Spore $80 Edition Announced

Excited about Spore but dismayed by the low dollar specs? Who plays $50 games anymore? Fortunately, EA has upped the ante, giving gaming's upper class snob a more premium Spore buying option, known as the Galactic Edition. In addition to the game, the $80 package comes packed with a "Making of Spore" DVD, a second DVD with the National Geographic Channel's "How To Build A Better Being" video, plus an "Art of Spore" mini-book, a fold-out poster that's already pre-creased and a 100-page "Galactic Handbook."

That Spore poster had better have a large image of Will Wright sporting his best denim on at least one side and have a scratch 'n' sniff patch that reeks of Wright's brand of cigarettes. We appreciate the finer things in life, too, you know.

Spore Galactic Edition [GameStop]

Free Rare Pokemon Download at GameStop

GameStop stores will be giving away Deoxys as a free download to Pokemon Diamond and Pokemon Pearl owners during two weekends this month.

From June 20 and June 22 and June 27 and June 29, people can bring in their Ds with a copy of Diamond or Pearl to a GameStop and download Deoxys for free.

I'm not really a Pokemon player myself and my son, he's more of a Pokemon rancher, so I don't know. Is Deoxys really that rare or does everyone who plays the game have like a dozen by now?

GameStop's MGS4 Launch Event Details

You knew that GameStop wouldn't let something as big as the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots launch go by without burning the midnight oil to get PlayStation 3 owners the game as soon as humanly possible. The games retailer has announced that over 1,500 stores will be hosting special launch day events tomorrow, featuring trivia contests, a Big Boss costume contest, and special sneak-peaks at the game leading up to the 12:01 AM release.

Seeing as 1,500 stores is less than half of the stores located in the United States (GTA IV events were held at over 3,500 locations), I'd highly suggest that you call ahead (or check this list) before showing up at your local locations dressed as Big Boss, as your sad story of standing in a parking lot alone in an eyepatch and trench coat would make us cry, and we hate one-eyed people crying.

Deoxys Coming To Gamestop

Were you one of the thousands of Pokémon fans like me who missed out on getting Darkrai from Toys R Us, letting the whole thing completely slip your mind at the last minute? Well prepare to have your mind go completely blank later this month as GameStop is now pulling out their Pokémon and waving it about for all to see. Forget to visit GameStop on the weekends of June 20th and 27th and you'll be missing out on the chance to score a rare Deoxys, a Pokémon formed from a mutation of a extraterrestrial virus exposed to a laser beam.

Laser Pokémon? Count me in, at least until June 30th when I realize I never made it to the store!

Thanks to Gene for sending in this picture of the official advertisement. Thanks to him I'll be very curious as to why I set my DS on my bedside table come Monday following the event.

GameStop Teams With CBS To Further Annoy You

GameStop's in-store promotional bombardment is about to get a little more...intensive. The company is to launch an improved in-store "TV station" in conjunction with CBS and Reflect Systems, which will see not only select CBS programming (ie TV shows, sports, etc) broadcast directly into stores, but also a range of faux-journalistic services like "previews" and "interviews" with developers. It's to be installed in around 4000 stores across the US, and should begin rolling out next year.

GameStop launches TV network [MCV]

Well, that didn't take long. GameStop's weekly ad reveals that the games retailer is moving copies of Haze for the low price of $39.99, a $20 drop from the suggested retail price it launched with less than three weeks ago. That could be very telling of its retail performance if GameStop is already slashing prices on the game, but publisher Ubisoft may be behind the move to get rid of some copies of the PlayStation 3 shooter. Even at forty bucks, I'd find it hard to recommend, but you'll have to decide for yourself.

Weekly Ad [GameStop]

Say, Is Your GameStop Having A Midnight Launch For MGS4?

Why don't you check! GameStop have been sending out emails over the past few days, tipping customers off to the fact they'll be open at midnight for the launch of Metal Gear Solid 4. Only catch: not every GameStop will be open. Just some! And by some, I mean hundreds. Their list runs for 29 pages, so if your local store (or at least, a store near you) isn't on there, you may wish to consider your geographic isolation, and ask a friend via telegram or carrier pigeon to pick a copy up for you.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Midnight Launch Locations [GameStop]

Details On Gears of War Re-Issue Emerge

No Zune for You at Gamestop

Guitar Hero: World Tour Priced; More Expensive than Rock Band

No official pricing info was included in the voluminous news release, but the Band Kit for Guitar Hero World Tour has been priced on Gamestop, which is (of course) also accepting pre-orders.

The PS3, Wii and 360 bundles will set you back $189.99. The PS2 bundle is 10 bones less, $179.99. Presumably these all include the game, guitar, drums and a mike. Gamestop just put the info up on its website, and Gaming Bits caught the scoop, noting that the bundle is $20 more than the Rock Band Special Edition bundle.

If you want to buy just the guitar and the game, you can get those for $99.99 and $59.99/$49.99 respectively. The release date is Oct. 27, 2008.

Guitar Hero: World Tour Priced at Gamestop [Gaming Bits]

If you're one of the folks late to the Gears of War party, you may want to hold tight just a little big longer before investing. GameStop is now taking pre-orders for a cheaper, more feature filled edition of the Xbox 360 mega-hit, now at a $39.99 USD price point that should appeal to cheap ass gamers(TM) and drum up extra hype for Gears of War 2. Details are scarce, but it appears that the reissue will at least contain content previously available as DLC. We've contacted Microsoft to find out more about the new package, but have yet to hear back.

Gears of War With Maps [GameStop via NeoGAF]

GameStop opened a record 210 stores during the first fiscal quarter of 2008, the company announced today. GameStop now operates a total of 5,400 stores worldwide, and said it plans to open between 550 and 600 new stores in 2008, half of them slated for outside the U.S.

The first fiscal quarter brought strong results for GameStop, with earnings up 151.4 percent to $62.1 million, and sales up 41.8 percent to $1,813.6 million. The planned new store openings would grow GameStop's international store base by 25 percent, as part of the company's stated goal of developing its market share globally.

Sales of new game software increased an "amazing" 72 percent, according to GameStop - hit the jump for GameStop's top five sellers during its record first quarter.

Wii Fit Shipments Late? Not Exactly

I am a little confused about the reports of late Wii Fit shipments throughout North America when the package, as far as retailers are concerned, hasn't even gone on sale yet. While Nintendo did see fit (pardon the pun) to release their balance board on the 19th, I've seen boxes of the product at several retailers with giant "Do Not Sell Until May 21st" stickers on them. The shipments aren't late...they're dated.

I actually held one in my hands at a local Walmart nearly two weeks ago, with the ever-friendly electronics clerk (one of the few at a Walmart who knows what he is on about) even offered to sell it to me early, if the computer let him. Sadly it did not, once again flashing the message warning not to sell the game until the 21st. If Nintendo changed up the release date on retailers they didn't do it in enough time to change the box stickers and POS system fail-safes.

Don't even bother looking for one today. As far as the retail world is concerned you can get your Wii Fit on tomorrow. We've been lazy this long, another day won't kill us.

Sony, MS Provide Fresh Spin On GTA IV Sales

First week sales figures provided by Microsoft, courtesy of unnamed retailers, put sales of Grand Theft Auto IV at 60% for the Xbox 360 version, 40% for the PlayStation 3 version. A win, undoubtedly, for Microsoft. N'Gai Croal of Level Up got his hands on some GameStop-only sales data, which puts the percentage more accurately at 64% on the Microsoft side, 36% on the Sony side.

Argh! Not accurate enough, for our tastes! Fortunately, we'll be able to more obsessively split hairs on the matter later this week, when NPD data is revealed, but for now we have some expertly sculpted spin to enjoy!

About 20 percent of underage teens were able to buy Mature-rated games during a recent nationwide undercover shopper survey conducted by the FTC, down more than half from last year, the FTC reported today.

The survey, which also looked at R-rated movies, DVDs and "Parental Advisory"-labeled music, found that video games had the best enforcement rate.

GameStop Ending Wii Fit Pre-orders

Like Amazon, GameStop appears to be in dangerously short supply of Nintendo's upcoming balance simulator Wii Fit, with employees of the company writing to us today bringing word that pre-orders for the title have ended, officially, at some stores. Wii Fit pre-orders are no longer being offered on GameStop.com, with warnings that the game is "Not For Sale", asking consumers to "Please check back soon to see if more are available."

Checking in with the brick and mortar stores, we've heard conflicting info. Some have responded that their Wii Fit pre-order program has already ended, with some saying they're still taking reservations. Others further specified that reservations will be taken, but that GameStop cannot guarantee first shipment availability. If you're desperate, you may want to try your luck at more than one location, especially if you're planning on joining the eBay scalping ranks.