A bit of a slow news week, but thrifty gamers should take note. That hideous consumer-fest that is Black Friday is coming up and it’s usually a good time to find some great values. Especially if you don’t mind throwing a few elbows and kicking soccer moms. On the console front, Sony and Microsoft both have deals for serious saving. If you’ve been eyeing a new PS3, Vita, or XBox 360 this will be a great time to get in on bundles.
The PlayStation Vita has three bundles available for $199: Liberation (ACIII Liberation, white PS Vita, and 4GB memory card), Declassified (CoD Black Ops: Declassified, black Vita, 4GB memory card), and Batman (LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, black Vita). I’m feeling a bit slighted since I just paid $250 for a Liberation bundle a month ago, but that’s the nature of buying electronics. The LEGO Batman bundle is a significantly lesser quality deal. Not only is it missing the memory card, but the game has been out for several months and is extremely cheap in the used market (about $15, $25-39 for new copies). The other two games are new releases, still retailing at $50. If I’m recommending one over another I’d say you’d scoop up a Liberation bundle and get a used copy of LEGO Batman 2 as well. According to my sources, CoDBlOps: Declassified is awful – the single player campaign is roughly 45 minutes long. If you need one extra thing to push you over the edge on a Vita, PS Plus is coming to the device this week with several free additions to the Instant Game Collection for members.
Speaking of PS Plus, the PlayStation 3 Black Friday deal includes a free 30 day membership. It also comes with a 250GB Super Slim console, one DualShock 3 controller, and the inFamous collection and the Uncharted dual pack for $199. That’s four total games. Safe bet you’ll probably want an extra DualShock, of course, so those will be on sale for $39.99
Check your local retailers to verify they’re working with Sony’s deals; most mass merchandisers will likely be in line.
Deals on the XBox 360 are a little more retailer-specific, so some of them may just not be worth the effort, regardless of price. Wal-Mart will have a special, white 4GB edition bundled with Skylanders and a figurine for $150. Best Buy, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, and Newegg will have the 250GB console with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Forza 4: Essentials Edition for $200. Target, Amazon, Sam’s Club, Meijer, Kmart, and Microsoft Stores will have the 4GB console with Kinect and Kinect Disneyland Adventures for $200. GameStop has a 250GB console with Call of Duty Black Ops 2 for $250. RadioShack has the 4GB console with a wired headset for $170. ToysRUs has the 4GB console, no bundle but they include a $50 gift card, for $180.
If you’re just looking for games, Dance Central 3, Kinect Sports Ultimate, and Fable: The Journey will be $30. Forza Horizon is discounted to $40. Halo 4 is not on sale, but Target and Amazon will give you a $20 gift card for buying from them. Amazon also includes a $10 Instant Video Credit.
Ultimately, I think Sony’s offering slightly better deals on their hardware. But Microsoft wins the variety contest, insuring there’s a deal that’s appropriate for many different types of consumer.
Outside of consumer-centric discounts, there is a little bit of actual news this week.
Hitman: Absolution is releasing today, and it’s very exciting to get back in the shoes of Agent 47. Or, well, at least whoever’s shoes he’s stolen for his current disguise. This release will see the inclusion of a multiplayer element for the first time in the series. The Contracts mode allows players to “call the shots” on kills and challenge others to complete the task with their restrictions. As is normal for games today, an online pass code is included in the box with new copies. Those who buy used were expected to pay $10 for access. Square Enix has broken from the mold. They’ve determined that they’d rather see everyone who plays the game get access and will be patching in an option to get a free pass from the in-game menu. With user-created content, this is probably a better strategy. More people contributing will inspire more people to play. It does mean a few used buyers get a break, but it might also encourage fewer people to resell their copies, and inspire others to pick it up. Considering their concession, maybe you should buy new anyway, just to encourage their good behavior.
As you probably guessed from Gearbox’s Twitter feed being taken over last week, “Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage” DLC for Borderlands 2 is set for imminent release. And by imminent, I mean today. Look for it with your online service’s usual update this week. It’ll set you back 800MSP/$9.99 – or it comes included with the Season Pass (2400MSP/$30).
Rumors of the death of the Uncharted series have been greatly exaggerated. Well, maybe not greatly, but definitely exaggerated. The franchise is returning to PS Vita next month with the download only Uncharted: Fight for Fortune. Unfortunately, it won’t be the Indiana Jones-esque action-adventure we’ve come to expect. Instead, it will be a turn-based card game. Which is a fun genre, just kind of a weird combination. Gameplay is typical of the genre, where you’ll have cards featuring various heroes (or villains), artifacts, boosts, etc. You’ll want to deploy your cards both to defend yourself and attack your opponent. Defeated cards are removed from play and the game will end when one player’s health reaches zero. A new patch for Golden Abyss will unlock the artifacts you found in that game (which will be free for PS+ members with today’s update) for immediate use in Fight for Fortune. The new game is releasing next week, December 4th, for $4.99.
There are a few other updates to PS Plus this week. As previously reported, the Instant Game Collection will now include Vita games starting with Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Gravity Rush, WipEout 2048, Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack, Jet Set Radio, and Final Fantasy Tactics (PSP). In addition, Dungeon Defenders for PS3 joins the IGC this week, along with the first two Sonic the Hedgehog games from the SEGA Genesis. This isn’t the first time these Sonic titles have been free for members, but it is the first time since the IGC was born. A few discounts are also coming, inclduing a one year membership to Music Unlimited for $12, and Sorcery (Move) for $15. A few other SEGA deals have been announced, and Morgan Haro from the PlayStation Blog is promising some Black Friday deals will be announced today as well.
Microsoft’s XBox 360 has an interesting new option, streaming karaoke. Microsoft has partnered with The Karaoke Channel to create Karaoke on XBox 360. Other than the serious need for a much better name this looks awesome. You’ll be able to stream 8,000 karaoke enabled songs directly to your console. The available songs span decades and genres in much the same way you’d expect from a deejay’s portfolio at your local bar. Of course, not content to simply be iTunes for karaoke, the service will feature your Avatar singing, dancing, and interacting with various objects and on-screen people during your (horribly tone-deaf) performance. Connectivity with SmartGlass means you’ll be able to build and queue up your playlist with your friends at lunch before having them come over to perform at night. Most of your standard headsets and mics (wired or not) will be compatible. The service will have some free samples but the actual scheme won’t have you downloading individual songs. Instead, all of the songs will be streaming and you’ll pay for access in blocks (two, six, or twenty-four hours). That’s the perfect set-up whether you’re hosting one party or entertain constantly. Cost for the time blocks and an actual launch date were not announced, but it is expected within the next month. I can’t even guess how much Jimmy Martin of Big Movie Mouth-Off and Geek Show Podcast is going to have with this one.
There is no official news for the game yet, but Capcom has a filed a trademark (“Computer game software; Computer games in the form of cartridges, cassettes, discs or tapes; Video game cartridges; Downloadable game software; Downloadable computer games”) for something called Fighters of Capcom. The company’s seen its share of success with Marvel vs. Capcom, Street Fighter x Tekken, and other titles that mix up their characters in strange environments. Could this be the end-game, featuring all of their characters, a la Super Smash Bros. or PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale? We obviously won’t know until Capcom gives the official word, but that looks to be the case.
That’s going to do it for Video Game Quick Hits this week. No update this Friday. I’ll be enjoying my time off for Thanksgiving like everyone else. Also, next week’s early edition may or may not happen. It’s not entirely up to me. If you want it, please encourage the elk population to find their way into my scope early.