29.99

Snap-On Covers for iPhone 3G or Blackberry Curve 8300 – $9.99

Computer Accessories

Gigaware 1.3MP Webcam w/Microphone – $14.99

Gigaware 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System – $10.00

Gigaware Folding Notebook Cooling Pad – $10.00

Gigaware VoIP USB Headset – $10.00

Gigaware Wireless Optical Mouse – $12.99

Logitech Wireless Keyboard and Mouse Combo – $19.99

Netbook Accessory Bundle (USB Hub, Mouse, Earbuds, Cooling Pad) – $29.99

Pinnacle Ultra-Compact USB HDTV Tuner – $39.99

Computers

Acer 11.6″ Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor Z520, 2GB Memory, 250GB Hard Drive – $249.99

Acer 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core Processor, 4GB Memory, 320 Hard Drive – $399.99

Digital Cameras

Buy Any $89.99 Camera In This Ad, Receive a Free Polaroid Pogo Mobile Printer – $0.00

Casio Exilim 10 Megapixel 3x Optical Zoom Digital Camera Gift Bundle – $89.99

Kodak MD81 12.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $99.99

Nikon S220 10 Megapixel 3x Optical Zoom Digital Camera – $129.99

Olympus 12 Megapixel 7x Wide-Angle Zoom Digital Camera – $149.99

Vivitar 8.1 Megapixel 2x Optical Zoom Digital Camera – $49.99

Digital Media Cards

Sandisk 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo – $9.99

Sandisk 2GB Type-M xD-Picture Card – $9.99

Sandisk 4GB MicroSDHC Card – $9.99

Sandisk Standard SDHC Card – $9.99

DVD Players

Memorex Upconverting DVD Player – $29.99

Samsung BD-1600A Blu-ray Disc Player – $149.99

Electronics

Casio 32 Mini-Key Electronic Keyboard – $29.99

Discovery 54-Key Electronic Keyboard – $29.99

Discovery Kids Digital Camcorder – $39.99

Emerson Portable CD+G Karaoke Player – $29.99

Gigaware 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $29.99

Gigaware Micro Projector – $99.99

MagicJack VoIP Kit – $29.99

Motorola 4-Pack of 2-Way FRS Radios – $29.99

Panasonic DECT 6.0 Cordless Phone System w/4 Headsets – $69.99

Pandigital 10.1″ Digital Photo Frame – $79.99

Sanyo 720p High-Definition Video Camcorder – $169.99

Skullcandy Headphones – $9.99

USB Turntable – $79.99

Vivitar 720p High-Definition Video Camcorder – $69.99

GPS Systems

Garmin Nuvi 255W 4.3″ Widescreen GPS – $119.99

Garmin Nuvi 265WT 4.3″ GPS w/Free Lifetime Traffic Updates – $169.99

Mio 4.3″ M400 GPS – $79.99

TomTom XL 330S GPS w/Free Dash Mount – $99.99

Hard Drives

Iomega 320GB Portable Hard Drive – $49.99

Miscellaneous

5×7″ Recordable Talking Picture Frame – $10.00

Duracell Color Charger w/2 AA Rechargeable Batteries – $10.00

Enercell Holiday Bettery Tin – $9.99

ESPN GameDay Universal 4-in-1 Remote – $10.00

Gigaware 1.5″ Digital Photo Keychain – $10.00

Gigaware Crystal Skin for iPod Touch – $10.00

Gigaware Laser Etched Skin for iPod Touch – $10.00

Gigaware Retractable Rapid Home Charger for iPod/iPhone – $10.00

RadioShack 25-Piece Mini Tool Kit – $10.00

RadioShack 4.3″ GPS Soft Case – $14.99

RadioShack GPS Home AC Charger – $14.99

RadioShack Weather Cube Radio – $10.00

Rechargeable Spotlight – $10.00

Swiss+Tech Micro-Max 19-in-1 Tool Kit – $10.00

MP3 Players

8GB iPod Touchw/$20 GC – $199.99

Gigaware 2GB MP3 Player – $19.99

Gigaware 4GB MP3 Player – $39.99

Gigaware MP3 Accessory Kit – $9.99

iHome Computer Stereo Speakers w/Dock for iPid – $29.99

iLive 2.1 Home Theater Upconverting DVD System w/Dock for iPod – $99.99

iPod 8GB Nano w/$15 GC – $149.99

iPod Accessory Kit – $30.00

Sansa 2GB Clip Plus Music Player w/1000 Song Music Card – $49.99

Sound Bar w/Dock for iPod – $69.99

Networking

Netgear WNR1000 Wireless-N 150 Router – $34.99

Portable USB Storage

Sandisk 2GB USB Flash Drive – $4.99

Sandisk 4GB USB Flash Drive – $9.99

Televisions

AOC 22″ 720P LCD HDTV – $199.99

Auvio 3.5″ Pocket Digital TV – $79.99

Auvio 7″ Portable TV – $119.99

Samsung 32″ LCD HDTV – $399.99

Video Games

DualShock 3 PS3 Wireless Controler – $29.99

Gigaware Recharging Station for Nintendo Wii – $12.99

Nyko Wand for Nintendo Wii – $24.99

V.Motion Game Console – $34.99

Xbox 360 Elite System w/$60 Cash Back & 2 Games (Lego Batman and Pure) – $299.99

Radio Shack Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

More Black Friday deals…

It’s here. Best Buy’s Black Friday ad is here. Stores open at 5AM and Best Buy will “pass out tickets for our Doorbuster Specials up to two hours before 5 a.m. store opening,” according to the circular. That means no running, probably. You can still do that thing where you walk really fast and sort of skip a little bit, but no running.

Doorbusters are marked with an asterisk.

Automotive

Alpine 50-Watt x 4-Channel Car Stereo – $99.99

Pioneer 50 Watt x 4-Channel Car Stereo & Speaker Pair – $89.99

Cell Phones

AT&T Sony Ericsson W518a – Free w/2 Year Contract *

BoostMobile Motorola Clutch i465 – $59.99

DLO Jam Jacket For iPhone – $9.99

Jabra BT-2080 Bluetooth Headset – $19.99

LG Chocolate Touch From Verizon w/Two Year Activation – $0.00 *

MiFi 2200 By Novatel Wireless w/Two Year Activation – $0.00

Mobile Broadband Card 598U By Sierra Wireless w/Two Year Activation – $0.00

Motorola H710 Noise-Canceling Bluetooth Headset – $39.99

Motorola S9 HD Stereo Bluetooth Headset – $49.99

Net10 Samsung T401G – $39.99

Sprint BlackBerry Curve 8330 Smart Phone – Free w/2 Year Contract

Sprint Samsung Instinct S30 – Free w/2 Year Contract

T-Mobile Motorola Renew Phone – $7.99

Verizon Wireless DROID – $199.99 w/2 Year Contract

Verizon Wireless Motorola Rival – Free w/2 Year Contract *

Virgin Mobile Kyocera X-tc – $49.99

Computer Accessories

Logitech C250 Webcam – $19.99

Logitech V450 Nano Cordless Laser Mouse – $24.99

Rocketfish AC Power Adapter – $39.99

Computers

Compaq Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive – $179.99

Compaq Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 250GB Hard Drive – $229.99

Dell 10.1″ Netbook w/Intel Atom Processor, 1GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive – $379.99

eMachines Desktop w/AMD Athlon Processor, 3GB RAM, 320GB HD, Windows 7, w/18.5″ LCD Monitor and HP Deskjet Printer – $299.97

HP 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual Core Processor M500, 6GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $599.99

HP 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Turion II Dual Core Processor M500, 8GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $699.99

Macbook 13.3″ Notebook w/2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB DDR3 Memory, 250GB Hard Drive, w/$150 Gift Card – $999.99

Sony 15″ Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, Windows 7 – $399.99

Sony 15″ Laptop w/Intel Dual Core Processor, 4GB RAM, 320GB HD, Windows 7, Sony Headphones, Built-In Blu-ray Player, Blu-ray Movie – $479.97

Toshiba 16″ Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 3GB DDR3 Memory, 250GB Hard Drive (Model # L505-S5984) – $399.99

Toshiba 16″ Laptop w/Intel Core 2 Duo Processor, 4GB DDR3 Memory, 320GB Hard Drive (Model # L505-S5984) w/Printer and Case – $499.97

Digital Cameras

Canon EOS Rebel Tli D-SLR Camera w/18-55mm IS Lens – $699.99

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Grey) – $149.99

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Teal) – $149.99

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case (Grey) – $179.99

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case (Teal) – $179.99

Canon Rebel Tli Camera w/55-250mm IS Telephoto Lens and Lowepro D-SLR Bag – $849.97

Fujifilm Finepix Z37 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case – $149.97

Fujifilm Finepix Z37 Polka Dot 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $119.99

Insignia 720p HD Camcorder – $69.99

Insignia NS-DSC10A 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Pink) – $49.99 *

Insignia NS-DSC10B 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Blue) – $49.99 *

Kodak EasyShare C140 Digital Camera With 7″ Kodak Digital Photo Frame – $109.99

Nikon Coolpix P90 12.1 Megapixel Digital Camera – $299.99

Nikon Coolpix P90 12.1 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case – $329.97

Nikon Coolpix S60 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera (Red) – $179.99

Nikon Coolpix S60 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Extra Battery and Case – $209.97

Nikon D3000DX 10.2 Megapixel D-SLR Digital Camera w/10-55mm and 55-200mm Lens and Bag – $599.97

Nikon D3000DX 10.2 Megapixel D-SLR Digital Camera w/10-55mm VR Lens – $499.99

Sony Cybershot W180 10.1 Megapixel Digital Camera (Black) – $99.99

Sony Cybershot W180 10.1 Megapixel Digital Camera w/Flexpod and Camera Case – $119.97

Digital Media Cards

PNY 4GB Flash Drive – $9.99

PNY 4GB MicroSD HD Memory Card – $9.99

PNY 4GB SDHC Memory Card – $9.99

Sandisk 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo – $14.99

Sandisk 8GB MicroSDHC Memory Card – $19.99

Sandisk 8GB SD Card – $19.99

DVD Players

Insignia Blu-ray Disc Player (Model # NS-BRDVD3) – $99.99

Samsung BD-P4600 Blu-ray Disc Player – $279.99

Samsung Blu-Ray Disc Player – $149.99

Sony BDP-S360 Blu-ray Disc Player – $149.99

Electronics

2GB Pulse Smartpen w/$30 Gift Card – $169.99

Bose In-Ear Headphones – $89.99

Canon Vixia HD HF20 Camcorder – $499.99

Canon Vixia HD HF20 Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & 8″ HDMI Cable – $599.97

Dynex 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $29.99

iHome Portable Alarm Clock Speaker iPod Dock – $39.99

Insignia 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $44.99

Logitech Harmony 510 Advanced Universal Remote – $39.99

Panasonic DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone System w/3 Handsets – $59.99

Pandigital 9″ Digital Photo Frame – $59.99

Sony DCR-SR47 Handycam Camcorder – $249.99

Sony DCR-SR47 Handycam Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & Bag – $299.97

Sony DCR-SX40 Handycam Camcorder – $199.99

Sony DCR-SX40 Handycam Camcorder w/Extra Li-Ion Battery & 8GB Memory Stick – $259.97

Sony Reader Pocket Edition w/$30 Gift Card – $199.99

Sony Studio Monitor Headphones – $9.99

VTech DECT 6.0 Expandable Cordless Phone System w/2 Handsets – $44.99

GPS Systems

Garmin GPS Friction Mount – $14.99

Garmin Nuvi 205W GPS Navigation System – $99.99 *

Garmin Nuvi 255WT GPS Navigation System – $129.99

Lowepro Black Neoprene Sleeve – $7.99

Magellan SE4 GPS – $89.99

Tom Tom 540S Portable GPS Navigation System – $149.99

Tom Tom GO 730 Portable GPS Navigation System – $174.99

Hard Drives

LG External Slim Portable USB 2.0 DVD Drive – $49.99

Western Digital 1.5TB My Book Home Edition External Hard Drive – $119.99

Western Digital 500GB My Passport Elite Portable Hard Drive Titanium – $79.99

Western Digital WDTV Media Player – $74.99

Home Theater

4″ Monster Cable 700 Series HDMI Cable – $49.99

Init Cherry Wood Stand With Mount For TVs Up To 46″ – $99.99

Init Cherry Wood w/Black Glass Shelves TV Stand – $149.99

Klipsch Icon 2-Way Triple 5.25″ Floorstanding Speaker – $186.99

Klipsch Icon 2-Way Triple 6.5″ Floorstanding Speaker – $236.99

Samsung 5.1 Channel 1000W Home Theater System With Blu-ray Disc Player – $399.99

Sony 5.1 Channel 1000W Home Theater System – $279.99

Sony 7.1 Channel 770-Watt A/V Receiver – $279.99

Tilting Wall Mount For 30″-56″ Flat-Panel TVs – $99.99

Monitors

Acer 20″ HD LCD Monitor (Model # X203H) – $79.99

Dell 20″ HD LCD Monitor (Model # S2009W) – $99.99

MP3 Players

3 $10 iTunes Gift Cards – $25.00

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Black) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Blue) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Pink) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Purple) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

8GB iPod 5th Generation Nano (Silver) + Wall Charger & Case – $159.97

Apple 8GB iPod Touch 3rd Generation w/$30 Gift Card – $199.99

Bose Sound-dock Series II Digital Music System – $269.99

Power Pack for iPod/iPhone – $19.99

Sandisk 4GB Fuze MP3 Player (Black) – $44.99

Sandisk 4GB Fuze MP3 Player (Blue) – $44.99

Sandisk 4GB Fuze MP3 Player (Red) – $44.99

Networking

Linksys Ultra RangePlus Wireless-N Broadband Router w/4-Port Switch (Model # WRT160N) – $59.99

NetGear Wireless N Router (Model # WNR2000-100NAS) – $49.99

Portable USB Storage

Sandisk Cruzer 8GB USB Flash Drive – $19.99

Printers

$10 Gift Card With Any $40 Ink Purchase – $0.00

Epson Stylus NX110 Multifunction Printer – $24.99

HP Photosmart C4795 Wireless Multifunction Printer – $64.99

Software

Instant Immersion Spanish Software – $19.99

Microsoft Office Home And Student 2007 – $69.99

Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements – $74.99

Televisions

Dynex 19″ 720p LCD HDTV (Model # DX-L19-10A) – $149.99

Dynex 32″ 720p LCD HDTV (Model # DX-L321-10A) – $299.99 *

Dynex 40″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # DX-L40-10A) – $499.99

Insignia 42″ 1080p 120Hz LCD HDTV (Model # NS-L42Q120-10A) – $699.99 *

LG 32″ 1080p LCD HDTV (Model # 32LH30-UA) – $439.99

Panasonic Viera 50″ 1080p Plasma HDTV (Model # TC-P50U1) w/Blu-ray Disc Player (Model # DMP-BD60K) – $999.98

Samsung 32″ 1080p LCD HDTV (Model # LN32B530P7F) – $497.99

Samsung 32″ 720p LCD HDTV (Model # LN32B360C5D) – $397.99

Samsung 40″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # LN40B500P3FXZA) – $597.99

Samsung 42″ 720p Plasma HDTV (Model # PN42B400P3DXZA) – $547.99

Samsung 46″ 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV (Model # UN4686000VF) – $1599.99 *

Samsung 46″ 1080p LCD HDTV (LN46B500P3FXZA) – $847.99

Samsung 50″ 1080p Plasma HDTV (Model # PN50B530S2F) – $897.99

Samsung 50″ 720p Plasma HDTV (Model # PN50B430P2D) – $697.99

Sony 32″ 720p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # KDL32L504) – $377.99

Sony 40″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # KDL40S504) – $662.99

Sony 46″ 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Model # KDL465504) – $852.99

Video Games

$20 Gift Card w/Any DSi Game System Purchase – $0.00

Assassins Creed (PC Game) – $19.99

Bash Party (Wii) – $14.99

Bioshock (PC Game) – $19.99

Bolt (DS Game) – $9.99

Brutal Legend (PS3) – $34.99 *

Brutal Legend (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Call of Juarex (PS3) – $19.99

Call of Juarez (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Civilization IV (PC Game) – $19.99

Cooking Mama (DS Game) – $9.99

Cooking Mama (Wii) – $14.99

Crash (DS Game) – $9.99

Dragon Age (PS3) – $34.99 *

Dragon Age (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Excite Bots Trick Racing (Wii) – $14.99

Fallout 3 (PS3) – $19.99

Fallout 3 (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Family Game Night (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Far Cry 2 (PC Game) – $4.99

FIFA Soccer 10 (PS3) – $34.99 *

FIFA Soccer 10 (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Guinness World Records (DS Game) – $9.99

Hawx (PS3) – $19.99 *

Hawx (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Left 4 Dead 2 (PS3) – $34.99 *

Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Madagascar 2 Escape From Africa (Wii) – $14.99

Madden 10 (PS3) – $34.99 *

Madden 10 (XBox 360) – $34.99 *

Marker Man (DS Game) – $9.99

Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Wii) – $14.99

My Sims Kingdom (Wii) – $9.99

My Word Coach (DS Game) – $9.99

NBA Live 09 (Wii) – $9.99

NBA Live 10 (PS3) – $34.99 *

NBA Live 10 (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Need For Speed: Shift (PS3) – $34.99 *

Need For Speed: Shift (XBox 360) – $34.99 *

NHL 10 (PS3) – $34.99 *

NHL 10 (Xbox 360) – $34.99 *

Nintendo DSi Brain Age Bundle (White) w/$20 Gift Card – $169.99

Nintendo DSi Mario Bundle (Metallic Blue) w/$20 Gift Card – $169.99

Pikmin Classic (Wii) – $14.99

Rayman Raving Rabbids (Wii) – $9.99

Resident Evil 5 (PS3) – $19.99

Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Riddick (PS3) – $19.99

Riddick (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Slots (PC Game) – $19.99

Sonic Chronicles The Dark Brotherhood (DS Game) – $9.99

Sony PlayStation 3 Package w/120GB Console, Little Big Planet, and Ratchet And Clank – $299.99 *

Spyro (DS Game) – $9.99

Stalker (PC Game) – $4.99

Sudoku Ball (DS Game) – $9.99

The Bigs 2 (PS3) – $19.99

The Bigs 2 (Xbox 360) – $19.99

Wii Sports Snowboard (Wii) – $14.99

Wii Sports (Wii) – $9.99

World Of Warcraft (PC Game) – $4.99

Xbox 360 Elite 120GB Bundle w/Four Pack Game Set – $299.99

BestBuy Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

More Black Friday deals…

It already has, in fact. But Apple has come kicking and screaming the whole way. The iPhone, you understand, was not meant to be a gaming device, and in Cupertino, Apple’s intentions are paramount. Apple could never accidentally create a platform for gaming; if it wasn’t meant for gaming (or enterprise, or medical use, or reading e-books, etc.) from the beginning, Apple doesn’t want it happening at all. Because if Apple didn’t intend it, it’s outside of the bounds they set into the platform (regardless of how well it works, much like tethering) — it breaks the mold and, ironically, that’s the last thing Apple wants.

It’s no secret that the Apple ecosystem is a gilded cage. It’s a nice cage, and large, and yes indeed that gilding is very attractive by Jove, but all the doors are shut until Apple opens them. If you think otherwise, you’re probably already scrawling some crude flame in the comment section below. Thank you for your insight. Really, though: Macs are a carefully-tended walled garden of semi-delights (to mix several metaphors), and that’s part of why they’re so good at what they do. Attempts at expanding the garden have been made in fits by Apple, with varying success. Serious music production has never really caught on, nor scientific or medical applications, and any real expansions (personal media, mobile, and video primarily) have been engineered by Apple and not third parties. Why should it be any different for gaming? If Apple doesn’t do it, no one will. And Apple’s not going to do it.

But this is all getting rather vague. There are more substantial objections to an Apple expansion into gaming than my half-baked theories on their corporate philosophy. I’ll just enumerate them here in list form. I’m using the iPhone as the basis for these, but the points apply to the tablet without serious modification.

Hardware
The iPhone isn’t a gaming machine. It’s a smartphone. This produces limitations which are for some invigorating, and for some troublesome. For instance, you’ll never see a decent platformer on the iPhone. FPSes are awkward. RPGs take up too much space. You’re essentially limited to casual games and things like tilt-to-control racers. There are some notable exceptions; John Carmack loves the platform, for instance, and will probably be making some interesting stuff. The iPhone may be suitable for some games, but it wasn’t built for them, and that makes a difference for Apple.

Battery
Part of the hardware objection, but worth noting on its own, is the fact that battery life would be off-the-charts bad. How long can you really play a high-quality title on the iPhone? An hour maybe, before you’re down to 25% battery? Remember this is also your lifeline to email, the web, and so on. Unlike a DS, you can’t afford to let it run down. A portable game system needs to be as efficient as it can, and the iPhone is already an energy hog. No one wants to be tethered to an outlet to play their favorite handheld. And the thing already explodes when you use it too hard.

Developers
A few developers are putting out real iPhone games, but where is your Valve, your CryTek, your Rockstar? These are the people who make AAA titles that sell millions and make billions. Ubisoft may outsource some company to make a little Assassin’s Creed 2 clone to cash in a bit on the mobile contingent, but it’ll just be a way to sell the real game. They’re not going to spend $50m to develop a truly amazing game for the iPhone. No one will. Hardly anyone does as it is for existing handhelds (Dragon Quest IX notwithstanding). Apple could align itself with developers, but my feeling is they wouldn’t mix well. Apple is pretty much oil to their partners’ water to begin with due to their iWay-or-the-highway (clever, no?) approach to “collaboration,” and I don’t think that the major game studios would take a shine to it either.

Pricing
Do you see people hitting that “purchase” button when a game costs more than $10? Neither do I. Real games cost upwards of $40-50 when they come out. That won’t fly in an App Store or iTunes environment, where the emphasis is on multiple small, easy-to-swallow buys.

Brand
Apple doesn’t do games. They don’t put out games, they don’t make it easy to play games, they don’t encourage developers to make games for their platform. This is the last time Apple and Mac users were excited about games:

Seriously. Ever since the Great Halo Disappointment, nobody has considered Apple’s gaming enthusiasm as being anything other than a lark. Meanwhile, Nintendo is so completely identified with games that one implies the other in almost any context, Microsoft is hard at work building a gaming platform that dovetails with their entire ecosystem, and Sony is actually gathering steam with the PS3, as its lower price leads more people to find that it actually might be the most powerful and versatile system on the market. Apple struck at mobile phone makers when they were at their most complacent and vulnerable; gaming consoles and companies are stronger and more successful than they’ve ever been. It would be an insanely bad time to take a swat at them.

Content
Pop quiz: what game had the most lucrative launch of all time? If you answered Modern Warfare 2, an extremelyviolent and graphic game being accused of turning kids into terrorists, then you are correct! Apple is already choosy when it comes to what appears on its devices, and the kind of ultraviolence that sells games probably isn’t going to fly. Apple isn’t as positively warm and fuzzy as Nintendo usually is, but it would be a pretty major shift to start pushing games like MW2.

They don’t want to
Don’t you think that if Apple had any inclination to make the iPhone or Mac into a gaming platform, they’d have at least shown a little of that by now? Where’s the gamepad accessory for the iPhone? Why isn’t Apple courting the big developers to get some titles on Macs? There’s no indication that Apple is interested in games except as a class of apps to take a cut on. Almost all game development so far has been driven by the “there’s gold in them thar iPhones” mentality.

They don’t need to
This readership more than any other should be aware of Apple’s solvency in this worldwide financial crisis; indeed they have thrived mightily. The iPhone shows continual growth, they gain a tenth of a point of OS market share every month or two, and they’re making money hand over fist via iTunes and the App Store. Why the devil would they want to get into gaming, a market that would expose all the company’s weaknesses, bring their best hardware to its knees, and complicate their entire strategy — one which is working perfectly? I’m not saying that Apple doesn’t like to rock the boat, but they don’t do it when they stand a good chance of being thrown in the drink.

All that said, Apple does have an increasing presence in gaming. It owes this in no small part to Nintendo, which has popularized casual and mobile gaming to a huge extent with the Wii and DS. The iPhone may take a bite out of the more casual games coming out for the DS, but beyond that I don’t see a major effect. And as long as it’s enough for Apple to make a few bills, they’re not going to try too hard to change that.

Well, well, well. If it isn’t Target’s Black Friday ad? Let’s see what’s inside, shall we? Oh my, hello there 32-inch HDTV for $246. How do you do?

Stores open at 5AM on Black Friday. Doorbusters are marked with an asterisk and are good “while supplies last,” according to the circular.

Digital Cameras

Kodak ZD15 Digital Camera – $129.00

Nikon CoolPix S203 Digital Camera – $88.00

Polaroid V130 2″ Color LCD Camcorder – $39.00

Digital Media Cards

Lexar Media 4GB microSDHC Card With 50 Free Song Downloads – $10.00 *

Lexar Media 4GB SDHC Card With 50 Free Song Downloads – $10.00 *

DVD Players

Memorex Compact DVD Player With Progressive Scan – $19.99

RCA 7 Inch Dual Screen Portable DVD Player With Car Adapter – $88.00

RCA 7 Inch Portable DVD Player – $47.00

Sony Blu-Ray Player With Free $20 Gift Card – $149.99

Electronics

Casio Keyboard With Stand And Song Book – $49.99

Digital Decor Color LCD Key Chain Holds 48 Pictures – $10.00 *

First Act Electronic Drum Set – $35.00

GE 6 Foot HDMI Cable – $9.99 *

Memorex Home Audio System For iPod – $49.99

GPS Systems

Garmin Nuvi 1350T GPS System – $179.00

TomTom XL340S GPS With Case – $97.00

Hard Drives

Western Digital Elements 1TB Desktop Hard Drive – $59.98

Western Digital Elements 500GB Portable Hard Drive – $59.98

Miscellaneous

$10 Gift Card With Any $100 In Store Purchase – $0.00 *

3-Slot Charging Station – $14.99

MP3 Players

$15 Gift Card With Any Apple 8GB iPod Nano Purchase – $0.00

$30 Gift Card With Any Apple 32GB iPod Touch Purchase – $0.00

Apple 32GB iPod Touch With Free $30 Gift Card – $295.00

Apple 8GB iPod Nano With Free $15 Gift Card – $145.00

Photos

Digital Decor 7 Inch Digital Photo Frame – $29.00

Portable USB Storage

Lexar Media 4GB Twist And Turn USB Drive With 50 Free Song Downloads – $10.00 *

Televisions

Apex 40″ Full HD LCD TV – $449.00 *

Haier 7 Inch Portable Digital TV – $79.99

Westinghouse 32″ LCD HDTV – $246.00

Video Games

$10 Gift Card With Select Video Game Purchases – $0.00

$20 Gift Card With Any DSi System Purchase – $0.00 *

$50 Gift Card With Any Call Of Duty Super Elite XBOX 360 System Bundle – $0.00

$50 Gift Card With Any XBOX 360 120GB Elite Game System Bundle Purchase – $0.00

Animal Crossing Wii Video Game – $27.00

Assassins Creed II PS3 Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

Assassins Creed II XBOX 360 Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

Batman PS3 Video Game – $37.00

Batman XBOX 360 Video Game – $37.00

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare PS3 Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare XBOX 360 Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

Call Of Duty Super Elite XBOX 360 System Bundle With $50 Gift Card – $399.99

Call Of Duty Wii Video Game – $27.00

Cooking Mama DSi Video Game – $17.00

DSi Game System With Free $20 Gift Card – $169.99 *

Guitar Hero 5 Wii Video Game – $37.00

Halo 3 ODST XBOX 360 Video Game – $37.00

Hannah Montana DSi Video Game – $17.00

iCarly DSi Video Game – $17.00

Littlest Pet Shop DSi Video Game – $17.00

Need For Speed Nitro Wii Video Game – $27.00

Personal Trainer Cooking Game For DSi Video Game – $7.00

PS3 Black DualShock Controller – $39.00 *

Rock Band PS3 Video Game – $7.00

Shaun White PS3 Video Game – $7.00

Shaun White XBOX 360 Video Game – $7.00

Shift PS3 Video Game – $37.00

Shift XBOX 360 Video Game – $37.00

Sim Animals Wii Video Game – $27.00

Star Wars Clone Wars PS3 Video Game – $37.00

Star Wars Clone Wars XBOX 360 Video Game – $37.00

Super Squad DSi Video Game – $17.00

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Wii Video Game – $27.00

Ultimate Alliance 2 PS3 Video Game – $37.00

Ultimate Alliance 2 Wii Video Game – $37.00

Ultimate Alliance 2 XBOX 360 Video Game – $37.00

Video Rocker Extreme 2 Chair – $29.98

Wii Mario And Sonic Olympics Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

Wii Music Wii Video Game – $27.00

Wii Nerf Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

Wii Play Remote Bundle – $39.00 *

Wii Sports Resort Video Game With $10 Gift Card – $59.99

XBOX 360 120GB Elite Game System Bundle With $50 Gift Card – $299.99

XBOX 360 Black Controller – $39.00 *

Target Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

More Black Friday deals…

Believe it or not, the Kohl’s Black Friday ad actually features a decent amount of electronics deals. Stores open at 4AM on Black Friday.

Here’s a list of all the electronics deals. Doorbusters (available from 4AM to 1PM on Black Friday) are marked with an asterisk.

Digital Cameras

Vivitar 10.1MP HD Digital Camera 2.4″ LCD 8X Digital Zoom – $59.99 *

Electronics

10-50% Off Entire Stock Of The Sharper Image Products – 10-50% Off

2XL In-Ear Headphones iPod Compatible – $9.99

5-Day Wireless Weather Forecaster – $59.99

BYO 10″ Lunch Bag – $9.99

BYO By Built 10″ Netbook Sleeve – $9.99

Charging Station Complete With Power Strip – $18.99

Digital Photo Viewer 3.2″ LCD, 500 Pictures, Rechargeable Internal Battery – $24.99

Discovery Expedition Entertainment Projector – $79.99 *

Entire Stock of Portable Karaoke Systems – $59.99 *

HMDX Speaker-On-The-Go – $9.99

iHome Clock Radio – $49.99

iHome Clock Radio And Audio System – $89.99

iHome Portable Speaker System – $29.99 *

iLive Home Music System – $79.99

Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Speakers – $79.99 *

Negative Scanner – $59.99 *

Panimage 7″ Digital Photo Frame 512MB Internal Memory AR – $29.99 *

Robot Bank – $29.99

USB Video Camera – $39.99 *

Wooden Music Center w/Recordable CD Player – $179.99 *

GPS Systems

3.5″ GPS Navigation System – $69.99 *

GPS Dashboard Grip Mat – $9.99 *

MP3 Players

2GB MP3 Player w/Video – $24.99 *

Televisions

19″ LCD HDTV w/Built-in DVD Player – $199.99 *

Digital Labs 7 Inch Portable LCD TV – $69.99 *

Video Games

Entire Stock of Nintendo DS Video Games – 20%-30% Off *

Entire Stock of Nintendo Wii Video Games – 20%-30% Off *

Entire Stock of Video Game Accessories – 20%-50% Off *

Kohls Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

More Black Friday deals…

Kmart’s Black Friday circular has found its way to the series of interconnected tubes that we all know and love. Here’s a list of the electronics deals you can expect to find.

Doorbusters (available from 6AM-11AM Friday morning) are marked with an asterisk.

Cell Phones

TracFone LG Bluetooth Camera Flip Phone – $19.99

Wireless Bluetooth Headset – $7.99

Computers

Delstar 7 Inch Wireless Netbook 05 Windows CE – $119.99 *

Digital Cameras

Kodak CD80 Digital Camera Bundle – $79.99

Samsung SL40 Digitial Camera – $79.99 *

Sony W180 Digital Camera – $99.99

DVD Players

Magnavox DVD Player w/VCR – $49.99

Memorex 1080P HDMI Upconvert DVD Player – $29.99

Sylvania 7 Inch Portable DVD Player – $49.99 *

Electronics

Cobra Radar Detector – $29.99 *

Cobra Two Way Radio Pair – $19.99 *

Coby 7 Inch Digital Picture Frame – $29.99 *

Emerson 3-Handset DECT Phone Bundle – $39.99

GPX 2.1 Channel DVD Home Theater System – $39.99

iHome Dock – $9.99

iHome PC Accessories – $9.99

Jazz T20 Camcorder – $19.99

Phillips 4-Device Remote Control – $9.99

SmartPants 8.5″ Digital Photo Frame – $49.99

Sony Earbuds – $4.99

Games & Hobbies

48″ Air Powered Hockey Table With Electronic Scoring – $39.99 *

Bowlercade With Electronic Ball Return And Scoring – $59.99 *

GPS Navigation Systems

Magellan Roadmate 1220 GPS Navigation System – $84.99 *

TomTom ONE 130 GPS – $79.99

TomTom XL325S GPS Navigation System – $99.99

MP3 Players

Element 2GB Stick MP3 Player – $9.99 *

Sylvania 4GB MP3 Player – $19.99

Televisions

Element 26″ LCD HDTV – $249.99

Panasonic 42″ 720 Plasma TV – $549.99

Sony Bravia L Series 32″ Class 720p LCD HDTV (Model KDL32L504) – $379.99 *

Video Games

$25 Nintendo Gaming Coupon w/Any DS System Purchase – $0.00

Brutal Legend For PS3 – $39.99

Brutal Legend For XBox 360 – $39.99

Dirt 2 (PS3) – $39.99

Dirt 2 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Dragon Age For PS3 – $39.99

Dragon Age For XBox 360 – $39.99

for PS3 – $199.99

Halo 3 OSDT – $39.99

High School Musical 3 Dance Bundle – $9.99

Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) – $39.99

Nintendo DSi Bundle w/5 Pre-Installed Games – $169.99 *

Nintendo Wii – $199.99

Rock Band 2 Special Edition (XBox 360) – $99.99

Sandisk 4GB SD Card – $8.99

Select Wii Games – $9.99

Select Wii Games – $29.99

Value Video Games – $14.99

WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2010 PS3 – $39.99

XBox 360 Elite Bundle w/Halo 3 OSDT – $299.99

Kmart Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

More Black Friday deals…

Yes, you can leave work early today. No need to ask your boss, he/she is okay with it.

If you haven’t had your fill of music rhythm games by now or you watched with a furrowed brow as guitar-based game after guitar-based game flooded the market, your giant headphones covering only one of your ears and held in place by your own shoulder just like your favorite DJs, then you’ll want to scrounge up between $100 and $200 for Activision’s DJ Hero, depending on your console and whether or not you want the special “Renegade Edition.”

Pricing is as follows:

• DJ Hero with Turntable Controller for PS2: $100
• DJ Hero with Turntable Controller for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii: $120
• DJ Hero Renegade Edition for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii: $200

The “Renegade Edition” includes “premium Renegade turntable controller, case, stand and exclusive DJ Hero Renegade 2-CD pack from Jay-Z and EMINEM.”

Available today all over the place. Full press release below:

DJ HERO™ – THE MOST-ANTICIPATED NEW MUSIC GAME OF THE YEAR – SPINS ONTO STORE SHELVES NATIONWIDE

DJ Hero Renegade Edition Features Premium Renegade Turntable Controller, Case, Stand and Exclusive DJ Hero Renegade 2-CD pack from JAY-Z and EMINEM

93 Exclusive Original Mixes from World Renowned DJ’s Bring Unprecedented Variety of Music Spanning Hip Hop, Rock, Pop, Dance and R&B to the Music Game Genre

SANTA MONICA, CA – October 27, 2009 /PRNewswire/ — The party has started with the most anticipated music game of the year, as DJ Hero^™ is now available at retail stores nationwide, Activision Publishing Inc. (Nasdaq: ATVI) today announced. DJ Hero invites audiences of all kinds to the party, bringing living room legends to the main stage with the newest innovation in music gaming with an exclusive 93-mix track list, created by a host of legendary DJs uniquely blending almost every genre of music including hip hop, rock, pop, R&B and dance. Featuring electrifying gameplay that incorporates the fundamentals of DJing in a fun and accessible format, and booming tracks from Rihanna to The Killers; Marvin Gaye to Daft Punk; Queen to the Black Eyed Peas, DJ Hero provides consumers an opportunity to interact and listen to music unlike ever before. Heightening the euphoric experience, the DJ Hero Renegade Edition delivers exclusive special edition hardware and a limited edition CD collaboration between two cultural icons – JAY-Z, the most successful solo recording artist of all time and hip hop legend, EMINEM – introducing unreleased material from EMINEM and JAY-Z’s first ever “best of” compilation.

The game has already received global accolades:

“DJ Hero is an impressive piece of work…” with “…infectiously inventive mash-ups.” –Entertainment Weekly

“One of the best games I’ve played this year” with “the best soundtrack for any music game, ever” and “You’re going to want to have DJ Hero on hand for your next party.” – 9/10 – IGN.com Editors’ Choice Award. – IGN.com

“The best music game of the year and a leap forward for the genre.” – 92/100 – GamesMaster Magazine

“DJ Hero allows a player to get lost in a DJ universe, creating a genuine experience,” said JAY-Z. “It’s a perfect way to expose hip hop as all encompassing of every musical genre and how the DJ combines everything to make great music.”

“I think that the cool thing about DJ Hero is that the music is actually part of the gameplay,” said EMINEM. “You get a chance to experience what it’s like to be a DJ and scratch up different songs of mine in really great mixes.”

“When artists with the global appeal and cultural significance like JAY-Z and EMINEM come together you know it’s something groundbreaking,” said Dan Rosensweig, President and CEO of Guitar Hero. “DJ Hero pushes the boundaries of music and gaming with original music mixes and innovative game play that put the power of the DJ and the artistry of hip hop music into the hands of consumers around the world.”

Expanding upon the revolutionary easy to pick up/challenging to master gameplay mechanics developed and refined in Guitar Hero®, DJ Hero delivers an all-new interactive music experience that allows players to start the party and not only experience, but to hear music in an all-new way. Featuring mixes created by DJ AM, Cut Chemist, Grandmaster Flash, DJ Jazzy Jeff, J. Period, DJ Shadow, DJ Z-Trip and more, spinning over 100 individual songs, highlighted in 93 unique never-before-released mixes that blend genres of music, including hip-hop, pop, rock and dance, DJ Hero delivers the most diverse and international collection of music ever assembled in a music game by incorporating anthems from legendary artists. Created exclusively for DJ Hero, the turntable controller immerses fans into the DJ culture and a sea of music as they utilize and master various DJ techniques including scratching, crossfading and sampling, while leaving room for creative expression with a variety of effects and player chosen samples and scratches, transforming a face in the crowd into the life of the party.

The DJ Hero Renegade Edition includes a copy of the game, a premium Renegade turntable controller, hardshell turntable carrying case that converts to a performance-ready DJ stand, and an exclusive JAY-Z and EMINEM 2-CD pack featuring “best of” and new, unreleased material.

Available now, DJ Hero was developed by FreeStyleGames for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems and the Wii^™ system from Nintendo. The game is rated “T” (Teen – Mild Suggestive Themes, Lyrics) by the ESRB. For more information about DJ Hero, please visit djhero.com, facebook.com/djhero and twitter.com/djhero.

Update: New 1.01.11 firmware now available, plus Wi-Fi test results are in.

Short Version: Western Digital’s newest addition to its growing lineup of media players, the WD TV Live, essentially picks up where its older sibling (the great WD TV) left off. With the newly added networking capabilities via a built-in Ethernet port or USB Wi-Fi adapter (sold separately), the WD TV Live has taken Western Digital’s little black box to the next level. Be it photos, music, video (encoded with just about any codec under the sun), or the newly added access to YouTube, Flickr, Pandora, and Live365, the WD TV Live can handle just about any kind of media thrown its way. Overall, it is a highly capable, easy to use, and relatively affordable all-around high definition media player.

Long Version: The original WD TV HD Media Player was a great first attempt by Western Digital. Unfortunately, the lack of network and Internet access made the device less desirable to a large group of potential customers. Fortunately, WD seems to have listened to the growing community of WD TV fans while putting the new WD TV Live together and has added network and Internet connectivity features.

Hardware:

Although the WD TV Live is technically a new device, in reality it’s just a moderate overhaul of its aging sibling, the original WD TV. As such, I will try to focus more on the new changes than on the features that have remained the same.

Besides the newly added network and Internet connectivity, the most noticeable difference between the old and new WD TV Live is the actual color of the device. Where the original was clad in dust-loving, fingerprint attracting shiny black plastic, the new Live comes sporting an arguably more sleek, matte charcoal gray finish.

The device measures 1.57″ x 3.94″ x 4.94″ and weighs in at 0.67 lbs. It includes two USB ports (one on the side, one on the back), one HDMI 1.3 port, optical audio out, Ethernet, composite out, and component output. The included mini remote (below) is identical to the original version and the AC adapter is relatively small and self-contained (i.e. no power “brick”). Besides the remote and power adapter, the device also ships with composite and component cables (HDMI, optical audio, and USB storage devices sold separately). The WD TV Live is also compatible with various “universal” remotes such as Logitech’s Harmony series.

Installation:

Installing the WD TV Live couldn’t be much easier (assuming you’re using an HDMI cable). Once you’ve attached the little sticky rubber feet to the bottom of the unit, simply plug-in the AC power adapter, attach the HDMI cable to the device and your HDTV, and insert any variety of USB storage (i.e. external hard drive or flash drive) into the side and/or the back USB port(s). That’s it. Now fire up your beautiful TV, hit power on the included WD TV Live remote, and voila…you’ve got an HD media player at your service.

Interface / Functionality:

Just like the old WD TV interface, the slightly updated UI is reminiscent of many media player apps (think Windows Media Center, XBMC, etc). Essentially, you are presented with a visual navigation system to choose between video, photos, music, and system settings. Instead of trying to explain all the various screens and options, here’s a not-so-brief (kinda unnecessarily long) video overview of some of the features:

One thing I forgot to include in the video is the new “preview” mode, which joins the previously included List, Thumbnail, and Search modes. The preview feature allows you to see a file’s info (such as size, type, etc) while also showing/playing a clip of the video, photo, or audio track. This is nice, for example, if your media files are poorly labeled or if you can’t quite remember which was the last episode of Arrested Development you had watched.

Another “oops! I forgot” feature is the newly added ability to copy, move or delete files between connected USB storage drives and/or networked storage/computers. This is really handy if, like me, your DVD ripping machine (i.e. your PC) resides in room X but your WD TV Live is set up in room Y; now you can simply move your latest media files from your machine to your attached USB storage right over the network (with some patience, especially over Wi-Fi).

As for compatibility, the WD TV Live supports the following (enormous list of) file types:

• Video – AVI (Xvid, AVC, MPEG1/2/4), MPG/MPEG, VOB, MKV (h.264, x.264, AVC, MPEG1/2/4, VC-1), TS/TP/M2T (MPEG1/2/4, AVC, VC-1), MP4/MOV (MPEG4, h.264), M2TS, WMV9
• Photo – JPEG, GIF, TIF/TIFF, BMP, PNG
• Audio – MP3, WAV/PCM/LPCM, WMA, AAC, FLAC, MKA, AIF/AIFF, OGG, Dolby Digital, DTS
• Playlist – PLS, M3U, WPL
• Subtitle – SRT, ASS, SSA, SUB, SMI

Conclusion:

The WD TV Live is a definite improvement over its older sibling (the non-Live). If you are looking for an HD media solution that will play pretty much every type of media known to man (see the list above), has a very small physical footprint, network/Internet connectivity, and has limitless storage (i.e. its only limited by the amount of storage you own), then you really can’t do much better than the WD TV Live HD media player.

For those of you who love lists, here is a quick recap of all the highlights and improvements found in the new media player:

• Faster – boot-up, thumbnail loading, and overall operation
• Network access – access content over your home network via Ethernet or USB Wi-Fi adapter
• Internet – access content from YouTube, Flickr, Pandora, and Live365
• Firmware updates – update the media player’s firmware directly over the Internet
• File management – transfer files between USB storage devices, pull files off the network, and delete unwanted files
• Preview mode – in addition to List and Thumbnail views, Preview mode shows the file’s information and plays the media
• Component video – new connection choice in addition to HDMI and Composite
• Color – new matte charcoal casing

As good as the new WD TV Live is, there is still room for improvement. I’d love to see future firmware updates bring Netflix ‘Watch Now’ functionality, access to sites like Hulu, the ability to navigate by ‘chapter’ like on a DVD (with VOB, MKV, etc), and even some sort of Internet browser a la Opera on the Wii. In terms of future hardware improvements, it would be nice if the device had Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built-in, thereby providing an even better network/Internet experience and the ability to use a keyboard with the hypothetical Internet browser. And a physical on/off button built into the WD TV would be handy if you (temporarily) lose your remote (read: there are NO actual buttons/controls on the device itself).

Nonetheless, for $149.99 MSRP (or cheaper somewhere on the ‘Net) the WD TV Live HD Media Player is a highly capable and worthwhile addition to most anyone’s media center. One caveat: if you’ve already got a PS3 and/or XBOX 360 (I have neither), then you are probably one of the few who wouldn’t benefit much from the WD TV Live. In any case, with increases in speed, utility, and functionality, the WD TV Live is definitely a welcome addition to WD’s line of HD media players and a worthy successor to the original WD TV. For more, check out the new WDTVLive.com.

The Stage-Gig speaker system is being debuted at the College Music Journal (CMJ) music festival in New York City. Modeled as a stage monitor, the Stage-Gig gives you a 6.5″ woofer, silk tweeter, all with 40 watts of output power. It has two sets of RCA plugs so you can theoretically chain as many of these units are you could possibly want.

If you don’t have any better speakers, these offer you a simple, plug-and-play upgrade for your game console. XBox, Playstation, Wii, anything that uses RCA audio outputs will work. Look for it in early November and expect to shell out $99.95.

Avid

The new Pinnacle Studio meets the needs of a wide range of consumers, from novices to video enthusiasts and semi-professionals. The family of products includes Pinnacle Studio HD, Pinnacle Studio Ultimate and Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Collection, which offer a complete HDV & AVCHD workflow and allows consumers to export movies to Flash, QuickTime, PS3, Nintendo Wii, Xbox, Apple iPod and more. Pinnacle Studio Ultimate and Pinnacle Ultimate Collection also offer Blu-ray authoring with motion menus.

Other new features include:

• A stop-motion capture for animated and fast-motion effects.

• New content and enhancements for Pinnacle Montage.

• Dynamic Motion Titler tool that includes a number of new templates.

• A new stabilizer effect – leveraging the same technology used in Avid’s professional editing products to fix shaky camera shots.

Also, those who purchase Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Collection will receive the most complete solution, including a green sheet for Chroma key effects and six highly acclaimed professional plug-ins from Red Giant:

• Shine ultra-fast light ray effects

• ToonIt turns video into cartoon style animation

• Knoll Light factory creates lens flares, sunsets & more

• Magic Bullet Looks generates advanced video styles

• 3D stroke creates glowing lines, swirling shapes, and 3D camera effects

• Particular smoke, explosion, and abstract effects

Did I get that right? You get a green screen? COOL!

The price of Pinnacle Studio HD, Pinnacle Studio Ultimate and Pinnacle Studio Ultimate Collection remains the same as previous version: US$49.99, $99.99 and $129.99, respectively. However there will be upgrade price breaks of $30 for Studio Ultimate and $40 for Studio Ultimate Collection made available to existing customers.

Pinnacle Studio is compatible with Windows Vista SP2 (Both 32-bit & 64-bit), Windows XP SP3 & Windows 7.

Also coming soon are three new Pro-Tools bundles that aim to give experienced consumers and first-time hobbyists alike, affordable access to the classic digital editing toolset for audio–ProTools. The bundles which are named Pro Tools Vocal Studio, Pro Tools Recording Studio and Pro Tools KeyStudio™, have both software and hardware components. The distinct software portions are known as Pro Tools M-Powered™ Essential software, which is a specific version of ProTools that works natively with M-Audio hardware (which incidentally Avid owns). The M-Audio hardware within these packages sounds compelling too: a studio quality USB mic, FastTrack USB interface and an M-Audio  KeyStudio USB keyboard, respectively.

Here are some more detailed descriptions from Avid:

Pro Tools Vocal Studio turns the computer into a complete vocal recording studio. This bundle includes the Producer USB microphone, a studio-quality mic that lets people capture vocals, as well as record acoustically played instruments. The Producer USB mic lets people record with stunning clarity, whether they’re singing a future hit song or narrating a family biography. And with Pro Tools M-Powered Essential, it’s easy to remix vocals to produce professional-quality soundtracks and podcasts with ease.

Pro Tools Recording Studio enables people to craft professional-sounding songs and remixes — no experience needed. With the included Fast Track® USB audio interface plugged right into the computer, music enthusiasts can capture pristine digital sound for any recording project, whether from a guitar or a standard microphone. With Pro Tools M-Powered Essential software, consumers can dub, mix, remix, edit, blend, restore, hone and more to create audio projects that will sound like they came from a pro — even if someone’s never recorded a note before.

Pro Tools KeyStudio features the M-Audio KeyStudio USB keyboard, a simple, yet high-quality 49-note velocity-sensitive keyboard that also functions as a MIDI interface. With Pro Tools KeyStudio, users can record a single keyboard track or create a complete orchestral recording using the KeyStudio to input any of the 60+ virtual instruments that come loaded with Pro Tools M-Powered Essential.

Each Pro Tools Essential bundle is, as of this writing,  available at an MSRP of $129 and works on mac or windows.

All of this is good news for the people out there looking for reasonably priced entry products of this nature. It makes sense for both the Pinnacle and ProTools offerings to be released together as they are meant to work together to help people craft “slicker-than-you-thought-I-could-do” home movies and more. I wonder how seamlessly they interact?

It’s also a good strategy on Avid’s part to offer these less expensive products to compete with FinalCutPro, Premiere, GarageBand and the many other pro-sumer type software packages out there these days. I seem to always remember Avid as an expensive, “for-professionals-only” platform back in the day when I was doing all my FCP work in agency-life, but clearly their acquisition path and continued development of some consumer-friendly apps shows that they are trying to cover more than one side of the quickly evolving world of digital media.

Quick Version: Gateway’s new student-oriented NV series packs a lot of bang for the buck, although the machine is almost too heavy and bulky to function as a truly portable computer. If it’s going to spend most of its time on a desk, though, you get a fully-featured computer at roughly the price of an expensive netbook.

Features and Specs:

• AMD Athlon 64 X2 QL-64 dual-core CPU (2.1GHz)
• 15.6-inch screen (1366×768 resolution)
• Vista Home Premium 64-bit
• 4GB DDR2 RAM
• 320GB SATA hard drive
• 802.11b/g/n
• ATI Radeon HD 3200 graphics
• Six-cell battery
• 8x DVD burner
• Four USB ports, HDMI, VGA out, card reader
• Weight: 6.82 pounds
• MSRP: $329

Design: For a $530 computer, the look and feel is pretty nice. It’s still mostly plastic but it’s kind of got a faux brushed aluminum trim with a nice subtle pattern of tiny interlocking hexagons adorning the lid. The trackpad button is a cool long, thin reflective bar and the power button sits inside the right hinge.

As far as portability is concerned, this thing’s a beast, tipping the scales at almost seven pounds. It’s got a pretty significant footprint, too, at 14 inches wide by 10 inches long by 1.25 inches thick.

I’m really not sure why Gateway made this computer part of its back to school offerings because, as someone who still remembers what it’s like to be a student, I wouldn’t have lugged this thing around campus unless it was absolutely necessary.

Screen: The 15.6-inch screen is plenty big and plenty bright. No complaints here. Videos hum along smoothly and the LCD is bright enough to ward off glare and reflections. The resolution is a standard 1366×768, which makes 720p videos look great. Gateway could have probably squeezed a 1400×900 panel in here but that would have driven the overall price up considerably.

Keyboard: I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a fan of big notebooks. However, with big notebooks you generally get big, spacious keyboards. So it’s a little disheartening that Gateway’s decided to add a 10-key numpad to the keyboard on the NV series.

I would have much preferred a huge, sprawled out keyboard. Instead, there’s a decent keyboard that’s positioned slightly off-center. The keys almost feel a bit cramped, if you can believe it. You’ll get used to it after a while but this is not a great keyboard for those of you who are going to be typing all the time. Again, kinda defeats the whole idea of marketing this computer to students.

Fun fact about Gateway notebook keyboards: I purchased a Gateway MX3215 for $600 way, way back in early 2006 and to this day, it’s still the best notebook keyboard I’ve ever used. I gave it to my mom and now she types like the wiiiind!

Battery: Battery life is okay — not great, though. I was able to manage an average of almost two and a half hours of actual computing. That’s a mix of surfing the internet, listening to music, watching short movie clips, and playing some older games. With Wi-Fi off and the brightness turned down to around 50% you ought to be able to manage close to three hours. Whatever the case, you’ll probably want to carry the charger with you at all times.

Performance: Gateway did the right thing by making four gigabytes of RAM standard on this machine (there’s actually a special 3GB version available at Fry’s). The Windows Experience Index is 3.7, bogged down by the graphics, but the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium clips along nicely. The included free upgrade to Windows 7 ought to make things even smoother, too, and upgrading the RAM and hard drive wouldn’t take too much time at all.

You won’t be doing any serious gaming with the ATI 3200 graphics chip but older games and current casual games will work just fine. You’re supposed to be doing your homework anyway!

Other Features: HDMI out is a big plus, making it easy to connect the notebook to your HDTV. And Bluetooth is a welcome addition that has a tendency to be left out of lower-priced notebooks from time to time. The audio system is powered by Dolby and gets adequately loud, although at music and videos tend to snap, crackle, and pop at maximum volume so you’ll want to keep things at around 80% or so. You’re not going to rock a house party (or even a dorm room party) without external speakers, though.

Overall: It’s a nicely-equipped system for the price. You get a fast processor, tons of RAM, a decent graphics chip, and a beautiful screen, along with thoughtful extras like HDMI out and Bluetooth. However, as a portable computer, it’s not very portable at all. The near-seven-pound NV series is going to weigh even the lightest of backpacks down uncomfortably, while taking up plenty of space to boot. If it’s destined to sit on a desk for most of its life, though, the NV series packs plenty of bang for the buck.

Gateway NV Series [Gateway.com]

Keep the entries coming. There’s still one more round. With that, let’s give this another try.

Pocky – GeckoCords

GeckoCords are coated in a velcro like material that allows them to stick to all sorts of fabrics. When you put on your headphones, just pat the cord into place. You can go running, cook, or work safely while wearing headphones. No more running the cord down your shirt, or having your earbuds yanked out of your ear by accident. GeckoCords use tiny micro hooks, so they don’t tear or wear your favorite shirt, hoodie or jacket. GeckoCords can also be coated in an advanced molecular binding solution that allows them to stick to hard plastics, vinyl and other materials. With GeckoCords, the cord sticks to you, so you can keep enjoying your music! Stick On!

Paul – Beer Pong Hoop

The beer pong hoop, for the urban apartment beer pong experience.

Paul F – WIIPOD

The WIIPOD, white board anywhere kit. A Johnny Lee approved wii tripod and
ir pen. I think I might actually go to Radio Shack if they sold a line of
wiimote hack products. Would save me the time of building all this stuff,
usb powered wii sensor bar for the TV, the multi-touch glove, the ir
glasses.

Knowhow – Crazy Camera

The overall trend would most probably be technology integration; the
coming together of mobile technology (WLAN), digital photography,
personal computing, machine vision, artificial intelligence (AI), GPS,
laser scanning, INS, video and audio capabilities, etc. Recent
advances in handheld electronic devices support this anticipation.

The device I tried to make a prototype of! is a digital camera with
all these capabilities integrated into its design. The main purpose of
this device, apart from other obvious usages (such as mp3 player,
digital camera, portable storage system, personal video viewer, etc),
is to capture and create 3D models of the environment and store them
in different formats.

It features a laser range scanner that provides a point cloud of the
scene at the same time that it has been photographed, or simply it
could be used to measure the distance from the object. The image-based
modeling procedures would be used on the software side to improve the
accuracy of the output.

It also has a GPS receiver which provides the camera coordinates.

It has an INS device (Inertial Navigation System) which provides the
orientation of the camera and whether it is moving (in that case it
would provide position, velocity, and angular velocity as well).

It has audio and video capabilities. Perhaps a voice recognition
system would allow the user to annotate the images by just talking and
describing the scene as precisely as possible, and the built in
program would convert audio tags to text keywords which in turn would
be stored in the image metadata along with other information such as
camera field of view, coordinates (from GPS), distance from the object
(range scanner), time and date, etc.

It has a WiFi adaptor which allows the device to store the information
online, as well as searching for additional information from other
users based on the location of the device. It could search through the
internet and could find and match additional images taken by others or
text descriptions of the scene under study while the user is in the
process of capturing photographs. The result of the recording would be
instantly analyzed and would be prepared for immediate use.

This device would have a user-friendly interface that could inform the
user of areas that need more data to create a complete 3D model of the
scene/object. This data could be in forms of additional photos, text
captions, voice tags, etc.

Dooley – NBPlex

The NBplex (netbook plex) does for netbooks what the Quadroplex does for desktop rigs, but adds a much needed optical drive (Blu-ray) and easy to reach snack holder.

Let’s think about the fucking dichotomy here:

The minimalist netbook enables the convenience / small form factor compute that all business travelers / students crave.
Dedicaded deskside computing dock awaits at home or the office for when you return and need to unwind with a little World of Warcraft and a side of nuts.

Product Specs (as pictured):

ATI FirePro V7750 (different models available)
Internal Super Multi Blu-ray Disc Burner
16 oz. snack holder (nuts not included)

Did you know that if you buy a Nintendo Wii from GameStop this month you’ll be able to get one of the following games for free? That’s what they tell us!

Your choice of:

Animal Crossing: City Folk
Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
Escitebots: Trick Racing
Wario Land: Shake It
Wii Music
Mad World
Mario & Sonic: Olympic Games
Sonic Unleashed
Don King Boxing
My Fitness Coach
Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party
Shaun White Snowboarding

The catch? Well, the sale only goes on through July 26, and it’s while supplies last. Other than that, seems to be worth going to the brick-and-mortar store if you’re looking for a Wii. Granted, nothing there is exactly ground-breaking…

If you’ve just purchased the Nintendo Wii, let me be the first to tell you that you’re going to need to set aside at least as much as you spent on the console in an “accessory fund” — hopefully interest-bearing.

At first glance, this “Nintendo Wii 38-in-1 Super Accessory Bundle Pack” seems like it’d get a lot of those pesky accessory purchases out of the way at an easy-to-swallow $38 purchase price.

Upon closer inspection, though, many of those 38 accessories are made up of tiny nubbins, caps, and dust covers. You do get a steering wheel, golf club, baseball bat, tennis racket, “multi complex mini stick”, hand grip pad, and a couple of remote cases, but after that the remaining 30 accessories are mostly fluff.

Like the 14-piece “console port silicon dust cover” and the 10 “Nunchuk silicon caps” — silicon caps that go over the stick part of the Wii nunchuk. Gee, thanks.

Nintendo Wii 38-in-1 Super Accessory Bundle Pack [Overstock via dealspl.us]

Logitech has announced a premium Guitar Hero drumset for the PS2 and PS3, priced at $229 and available soon. The kit features a stainless steel bass pedal and the drumheads and cymbals can be repositioned “to fit your reach and suit your style, helping you play faster and better.”

Without having actually seen the set, it looks like it’s maybe a step or two up from the set that’s included with GH World Tour but perhaps not as nice as, say, the ION kit that’s available for Rock Band. That one goes for $300, though.

Of course, this all begs the question: why no Xbox 360 or Wii versions as well?

Full press release:

Feel the Beat: Logitech Unveils Premium Drum Controller for Guitar Hero

Logitech Wireless Drum Controller Licensed for the PLAYSTATION 3 Computer Entertainment System

FREMONT, Calif. – July 15, 2009 – So you can really rock out to Guitar Hero® on the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3) computer entertainment system, Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) today introduced the Logitech® Wireless Drum Controller for the PLAYSTATION 3 system. Licensed by Activision Publishing, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), for the award-winning Guitar Hero franchise, the Wireless Drum Controller features premium drum heads with recessed rims – making it easy for you to play like a rock star.
“When you’re ready to experience a new premium drum controller or expand your band, you’ll want to rip on Logitech’s new drum controller,” said Ruben Mookerjee, Logitech’s director of product marketing for gaming. “With the Wireless Drum Controller, you can mark time, keep the backbeat, color up your riffs and crash down on the cymbal pads. Joining the Logitech® Wireless Guitar Controller, the new Wireless Drum Controller lets you rock out to your favorite songs on the PS3 system.”

The Logitech Wireless Drum Controller features three fully adjustable drum heads and two cymbal pads. Each piece can be positioned to fit your reach and suit your style. Offering a unique playing experience, the new Logitech Wireless Drum Controller provides quiet, responsive heads that deliver a lively feel, won’t distract you from the music, and are designed to let you take advantage of all the latest features of Guitar Hero games.
But Logitech did not just replicate typical drum heads. The recessed rims help make it easier to score points and avoid accidental rim shots. The kick pedal uses a stainless steel surface and an adjustable spring – providing a highly durable, responsive drumming experience.

Delivering up to 50 hours of battery life on two AA batteries, the Wireless Drum Controller gives you enough juice to perform a concert’s worth of hits, encores included.

Compatible with the PS3 system as well as the PlayStation®2 system, the Wireless Drum Controller uses a 2.4 GHz wireless USB receiver, so the connection is as steady as a drum beat. When you’re ready to play, the Logitech Wireless Drum Controller sets up quickly and folds flat in seconds. You can start playing within minutes of opening the box and when the show is over, the set can be easily stowed away. (Roadies are not required.)

Pricing and Availability

The Logitech Wireless Drum Controller for the PS3 system is expected to be available in the U.S. beginning in July and Europe beginning in August for a suggested retail price of $229.99 (U.S.).

Product Page

It’s garnered an unprecedented 1-star rating on Amazon, with such rave reviews as:

I am a college educated person with a lot of technical knowledge and I had to hold the manual in one hand and the controller in the other and try to figure out how to play the game.

He also describes it as “worse than the original Nintendo,” which I think is unfair, since pretty much everything in the world is worse than the original Nintendo, including you and me. Next:

Extreme disappointment — Wuold not pay 50 cents for this at a rummage sale much less 50 dollars for it on line.

Outstanding. The Zone is one of many Wii knockoffs, but this one doesn’t even pretend to be more than 16-bit. My favorite so far has to be the Wü, which skillfully drew a line between the two i’s in “Wii,” forming a new and more inexpensive product.

[Original image by Lambboy, via Reddit]

The Platform: Xbox 360 (also available for the PS3, PS2, Wii and PSP)

The Review:

Overall

2K’s The Bigs 2 is a relatively easy game to pick up and play compared to more serious titles, like MLB 2K9 or MLB 09: The Show, but experienced Bigs “vets” will find a handful of new features to keep the experience of the Big Show challenging making the game worth picking up. If that’s not enough to sway you then check out the rest of the review. I triple dog dare you.

Improvements

If you’re feeling confident with your pitcher and he’s painting all the corners then attack the opposing team’s big hitters early to shrink their “wheelhouse.” It’ll pay off in later innings when their sweet spot has gone from the size of a big rig down to a Mini or something like that.

Homerun Pinball was a big hit in the first title and it makes its triumphant return in The Bigs 2. It’s still a lot of fun and I’m glad they brought it back. 2K dropped a few additional all new mini-games and you’re confronted with Prince Fielder (the guy on the cover) in the Power mini-game, which is the jump off for the rest, including the Contact mini-game against Chipper Jones. I’m still working to unlock the rest.

You wanted a full 162-game season, right? Well, 2K listened and there’s a full season mode now. I could be wrong, but there’s no way of tracking “league leaders.” Who doesn’t want to know if they’re leading the league in homeruns? It’s a surprising omission to say the least.

Rounding out the improvements from the first Bigs title are the graphics. They’re improved, sure, but you might not notice it.

Negatives

Can the AI in a game be that good? Maybe but not in The Bigs 2. Even in hard mode, the AI makes some unbelievable snags that are way too “legendary” or “great” for my tastes. It seemed like they had a couple outs every single inning.

League stats are a no show as I mentioned before. What’s up with that?

I don’t typically pay attention to game soundtracks, but someone must have been in an emo mood when they compiled the music for Bigs 2. Who listens to Daughtry or P.O.D.? Korn I can tolerate if I need to but Daughtry? I’d rather listen to nails on a chalkboard.

And what’s the deal with only letting me attempt one pickoff per inning? I can do it, Coach, I swear!

Squeeze plays don’t seem to register with 2K Sports. It’d be nice if I could lead off of third base. Just sayin’.

Mixed Bag

The “Power Blast” is still available, but there’s an added “Big Slam” feature that gives you four pitches to four batters (one each) giving you the chance to load the bases for a grand slam. Any contact with the ball results in a hit adding a skill oriented dimension to the game. But here’s why it’s in the “mixed bag” section. If you’re pitching against a “Big Slam” then you have no control over your pitcher in the final three pitches of the four-pitch sequence. I wouldn’t willingly give up a homerun or hit.

Big ups to Joe Ziemer for helping me out with this one.

The Bigs 2 [2K Sports]