It's that time of year again. Time to take a data dive into the heart of eBay U.S. to gauge how well the video game grey market fared during the holiday season. Rather than charting the sales numbers of a specific console, as I've done for the past three years with the Nintendo Wii, this year I'm presenting a broader overview of the eBay grey market, charting the sales for all major gaming platforms during the 30-day period beginning November 26th and ending on Christmas Day. I've compiled data on console sales, game listings, and some of the top-items passing through the popular auction website. If you want to know which platforms thrived, which handheld completely tanked, and the most successful video game-related item on eBay, then read on.

Console Sales

The table below presents a general overview of the sales performance of the major consoles and handheld systems during the month leading up to Christmas. I've listed the total sales in U.S. dollars, the number of items sold, the average selling price, and the sell-through percentage, which indicates the success of auctions posted for each specific product. Check out the table, and then we'll break things out by console.

PlayStation 3

The PlayStation 3 in all its varied incarnations sold the fewest number of consoles out of the big three this year, but that shouldn't be taken as a measure of the system's success. Indeed, if you look at the sell-through percentage, the PS3 comes out on top. That means there were less people selling, but plenty willing to buy. Since the launch of the PlayStation Slim earlier this year, Sony has maintained a steady supply of the consoles to retail outlets, and the abundance of available consoles equates less people looking for them on eBay.

From a seller's point of view, that high sell-through figure means the PlayStation 3 comes out on top in terms of sales potential.

The highest price PlayStation 3 auctions mainly consisted of limited edition consoles, including the Final Fantasy XIII bundle recently released in Japan.

Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 brought in the most money of any console this holiday season, mainly due to its average price being slightly higher than the Nintendo Wii, which pushed more units overall. The Microsoft console's sell-through numbers were only slightly lower than the PlayStation 3. Between that figure and the larger number of consoles put up for sales, it seems like putting a new 360 up for sales is seen as a relatively safe bet among sellers.

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 bundle made up a large portion of the Xbox 360 sales during the period, with 322 of the consoles representing $126,924 worth of sales. The Infinity Ward-flavored bundle went for as high as $900.

Wii

eBay sellers continue the love affair with the Wii that started with the console's 2006 holiday debut. The Wii was the top seller of the big three in terms of units sold, but the slightly lower sell-through rate indicates that there might have been a few too many up for sale.

Also note that the average price for the Wii was $190, which is below the suggested retail price. Either sellers were taking advantage of discounts and sales, or they weren't making very much in the way of profits.

DS

The Nintendo DS managed to outsell the newer, more advanced DSi this holiday season, pushing more than 2,000 units beyond what Nintendo's latest North American handheld sold. A failure for the DSi? Not exactly. Take a look at the sell-through percentage and you'll see that the DSi has the largest number of any game console. eBayers wanted to buy them, but the sellers just weren't selling.

PSP

The PSP sold strong on eBay this holiday, with the PSP-1000, 2000, and 3000 generating more money than any other handheld, though the DS trumped them with sheer numbers.

The top selling PSP was a used red God of War limited edition PSP, which went for $1,009.

Unfortunately, the PSPgo didn't fare nearly as well as its older brother. In fact, Sony's UMD-less alternative to the regular PSP performed abysmally, pushing only 250 units. It's not a factor of demand behind too high for supply either - the sell-through rate of 76.47% indicates that people simply weren't buying it.

To help paint a more complete picture, let's compare units sold versus monetary sales. If you look very closely, you'll notice that both graphs do indeed contain the PSPgo. You might need to zoom in.

Games With Legs

Now let's take a look at the games that traded this holiday season. This time around I took the top ten titles sorted by number of auctions, to see which ones were moving the most.

Certainly not a surprising list. Modern Warfare 2 seems to be showing up at the top of any list as far as sales are concerned these days, and Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort are two of the titles meant to showcase what the Wii can do, so those both sold in droves. World at War traded heavily, perhaps due to people swapping out the old for the new, and the Pure / Lego Batman combo disc packed inside select Xbox 360 consoles over the holiday season scores a tidy profit for those who received it for free.

And Uncharted 2 making the list makes sense, but what about the extremely more expensive edition?

Forty-five of the ultra-rare Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Fortune Hunter Edition made it onto eBay during the 30 days leading up to Christmas, but it seems some sellers set their hopes too high. Of the 45, only 24 sold, giving the package a 53.33% sell-through rate. The average price for the package was $891.52, with one going for as high as $1,136. Didn't get one? Maybe you should have made it to Kotaku's Child's Play fundraiser this year.

What People Look For In An Online Video Game Auction

Selling on eBay isn't just a matter of having a strong product, but being aware of what your prospective buyers are searching for and using search terms accordingly. Let's see if this list of the top 10 search terms used in both the games and system category can help.

The console search terms are pretty much common sense. Let's face it - if you're selling an Xbox 360 and you forget to include Xbox 360 in the title, there's something wrong with you. As far as game search terms go, folks initially seem to be going for specific games, but then desperation sets in. You have to be pretty desperate in order to type "Wii games" into an eBay search page.

Wii Remotes Are The New Hotcakes

Finally we come to the hottest selling video game item of the holiday season. With 8,359 items sold between November 26th and December 25th, the Nintendo Wii remote is the hottest selling gaming item this holiday season, generating more than $202,000 for sellers over the course of one month. The remote, bundled with a nunchuck, a skin, and a wrist-strap is sold as a "Nintendo Wii Remote+Nunchuck Game Controller+Skin 4 SET," though counting the wrist strap as an actual item is a bit shaky. Still, with The New Super Mario Bros. Wii making four-player gaming fun on the Wii, its no wonder the controllers are flying off the shelves, onto resellers' shelves, and then back off of the shelves again.

Another Year Goes By

And there you have the 2009 holiday season, summed up in 30 days of eBay data. A look into what happens to games and consoles once they pass from retail into the hands of the wheelers and dealers that populate the world's largest online marketplace. Bids were sniped, Buy It Now items were pounced, and in the end, everybody got feedback. A++++! Would research again!

Methodology
Statistics in the 2009 Grey Market Report were gathered using eBay market research tool Terapeak. Data was drawn for a 30 day period starting on November 26th and ending on December 25th. Console statistics were pulled directly from the Video Games / Systems subcategory to allow for mis-filed system listings, while game data was puled directly from the Video Game / Games subcategory. Console searches were limited to items in New condition, with a range of $100 to $1,000 used to ferret out accessories. Certain terms were omitted from the search in order to allow for a more accurate reporting of console pricing, including "games," "extras", "accessories," "lot," and others on a case-by-case basis - for instance, "Wii Fit" was omitted from search terms for the Wii in order to make sure systems bundled with Wii Fit did not influence the pricing data.

This teaser trailer goes along with yesterday's announcement that SouthPeak is bringing Blood Bowl to retail next year, though I highly doubt the action in the PSP, PC, and Xbox 360 versions will be quite as entertaining as the video clip. After spending the better part of a decade fighting alongside elves of various shapes and colors in assorted MMO titles, it's sort of cathartic to see one get punched in the gut and stomped flat. Go orcs!

Blood Bowl is a game of real fantasy football, with races from the Warhammer universe taking on each other in brutal football action. The game is already available for digital download on the PC, but we've been waiting for word of the Xbox 360 and PSP release for quite some time. Now the waiting is over.

"We're thrilled to have a part in bringing a proper retail version of Blood Bowl to North American gamers on Windows PC, Xbox 360 and PSP." said Aubrey Norris, Manager of Human-Orc Relations at SouthPeak. "It's never easy to get all these races to agree on something – but if there's one thing they love its good competition with a lot of bloodshed!"

The PC and Xbox 360 version will be hitting store shelves next month, with the portable version dropping sometime this spring.

Discerning individuals on the Japanese internet have noticed that while Phantasy Star Portable 2 offers glimpses of a wide array of under garments, there appears to be at least one character who has forgotten something.

Somebody, please inform her! This is very important stuff.

This could all be an unplanned glitch — or a totally planned one.

『ファンタシースターポータブル2』ノーパンでアソコが丸見えのNPCが発見される - livedoor Blog（ブログ） [チラシの裏でゲーム鈍報]

Beats me, What, you thought I was gonna tell you on the jump? Siliconera noticed the "Piece Walker" portal, but has no clue, either. The only links on the page are to Konami, Kojima Productions, and the Peace Walker demo.

METAL GEAR SOLID "PIECE" WALKER WEBSITE [Konami via Siliconera]

The tightened restrictions had meant passengers had to remain in their seats for the final hour of a flight, with nothing in their laps. Others had reported a total ban on electronics. The Transportation Security Administration was intentionally vague about what flights might or might not require, but nearly all of it meant bad things for the use of portable electronic devices - at least on international flights. Crecente, however, just flew 14 hours from Australia into the U.S. and was allowed to use electronics in flight.

The AP specifically said "In-flight entertainment restrictions have also been lifted." I suppose this means it's all over, for now anyway.

In-Flight Security Rules Eased [Associated Press on Yahoo! News]

While games have long been my time-waster of choice for the frequent international flights I take, it's usually video games I stock up on. Not so for my Sydney to San Francisco flight. This time around I was hunting for pocket chess, little wooden brain teasers and magnetic backgammon.

With the attempted bombing of a U.S.-bound Christmas Day flight and the heightened security that surrounded it, rumor quickly spread that one of the new rules for international flights bound for the United States might ban the use of all electronics.

The very thought of not being able to access the library of books and video games stored on my iPhone, my DSi, my PSPgo put me in a near panic.

So on the eve of my flight, my wife, son and I headed to an oddity in the Blue Mountains' town of Hazlebrook west of Sydney. Selwood Science & Puzzles is housed in the Selwood House, an 1865 cottage wrapped in a garden of ferns and eucalyptus. The many rooms inside the old home are packed with the sorts of diversions and toys most familiar to children born before the rising popularity of video games and electronics.

One room is dedicated to puzzles of metal and wood, board games big and small and a cornucopia of games featuring bits of plastic, dice, and magnets. There were pocket versions of chess, checkers and backgammon; bent nails nested in devious designs; decks upon decks of cards for games I had grown up playing and some I had never heard of. And not one of the hundreds, thousands of these games required a battery or electrical outlet to play.

Other rooms were packed with science kits and experiments, books of brain teasers, IQ tests and short mysteries.

If electronics, long the opiate for the masses of nervous fliers, find themselves device non grata for the near future, could these non-digital diversions be their replacements? Will flights start to resemble coffee shops with passengers hunkered around chess boards, games of Hearts and Dominoes raging in the back rows?

Probably not, but it's a reminder of how dependent some of us have become on the products of the digital age.

Arriving at Sydney International Airport on Sunday I discovered little had changed in the wake of the latest attempted attack. I was assured, repeatedly, that electronics could be used during the upcoming flight.

Not quite believing the reassurances I ducked into a bookstore to load up on the printed word, in case the digital one wasn't available to me. The lines in the bookstore, the crowds milling through rows of paperbacks, made me think I wasn't the only one fearing a last-minute, in-air electronics ban.

For now I'll keep the paperback and pocket chess at hand, just in case.

Well Played is a weekly news and opinion column about the big stories of the week in the gaming industry and its bigger impact on things to come. Feel free to join in the discussion.

Unfortunately, it sounds like they'll be verboten for international flights inbound to the U.S. While the Transportation Security Administration has issued no formal rules (and, in fact, is being deliberately vague about them) Gizmodo and several other sources are reporting the ban as fact.

Another key detail: for international flights inbound to the U.S., passengers will have to remain in their seats for the last hour of a flight, without access to their carry-on baggage (above or underneath a seat) and without any personal items on their laps. So, better pee up before that final hour, and make sure you're at a good stopping point in Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines.

It's also unclear how this affects travel within the U.S., but you can bet it will, beginning with long lines as screeners tighten their focus. Other measures either reported or expected include the aforementioned no cabin travel for the last hour of a flight; keeping the cabin lights on for the entire trip; disabling the display of a flight's progress in the seatback monitors offered on some planes; and generally making sure you resent the experience from check-in to baggage claim.

As there are a ton of variables in play here, for U.S. flights and for those in other countries, and as plenty of folks are flying either today or tomorrow - or this time next week - returning from holiday travels, we're opening up a comment thread here to report what you've seen. Especially as it relates to the use of electronic devices. Flying is such an unpleasant process these days, laptops, handhelds and DVD players have become almost indispensable for their diversionary qualities. Plus, some are still under the illusion they can get work done midair.

So here, and for future reference, use the hashtags #tsa #flights or #airtravel to talk about what you've seen, heard or experienced. You'll be doing your fellow flying gamers a service.

Miller, quoted in the "first printed issue of Gamesauce," says "the next few years should see a strong resurgence in Duke." Shacknews, which spotted the article, says Miller remains sanguine about the prospects of a franchise with one published title since the Clinton administration.

There are numerous other Duke games in various stages of development, several due out this year. We are definitely looking to bring Duke into casual gaming spaces, plus there are other major Duke games in production.

Miller says "almost all" of those projects are unannounced, but, Shacknews points out they likely include:

• Two Duke iPhone games Miller previously announced.

• A Duke Nukem Trilogy for DS and PSP, from Frontline Studios.

• The Xbox Live Arcade port of Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project.

• A scrapped project called Duke Begins, alluded to in Take-Two's lawsuit against Miller and Broussard.

And, of course, Miller repeated the obligatory tease that Duke Nukem forever is not dead. "We've never said that Duke Nukem Forever has ceased development. ... Yes, we released the internal team, but that doesn't correlate to the demise of the project."

Sorry, but at this point, games or GTFO.

3D Realms Teases 'Numerous' Duke Nukem Games, 'Looking to Bring Duke into Casual Gaming' [Shacknews]

Accessories4Technology, the creator of the ad (and the accessories series mentioned in it) told Negative Gamer that it was all "a mistake on our part." License manager Angela Jones told the site that she wasn't sure how the error was made but, to her company's knowledge, Sony isn't working on a new version of the handheld.

Negative Gamer adds that Sony's response to the issue remains the standard no-comment for rumor and speculation, but I can't say that policy indicates anything other than what this is, an advertiser mistake.

PSP-4000 Advert was 'Mistake' [Negative Gamer]

Both the North American and PAL stores have been updating, but licensing the way it is, the update isn't universal. So we'll list both separately.

NORTH AMERICA

* 2000AD Prog #1660 ($1.99)
* Ghost Rider (2005) #1-6 ($1.99 each)
* G.I. Joe: Cobra #1 ($0.99)
* G.I. Joe Origins #1-2 ($0.99 each)
* Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft #1 ($0.99)
* Nanovor #1 ($0.99)
* The Fantastic Four (1961) #1-15 ($1.99 each)
* The Mighty Avengers (2007) #1-6 ($1.99 each)
* Transformers: All Hail Megatron #7 ($1.99)
* Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse: Birds, Bees, Blood & Beer #1-4 ($0.99 each)

EUROPE

* Ghost Rider (2005) #1 : The Road To Damnation #1- #6 – Marvel (£1.19/€1.49) Ages 15+
* The Fantastic Four (1961) #1 – #15 – Marvel (£1.19/€1.49) Ages 3+
* The Mighty Avengers (2007) #1 – #6 – Marvel (£1.19/€1.49) Ages 9+
* 2000AD Prog #1660 – 2000AD (£1.19/€1.49) Ages 15+
* Locke and Key: Welcome to Lovecraft #1 – IDW (£0.79/€0.99) Ages 17+
* Nanovor: Game Day #1 – IDW (£0.79/€0.99) Ages 9+
* Transformers: All Hail Megatron #7 – IDW (£1.19/€1.49) Ages 12+
* Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse #1 : Birds, Bees, Blood & Beer #1 – #4 – ID (£0.79/€0.99) Ages 17+

While I prefer the feel of a new comic in my hands, it's nice seeing reasonable prices on a digital shopfront for once.

Better yet, the sequel to the original Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! will take advantage of all that space the UMD format offers, packing in two games on one Universal Media Disc. NIS America has announced that it will include the first game (Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do To Deserve This?) on the North American release of the second. Holy bonus opportunity, Kotaku readership!

Holy Invasion Of Privacy, Badman! 2: Time to Tighten Up Security! [Official Site]

The Eye of Judgment Legends (don't-call-it-a-port) version will also drop one more physical object: the UMD. Legends will hit the PlayStation Store in North America as a digital download sometime in (wait for it) spring of 2010, packing in some 300 digital cards, 30 of which are unique to the PSP version.

Sony will also offer wireless card trading, a story mode and downloadable booster packs—at some point—with the PSP version of Eye of Judgment.

Coming to PSP: THE EYE OF JUDGMENT LEGENDS [PlayStation.blog]

Announced this morning by Sega's assistant community manager David Beavers on the PlayStation Blog, the Sega Mega Sale drops the prices of every piece of downloadable Sega goodness on the PlayStation Network by 40%. That includes downloadable content for PlayStation 3 games Sonic Unleashed, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Valkyria Chronicles, as well as Sega's full lineup of downloadable PSP titles for your PSP or PSPgo. For those of you who, like me, "upgraded" to Sony's latest handheld, this would be an excellent time to fill up that 16GB of memory with games like Crush and Super Monkey Ball Adventure. It won't make the tears go away completely, but they'll sting a bit less.

Check out the full list of sale items below, or just hit up the PlayStation Store and browse. The sale runs between today's PlayStation Network update and January 7th, so you've got plenty of time to shop.

PSP:

Alien Syndrome
Crazy Taxi: Fare Wars
Crush
Full Auto 2: Battlelines
Gunstar Heroes
Iron Man
Sega Genesis Collection
Sonic Rivals
Sonic Rivals 2
Super Monkey Ball Adventure

PSN:

Sonic Unleashed Apatos & Shamar Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Chun-nan Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Empire City & Adabat Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Holoska Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Mazuri Adventure Pack
Sonic Unleashed Spagonia Adventure Pack
SONIC: Very Hard Shadow Missions
SONIC: Very Hard Silver Missions
SONIC: Very Hard Sonic Missions
Valkyria Chronicles Edy's Mission "Enter the Edy Detachment"
Valkyria Chronicles Hard EX Mode
Valkyria Chronicles Selveria's Mission "Behind Her Blue Flame"

Happy Holidays - The SEGA Mega Sale for PSN is on! [PlayStation Blog]

Granted, many of the highlights of 2010 are either remakes, spin-offs or tinier versions of their higher-definition siblings bound for the PlayStation 3, but maybe you'd prefer to play them on the go to begin with. Although 2009 wasn't too shabby—Gran Turismo, LittleBigPlanet, Half-Minute Hero, Resistance: Retribution, etc.—we're going to go out on a limb and say that next year could be much stronger in the games department—but we'll not make any bets until Capcom releases a proper Resident Evil Portable screen shot.

Let's have a look see. And, of course, please suggest your own personal PSP highlights from the coming year

Note: We'll be looking at every platform's currently announced and estimated 2010 slate over the course of the rest of the week-and much much more.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Hideo Kojima takes us back in time for the next Metal Gear Solid for the PSP, a follow up to the PlayStation 2 classic Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and previous portable entry Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. Expect lots of Snake on Snake action, with a major emphasis on cooperative gameplay.
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
The PSP entry in Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series also takes us back in time, as Birth By Sleep is a prequel to the PS2 original. Expect all-new gameplay for the series, an epically long adventure and multiplayer for up to six Disney-Square Enix fans.
Valkyria Chronicles 2
Sega shifts its focus to the PSP in this sequel to the under-appreciated PlayStation 3 tactical action RPG. Despite the platform change, the younger crowd and a step down from the fantastic visuals of the PS3 original, the rock solid gameplay appears to be intact.
echoshift
The spin-off from the perspective shifting original echochrome keeps the same minimal graphical treatment, but offers all-new time shifting gameplay.
Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake
The PSP port of the PlayStation Network real-time strategy action game looks to offer a portlier set of modes.
Hot Shots Tennis
You know how this works. Clap Hanz puts some big headed jocks into a game and make it good. Hot Shots Tennis offers one more reason to take your PSP to court.
Invizimals
This Pokemon-like monster hunting game uses the PSP's camera to find hidden Invizimals in the real world, similarly trapping them with a real-world tool.
Army of Two: The 40th Day
Total fistbump destruction on the go. The coop shooter is one of a handful of third party PSP games built on the foundation of now-generation console games, giving portable gamers all the Salem and Rios they crave in a smaller package.
Dante's Inferno
Go to Hell with the portable version of Dante's Inferno. Like Army of Two, EA is bringing what appears to be a capable port to the PSP. Perfect for the on-the-go gamer who wants something similar to God of War: Chains of Olympus.
Shadow of Destiny
Konami returns to the PlayStation 2 time-traveling adventure, bringing us a straight up port of the murder mystery in tinier form.
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories
This re-imagining of the original Silent Hill for the PlayStation has already been released on the Wii, but portable gamers with fond wishes of Silent Hill Origins may want to consider this. It's unlike any other Silent Hill, for better or worse.
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Fireteam Bravo 3
Third-person shooting action. Ex-KGB agent killing. Lots of guns and an incredibly long title. If the acronym had never been invented, we'd call it Special Operations Command: United States Navy SEa, Air, and Land Forces Fireteam Bravo 3.
Eye of Judgment
Another PlayStation Portable game based on its bigger PS3 brother. This time, the camera gimmick has been done away with, giving card-based fantasy game fans something to do with their PSPs.
Duke Nukem Trilogy: Critical Mass
Not three games, but the start of a trilogy, a third-person shooter set in a world where Duke Nukem must shoot things or terrible things may happen. But there's a very very good chance it will actually come out.
Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman! 2: Time To Tighten Up Security!
Protect Badman once again from a flood of hopeful heroes by taking up your pickaxe and sending loads of monsters at them! Looks like this one will ship on UMD and on the PlayStation Store.
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony
Really, you can never have too many versions of Lunar, even if you've played the original Lunar: Silver Star on Saturn or any of the other enhanced remakes. This classic Japanese role-playing game even comes in a new deluxe package!

From the company that brought you "Qore" and "Xross Media Bar," that one is pronounced "curiosity." It's important to note this was registered by Sony, not Sony Computer Entertainment. But the trademark covers "portable video game machines," and "game services provided on-line from a computer network," as well as "operating an on-line shopping mall." This is especially interesting in light of the recent survey Sony sent out, indicating it's considering pricing some subscription levels to the PlayStation Network. Might this "Qriocity" be one of them? Accessed by the PSP?

Siliconera, which found the trademark, also notes that Sony registered the domain name "qriocity" a few months before this filing (dated Dec. 15.)

Since a lot of what's written up here ends up turning the comments into Question Time in parliament, only more brutal, I now put this to you, my fellow MPs. Should you wish to huzzah, please spell that correctly. If you find this to be ridiqulis or a bunch of xrap, please misspell creatively.

Qriocity, The Name Of A New Sony Handheld Or Online Service? [Siliconera via Destructoid]

See for yourself in these pics. It goes a little beyond "typo", since they actually created a little bubble logo for the console. So it's either an elaborate, embarrassing mistake (which, to be honest, seems more likely), or accessory manufacturers 4gamers figured that nobody outside the "industry" would bother reading MCV's mag, so they could slip mention of a fourth iteration of the original PSP in there and hope nobody noticed.

Whichever it is, you can see the original ad below.

[MCV DIGITAL EDITION]

Lunar: Silver Star Harmony is an enhanced remake of Lunar: The Silver Star, coming to the PSP courtesy of XSEED Games in Q1 of 2010. While the game will retail for $29.99, $10 more will net players a special limited edition package containing a soundtrack CD and a set of 13 exclusive "bromide" collector cards featuring the girls of Lunar.

"As the definitive version of Lunar: The Silver Star with completely reworked graphics, a remastered soundtrack containing songs new and old, an enhanced battle system, and additional story elements never before revealed, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony deserved a special Limited Edition version to commemorate the rebirth of this beloved franchise," stated Jun Iwasaki, President of XSEED Games. "For fans of the previous iteration, we've built upon the English script from before to offer returning fans something new while keeping the heart of the original outstanding localization intact."

As I said, it's certainly not the cloth map, soundtrack CD, hardbound instruction manual and making of videos of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, but it'll do. They just don't make them like Working Designs anymore.

DoA Paradise will be released in Japan on April 2, 2010.

As we previously noted, because Dead or Alive: Paradise is a lot like Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball, only without all that volleyball, giving extra attention to the gambling, mini-games and relationship management aspects of the Team Ninja series. And it's probably a port of the game of the same name released for Japanese cell phones in late 2006. Expect to see the DOA girls in bikinis, doing bikini-appropriate things.

The game will be sold either as a stand alone or in two different bundles. The ¥7,329 "Secret Paradise Box" is bundled with a secret photo album, soundtrack CD, an original Kasumi box cover and the game. The ¥15,729 is bundled with all that plus the Kasumi figurine. It allows players to enjoy two different bathing suits: skimpy and skimpier.

I suppose it's up to you to decide whether the Army of Two: The 40th Day demo takes precedent over downloading Pavement's "Cut Your Hair," but now PlayStation 3 owners can do both. The good news for PSP owners is that a ton of UMDs have made the jump to digital download, including a trio of Metal Gear Solid titles.

Even better are new deals on games like GTA: Chinatown Wars and Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do To Deserve This? All of these things can be pondered while scanning the list below.

Games & Demos For PlayStation 3
Puzzlegeddon ($9.99)
PSone Classics: Final Fantasy VIII ($9.99)
Gran Turismo 5 Time Trial Challenge
Army of Two: The 40th Day demo
TV Show King demo
Guitar Hero Van Halen demo
Diner Dash demo
Puzzlegeddon demo

Games & Demos For PSP
BUZZ! Quiz World ($19.99)
Sega Rally Revo ($15.99)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus ($9.99)
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops ($14.99)
Metal Gear Solid Digital Graphic Novel ($9.99)
F1 2009 ($39.99)
Ridge Racer ($14.99)
PSP minis: Heracles Chariot Racing ($4.99)
PSP minis: Spot the Differences! ($2.99)

Expansions & Add-ons
PAIN Red Jimmy Character ($0.99)
SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation Cold Front ($9.99)
Brutal Legend Hammer Of Infinite Fate ($4.99)
NBA 10 Holiday Shoe Pack (free)

Guitar Hero 5 tracks

• "Hi-Speed Soul" by Nada Surf ($1.99)
• "Sister Jack" by Spoon ($1.99)
• "Cut Your Hair" by Pavement ($1.99)
• Indie Rock Track Pack ($5.49) – "Hi-Speed Soul" by Nada Surf, "Cut Your Hair" by Pavement, and "Sister Jack" by Spoon

Rock Band tracks

• "Gives You Hell" by All-American Rejects ($1.99)
• "This is War" by 30 Seconds to Mars ($1.99)
• "Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds to Mars ($1.99)
• "Christian's Inferno" by Green Day ($1.99)
• "Last of the American Girls" by Green Day ($1.99)
• "¡Viva la Gloria!" by Green Day ($1.99)
• Green Day Pack 2 ($5.49) - "Christian's Inferno," "Last of the American Girls," and "¡Viva la Gloria!" by Green Day.

The Beatles: Rock Band tracks

• "Girl" by The Beatles ($1.99)
• "In My Life" by The Beatles ($1.99)
• "Michelle" by The Beatles ($1.99)
• "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" by The Beatles ($1.99)
• "Nowhere Man" by The Beatles ($1.99)
• "Run For Your Life" by The Beatles ($1.99)
• "The Word" by The Beatles ($1.99)
• "Think For Yourself" by The Beatles ($1.99)
• "Wait" by The Beatles ($1.99)
• "What Goes On" by The Beatles ($1.99)
• "You Won't See Me" by The Beatles ($1.99)
• Rubber Soul Album ($17.99)

Game Videos
ModNation Racers "Express Yourself" Trailer
SOCOM: Fireteam Bravo 3 Dev Diary #1
Critter Crunch "A Barf in the Night" Trailer
Mushroom Wars Trailer 2
High Velocity Bowling Jarvis & Ginger Trailer
Red Dead Redemption Trailer 2
Planet 51 Launch Trailer
NBA Unrivaled Trailer

Themes & Wallpapers
Smash Cars Theme (free)
Digger HD Theme (free)
Mushroom Wars Theme (free)
Smash Cars B&W Theme (free)
Guitar Hero Van Halen Theme (free)
Legion Theme (free)
Assassin's Creed II Ezio Theme ($0.99)
Bianca Premium Plus Theme ($1.99)
Lindsay Kaye Theme ($1.99)
The Hangover Theme ($1.99)
Transformers 2 Theme ($1.99)
Star Trek: TOS Dynamic Theme Dual Pack $4.99
Star Trek: TOS Blue Edition Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
Star Trek: TOS Red Edition Dynamic Theme ($2.99)
Gaze Theme ($1.99)
Tropical Paradise Theme ($1.49)
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Wallpaper 3
Gravity Crash Sun Wallpaper

Price Drops & Sales
Beaterator Price Drop (was $39.99; now $19.99)
Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars Price Drop (was $39.99; now $29.99)
Holy Invasion of Privacy Badman Price Drop (was $19.99; now $9.99)
Brain Challenge Price Drop (was $9.99; now $4.99)
Unbound Saga Sale (regular price $9.99; sale price $4.99)
Tetris Sale (regular price $9.99; sale price $6.99)
Burn Zombie Burn (regular price $9.99; sale price $4.99)