By Michael McWhertor, 4:00 PM on Mon Nov 13 2006, 4,886 views (Edit post, Set to draft, Slurp)

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Those of you looking to hit your local Fry's Electronics may want either pull a little extra out of savings or skip the store altogether, should you be looking for a PlayStation 3 or Wii this weekend.

We got the following tip from Judyna who pointed us to a Fry's retail employee Thad Hopkins personal site:

I work in the software department (console games) at Fry's electronics. Today, my supervisor informed me that we would not be allowing anyone to purchase a PS3 without also purchasing 8 games. What a launch day surprise, right? Show up, wait in line for hours and hours, run into the store, and THEN find out that, sorry, we forgot to tell you, but you'll need to buy 8 games if you want the console.

At $60 a piece for the software titles, we're talking upwards of $1080 just to get a PS3 from Fry's.

Before you Wii fans shrug this news off, I was also informed that customers will be required to buy 5 Wii titles to be allowed to purchase a Wii console.

I was warned to tell no one about this, no matter what, even if they asked. So, of course, I'm telling you about it. Fry's, to the best of my knowledge, plans on getting customers into the store on launch day before informing of them of the ploy to manipulate more money out of desperate gamers.

I just got off the phone with two Fry's employees at Burbank and Manhattan Beach, California locations who confirmed that the PS3 and Wii will only be sold as a bundle, but exactly what that would consist of, neither would disclose. According to them, they'll find out exactly when we do: this Friday. Campers beware. Michael McWhertor

Fry's Screws You Over

[Update: Check the jump for possible bundle info.]

Reader Matt squeezed a little more info out of one of his nearby Fry's employees.

I noticed the newest article about Fry's PS3 budle and decided to call the one closest to me, Houston branch, and to my suprise the bundle is actually real, but I have a little more info. The PS3 is going to be sold as 20 and 60gig in the bundles, and it also includes you buying a warranty.

The PS3 games included: NBA 2K7, Resistance: Fall of Man, Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire, Madden 07, Marvel Ultimate Alliance, Tony Hawk's Project 8, Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom, and another game (Sorry I called back to check up on it and now they wont give out the info).

The Wii bundle Includes: Madden NFL 07, Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz, GT Pro Series, and Rampage: Total Destruction. I will tell you guys none of this is final but this is what they told me before they went all hush hush.

Yuck. Good thing I wasn't planning on going anywhere near a Fry's to begin with.