The offer: Buy any three titles from this list and you get 800 Microsoft points back. Now, some of these are full $19.99 titles. But if you get a new hard drive or Christmas cash and want to lay out the price of a new game to get three, you can consider the points back to be like a gift card. And many stores run that kind of special.

If you want to know the bare minimum you can spend to still qualify, that would be buying up both Mass Effect downloads, plus the Dragon Age: Origins DLC (or Madden AFL Legacy Pack), for 1360 points. You then get 800 back, effectively making the cost 560 points, or the entire package for $7. Naturally, given the units in which Microsoft points are sold, your actual cash outlay may vary here.

The special runs from Dec. 25 to Jan. 31.

Xbox Live Holiday Discounts [Electronic Arts news]

There it is, pictured above. The free offer is good through the end of today, but I believe that clocks in at Pacific time, so it means folks on the U.S. east coast have to 3 a.m. if they want it. However, yesterday's Deal of the Day, Worms 2: Armageddon for 400 Microsoft Points, was still live when I posted this at 6 p.m. Mountain time. But the 2010 Avatar party glasses had gone back to 40 MS points. So who knows.

The DotD promos - which Microsoft is not announcing in advance - last through Dec. 31, and if you're keeping track of this sort of thing, Cheap Ass Gamer has been archiving the giveaways here.

New Year's Theme [Xbox Live Marketplace via Gay Gamer]

Hardware
• Amazon is going used-car-dealer nuts with the prices on Xbox 360s. The arcade is $179; the Elite is less than $100 more, $274.99. The Elite is the Holiday Bundle, too, so you get a couple games with it. [Dealzon]

• Walmart sees that and says "Allow me to retort." It's dishing up the Elite bundle, plus a 12-month Xbox Live sub, plus your choice of two games - and Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed 2, and Left 4 Dead 2 are on the list - for only $349. Now, you'll have to pay about $15 in shipping, and sales tax. But it's still a good value that normally would run $440. [Dealzon]

• The Guitar Hero Store is offering a buttload of Guitar Hero for a hundred bucks. You get Guitar Hero 5, a git-tar, and then Guitar Hero III and Guitar Hero II, plus Band Hero, for $99.99. [TechDealDigger]

• Target's offering a $10 gift card if you buy a DS. See the circular for details [Target]

• SonyStyle is offering $50 off the PS3 Slim, if you buy an accessory with it. A remote control is $24.99, making this effectively a $25 discount. Or you can look on it as a console with an extra controller for free. [TDD]

• Toys 'R Us will give you any controller for 30 percent off if you buy a console. Not as good as the PS3 deal, but it covers Xbox 360 and Wii. [Toys 'R Us]

• Amazon's hoping that, if you're in the market for a new DualShock, you might be willing to pick up Uncharted: Drake's Fortune along with it. Both are bundled for $58.99, $12 less than bought separately, and the controller comes in four fun flavors, red, black, silver or blue.[Dealzon]

• Dell's selling the PSP-3000 Assassin's Creed model for $169.99. That's $30 less than elsewhere. [Dealzon]

Software
• Steam's deal is Torchlight, half off. That's $9.99. [Steam]

• At GamersGate, Trine is half off. So is the Battlefield 2 Complete Collection (it's down to $14.95), in North America only though, until Wednesday. Saint's Row 2 is 30 percent off ($19.95) through Dec. 28. [GamersGate]

• And finally, Gamefly is offering two months for the price of one to new customers who sign up by this Sunday. You can also get 14 free issues of Sports Illustrated or Entertainment Weekly with the sub. [Dealzon]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

Hardware
• Amazon is bundling the Xbox 360 Arcade with free Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. The $256 value is yours for the regular console price of $199. [Dealzon]

• Amazon's also bundling the 250GB PS3 configuration for $350, with two free Blu-Ray movies, until Thursday - or "while supplies last." You heard the giant online retailer, move it! [Dealzon]

• And Buy.com has a weird bundle that begins Monday - three games, Crackdown, Perfect Dark Zero and Project Sylpheed, plus two rechargable controller battery packs, all for $29.99, plus free shipping. Basically, should you have need for the battery packs, you can get some free games tossed in. [Dealzon]

Software
• Through Thursday, that coupon (above) gets you 30 percent more trade-in value at GameStop, limit two titles.

• Also, the code: B2G1FREE gets you a free third used game when you buy two online at GameStop. [GameStop]

• Any game offered by the EA Store is 30 percent off when you use the coupon code EAPARTNERS2009. There's also a Saturday-only sale there offering titles for less than $15. [TechDealDigger]

• I gotta like what Cheap Ass Gamer suggests here. Amazon's giving you 50 percent off any title on a list of Xbox 360 "family games" if you buy one game full price. So that means you can get your Dead Space, and your Brütal Legend, or any other M-rated title and still pick up Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for ten bucks, among others. [Cheap Ass Gamer]

• Steam's weekend deal is Counter Strike: Source for $5. Of course they're hoping you'll decide instead to buy a $29.99 Counter Strike bundle (six games) or the $99.99 Valve bundle, which as it gets you Left 4 Dead 1 and 2, Team Fortress 2, Half-Life 2's Episodes 1 and 2, is not such a bad bargain - if you don't own these already. [Steam]

• Two years later, it still makes a good gift. The Halo 3 Legendary Edition is $29.99 with free shipping on NewEgg. Or, you can consider it a $29.99 unwearable Spartan helmet for yourself. [TDD]

• GoGamer's usual 48-Hour Madness Sale is now called White Friday, which includes the usual $10 bargain-bin stuff, but also savings on Prototype, Assassin's Creed II, Avatar, Left 4 Dead 2 (all $49.90) plus Prototype ($19.90) and Wolfenstein ($22.90) both on the PC. Wireless Xbox 360 controllers also are going for $18.90 (white) or $22.90 (black) [GoGamer]

• Dealzon points out GoGamer reduced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 to $49.90, the most reliably low price through an online retailer out there right now. If that changes, they'll post the best deal on this game at the link. [Dealzon]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

It's also running a free-shipping promo that isn't all that glamorous, but is worth a mention: Free shipping on The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks for the DS, and free shipping on all pre-ordered games.

You can check out the deals here. Alert reader bjorked noticed in yesterday's Weekend Coupons that the sale was announced in this weekend's Toys 'R Us circular.

Toys 'R Us: Video Games [site]

Hardware
• Wii. $15 off. Get it through Dell. Not much that needs to be said after that, right? Oh, free shipping. [Dealzon]

• I've seen this deal elsewhere, and expect to see it more this holiday season. Dell is also offering the 120GB Elite Bundle which gets you Lego Batman and Pure for $269.99. Free shipping. [TechDealDigger]

• Best Buy has its own variation on that bundle, but also pairs it with a 12-month Xbox Live sub for a grand total of $309.98. The offer takes effect tomorrow. Ship it for a buck or pick it up in store [Dealzon]

• Today is the final day Sony Style is offering a 120GB and 250GB PS3 Slim with Infamous and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune free with the purchase of either. [Dealzon]

Software

• Remember that Walmart and GameStop are battling it out for your dollars on a bunch of current releases. You simply shouldn't be paying full retail price on a game without checking there first.

• That said, Microsoft is selling Beatles: Rock Band, Band Hero (games only) and Batman: Arkham Asylum for $29.99. That would be the Xbox 360 versions of those games, of course. [TDD]

• NewEgg's 72-hour Winter Sale has a bunch of games for less than $15, if you you need a stocking stuffer that looks like it cost a lot more. That is, unless you're buying for a Kotaku reader. [Cheap Ass Gamer]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

Hardware
• The 120GB 360 Elite bundle that includes PURE and Lego Batman is yours with a free $50 gift card through Newegg, but only until the end of today. Free shipping, natch. [Dealzon]

• An alternative: You don't get the cash, but you do get the 250GB Elite Modern Warfare bundle, plus Left 4 Dead 2 through Amazon (for $399). That offer is good through Monday. [Dealzon]

• Ah, Radio Shack. How the f—k you stay in business, I don't know, but I've never gone a Christmas season without visiting you for some damn reason. Anyway, the offer ends today but PS3 controllers are $29.99 there, $10 better than the next best price. Free shipping. [Dealzon]

• Also from Amazon, a new DSi bundle (in white) comes with five Brain Age games for $154.98, which is $15 off the usual. [Dealzon]

Software
• Steam's "Five-Day-Long, One-Day-Only" sale will churn up values throughout the weekend, so be sure to check back. It looks like the offers reset at 9 a.m. U.S. Mountain time (aka right f—-ing now). Two $49.99 bundles, LucasArts and THQ, are on sale throughout. [Steam]

• GamersGate is likewise running its own Thanksgiving Sale with 30 to 65 percent discounts on a ton of PC titles [GamersGate]

• GameStop's doorbusters have expired (they were good for yesterday) but Left 4 Dead 2 is $39.99. Also, any Rock Band purchase gets you the AC/DC Track Pack - originally a Walmart exclusive - for free. [GameStop]

• Not mentioned in the flyer, but GameStop's three-for-two sale on used games and accessories is going on through tomorrow. The code B2G1FREE activates the sale online, and Cheapy points out the code SAVER gets you free shipping. [CheapAssGamer]

• Guitar Hero: Metallica? Sounds like a nice stocking stuffer, especially at $25, via Amazon. [TechDealDigger]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

Steam kicks off the sale with a slightly longer one-day event, running from now until Friday morning at 8AM Pacific. They've got Dragon Age: Origins for 25% off; Batman: Arkham Aslyum for 50% off; Grid for %75 off, and several other interesting deals. On Friday they shift to a 24-hour schedule, with a new one-day sale kicking off every day until Monday.

On top of the game deals, they'll be running bundle specials for the length of the event, with 15 THQ games or 16 LucasArts titles on sale for $49.99 per pack. The prices are insane!

Keep an eye on Steam all weekend long for more wondrous deals.

Today's Gold Box deals come on top of this week's<a href=""> Black Friday game specials. So far we're looking at an Xbox 360 deal day, with DJ Hero taking the Deal of the Day position at $149, or 25% the normal $200 price tag.

Then we've got the Gold Box deals, revealed at regular intervals throughout the day. We've already missed $10 off WWE Smackdown VS. Raw 2010, but there's still time for 33% off Saw, plus five more games yet to be revealed. The next one, which goes live at 10am Pacific, is quite obviously Batman: Arkham Asylum. Then there's something about being the ultimate big game hunter, a limited-edition bundle of something, a young hero on a quest for justice, and most likely Star Ocean: The Last Hope.

Keep an eye on Amazon.com all day for the big deal reveals.

Gold Box Deals [Amazon.com]

Online shops will be trying to keep up, too, but come Nov. 27, everyone's gonna try to make both their quarter and their year all at once. And the best deals might be more on gifty-type games than ones we focus on here. So let's get a good look at your pre-Black Friday values, because next week it'll be a completely different story for a full month.

Hardware

• PS3 buyers don't have to settle for a single DualShock. SonyStyle's offering a free, second controller with both of its PS3 Slim configurations, 120 GB and 250 GB, plus free shipping o'course. Dealzon points out the best price on a controller it can find is $43 so, even after tax, this remains a good deal. [Dealzon]

• Amazon offers a $50 gift card if you buy a Wii with Wii Fit Plus and a Balance Board for $289.98. The package would run $350 ordinarily. It's a pretty shrewd deal, buy up the exergaming bundle for your mom or wife or girlfriend, pocket the gift card for whatever you want, and then be accused of thinking she is fat or out of shape when she opens her gift. Amazon, delivering holiday magic. [Dealzon]

Software

• GameFly also is dumping a bunch of used games for less than $10. The list isn't that current or impressive but, then again, neither is The Warriors, and I still bought it used a couple weeks ago. So maybe there's an oldie-but-goodie in here for you. [TechDealDigger]

• GoGamer's usual 48-Hour Madness sale is highlighted by Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway for $9.90. Savings also can be found on Dragon Age: Origins for the PC and for Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles on Wii. [GoGamer]

• Amazon's also starting the enticements for BioShock 2. A preorder gets it for $7 off plus a $10 credit on another game purchase. Offer's good for PS3 or Xbox 360 [Dealzon]

• Reminder: Walmart's 2-for-$30 video game sale continues. Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 titles are available on the selected list of eligible games. [TechDealDigger]

• GameStop's weekly ad is slender as far as current deals; however, Left 4 Dead 2 has been added to the bounty board, so if you trade in two games they really want you can grab it for $19.99. It joins Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed II and a ton of others. [GameStop]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

Hardware
• Hey, remember that new Xbox 360 Wireless-N Adapter? Yeah, well, it's out, and A/B/G & N Networks is already selling it for $13 below MSRP - $87.99. Plus free shipping. [Dealzon]

• Reader Jon from the U.K. passes along this photo (left) from a Sainsbury's supermarket, advertising some pretty nice console price drops. "PS3 for less than £200 is a good buy over here," he writes. Looks like the units involved are 20 percent off. Jon thinks the deal's good for all Sainsbury's so if you're within distance of one, might be worth checking out. [Thanks, Jon.]

• Logitech's G15 Gaming Keyboard is $49 throguh J&R Music World; it is usually $80 in the rest of the real world. [TechDealDigger]

• The official Guitar Hero Store is offering a $40 coupon on a two-guitar bundle for only $10 more than the regular one-guitar bundle. In other words, you pay $79.99 for the game and two axes. Regular is $119.99. [Dealzon]

Software
• Amazon has extended last week's offer of $20 store credit toward a future game purchase with a full-price order of Modern Warfare 2 (all platforms). [TDD]

• Left 4 Dead 2, which releases Tuesday, has a similar deal going: Get it for $5 off the MSRP ($55) and get a $10 credit on top. Total value is less than the Modern Warfare 2 deal, but for those still chewing on the former shooter, waiting for it from Amazon might not be a bad idea if you get $15 in considerations thrown in. (Although Release Day Delivery is available.) [http://www.cheapassgamer.com/]

• Steam's weekend deal is half off for Crysis and Crysis Warhead. Both are $14.99. Or buy both together for $29.98 and save ... the same amount. [Steam]

• Walmart has reintroduced its 2-for-$30 offer on select titles for Wii (36 games) and Xbox 360 (33). Shipping for the Wii games is 97 cents; for the 360, it's $3.97, I guess because Xbox 360 games weigh more or something. [Dealzon]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

Hardware

• Today is the one-day only special in which you can grab an Xbox 360 Arcade with a $100 store gift card for $199. Obviously, if yours sells hard drives, you can do the math; that $100 gift card becomes your ticket to a roomier ride for $100 less.

• Should you miss Walmart's sale - it is today only - or you want the bigger setup with two games, Dell is once again your friend. The Xbox 360 Elite Winter 2009 Bundle includes Lego Batman and Pure, and it's $269.99 with free shipping. [TechDealDigger]

• The "Value Edition" of The Beatles: Rock Band - this includes guitar and drums peripherals but not the Beatles' signature instruments - is down to $99.99 through Amazon. Normally the kit is $140. [TDD]

• Guitar Hero 5 took a $24 haircut on Buy.com and is only $69.99, game and git-tar. Deal's good for Wii, PS3 and 360 versions. [Dealzon]

• And the full kit for last year's Guitar Hero: World Tour: drums, guitar, and game, is $79 through Walmart (deal will last past the other weekend sale.) Shipping is $4.97 if it goes to your house, or arrange to pick it up in-store for free. [Dealzon]

Software

• GameStop's offering "the biggest titles," (as in Brutal Legend, Halo 3: ODST, Assassin's Creed 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Dragon Age: Origins, WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2010, Uncharted 2 and Tekken 6) for $20 with the trade-in of two games off of a long list. They are mostly current games, though, so you've gotta evaluate how much more than $40 do you think you'd get selling both of them, and then if the convenience of trading them in and getting your new game on the spot is worth it. The deal also reduces New Super Mario Bros. Wii to $9.99. And there is a separate list of eligible games delivering the same savings on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. [GameStop, thanks AcidCrownie]

• One of Cheapy's eagle-eyed posters reminds that the Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Limited Edition is not exclusive to GameStop, as it's been spotted for a $57 pre-order on Amazon, $50 if you pre-order the PC version. [Cheap Ass Gamer]

Here are some games on sale; all self explanatory.

• Through Amazon, there's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, $49.99 and Watchmen: The End is Nigh The Complete Experience (game and blu-ray movie bundle) for $18.99. It might be obvious to some, but to others we remind that these are PS3 games. [Dealzon]

• James Bond: 007 Quantum of Solace on Xbox 360 for $14.99, free shipping, through Newegg. [TDD]

• Mass Effect, $9.99 through Steam's big weekend sale (for PC, of course). [Steam]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

Hardware
• The standard Wii config (Wii Sports, 'mote) is $20 off through Dell. [TechDealDigger]

• The typical PS3 Slim SKU is $25 less through Dell, too. [TDD]

Software
• Friendly reminder, today is the final day to take advantage of a couple major retailers' offers. Best Buy's 2:3 deal - Wii, 360, PS3 - expires. Ditto Amazon's spend $80, get $40 in future credit racket.

• Steam's ramping up for Modern Warfare 2 with a 40 percent off sale for Modern Warfare 1 [Steam]

• Forza 3's five bucks off if you run it through Amazon. Yay. [Dealzon]

• GoGamer's running another 48-Hour Madness Sale featuring a bunch of stuff for a dollar ninety-five. However, Batman: Arkham Asylum is $42.90, Prototype is $19.90 and Fallout 3: Game of the Year is $39.90 in case you haven't picked up either yet. [GoGamer]

• Amazon's also offering $20 if you pony up a preorder for Modern Warfare 2, both the game alone and its "Hardened Edition." [Dealzon]

• Finally, there aint no f—-in way you can get it in time tonight, but Amazon dropped the price of a Master Chief costume by $150. Unfortunately, the sucker is still $443 but still ...! Free shipping! And it's Master Chief. Plan ahead for next year. Or buy it to wear to work on Monday. [Dealzon]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

First off, most new console games are $59.99, right?. So while Uncharted 2 and Borderlands are eligible on this deal, unless you're poaching MSRP-reduced titles, to collect this offer with two new games you'd need to spend $120 to get $40. Which is "Buy two, get two-thirds free."

That said, banking $40 in store credit might be valuable for you down the line. So if you're thinking of picking up Batman: Arkham Asylum, Brütal Legend, and/or NBA 2K10, as I did the past two months, this offer can help you with Left 4 Dead 2 or Assassin's Creed 2 down the line.

Full list of eligible titles here. The offer ends Oct. 31.

Spend $80 on Select Titles, Get $40 Video Games Credit at Amazon [Cheap Ass Gamer]

Hardware
• Technically not a sale, although the $349.99, 250 GB PS3 Slim could be construed as getting another 130 GB of hard drive space for just $50. Amazon has it listed, release date is Nov. 3 but you probably already knew that. [Dealzon]

• If you need hardware other than a hard drive, there are two bundles to consider from SonyStyle. An 80GB PS3 with two DualShocks for $249.99, or the 160GB/Uncharted/2 DualShock bundle for $349.99. Free shipping on both. [Dealzon]

• Also, should you be in the market for a Wii MotionPlus (or an additional controller) consider the bundle being offered by Amazon. It's $56.99 but you get Wii Sports Resort with two MotionPlus Controllers. It's $10 more than the game's standard package but the two controllers is a bargain, especially when one goes for $19.99 [Dealzon]

Software
• Friendly reminder, The Toys R Us buy 2, get 1 free deal ends today. All titles eligible.

• As you may know already, Amazon's gotten into the 3:2 act. You've got to pick from an eligible list so the offer is not as comprehensive as the Toys R Us deal, but it's still a deal. [Amazon]

• You might also have seen that Gordon Freeman triumphed over Mario in GameSpot's greatest hero contest. To celebrate, Steam's offering all Half-Life games at 55.8 percent off, that figure representing Freeman's winning percentage of votes. [Steam]

• Steam's other sale this weekend is a 25 percent off deal on the Red Faction games. Red Faction: Guerrilla is $29.99, and a bundle of it, Red Faction and Red Faction II is $44.97. [Steam]

• While not a part of Amazon's 3:2 sale, DJ Hero is the subject of its own special deal. Use coupon DJHERO10 to preorder the game/turntable bundle for $108.99, or $11 off the launch price. [TechDealDigger]

• Finally, another reminder, the GameStop offer to get Brütal Legend or Need for Speed: Shift for $19.99 with two trade-ins from a most-wanted list, and its $10 and $20 bounties on trade-ins of 3 or 4 games, respectively, is still on and ends Oct. 25. [GameStop]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

The sale will last the entire week. It doesn't sound like it coves pre-orders, but I could be wrong. It also looks like it covers accessories, priced up to $100, and so points cards are covered by that too. But that probably means you have to buy two accessories and get a third free, not mix-and-match games and accessories. Definitely ask your local Toys R Us when planning your strategy.

f you're hanging on what third title to pick, some good advice is to just get a second copy of a brand-new game for free and use it as tradebait for store credit later or flip it on half.com. Either way, they're giving away games. Don't waste the pick.

Toys R Us Buy 2 Get 1 Free Game Sale (10/11 to 10/17) [Cheap Ass Gamer, registration required]

After two months I'd eaten so many damn Cheezums that everything started taking on an orange hue. I told Chris, not to sound ungrateful, but try to drive a forklift into a rack of Cool Ranch Doritos next time.

Anyway, the same deal's kicking off this weekend's coupons. Some unsightly packaging hides some merch that's still in perfect condition, and the retail price is at least half off. Let's get to the coupons.

Hardware
• Someone dinged some boxes over at Logitech, so it's having a sale to get rid of the damaged goods. Its ClearChat PC Wireless Headset with Noise-canceling Microphone is more than half off - $44.99, regularly $99.99, plus free shipping. The unit is in a dented box but it is brand new and fully warrantied. [Dealzon]

• Likewise, Logitech's Driving Force Wireless Racing Wheel for the PS3 is $49.99, half off the usual $99.99. Same deal - dented box, perfect goods, full warranty, etc. [Dealzon]

• Amazon's cut the price of the wireless 360-style PC gaming controller by $10. It's $29.99. Remember, this is a PC game controller. [Dealzon]

Software
• Newegg has a couple games for $19.99 you might like to try: Metal Gear Solid 4, and Bionic Commando (360 and PS3 version). Both come with free shipping. [TechDealDigger]

• Here are two trade-in bounties at GameStop that I found myself taking advantage of last week. The first - turn in two games off a list of 30 each for PS3 and Xbox 360 and you can get Brütal Legend, which releases on Tuesday, for $19.99. You may also get Need for Speed: Shift. This offer is good through Oct. 25. The second: If you've got some old games lying around, bring in three and get an extra $10 in store credit, or bring in four and get another $20 in credit. The catch is, all of them have to trade in for more than $2. I did this on Tuesday, and got rid of Gun for $2.50, so, odds are good you'll make that threshold unless you are turning in something really old or crappy. The offer's good for 360, PS3 and Wii games and also lasts until Oct. 25. [GameStop]

• Steam's weekend sale is all three Hitman games on PC for $5 each. [Steam]

• Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games releases on Tuesday; it's getting a $5 haircut, plus a $10 credit toward your next game purchase, through Amazon [Dealzon]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

All of this stuff below is now inoperable.

Of course, the offer to get Guitar Hero: Van Halen free with GH 5 has by now expired, but I don't think this is some discount off a drop in MSRP. Other retailers are still selling it for full price. But I don't know how long the deal is good for; it does not appear to be a lightning or Gold Box deal.

Again, this is for Guitar Hero 5 on Xbox 360 only and, just because someone will ask, it's the game only. That means no instruments.

Guitar Hero 5 is $30 on Amazon [Blast Magazine]

Hardware
• Remember, Microsoft's $50 rebate offer for Xbox 360 Elites expires on Monday (Oct. 5). Yes, it is applicable to the 2009 Holiday Bundle, which gives you PURE and Lego Batman for free. You can get the bundle through Amazon. [Dealzon]

Software
• Well, that didn't take long. Need for Speed: Shift is down to $39.99 ($20 off) on all platforms at Best Buy. [TechDealDigger]

• Remember, the first of the Fable II: Game Episodes - these may be played without the full Fable II game on disc - is free on Xbox Live.

• Cheapy D has a big list of games for which Amazon is offering, in some cases discounted, and in all cases with $5 to $10 store credit toward your next game purchase. Titles for sale or preorder include Assassin's Creed 2; Brutal Legend; Modern Warfare 2; Dragon Age: Origins, NBA 2K10, Forza 3 and Uncharted 2. [CheapAssGamer]

• Steam's Weekend Deal is AudioSurf for half off, $4.99 (regularly $9.99) [Steam]

• If you have a couple of PS3 games collecting dust, this is a good time to unload them for store credit at GameStop, particularly if you have last year's edition of a sports game and are looking to trade up to, say, NHL 10 or NBA 2K10. GameStop's offering another 30 percent trade-in credit on PS3 games through Oct. 8, limit two. [GameStop]

• GoGamer's 48-Hour Madness Sale includes GTA:San Andreas on the PC for $3.90, a wireless black 360 controller for $21.90. The other discounts it's offering, especially on the current titles, might be MSRP drops but whatever, Joe Bob says check it out. [GoGamer]

• It's not much, but it's the best you can do two weeks after release. Halo 3: ODST is $6 off retail price, with free shipping, through NewEgg. [NewEgg]

As always, smart gamers can find values any day of the week, so if you've run across a deal, share it with us in the comments.

This deal is good through Saturday, Oct. 3, and it applies only to Wiis sold by Amazon, not any of its third-party vendors. The gift card is a physical gift card that arrives in the mail about 10 days after purchase, so its value cannot be applied to this purchase, or any other until you grab it. Still, it's basically half-off your next game buy.

$50 off Nintendo Wii Game Console with Wii Sports + $25 Amazon Gift Card [Dealzon]