VIDEO: VGF's Black Friday Holiday Gift Guide

Thanksgiving is just about here and many gamers are looking for the best deals of the season during Black Friday.

Take a look at the first-ever VGF video which is the VGF Black Friday Holiday Gift Guide to review some of the best games this season and where you can go to find the best prices.

Motion Controlled Madness: PlayStation Move and Microsoft Kinect impressions

Yesterday, I finally had the chance to play both the PlayStation Move and Microsoft Kinect one right after the other.

It was my second bout with Sony's entry into the motion controlled world with the PlayStation Move and it was first experience with public humiliation while trying my hand (feet, head, etc.) at Microsoft's Kinect.

Lets start with the Move.

Just as I thought, it looks, feels and plays just like the Nintendo Wii. Sure, it's a little more sensitive and responsive than the Wii, but it certainly does not track motion 1:1 in real time.

I've only gotten to test drive the Move in a demo version of Sports Champions, which comes bundled with the PlayStation Eye and Move controller bundle for $100.

In the demo, my options were limited to disc golf and table tennis. Both were fairly responsive and looked beautiful in the process, but the PlayStation Move controls felt a bit stale, almost like it's copying something that was released four years ago...

Nevertheless, the Move was responsive, although not exact and sometime sluggish. Force feedback with the Move wand is a nice addition especially in the table tennis demo.

Sony took another page for Nintendo's book and charges an extra $30 for a PlayStation Move Navigation Controller (a nearly identical concept to the Wii's Nunchuk) or $20 for the PlayStation Move Shooting attachment, a glorified piece of red plastic similar to the Wii Zapper.

If nothing else, the Microsoft Kinect does away with pricey accessories which justifies its $150 price tag.

The Kinect certainly receives some style points for innovation although the camera doesn't appear all that clear when you see your staticy face on the screen during calibration.

The Kinect seems less responsive than the Move although it's hard to judge either in a traffic-heavy electronics store, especially the Kinect which relies solely on its camera.

Kinect Sports seemed to have a wider variety of interesting games that display the capabilities of the Kinect. Some carefully timed mini games are a bit challenging though given the lag time I experienced with the Kinect. I had a hard time properly (and foolishly) positioning my hands, feet and body for a goalkeeper mini game for example. Not to brag, but it seems that the Kinect's reaction time wasn't as fast as mine which resulted in a disconnect in the experience.

The Kinect seems like the more innovative and versatile peripheral between the two although you look pretty silly when you have to hold your arms over your head to begin a game.

The problem facing both the PlayStation Move and Xbox 360's Kinect is the lack of enticing software. Both Sony and Microsoft have yet to release a game to really convince PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 owners to take the plunge, let alone Wii owners.

In the end, both motion controllers add a new level of gameplay to its respective console and is a surefire holiday gift for families.

NPD Report spells a bad omen for the Sony PSP

Word is spanning across the web that recent findings from market research agency, The NPD Group, show the Xbox 360 has overtaken the Nintendo Wii in the number of units sold last month for the first time since 2007.

The Microsoft console outsold the Wii 443,500 units to 398,400 units and many are claiming the new slimline Xbox 360 may be the cause.

However, what's more alarming is how terribly the PlayStation Portable is selling.

The PSP ranked fifth in the hardware list with only 84,000 units sold. Next on the list is the hand held's younger, albeit beefier, brother the PlayStation 3 with 214,500 consoles sold in July.

The 130,500 unit difference is bad enough, but what's worse is Sony's hand held competitor, Nintendo DS, outsold the PSP by 314,400 units and was the second most sold console with 398,400 finding their way to gamer hands last month.

A pitiful display by the five-year-old hand held is awful news for Sony and is likely the result of its overpriced move with the PSP Go and continued popularity and success of the Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi and Nintendo DSi XL.

The PSPGo's $250 price tag and wifi dependence has likely turned off gamers who are less accustomed to consoles without physical media - although the Apple iPad may be changing that philosophy. Older versions of the PSP retail cheaper, at $169.99, but that price point is near the Nintendo DSiXL for an older model of the console.

Nevertheless, it all comes down to games. Despite the success of "Metal Gear Sold: Peace Walker," the PSP game library is dwindling almost as quickly as the Nintendo Wii's. Like Nintendo, Sony has been forced to rely on first party titles to keep it afloat such as games from the "God of War" and "Little Big Planet" franchises.

It's time for the Sony PSP to reinvent itself in a different way than the overpriced PSP Go otherwise it will soon be PSP Gone.

Renaming the "working title" in video games

Every project needs a title even though creators often don't commit to an official title.

However, in the video game industry, often times the "working title" of a console or game often becomes the only title that sticks in the minds of gamers...or the largest retail chain in the world.

A Walmart advertisement in my local Sunday newspaper listed the new Microsoft "Project Natal" as an "revolutionary new way to play" this fall. I'm not sure when the advertisement was pieced together, but the world has known the new motion-controlled camera peripheral for the Xbox 360 as the Kinect for nearly a month now.

Luckily the retailer's website is aware of Microsoft's Kinect and it's $149.54 price tag.

Who could forget that the Nintendo Wii was first called the "Revolution" for several years before it receive its laughable name. Previously there was the Nintendo Ultra 64 (Nintendo 64) and the Nintendo 64DD ("DD" standing for disk drive) which never came to fruition.

Of course every "The Legend of Zelda" game always has a working title of "The Legend of Zelda."

At least Sony conveniently unnamed it's "motion controller" before dubbing it the "PlayStation Move" earlier this year.

Every game has some sort of working title during development since game producers are so eager to show off their software that they don't bother to take the time to name it. A simple google search for working titles in video games gives us "Heroes on the Move," "Silent Hill 8," "Vectorman," "The Shoot," and of course Sony's blockbuster holiday hit "Motion Fighter."

I'm waiting for game to have the "working title" of "working title," that's something that's easy to remember.

A lot of times we are caught using the "working title" of a game or console for so long we have it ingrained in our minds. Project Natal is a clear example of this which is why I still have a hard time calling it the Konact...Conict...Connect...Kinect.

E3 2010: Microsoft Press Conference Reactions

Today is day one of E3 2010 and Microsoft took the stage first with it's E3 press conference. Here's a look at what happened and some thoughts on what Microsoft's presentation had to showcase.

First up was Call of Duty: Black Ops. We've seen a lot of footage of this one for a while, but this was the time we say gameplay in action. It looks to follow in-step with other games in the franchise. This time look for some fantastic visual detail in the game's jungle settings and what looks to be some exciting gameplay while flying a helicopter. All add-on and multiplayer packs are set to launch first on the Xbox 360 through 2010 although I believe Microsoft has already tied that up until this point anyway. You can expect Call of Duty: Black Ops on the Xbox 360 - and likely the PS3 - on November 11.

Next was Metal Gear Solid Rising. This time it's Raiden in the drivers seat and it looks like the main point is to "cut" your way through the game. Although a connection with the new Kinect was not officially announced, it looks like players will be using the motion controlled system to make precise cuts into character in what looks like a very bloody game. No launch date was set although we'll likely have to wait until late 2011 or later.

Everything from that point forward was announced as "only available on the Xbox 360." That perhaps means that Metal Gear Solid Rising will likely find it's way to the PS3 (and perhaps Wii, although that's highly doubtful).

Gears of War 3 was showcased in a four-player, story-based cooperative mode. It looks to take the best of Resident Evil 5 and throw it together with classic Gears of War gore and mayhem including newly mutated enemies.


Fable 3 takes place 50 years after the events of Fable 2. I've never played any of the Fable games, so I'm not sure how significant of a title the third installment will be. It ships out on October 26.

Developer Crytek is creating an Xbox 360-exclusive Codename Kingdoms. Get your gladiator on.

Halo Reach continues the story of Halo from the beginning. Looks like a lot of your typically Halo action with the addition of what looks like space combat. It appears no release date was given.

Finally the Project Natal turned Kinect. It's voice recognition is pretty impressive and the entire Zune library is now available on Xbox LIVE. VideoKinect looks like a possibly versatile by allowing Xbox 360 users to video chat with those on a PC running Window's or on an Xbox 360 all with sleek motion controls with the wave of a hand (can't tell how you select though). The ability to watch videos together makes for great conversation pieces and camera moves and focuses on the speaker as they move. Space-age technology.

A new partnership with ESPN will allow for more than 3,500 sporting events to be streamed on the Xbox 360. Amazingly, the new service is free for Xbox LIVE Gold Members. However, ESPN means no hockey.

The showcase of some of the titles we'll see from the Kinect begins with a little girl playing with a baby tiger named skittles, once and for all showing just how stupid you can potentially look while playing the Kinect in Kinectimals.

You can look equally stupid running in place in Kinect Sports. Then there's Kinect Joy Ride and Kinect Adventures (the game splits to a split-screen mode when another player walks into the action).

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved from Ubisoft showcased a great example of what the Kinect is capable of. The Kinect scanning a body image and tailor makes menus and exercises based on your body type. It actually looks like something you might lose weight from because it requires full body movement unlike Nintendo Wii versions.

Dance Central looks like a next-generation DDR. Also the epitamy of how stupid you can look while "dancing" on the Kinect. Nevertheless, it's sure to be a kit with the Jonas Brothers/Twilight crowd.

Kinect launches in the U.S. on November 4.

A new Star Wars using the Kinect was showcased in Jedi lightsaber-wielding fashion complete with force powers coming in 2011. Not sure how you're supposed to move through the environment and the visuals seemed a little cartoony. Hopefully not something based off of the "Clone Wars" t.v. show. We didn't get to see much of it to form a lasting opinion.

Forza Motorsport was able to pull off controls with the Kinect while maintaining a seamless 60 frames per second. The controls actually looked very responsive and the visuals were as beautiful as ever. The game also allows you to have a 360-degree look around each car and even allows you to focus on specifics such as the lights. This could open a gateway for a new way of advertising content by allowing the player physically move around the product, and in this case, even sit in the product. Too bad Forza fans will have to wait until 2011.

Finally, the "new" Xbox 360 was unveiled. It is smaller, quieter and blacker. The new Xbox 360 has a 250 GB hard drive and 802.11 N WiFi built-in making it the fastest wireless console on the market. The new console ships today and should find their way to store shelves by next week with a price tag of $299 unless you were in attendance and received the fancy, external-hard-drive-esque console for free. It looks like rumors are often true at E3.

Overall, Microsoft's media event was about showcasing the Kinect and giving us a little more insight than what we saw last year with the Natal. It certainly has a lot of potential with voice commands, video chat and - of course - fluid motion controls. It will be a matter of seeing the Kinect operate in practice. However, Microsoft's focus on the Kinect overshadowed its software titles. Certainly Halo Reach, Gears of War 3 and Fable 3 are all exclusive titles that Xbox 360 owners can be excited about, but it was evident that the Kinect is Microsoft's primary focus. We saw what Nintendo's focus on the Wii's motioned controlled novelty did to any solid titles on the console and it's highly likely Sony will make a similar mistake with the PlayStation Move, but the console giants can't forget about their core gaming fans in the pursuit of the Nintendo Wii's Grandma market.

E3 2010: Microsoft's Project Natal called Kinect with an upgraded new look for the Xbox 360

In Sony-esque fashion it seems that Microsoft is the guilt party of this year's first pre-E3 leak.

Rumors have circulated quickly after an Italian video game website called "Console Tribe" allegedly posted a leaked advertisement for an upgraded version of the Xbox 360 with the software giant's Project Natal motion-controller/camera renamed as the Kinect.

According to the Italian site, the new Xbox 360 will arrive with built-in WiFi and a 250 GB hard drive.

Of course we'll all know what's fact and what's fiction tomorrow at Microsoft's press conference scheduled for 1 p.m. EST tomorrow.

Take a look at what to expect from E3 2010 and look for continued coverage on VGF all week.

What to expect at E3 2010

It seems like just yesterday that Microsoft and Sony jumped on the Nintendo bandwagon and announced motion controllers for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Turns out it was almost a year ago and the Electronic Entertainment Expo is returning in just under two weeks on June 15-17 at the L.A. Convention Center. Checkout the E3 Expo 2010 official website for more information.

In 2008, VGF had a list of 15 different expectations for E3 2008, many of which were either unfulfilled until 2009 when they were overshadowed by the Natal and PlayStation Move.

So this year, lets look at a few things we desperately hope to see and hear more about at the premier video game expo.

• Some details on the Nintendo 3DS.
• More Natal and PlayStation Move details, release dates, games, anything.
• Word on the mysterious new Zelda title for the Wii.
• More information on Gears of War 3 and Halo Reach.
• Let's see what Little Big Planet 2 can do.
• Rumors have circulated that there will be a pay option for a premier version of the PlayStation Network, is this true? What are the other guys up to?
• How epic is Epic Mickey?
• New Metal Gear Solid, Sonic, Half-Life, Portal, etc? Where's our favorite franchises?
• Whatever happened to the lame Wii Vitality Sensor?
• How painfully aggressive will Nintedo's Reggie Fils-Amie be?
• Still holding on from last year: Kingdom Hearts 3 please.
• Can Call of Duty dominate again or will the new Medal of Honor steal some thunder?
• What's Rockstar's Agent?
• Details on the next Beyond Good and Evil.

In the meantime, the editors from 1up.com pieced together a list of the "Top 50 Most Anticipated Games of E3 2010." Checkout the videos below:

Gears of War 3 Premier Trailer

I don't claim to know much about the Gears of War franchise other than it is one of the premier series' on the Xbox 360.

However, I do know that the April 5, 2011 release of Gears of War 3 is slated to mark the end of the trilogy.

With the teaser trailer "Ashes to Ashes" launching today, development studio Epic Games is looking to wrap of one of the most successful series' on the Xbox 360 to date.

It looks like it's "Brothers to the End."

April showers bring more data storage? Xbox 360 and PS3 see media storage upgrades

Spring has sprung, we've hopped past Easter and now the Summer is only about two months away so there's only one thing on the minds of folks in the video game industry - data storage.

Confirmations are fleeting everywhere that an Xbox 360 firmware update will finally allow 360 owners to use USB flash drives for additional media storage. That means game data and other media can now be backed-up and stored outside of the Xbox 360.

But just wait a minute.

Much like the PS3, the size said external media storage devices cannot exceed 16GB and must be larger than 1GB. That quickly dashes one's hopes for circumventing Microsoft's pricey hard drive upgrades by attaching a 1TB external hard drive.

To add insult to injury it is unclear if third-party flash drives are even compatible with the Xbox 360 as Microsoft announced Xbox 360-branded flash drives manufactured by SanDisk. To make matters worse, these 8GB and 16GB USB sticks are priced at $40 and $70 respectively. That's more than twice the price of most USB flash drives.

If you need to back-up your Xbox 360 on an external drive, try your 4-year-old plastic flash drive first.

The Blu-ray Disc Association also announced an upgrade in the storage size of new Blu-ray discs called BDXL.

These high capacity recordable and rewritable discs use three to four recordable layers allowing 100GB to 128GB disc capacity. This a major increase from many existing 25GB and 50GB Blu-ray discs.

A press release by the organization lists the upgrade as ideal for commercial segments such as braodcasting, medical and document imaging enterprises. Why not games?

Since the Blu-ray disc is the physical media format of the PS3, why not integrate upcoming video games on this mega-Blu-ray beauties?

This could also easily pave the way for cross promotion and conglomeration between media by packaging a Blu-ray copy of a popular film release with the video game tie-in on the same disc. This coupling could also easily work the other way by pairing the upcoming expansion to last year's Street Fighter IV with the critically acclaimed (not really) 1994 film starring Jean-ClaudeVan Damme.

The association also announced the IH-BD (Intra-Hybrid disc) format. The IH-BD incorporates a single BD-ROM layer and BD-RE layer to "video, but not overwrite, critical published data while providing the flexibility to include relevant personal date on the same physical disc" according to the press release.

I'm not sure what the gaming application is here, but I'm sure it could mean something.

Microsoft Xbox Consoles Losing Xbox LIVE Support

Xbox LIVE general manager Marc Witten made a surprising announcement today for gamers still clinging to their giant black box known as the original Microsoft Xbox.

As of April 15 - tax day - Microsoft will eliminate Xbox LIVE support for all Xbox games played on the Xbox and Xbox 360. Meaning the days of yore fragging on "Halo 2" will soon be a thing of the past.

In the posted press release, Witten said those still using the service on the Xbox will be notified of the change:

And as we look down the road, we’ll continue to evolve the service with features and experiences that harness the full power of Xbox 360.

No word on any other changes that are in-store of the 23 million strong community such as any mention of a free alternative outside of a Nintendo Wii or Sony Playstation 3.

However, by whipping the slate clean, this could make way for further Xbox LIVE integration for the NATAL this Fall:

I believe we’ll look back on 2010 as a landmark year in gaming and home entertainment, and I couldn’t be more excited about what we have in store with “Project Natal” and LIVE. The LIVE community is the driving force behind everything we do, and it’s because of the community that ground-breaking experiences on Xbox continue to be possible.

"Sonic the Hedgehog 4" racing to consoles this summer

Sega made a surprising announcement today that everyone's favorite fast-paced marsupial Sonic the Hedgehog is finally returning to where he belongs - in two-dimensions.

This summer "Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode 1" will launch on Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3 consoles as well as one unnamed platform as a download-only game.

16 years after Sonic's last 2D appearance in "Sonic and Knuckles," the same gameplay full of spin dashes and rolling attacks will make its way into the all-new game returning to the Genesis-era.

Details will slowly be released at the game's official web site, but the mere title implies that this may be the first of many installments of the game.

Dante's Inferno Demo Review

Oddly, a stroll through Hell is nothing new for video game fans.

I'm not talking about the dark ages of the Nintendo 64, I'm talking about the various video game incarnations of the dismal abyss mostly notably the "Devil May Cry" series.

Electronic Art's will soon release "Dante's Inferno" a very loosely-based video game translation of Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy" written in in the 1300's.

The demo release of the game places protagonist not too surprisingly named "Dante" in a quest to reunite with his slain wife Beatrice - similar to the epic poem.

However, what ensues is an all-too-familiar camaraderie of hack-and-slash action, combo upgrades, magic, and command-based finishing moves.

Basically "God of War" in nearly every way.

A static, yet constantly repositioning, camera work is nearly identical to the popular Sony-exclusive series as is the overall visual flurry of blood splatter and weapon flinging fan fare.

It's certainly not a bad thing to mimic one of the most popular video game franchises as of late, but "Dante's Inferno" is almost exactly "God of War" in every possible way.

In fact, if you mix "God of War" and "Devil May Cry," plus you take a little polish off of each, you have "Dante's Inferno."

Certainly not a bad first-apperance in the free demo, but it feels like more of the same.

Mother calls 911 because of her son's late-night gaming fest

A Roxbury, Mass., mother had enough.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and saw the light on in his bedroom," 49-year-old Angela Mejia said.

Frustrated and frantic, Mejia did all she could to subdue her 14-year-old son at 2:30 a.m. Saturday morning so she called 911:

"I called (police) because if you don’t respect your mother, what are you going to do in your life?"

The teenager had been playing "Grand Theft Auto" against his mother's wishes.

When officers from the nearby Boston suburb's police department arrived they quickly convinced the boy to carefully place the controller on the floor and go to bed.

The single mother of four had made little progress in convincing her son to sleep over playing video games and made the 911 call in a final act of desperation.

"Sometimes I want to run away, too. I have support from my church, but I’m alone. I want to help my son, but I can’t find a way."

No one was arrested in the incident.

What are your thoughts?

What does it mean when a mother has to call the police to stop her child from playing video games?

Bad parenting? Or has video game obsession gone too far?

Halo Reach Debut Trailer

At "Spike TV's Video Game Awards" Bungie Studios unveiled a first glimpse of the next installment of the "Halo" franchise.

The prequel to 2001's widely popular first-person shooter "Halo: Combat Evolved," "Halo Reach" is said to feature the elite military unit called "The Spartan Project" on the military supply planet aptly named "Reach" - hence the game's title.

Those interested in the playing the game's beta next year will need to own a copy of "Halo 3: ODST" to receive an invitation. "Halo" fans will have a long wait to "reach" with the game's release slated for Fall 2010.

More information on "Reach" can be found at the game's official site at Bungie.net.

Xbox LIVE Price Increase Coming Next Year?

Next month Microsoft is planning to release a major update to the Xbox LIVE service for Xbox 360 owners with the Xbox LIVE Gold membership.

The new update is set to add new social networking features such as Facebook and Twitter as well as other media applications such as the music streaming service Last.fm and a news channel called "News and more" via content from cable news outlet MSNBC as well as NBC.

The update will also allow Xbox 360 owners to rent full 1080p television shows and movies and share them with their Zune or Windows-based PC.

Much of this update was officially announced and touted at E3 in June, however what does the future hold for the service come 2010 and beyond?

Matt Peckham, video game blogger for "PC World," recently published a post where he spoke with industry analyst Michael Pachter who is predicting the annual Xbox LIVE Gold membership cost may increase from a $50 per year subscription to $100 within the next one to two years.

In the interview, Pachter describes the tension between $50/year Xbox 360 subscribers who play their favorite games online via Xbox Live whereas PC gamers can use that same service (called Windows Live) at no cost.

However, the number of Windows Live enabled PC titles is quickly diminishing.

You can't hook a guy into Xbox LIVE Gold if he's playing on a PC. That's the other problem. You really want to hook every gamer who has a 360, you want them to buy all their games on 360, play everything multiplayer, pay $50 a year, so that in a couple of years, it's $100 a year. That's going up, we all know that.

It would make sense to phase out PC gaming if Microsoft can cohorse gamers to purchase a $300 console, a yearly $50 membership, and $60 games. But why maintain or even increase the price of the Xbox LIVE Gold membership service when competitors Nintendo and Sony offer online services for free?

Xbox LIVE Gold members make a huge profit and Xbox 360 owners will happily pay for the service.

Peckhan makes an excellent point in his post:

Xbox LIVE is a money machine for Microsoft. In May 2009, the company claimed it had 20 million Xbox LIVE subscribers. Do the math. If that were 20 million active Gold accounts (they're not, but a majority are) you're looking at as much as $1 billion in annual revenue. Bump the subscription fee to $100 and you're talking upwards of $2 billion. With that on the line, there's a roughly zero percent chance Microsoft's going to eliminate the fee entirely...

There has been no conclusive evidence that gamers have switched from the Xbox 360 to a competing console because competitors offer a free online service, but Microsoft is toeing a thin line.

The annual $50 cost may be the tipping point for Xbox LIVE players although it is a shame that Microsoft is still enforcing "gamer dues" to its consumers every year. Raise the fee to $100 per year and 360 owners may reconsider their Gold membership.

Console War May Be Over If Microsoft Buys EA

In an attempt to freak out everyone in the video game industry, there are a flurry of rumors circulating that Microsoft may be planning to purchase Electronic Arts.

Although reuters.com called the recent rumor "unsubstantiated chatter" and seattlepi.com received confirmation from Microsoft spokesman David Dennis who said "There is no truth to this rumor" and "we have no plans to purchase EA," that didn't stop EA stocks from reaching about $20 a share today.

Alas, that affect would a monstrous merger like Microsoft purchasing EA have on the entire industry?

A whole lot.

Electronic Arts has historically been the single largest video game publisher in the industry releasing the most popular franchises on the market such as "Rock Band," Need for Speed," and the hugely popular "Madden" brand in their "EA Sports" line.

If Microsoft purchased EA and dissolved it into its publishing network, all of these multi-platform titles could potentially become Xbox 360 exclusives.

That would mean that you would have to own a Xbox 360 or PC to play "Madden," or even something like "Spore" or "Burnout."

However, we saw the success Microsoft last had with purchasing development studio "Rare." Which has yielded about two games - "Perfect Dark Zero" and "Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts" - which is fewer than the Nintendo 64 received in its heyday.

Because of that, Microsoft may allow select franchises such as all "EA Sports" titles to remain multi-platform while collecting royalties from Nintendo Wii and Playstation 3 purchases.

Other franchises could become Xbox 360 exclusive and would create a substantial dent library of games for both Nintendo and Sony making the Xbox 360 a potential forerunner and possible victor in the current console war.

A grim possibility indeed, unless you're a Xbox 360 owner.

"The Beatles: Rock Band" Purchasing Guide

Today "The Beatles: Rock Band" was officially released to the world as well as digitally remastered versions of the full Beatles library.

However, before you run out and drop some serious cash out of "Beatlemania" you might want to reconsider your purchasing plan and figure out what is the best strategy for you.

It is no secret to anyone that the 45-track rhythm-based game is a special treat to Beatles fans and music lovers alike and it is no secret that the "limited edition premium bundle" costs $250. This bundle includes Paul McCartney's signature Hofner Bass replica wireless guitar, a "Beatles brand" drum set, microphone, microphone stand, and the game software itself.

The less expensive "special value edition" still comes with a whopping $140 price tag and includes the game software as well as standard "Rock Band" drums, guitar, and microphone.

That's right, the $110 difference is purely for instruments that look like Paul's bass and Ringo's drums. To make things worse is that the price is consistent across consoles. Normally, the Nintendo Wii version of any "Rock Band" or "Guitar Hero" title is at least $10 cheaper due to the consoles lower graphically complexity - but not this time.

Fork out the cash Wii owners.

It is clear that this is going to be an expensive purchase if you don't already own either "Rock Band" or "Guitar Hero" bundles - remember, the instruments are inner changeable by law.

So what's the best plan of attack?



The Completest Bundle (all Beatles instruments, 3 microphones) = $510










Sadly, in order receive the full "The Beatles: Rock Band" experience you have to spend enough money to buy a couple of consoles.

The completest will want the $250 bundle as well as John's replica Rickenbacker 325 and George's Gretsch Duo-Jet guitar controllers at $100 a piece for the full Beatles experience.

So now you're at $450, but you're not done yet.

The newest feature in the "Rock Band" franchise is the ability to harmonize with fellow players in the saw way the "fab four" used it. "Rock Band" microphones cost about $30 each and up to three players can harmonize at once so that's an added $60.

Finally, you can have your full "The Beatles: Rock Band" experience at a low price of $510.

That's about the price of either an Xbox 360 or Playstation 3 and Nintendo Wii combined.




The Starter Band (microphone, drums, standard guitar, Beatles guitar) = $240









If you're not into dropping $510 or even $250 to play as the Beatles then you may want to consider the "special value edition" even though you don't get any shinny Beatles instruments.

However, you could couple that purchase with one of the special edition guitars and create your own bundle with a microphone, drums, and two guitars at only $240.




GameStop's "Beatles Rock Band Value Bundle" (Rock Band 2, microphone, drums, standard guitar) = $160













Right now you can get the exact peripherals as the "special value edition" plus "Rock Band 2" for only $20 more through GameStop.

Throw in a Beatles guitar for $100 and you sitting at $10 more than the "limited edition" with two guitars and "Rock Band 2."


Thankfully, I'm not the only one who sees how overpriced this game can be. The hefty price tag and short lived story mode was the highlight of 1up.com's review.

Nevertheless, the game looks great and hopefully you can find a purchasing method that fits your budget.

"GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony" Trailer Makes its Debut

A new trailer for the Xbox 360 exclusive addition to "Grand Theft Auto IV" universe was made available today.

"The Ballad of Gay Tony" - the second of two exclusive "GTA IV" episodes for the Xbox 360 - will be available on October 29 and initial reports suggest that this saga will be much more action-oriented than others in the series:



"The Ballad of Gay Tony" as well as "The Lost and the Damned" will be available as a retail disc on October 29 named "GTA: Episodes from Liberty City." The disc is also a Xbox 360 exclusive and is priced at $40.

What a Xbox 360 Price Cut Means to the Playstation 3

With rumor, speculation, and fancy Target advertisements floating around it seems as though Microsoft will soon make an announcement about a prince cut of the Xbox 360.

Conventional wisdom is suggesting that the cut will yield a $50 drop on both the Xbox 360 Pro and Elite versions of the console bringing the new total to $249.99 and $299.99 respectively.

This comes just one week after Sony announced the new $299.99 price tag for the 80 GB Playstation 3 and $399.99 for the 160 GB bundle with a copy of "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune."

If the immanent cut price does in fact occur, it would bring the 120 GB Xbox 360 Elite and 80 GB Playstation 3 in direct competition at a $299.99 price match.

Which is the better deal?

The obvious comparison is missing 40 GB of storage on the Playstation 3. However, the same point-counter-point arguments will likely arise in comparing the functionality of the two consoles.

Most notably, the Xbox 360 Elite bundle comes compete with a headset, HDMI cable, Halo 3, Fable 2, and a free trial to Netfilx. However, Elite owners will still need to purchase a $100 attachment for wireless internet access whereas all versions of the Playstation 3 have built-in wireless.

Regardless, the Playstation 3 price cut will be the bigger announcement since this will be the closest the expensive console has ever come to matching Microsoft's console.

Some may ask: what about the Nintendo Wii? The simple and obvious answer is that you will not see a price cut on the Wii any time soon. Why should they?

The Wii is just the front runner in the current console war and consumers are perfectly happy paying $250 for one. The Xbox 360 Pro will soon match that figure, but gamers buying the Nintendo Wii are interested in the hardcore gaming that the Xbox 360 promises.

Those hopeful for a $199 or $149 Wii will have to wait.