Yoichi Wada is the president and CEO of Square Enix. Square Enix is a very big video game developer and publisher, responsible for games like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and Kingdom Hearts. Hence, his words mean an awful lot. His latest words: console gaming, as we know it today, has only a few years left in it. The future? It’s all about the network, baby!~

The background: Yoichi Wada gave an interview to MCV, a British publication. Good on him. It’s not exactly a wide-ranging interview, instead strictly focusing on the future of video games. Considering his job title, you’d have to assume he knows what he’s talking about.

The big points: physical media (DVD-based games and the like) has no future, so you’d better be cool with things like Xbox Live, PSN, or Steam; 2005 will be seen as the year that everything changed, when console manufacturers changed their mentality from being primarily hardware/console-based to network-based (Xbox Live and eventually~! PSN); Final Fantasy XIV, which is an MMO, may well be more important for Square Enix than Final Fantasy XIII since it’s part of the “new wave” of online, social games.

OK!

Now that that’s out of that way, well, yeah, Wada is 100 percent correct. Console gaming, as we know it, or even used to know it, will die either with this generation or the next. Think of your Xbox 360 and PS3: they’re basically low-end PCs, especially in the 360’s case. (Though I think it’s safe to say that the PS3 has some life left in it, it’s just going to take someone with a lot of money to actually develop a game from the ground up for the system. I’m thinking God of War III will be that game.) Microsoft is most up-front about this: play with Twitter or Facebook! Watch Zune movies! Have a party with your friends! Oh, also, it can play video games, too!

The Xbox 360 came out four years ago. If it weren’t for Xbox Live, or the constant updates the system has seen via software updates (the NXE, Netflix streaming, Twitter/Facebook, etc.), we’d be clamoring for info about the next Xbox already. When was the last time you read so much as a thinly sourced rumor about the next Xbox?

In other words, we’re going to be with the current generation of consoles for a little while, which speaks to Wadas’ point: from 2005, the network matters just as much, if not more so, than the consoles themselves.

(Incidentally, I’m currently in the process of building a gaming/new main PC to replace a 3-year-old iMac for this very reason: why should I play Team Fortress 2 with, what, 15 other people on Xbox Live (versus the several thousand on the PC version), or play Fallout 3 with no access to mods?. I just bought this monitor, and will be adding components as the weeks go by. Any tips (GPUs, CPUs, motherboards, etc) would be greatly appreciated.)

And then there’s casual games! Not everyone has the time required to play “hardcore” games like Fallout 3 or Dragon Quest, so why not fire up a round of Wii Sports, kill off some steam, then go about your business? Needless to say, game publishers make a nice chunk of change on these “simple” games, being that they cost so little to develop, making them fairly important for the bottom line.

If you want to get crazy, then you can think of things like the OTOY and OnLive and Spawn Labs, which promise, to varying degrees, HD-level games over a broadband connection. How well that actually turns out in the real world, who knows, but you can be guys like Wada are paying attention.

I don’t know, this is all over the place. The gist of it is this: we need to recognize that game consoles are little more than dumbed down, low spec PCs. That’s not an insult, of course, just a statement on their underlying technology. Soon, if not already, it’s going to be less about the number of gigaflops the system can process than wether or not you can play Fun Simulator 2 with 87 of your Twitter friends.

You know what I mean, right? I don’t know, too much apple pie yesterday~!

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Black Friday is just two days away. If you have what it takes to wake up at the crack of dawn, brave the crowds, and spot the best deals, there are plenty of savings to be had. Here’s a quick list of some of the best deals from the most popular product categories being offered by brick-and-mortar stores, followed by a few prestigious awards that have been given to various retailers.

Doorbuster deals have been marked with and asterisk and, where applicable, the next best non-doorbuster deal has been listed as well.

Best TV Deals

• 19-inch: Walmart $128* / Best Buy $149.99
• 22-inch: Radio Shack $199.99
• 26-inch: Office Depot $299.99
• 32-inch (720p): Target $246
• 32-inch (1080p): Best Buy $439.99
• 40-inch (1080p): Target $449* / Best Buy $499.99
• 42-inch (720p): Walmart $448* / Best Buy $547.99
• 42-inch (1080p): Sears $499.99* / Sears $549.99 (Plasma)
• 46-inch (1080p): Walmart $798* / Best Buy $847.99
• 50-inch: Walmart $598 (Plasma)

Best Netbook Deals

• Best Buy: Compaq 10.1-inch $179.99
• Radio Shack: Acer Aspire One 11.6-inch $249.99

Best Notebook Deals

• Walmart: eMachines 15.6-inch $198*
• Office Depot: HP 15.6-inch $299.99
• Walmart: HP 17-inch $398

Best Desktop Deal

• Office Depot: Compaq $229.99

Best Blu-ray Deals

• Walmart: $78*
• Best Buy: $99.99

Best GPS Deal

• Walmart: TomTom One 125-SE $59

Best Hard Drive Deals

• Target: 1TB Western Digital Desktop $59.98
• Office Max: 500GB External 3.5-inch $49.99
• Target: 500GB Western Digital Portable: $59.98

Best Digital Camera Deals

• Office Max: Vivitar $39.99 (Point-and-Shoot)
• Best Buy: Nikon D3000DX $499.99 (DSLR)

Best Monitor Deals

• Office Max: Acer 18.5-inch $69.99
• Best Buy: Acer 20-inch $79.99
• Staples: eMachines 21.5-inch $89.98*
• Office Max: AOC 22-inch: $99.99
• Staples: Acer 23-inch $139.98

With the best deals in the most popular product categories out of the way, we can now move on to the awards section of the program. Please hold your applause until all of the winners have been announced.

The “So… Are You Guys Actually Having a Sale?” Award

And the winner is… GameStop. Aside from a few anemic doorbuster deals, the store’s Black Friday ad is chock full of plenty of regularly-priced items. Wii Fit and Balance Board for $99? Gee, thanks.

The “Why the Hell Are You Opening So Early?” Award

And the winner is… Old Navy. No electronics deals to speak of other than getting Lego Rock Band for free with any $20 purchase but for some crazy-ass reason, the stores are opening at 3AM on Black Friday. Because the only thing better than being in an Old Navy store is being in an Old Navy store at 3AM and then having to kill time until all the other stores open.

The “Doors Will Probably Literally Get Busted” Award

And the winner is… Walmart. Just like every other year, the retail giant will be offering plenty of insane deals to plenty of insane people. If you’re planning on shopping at Walmart this Black Friday and you’re reading this, you are not insane. Everyone else around you will be, though. Not you. I don’t want any trouble. I’m just a guy with a keyboard.

The “Under the Radar” Award

And the winner is… Target. The store lulls everyone into complacency with everyday household items and then sweeps the 32-inch and 40-inch TV deal categories like a ninja, with a 32-inch LCD TV priced at $246 and a 40-inch 1080p doorbuster TV priced at $449. Well played, Target. Well played, indeed.

The “One-Stop Shop” Award

And the winner is… Best Buy. Pretty good all-around deals, plenty of video game deals (especially the Xbox 360 bundles), and 18-month interest-free financing on all purchases totaling $249 and up if you have a Best Buy card make the store a good option if you want to immerse yourself in the Black Friday madness for an hour or two before going back to bed.

Walmart is another worthy option, although Best Buy’s “everyone waits in line for a ticket to buy doorbusters so there’s no mayhem when the store opens” policy seems a little less chaotic than Walmart’s “holy crap I thought there’d be more cops here now who’s going to stop these crazies from ripping the doors off the hinges sweet jesus they’re just like living zombies except much faster and exponentially angrier” Black Friday sales of years past.

See more Black Friday ads here…

EA Sports Madden 95/NHL 95 Plug and Play TV Game: $16 (Amazon.com)

I take this thing with me whenever I travel. It contains two of the greatest old-school Sega Genesis games of all time: Madden 95 and NHL 95. It plugs into any standard TV via white and yellow AV cables and this two-player version here is perfect for reliving the glory days of mid- to late-adolescence with an old buddy. For best results, have Pearl Jam’s “Ten” album playing in the background and sit on a beanbag if there’s one available.

Product Page

ExciteBike: World Rally: $10 (Nintendo Wii/WiiWare)

Oh man, I downloaded this the other day and played it for about six hours straight. It’s ExciteBike, through and through, with the added bonus of online multiplayer and all new graphics. The game itself is still as simple-yet-addicting as ever, you can still build your own tracks, and the $10 price tag isn’t too bad considering the multiplayer feature augments the otherwise short single player mode with nearly infinite replay value.

Product Page

Portable Handheld Emulator: Starting at around $30

Nothing gets a nostalgic gamer excited like the idea of taking old school games everywhere and, thankfully, there are plenty of portable emulation machines on the market. From the very-reasonable NES emulator reviewed here, to the slightly-more-expensive Genesis emulator reviewed here, you should be able to find an emulator for most older systems for under $50.

The ultimate portable, perhaps, would be the GP2X Wiz, a $180 handheld that runs just about every available retro system available and is backed by a vibrant community of users. Nobody beats the Wiz.

Retro Duo Twin Video Game System: $43.99 (Amazon.com)

If your favorite gamer hasn’t had the heart to sell, donate, or toss a single NES or SNES game cartridge despite numerous advancements in the magical field of PC-based emulation, then this Retro Duo console is a no-brainer. It’s cheap, too!

Less than $50 for a console that plays NES and SNES games and includes two controllers? There’s not much to consider there – it’s pretty much an impulse buy.

Product Page

USB NES Controller: $29.99 (ThinkGeek.com)

Playing old emulated NES games using anything other than an original controller just feels so… wrong. But if you don’t have the tinkering prowess to convert an original NES game pad into a USB version that can be used with your computer, you still have options. The $30 RetroLink USB gamepad takes care of the dirty work for you, allowing you to play those old NES games the way the gaming gods intended.

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Japan’s biggest gaming magazine, the Famitsu [JP], has given Nintendo’s newest Mario game New Super Mario Bros. the highest honor in the latest issue. All four editors who tested the game gave 10 points out of 10, resulting in a perfect 40/40 score.

New Super Mario Bros. is already the fourth game in 2009 to get a 40/40 rating, even though until 2007 the magazine was well-known for not giving away this score easily. But the perfect rating isn’t that surprising, as the game seems to be really that good and many reviewers outside Japan gave it the thumbs up already.

Here is a time line for all of Famitsu’s 40/40-games so far:

1. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (1998, for Nintendo 64)
2. Soul Calibur (1999, for Dreamcast)
3. Vagrant Story (2000, for PlayStation)
4. The Legend of Zelda – The Wind Waker (2003, for GameCube)
5. Nintendogs (2005, for the DS)
6. Final Fantasy XII (2006, for PlayStation 2)
7. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (2008, for the Wii)
8. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008, for PlayStation 3)
9. 428: Fusasareta Shibuya de (2008, for the Wii)
10. Dragon Quest IX (2009, for the DS)
11. Monster Hunter Tri (2009, for the Wii)
12. Bayonetta (2009, for PlayStation 3/XBox 360)
13. New Super Mario Bros.

This is the worst time to be a gamer. Yeah, it’s great that so many good games have come out recently (take your pick from New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Modern Warfare 2, Assassin’s Creed II, Left 4 Dead 2, etc.), but it’s pretty difficult to shell out $60+ every other day in the span of two weeks.

This list may help. It’s a bunch of older Xbox 360 games for up to 75 percent off the regular price. Granted, I don’t exactly see Modern Warfare 2 or Left 4 Dead 2, but I do spy veritable hits like GTA IV and Guitar Hero World Tour and Lego Batman and TNA Impact.

I’ve listed TNA Impact primarily as a joke, because as we all know, nobody watches TNA. It’s a shame since so many of those wrestlers (Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, Nigel McGuinness, etc.) are pretty darn good.

Here it comes: Best Buy ran a national Black Friday ad inviting the world to celebrate Thanksgiving and Eid Al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice. Fair enough, right? Happy Eid! Well, take a gander at the ad up there and brace yourself.

Look closely. You’ll probably miss the good will and wishes, they’re so innocuous.

So you’d think that a national retailer would be praised for trying to reach out to its Muslim visitors and you’d also think that since Black Friday comes around Thanksgiving, an ostensibly “conservative” holiday,” they’d be excused for not putting baby Jesus in the carriage Toad drives in Mario Kart Wii on the first page of its Black Friday ad.

Nope.

The s-storm brewing at Best Buy is going to overtake the news cycle in a few days. Here’s an example of the rhetoric:

Among my major purchases from BB over the years were a plasma big screen, a fridge and a laptop. No more. In 2006 you discontinued the use of ‘ Merry Christmas’ in your “holiday” messages.

Yet one of your ad inserts wishes your customers a happy “Eid Al Aldha” ( a Muslim goat throat slitting festivity) . Clearly the liberal/ PC culture in your corporate offices is biased against Christians and traditional American values. So, in 2009 I discontinue Best Buy. Good riddance.

Hello A m a z o n

- A proud patriotic Christian American.

While I’d be happier if they celebrated a real holiday like Festivus, can’t we give Best Buy a break? This is literally the first time I’ve ever seen any major retailer celebrate Eid, it’s a nice holiday for millions of Americans, and it’s nice for BB to note that yes, it is coming up soon. And let me assure you that next week’s flyer will probably include dancing angels, Moses riding a jet-ski, and What Would Jesus Buy HDTV buying tips.

Thoughts?

Although there are far too many items to list in a single post, here’s a look at what’s in store. Check Amazon’s Black Friday page each day for the full list of deals too.

Monday:

• Samsung LN52B530 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV for $1299.99
• Polk Surroundbar 360 for $399.99
• LG 37LH55 37-Inch 1080p 240Hz LCD HDTV for $649.99
• HP Mini 10.1-Inch White Netbook (Windows 7 Starter) for $378.99

Full list of electronics deals here…

Tuesday (pricing not revealed yet):

• Magellan Maestro GPS
• Plantronics Voyager PRO Bluetooth Headset
• La Crosse Technology Digital Thermometer
• DJ Hero Bundle with Turntable (Xbox)

Wednesday (pricing not revealed yet):

• LG Blu-ray Player
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Xbox)
• Guitar Hero Smash Hits (PS3)
• Rapala: We Fish with Rod Bundle (Wii)

Thursday (pricing not revealed yet):

• We Ski and Snowboard (Wii)
• Tekken 6 (PS3)
• Sharp 32" LCD HDTV

Friday (pricing not revealed yet):

• Altec Lansing Computer Speakers with Powered Subwoofer
• Polk Bookshelf Speakers
• MartinLogan In-Ceiling Speakers

• Panasonic 46" 1080p Plasma HDTV
• HP 15.6-Inch Laptop
• Canon PowerShot 12.1 MP Digital Camera
• Panasonic 42" 1080p Plasma HDTV
• Dell Inspiron Mini Netbook with Integrated TV Tuner

• Nintendo DSi Bundle with 5 Pre-installed Titles
• Xbox 360 Bundle with 2 Games
• Xbox 360 Limited-Edition Console
• PlayStation 120 GB Bundle with 2 Games

There will apparently be sales on Saturday and Sunday, too.

Black Friday Calendar [Amazon]

Black Friday Deals Page [Amazon]

More Black Friday deals…

Nintendo started offering a video distribution service for Japanese Wii owners this May, attracting about 800,000 customers by late September in this country. In the same month, Nintendo promised their free channel will be made available to Non-Japanese Wii owners next year, at the same time announcing they’ll start offering paid content (in Japan) very soon. And since the weekend, we have that fee-based streaming video service [JP] over here.

A lot of the content is still free, but the new service makes it possible to view popular TV programs and some Wii-exclusive content on your console. Wii users can now watch Disney and Pokemon anime, Sesame Street, movies, soccer games and other content. Wii-exclusive content includes a bunch of educational programs.

Nintendo initially managed to gather 15 content providers, for example Warner Entertainment and Disney, that will deliver about 250 different programs by next month. By next year, Wii owners are supposed to be able to choose between a total of 1,000 titles. Prices vary heavily, with titles costing between $0.11 and $11 (10 yen and 1,000 yen).

It’s not yet clear whether Nintendo will offer those paid services outside Japan next year as well.

This kit includes Nyko’s Wand Wiimote – essentially an exact clone of Nintendo’s product – along with a sleeve and gun attachment for light gun games.

Nyko seems to have been forced to create a controller that is functionally identical to the Wiimote but cosmetically different. Purists will be off-put by the bright red and square A button and the odd placement of the home button over the plus and minus keys. The cross keypad is also a bit odd with strange corners sticking out between the three directional keys. However, considering the WiiMote costs $39.99 on a bad day and $35 on a good one, you’re getting a bit more for your money with this pack.

Bottom Line
I’ve had little trouble with Nyko devices and their chargers are first rate. The purists among you – you know who you are – will balk at the styling but the bargain hunters among you will realize it’s a pretty good deal, especially if you play gun games.

Product Page

Target will be running a special Sunday-to-Wednesday circular this weekend full of pre-Black Friday deals. Most of the deals are okay, if unspectacular – 32-inch LCD TV for $398, $20 giftcard with Wii system purchase, etc. – while the 10.1-inch Acer Aspire One netbook ought to sell out pretty quickly at just $199 (although don’t forget that Office Max will be selling a similar machine on Black Friday for $150).

There’s also a 50-inch plasma TV for $698, a 42-inch 1080p LCD TV for $597, and a dual-screen portable DVD player for $119. Check your paper this Sunday for the full list of deals. If you just said, “What’s a paper?” then maybe check Target’s website on Sunday instead.

Well this is no fun. If you’ve been patiently waiting for the Vizio HDTVs that bring Twiiter, Facebook, Netflix, and Yahoo into you living room, you’re going to have to wait a bit longer. Santa isn’t going to bring one this year.

The HDTV sets were supposed to be out in July, but that obviously didn’t happen. CNET is reporting that the new launch date is January 2010. Too bad that Vizio couldn’t make the original deadline. We’ll no doubt see other HDTVs at CES ‘10 with similar social-networking functions. Vizio might get lost in the crowd.

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…

Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the Wii-holder. The Charge Base IC is a $34.99 induction charging device for Wiimotes and looks like something out of a Frank Lloyd Wright sketchbook. The base sits firmly on the ground while sweeping cantilevered arms reach out to cradle your Wiimotes with magnets. It’s almost graceful, this amalgamation of clear and white plastic, the glorious sense of weightlessness, the architectural stability with just a touch of grandeur.

But darn it if the lights on this thing aren’t too bright.


See, these sorts of devices are great for a kid’s room. You stick it in there behind the Build-a-bears and the homemade hamster launcher and forget about it. However, there are large, blue LEDs under the clear plastic Wiimote holders that are bright enough to see even in the day time. For adults you’re faced with a quandary: hide your Wiimote charger in a closet or put it out for all to see, the bright blue lights signaling to house guests that yes, you are a gamer, and yes, you’re shameless about it. This is fine if you are actually a gamer but not so nice if you’re a Bishop or Special Forces Captain.

At $34.99 this is a nice charging solution. It uses induction so there are no contacts to get gummed up and you can charge through your Wiimote’s plastic sleeve. The magnets hold the controllers in place while charging and you have an extra USB port for other accessories – PS3 controllers, maybe – as well as a pass through plug that lets you free up an extra outlet.

Barring the lights these things are great. You slap your controller in there and yank it off when you’re ready to rumble. No more battery changes and no more trying to find the sweet spot for your non-inductive charger. Also, if you place one of those old fashioned toilet paper cozies over it – you know the kind that your grandma used to knit and it looks like a Barbie doll wearing a large, pre-Civil War Scarlett O’Hara dress and it’s designed so that Barbie’s legs go into the hold in the paper to hide said paper from the house guests? – you could pretend that your Barbie is from outer space and that her underwear glows.

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If you happen to have one of those toilet paper cozies lying around, you’re in luck. We’re giving away five of these Nyko Charge Base IC devices for you and your’n. Just comment below and we’ll pick five winners on Tuesday.

Lexar Gaming Memory cards are ideal for gaming enthusiasts using Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) and Nintendo Wii systems. It allows you to capture gaming data, multimedia, and more.

Okay… Other then labeling, I’m not sure what else makes these gamer level memory cards special. They come in 4GB and 8GB capacities, but don’t have special transfer rates or anything else that stands out.

Available as an M2 or SDHC format, the cards start at $25 and go up from there, depending on the size and format. Currently you can only buy them on the company website, but I’m sure that’ll change soon so they can try and sell them to people who don’t know any better.

It must be pretty darn easy being an analyst at one of those fancy Wall Street firms. Take this story, that Nintendo may well launch an on-demand video service for the Wii here in North America next year. Japan’s Nikkei reported the same thing nearly two months ago, but it’s only now that someone at Lazard Capital Markets has officially predicted such a store for the North American market.

Here’s what the analyst said, two months after the Nikkei said the same thing:

We expect Nintendo to continue experimenting with content delivery and eventually to launch a service in the U.S., establishing a family- oriented media hub in the living room, and providing a more competitive option to Xbox Live and PlayStation Home.

The Wii is a really strange system, no? Nintendo as a whole, too. While Microsoft and Sony welcome and promote violent games like Modern Warfare 2, Nintendo goes out of its way to promote New Super Mario Bros. , a game that’s going to be huge, yes, but is for a totally different audience.

Nintendo’s hasn’t really jumped onboard the online bandwagon, either. There’s no Xbox Live or PSN you can point to, downloadable content is rare (excepting the Virtual Console, which I wouldn’t really consider DLC in the traditional sense of the phrase), and there’s no emphasis on “extra” features, like Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

All well and good, yes, but I have one question: where’s the new Zelda? Surely I’m not the only person who looks at Nintendo systems as Zelda/Mario-to-TV adapters.

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So there you are, standing in front of Best Buy’s wall o’ HDTVs. Which one do you buy? There are just so many different factors and terms: LCD, LED, plasma, 3D, DLP, 1080p. No worries. Follow these five rules and you’ll end up with the perfect HDTV for you.

Rule 1 – Buy for your room

Forget the LCD vs plasma debate for just a moment. It might not matter. Your room might choose your HDTV for you.

LCDs generally counter glare better than plasmas because of their matte finish. Most plasmas have a glossy screen protector over the screen, which while a great defense against flying Wii remotes and children, reflect everything like a mirror. However, if glare isn’t an issue at all and in fact, the room is a little on the dark side, buy a plasma. They thrive in darker environments where their rich colors and contrasts can really show off.

Also consider how close you sit to the TV. It’s often the rule of thumb to buy the biggest TV you can afford or that will fit in a certain area, but standard definition content like basic cable look terrible on larger HDTVs and it’s very obvious when you’re sitting close. Large TVs can also overpower a room and cause headaches and eye strain.Remember your home probably has a lot lower ceiling than retail stores like Best Buy and Walmart so the actual size of the TV might be deceiving at when you’re shopping.

Thankfully most retail stores have liberal return policies. Just be prepared to pay a restocking fee or pick-up charge if you simply return the HDTV and not buy another one.

Rule 2 – Buy the picture that looks the best to you

There is one huge advantage brick and mortar stores have over Internet retailers: demos. Walk into a Best Buy and you can see how different TVs look compared to others. This is important.

Everyone’s eyes are different. Perception is different. You can not solely rely on Internet TV reviews when buying an HDTV. You need to see it in person. Stand there. Let your eyes wonder and pick out a TV that looks good to you. Here’s what you need to look for:

• Black blacks
• White whites
• Not vivid colors, but realistic
• No motion blur when objects are moving fast
• The glare factor

Let a salesman point certain things out to you but you’re the one that’s ultimately going to have to live with the TV. Buy the one you like, but keep an open mind.

Rule 3 – Buy a familiar brand

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard, all TVs have problems. Generally speaking, a Sony HDTV will hold up just as well as a Panasonic, Samsung, or Vizio. Modern HDTVs do not have any moving parts and most use the same display panels and components anyway.

You need to accept that there’s a possibility that any number of items might go wrong with your new HDTV no matter whose logo is on the front. A good rule of thumb in the TV world is that if you haven’t heard of the brand and it’s less expensive than other options, it’s probably that store’s house brand and something you might want to avoid. If you’re really concerned about your new investment, buy an extended service plan.

Rule 4 – Don’t be afraid to buy online

Brick and mortar stores have the demo advantage, but online retailers will beat them every day in the price game. Go to Best Buy and pick out the TV you want and then shop online for it. As long as the online retailer has cheap shipping and a good return policy, you have nothing to fear. But also don’t be afraid to ask the Best Buy to match or come close to the online price. You might be surprised.

Rule 5 – The TV is only as good as the source

You’re buying an HDTV so it needs high-def content. Your standard cable will look like poo on it and yes, it will cost more each month from your content provider. Consider this extra cost when you’re shopping for the TV. It’s not a bad idea to call up your cable or satellite company before hand to find out the extra cost.

Cable subscribers generally have it the easiest, especially if they already have a digital cable box. Likely all they will need is a different box. But if you have a satellite, you may need all new equipment including a different dish. The install cost might be nominal though.

Don’t be afraid to shop around either. You might find a better deal.

That’s right, here’s your chance to win some gaming goodness for the holidays. Specifically, Xbox 360 and Wii consoles. How do you win? Apparently, all you have to do is become a fan of AMD on Facebook. One winner is chosen every week for four weeks, with the contest ending on December 18th.

Look at CNET, breaking news left and right. The site ran a little survey asking its UK readers how many times their video game consoles crashed. No surprise: the Xbox 360 leads the pack with a full 60 percent of heaving died (due to the red ring of death). The PS3 comes in at 16 percent (yellow light of death?), and the Wii is only 6 percent.

Let’s focus on the Xbox 360 numbers. The most amazing thing to come from the survey is how quickly people’s Xboxen broken. It turns out that only 25 percent of those broken Xboxen lasted more than 18 months. So, 75 percent of those Xboxen didn’t even make it to month 18. That’s ridiculous.

One thing to keep in mind about this survey: it wasn’t a random sample. So we’re not saying that 75 percent of all Xbox 360s will, or have, broken within the first 18 months, but that 75 percent of respondents’ Xbox 360s broke within the first 18 months. It might well be that put-off Xbox 360 owners filled out the survey to “stick it” to Microsoft. Owners of broken Xboxes, unite! That kind of thing.

But the overall story—the Xbox 360 is not reliable—is nothing we didn’t know before. I’ve had two Xbox 360s die on me since August, 2006.

Walmart’s Black Friday ad is here, packed full of holiday goodies. Stores open at 5AM Friday morning and doorbusters will be available until 11AM.

Here’s a list of gadget-related items. Doorbusters are marked with an asterisk.

Computers

Acer 17.3″ Blue Laptop w/4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive and Windows 7 Premium (Online Only) – $498.00

eMachines 15.6″ Notebook w/AMD Processor, 2GB Memory, 160GB Hard Drive (Model # EME627) – $198.00 *

HP 15.6″ Notebook w/Intel Processor, 3GB Memory, 250GB Hard Drive (Model # G60-519WM) – $298.00 *

HP 17″ Notebook w/4GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive (Model # G71-329WM) – $398.00

HP Pavilion All-In-One 19″ Desktop w/4GB Memory, 500GB Hard Drive, MS213 AMD – $598.00

HP Pavilion Desktop w/AMD Processor, 3GB Memory, 320GB Hard Drive, w/20″ Monitor (Model # P6243w-b) – $398.00 *

Digital Cameras

Kodak C82 12.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $69.00

Nikon CoolPix S230 10MP Digital Camera – $139.00

Sony Cyber-Shot DSCS930 10.0 Megapixel Digital Camera – $79.00

Digital Media Cards

Sandisk 4GB SDHC Card – $8.00

Sony 4GB Memory Stick – $20.00

DVD Players

Magnavox NB500 Blu-ray Disc Player – $78.00 *

Samsung BD-P1590 Blu Ray Player (Saturday) – $148.00

Sony BDP-S369 Blu Ray Player – $148.00

Electronics

8″ LCD Digital Photo Frame – $29.00

Philips 6′ Gold HDMI Cable – $19.00

Philips 7″ Portable DVD Player – $49.00

Philips Earbuds – $10.00

Samsung MX20 Red Camcorder – $149.00

GPS Systems

TomTom One 125-SE GPS – $59.00

TomTom XL325-SE GPS – $89.00

Hard Drives

Western Digital 1TB 3.5″ External Hard Drive – $78.00

Western Digital My Passport Essential 320GB Hard Drive – $49.00

Miscellaneous

Duracell UltraAdvanced AA/AAA 6-Pack – 2 For $5

Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA 2-Pack – 2 For $5

Rayovac AA/AAA 12-Pack – 2 For $5

MP3 Players

Apple 8GB iPod Touch w/$50 iTunes GC – $195.00

Phillips 4GB MP3/Video Player – $29.00

Sony iPod Speaker – $69.00

Networking

Belkin N 150 Router – $29.00

Portable USB Storage

Sandisk Cruzer 4GB USB Flash Drive – $8.00

Printers

HP Deskjet F2430 All-In-One Printer – $25.00

Kodak ESP5250LE Wireless Printer – $99.00

Televisions

Emerson 32″ LC320EMFX LCD 720P HDTV – $248.00 *

Emerson 42″ PL-P42W-10A Plasma 720P HDTV – $448.00 *

Flat-Panel TV Stand – $89.00

Philips Large Fixed TV Mount – $69.00

RCA 46″ LCD 1080p HDTV (Online Only) – $688.00

Samsung 32″ LN328360 LCD 720P HDTV (Saturday) – $398.00

Samsung 42″ LN40B500 LCD 1080P HDTV (Saturday) – $598.00

Samsung 42″ PN42B400 Plasma 720P HDTV (Saturday) – $548.00

Samsung 46″ LN46B500 LCD 1080P HDTV (Saturday) – $848.00

Samsung 50″ PN50B400 Plasma 720P HDTV (Saturday) – $698.00

Sansui 19″ HDLCD1909 LCD HDTV – $128.00

Sayno 50″ DP50719 Plasma HDTV – $598.00

Sony Bravia 32″ KDL32L504 LCD 720P HDTV – $378.00

Sony Bravia 40″ KDL40S504 LCD 1080P HDTV – $598.00

Sony Bravia 46″ KDL465504 LCD 1080P HDTV – $798.00 *

Video Games

2K Sports NBA 2K10 For Xbox 360 – $25.00

Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader For PS2 – $7.00

Bakugan For Nintendo Wii – $25.00

Big Beach Sports For Nintendo Wii – $10.00

Call Of Duty 4 Modern Warfare For PS3 – $25.00

Carnival Games For Nintendo Wii – $10.00

Celebrity Sports Showdown For Nintendo Wii – $7.00

Comand And Conquer Red Alert 3 For Xbox 360 – $7.00

EA Sports Madden 10 For PS2 – $25.00

Grand Theft Auto IV For Xbox 360 – $10.00

Lock’s Quest (Nintendo DS) – $7.00

Midnight Club Los Angeles (Xbox 360) – $10.00

MX Vs ATV Untaimed (Nintendo DS) – $10.00

Need For Speed Undercover (PS3) – $10.00

NeoPets Puzzle Adventure (Nintendo DS) – $7.00

Nintendo DS Lite – $98.00 *

Nintendo DS Lite Starter Kit – $10.00 *

Nintendo Wii Value Bundle With Console, Remote, Nunchuck, 2 Games And An Extra Set Of Nyko Controllers (Online Only) – $249.00

Over 30 Games For $25 – $25.00

Over 40 Games For $10.00 – $10.00

Over 50 Video Games For $7.00 – $7.00

Playstation 3 Console w/Infamous & Batman Arkham Asylum Games + Dark Knight Blu-ray – $299.00

Rock Band Special Edition (PS3) – $50.00

Rock Band Special Edition (XBox 360) – $50.00

Suzuki TT Super Bikes (PS2) – $7.00

Tak And The Guardians Of Gross (Nintendo Wii) – $7.00

The Godfather II (PS3) – $10.00

The Sims 3 For PC/Mac – $25.00

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 (Nintendo Wii) – $25.00

UFC 2009 Undisputed (Xbox 360) – $25.00

WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2009 For PS3 – $25.00

Xbox 360 Arcade w/Madagascar 2 Game & w/Madagascar & w/Madagascar 2 Movie DVDs – $199.00

X Rocker Turbo Sound Gaming Chair – $35.00

Walmart Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

More Black Friday posts here…

Blank Media

Maxell 50-Pack DVD+R or DVD-R Media – $9.49

Digital Cameras

Fujifilm A170 10.2MP Digital Camera – $69.99

GE A1250 12.2MP Digital Camera – $69.99

Kodak M341 12.2MP Digital Camera – $129.99

Vivitar V8025S 8.1MP Digital Camera – $49.99

Digital Media Cards

SanDisk 2GB microSD Memory Card – $6.49

SanDisk 2GB Secure Digital Memory Card – $6.49

DVD Players

Curtis Compact DVD Player – $17.99 *

GPX 8″ Portable DVD Player w/ Remote – $79.99

Electronics

Audiovox Under-Cabinet 10″ HDTV & DVD Player – $179.99

Belkin HDTV Starter Kit – $34.99

Coby 1.5″ Digital Photo Keychains – $9.99

DieHard Batteries (8 AA or AAA, 4 C or D, 2 9V) – $5.50

GPX Under-the-Counter AM/FM CD Clock Radio – $24.99

Jazz T55 Digital Camcorder – $49.99

Kodak 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $49.99

Kodak 8″ Digital Photo Frame – $99.99

Maxell Headphones (Assorted Colors) – $2.79

Memorex Ambient iPod / CD Shelf System – $79.99

Net 10 Motorola Prepaid Slider Phone – $29.99

Pandigital 7″ Digital Photo Frame – $49.99

Portable Karaoke System w/ Microphone – $29.99

RCA iPod Docking CD Shelf System – $59.99

Sakar iSpeakers for MP3 Players B1G1F – $9.99

Sony BDP-S360 Blu-ray Player – $149.99

Vtech DECT 6.0 Cordless 2-Handset Phone – $29.99

Wireless Gear Bluetooth Car Kit – $19.99

GPS Systems

Magellan RoadMate 1440 GPS Navigation System – $119.99

TomTom One 130 Portable 3.5″ GPS System – $79.99

MP3 Players

GPX 4GB Portable MP3 Player – $24.99

Mach Speed 2GB Clip MP3 Player – $11.99

Portable USB Storage

PNY 8GB USB 2.0 Mini Flash Drives – $9.99

SanDisk 2GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive – $6.49

Televisions

AOC Envision 24″ Widescreen 1080p LCD HDTV – $229.99

Element 40″ Widescreen 1080p LCD HDTV – $549.99

Samsung 50″ Widescreen Plasma HDTV – $699.99

Sylvania 32″ LCD HDTV w/ Built-in DVD Player – $349.99

Venturer 17″ Widescreen LCD HDTV – $119.99

Video Games

A Boy and His Blob for Nintendo Wii – $29.99

Assorted Nintendo DS Video Game 2-Packs – $14.99

Assorted Nintendo Wii Video Game 2-Packs – $14.99

Assorted Sony PS2 Video Game 3-Packs – $9.99

Assorted Sony PS3 Video Game 2-Packs – $24.99

Assorted Xbox 360 Video Game 2-Packs – $24.99

EA Active for Nintendo Wii – $39.99

Forza Motorsport 3 for Xbox 360 – $39.99

Guitar Hero Metallica for All Platforms – $39.99

Guitar Hero Smash Hits for All Platforms – $39.99

Guitar Hero World Tour for All Platforms – $29.99

Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Bundle for PS3 – $49.99

Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Bundle for Wii – $49.99

Guitar Hero World Tour Guitar Bundle for Xbox 360 – $49.99

Halo 3 ODST for Xbox 360 – $39.99

Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 for Nintendo Wii – $29.99

Nintendo Wii w/ Free $25 Nintendo Gaming Coupon – $199.99

Sony PSP 3000 Core System w/ Free $25 Gaming Coupon – $169.99

Sony PSP Gran Turismo Pack w/ Free $25 Gaming Coupon – $199.99

Wii Fit Plus with Balance Board for Nintendo Wii – $99.99

Kmart Thanksgiving Black Friday Ad [BlackFriday.info]

See more Black Friday posts here…