"This is not the year for silly stuff," said Keith Browning, 50 of Columbus, Ohio. He lost his job at a Honda plant and struck out on his own. "My brother gave me a Wii video game. I'm definitely returning that. We need some new pots and pans for the house. And I need tools to get my company going."

Last year, I bought my parents a Wii for Christmas, then was laid off from a gig in Silicon Valley. Mom demanded that I return the machine, and when I told her the Amazon reseller wouldn't take it, she insisted I sell it and pocket the money, which I did.

So I can understand where this guy is coming from, with the "silly stuff" comment. We've heard plenty about video games being high-value diversions similar to what movie houses provided back in the Depression. But for some people, when you're not working - or not working enough - giving or playing games just doesn't feel right.

Browning's quote is the definition of anecdotal, but I'm wondering if it portends a shopping mindset that means bad things for games this year.

A Tentative Sparkle Enlivens Holiday Shopping [The New York Times]

Instead, according to Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, the number of games released this year increased. In 2008, 1092 titles reached a retail shelf in the United States. In 2009? 1099. Not much of an increase, then, but an increase all the same.

In assessing this data, EEDAR's Jesse Divnich raises an interesting point; 1099 new games means there are 55% more titles available to the public in a bricks-and-mortar store. Yet those stores aren't expanding their game sections. Meaning space is at a premium, and with each year that passes, more games earn "permanent" shelf spots (Call of Duty, GTA), further reducing the amount of space for new titles.

Game releases hold steady in 2009 [GameSpot]

This question was raised by one Mr. Raccoon, a Kotakuite who found himself faced with exactly that sort of decision earlier this week. Walmart seems to have a surplus of the Hannah Montana bundles, which come packed with a memory card, a special lilac-colored PSP-3000, and a couple of Hannah Montana UMD discs, one a game and the other some sort of entertainment program I probably wouldn't enjoy.

Some of you would pick this up in a heartbeat. Hell, I would, if I didn't just spend $250 on a PSPgo. I had this in my hands the other morning, pondering picking it up for my girlfriend as an ironic Christmas gift (she maintains that I am the girl in this relationship.) I went back and forth from the case to the counter several times, before deciding to go in a different direction.

Mr. Raccoon on the other hand, like many of our readers I am guessing, found himself weighing the embarrassment against the value.

"Now theoretically the Hannah Montana bundle is a great deal seeing that it includes a game and a 2 GB memory card. But for a dude like me, it would be very embarrassing to be walking around playing a purple Hannah Montana PSP hahaha. The question is, is it really worth the embarrassment for that kinda deal? Oh, the regular 3000 PSP was out of stock too at my Walmart too. The Hannah Montana one wasn't lol."

lol indeed, Mr. Raccoon!

To me, the idea of being embarrassed buying any product seems silly, but then if you knew some of the shops I frequented you'd understand why. No, I am not going to elaborate. Simply put, there is no reason you should let something silly like packaging stop you from partaking in an excellent deal on an a fine Sony product. I dream of a day when our PSP systems are judged not by the color of their plastic, but by the content of their game library.

Besides, if you're a man worrying about being seen with a borderline-pink handheld, let me tell you a little secret. Girls find that sort of thing adorable. They'll see you as a cool, confident guy with a cute and quirky side. At least that's what I keep telling myself whenever I'm out rocking my pink DSi.

If you decide to take the plunge, here are a few tips:

- Don't mention getting it for your girlfriend, daughter, niece, etc. Retail clerks are trained to see right through this, and will ridicule you horribly as soon as you are out of earshot.

- Remain calm. Try not to sweat or behave in a nervous fashion. This will make your fellow shoppers assume you are some sort of perverted adult Hannah Montana fan. They will actively shield their children from you. Believe me, that's embarrassing.

- Just buy the damn thing already. It helps if you psyche yourself up before hand by telling yourself you have to be somewhere in the next 10 minutes, and buying the PSP is wasting your time. The store clerks won't think you are a pervert or a liar. They'll just assume you're an asshole, like the rest of their customers.

See? It's easy. I think I might have just talked myself into heading back to Walmart later today. Make sure you guys leave one for me!

GameStop was trading for $21.73 around 1 p.m. U.S. Eastern time, $2.11 off its opening price of $23.84 and a decline of 8.8 percent. It had hit as low as $21.36 earlier in the day.

Bloomberg News reported that an analyst advised clients that GameStop, whose stores have been located in close proximity to Walmart to capitalize on the retail giant's foot traffic, may have to drop its prices to remain competitive. Walmart's price cuts affect 25 games, including Left 4 Dead 2, and Uncharted 2, and take as much as 20 percent off their MSRP through Dec. 24. Walmart is also offering a $50 gift card with the purchase of a Wii.

GameStop Falls Most in S&P 500 After Walmart Cuts Game Prices [Bloomberg]

Walmart wants your gaming dollar. Hell, Walmart wants your everything dollar, but gaming is definitely a focus this month. From December 5th through the 12th the company will be offering a %50 gift card good for anything Walmart carries (just about everything) with purchase of a Nintendo Wii. That means you can grab a Wii and some Transformers, or a Wii and some discount lingerie. The only limit is your imagination. And $50. And your particular store's stock, I suppose.

Along with the Wii offer, Walmart is also discounting a group of popular 2009 titles by $10 until December 24th. Titles like Batman: Arkham Asylum and Left 4 Dead 2 for the Xbox 360, or Tekken 6 for the 360 and PS3. You know what? I'll just drop you all a list. Happy shopping.

Mario & Sonic at the Winter Olympics (Wii) - now $40
Lego Rock Band (Wii) - now $40
Rock Band: Beatles (Wii) - now $40
MySims: Agents (Wii) - now $40
Tekken 6 (Xbox 360 and PS3) - now $50
Madden 2010 (Xbox 360 and PS3) - now $50
WWE 2010 (Xbox 360) - now $50, WWE 2010 (Wii) - now $40
Batman Arkham Asylum (Xbox 360) - now $50
Dragon Age: Origins (PS3) - now $50
Left 4 Dead 2 (Xbox 360) - now $50
Halo 3:ODST (Xbox 360) - now $50
Uncharted 2 (PS3) - now $50

Listed among the one day in-store specials for this Saturday, Nov. 7, is an Xbox 360 Arcade console for $199 that comes with a $100 gift card. Other deals include discounted TVs, a Blu-ray player, DVD player and laptop.

More interesting, though, is what our sources tell us about the sale.

This weekend's one-day sale is just the first of weekly sales that will be hitting Walmart in the lead up to the post Thanksgiving retail sales explosion known as Black Friday.

We're told that this is Walmart's attempt at pulling a little of the focus off that huge shopping day and trying to spread the wealth over the entire month. So look out for future deals, perhaps including more gaming price cuts.

Christmas Shop [Walmart]

The retailer will also be selling a Sony BluRay player for $148, according to our source, who included an image from the retailer's computer system showing the deals.

Sounds like a great deal or two, though as with all rumors, make sure to take this with a grain of salt until we can get verification or the official news hits on Wednesday.

GameStop lists it for shipment Nov. 4 at $19.99 - of course, less than the $29.99 to $39.99 it sold for when it debuted a year ago. The tracks can be transferred to your hard drive for Rock Band or Rock Band 2, but just for the 360 and PS3 version; not the PS2 or Wii.

Rock Band: AC/DC Pack to Hit non-Walmart Shelves Soon [Destructoid via VG247]

InspiredMedia d/b/a Left Behind Games Inc., worked out the pilot release of its titles in 100 Walmarts in the Houston and Dallas areas. The sales will test the games' viability in additional Walmart locations.

In a news release, Inspired Media sees Texas as fertile ground for its products, noting that the Lone Star State is home to more than 23,000 churches and an evangelical Protestant population of 5 million.

Inspired Media produced 2006's Left Behind: Eternal Forces, a real-time strategy game in which the player attempts to pray opposing forces into submission after all faithful souls leave the Earth during the Rapture, and the world reforms under a secularist order that loves, among other things, rock n' roll. It was followed by Left Behind: Tribulation Forces for PC in 2007. Eternal Forces racked up a Metacritic score of 38.

Christian Games Hit Texas Wal-Marts [Game Politics]

Because shoplifting is just textbook How-to-Lay-Low, just a shade less subtle than what the Duke boys usually did after getting sprung from the Hazzard County Jail. Larson, 32, has a heroin habit, and tried to rip off about $120 worth of DS games because, I don't know, GameStop's offering 20 percent store credit toward the purchase of smack? He might have been able to get out of the county jail using a fake ID (yes, really), but get past a Walmart loss prevention officer? Sorry, Lee Co. law enforcement, the big boys are on the case now.

Then again, maybe the cops were the smart ones, figuring they could just wait until Mr. No. 1 Fugitive Man went and did something dumb.

There was no word on what games Larson put in his pants.

Lee County's Most Wanted Fugitive Arrested Trying to Steal Video Games, Police Say [Fort Myers News-Press]

That listing comes from an early version of a Walmart ad that loosely dates, but does not price a "rollback" for Nintendo's console. While the ad is not official confirmation of a price drop, the timing makes sense, as the Wii is about to enter its fourth holiday shopping season at its original price.

Should Nintendo announce a price drop prior to October, it has a venue at which to do it. The company will be participating at the Kyoto Cross Media Experience 2009, a multimedia event that runs September 26th to October 4th, overlapping with the Tokyo Game Show.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata just recently said that the company is not planning on announcing a price drop. "Right now," Iwata said at a recent investor Q&A, "there aren't a lot of discussions going on about what exactly to do about hardware pricing."

Of course, that "right now" was from early August and plans may have changed. Sales of the Wii in the U.S. are down by almost half from last year during the summer quarter. A price drop and upcoming marquee software releases like Wii Fit Plus and New Super Mario Bros. Wii may turn things around.

With Microsoft and Sony recently issuing their own price cuts on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Nintendo may be wisely following suit.

Due to the unofficial nature of the price drop info, we're labeling this rumor for now. We've been in touch with Nintendo of America and Walmart to get comment, but have not yet heard back.

Update: The official response from NOA, as expected, is "Nintendo does not respond to rumors and speculation."

Wal-Mart is going all out for the Madden 10 release, prepping thousands of stores for a midnight release on August 14th, with a couple of exclusive promotions to make sure players don't offend their loved ones too badly in the days following the game's release.

First off, Wal-Mart stores will have a limited edition Gillette Fusion NFL razor for sale with the game, with handles featuring your favorite NFL team. It doesn't specify that this is the Gilette Fusion Gamer, but seeing as that's just the normal Fusion marketed at gamers, it might as well be the same thing.

Then come the roses.

With thousands of men likely to be glued to the game after Friday, Walmart is rolling back the price of a dozen roses to $8 and making them easily available in the Electronics department, so guys, who may need some early forgiveness, can remember their gals who don't want to feel "left out." An easy to send and thoughtful "early apology email" is also available at Walmart.com/madden.

That's extremely thoughtful of them, isn't it? You can even visit the company's Madden micro-site and send a pre-emptive apology email. Extremely cheesy as well, but this is Wal-Mart. It's not as if they could have used my idea of an NFL-licensed marital aid anyway.

Wal-Mart is also offering a $10 online gift certificate to anyone who pre-orders the game online instead of hanging around the store in the middle of the night, but I'm not sure you can call yourself a Madden fan if you aren't physically handing over a method of payment at 12:01am.

No matter where you preorder Champions Online you'll gain access to the open beta test on August 17th, 30 days game time, and five in-game microtransaction dollars, but after that it all comes down to where you pick up the game. Want access to the early-start preview weekend? Then you'll want to buy from GameStop or Best Buy, depending on whether you want an in-game pet or special costume pieces.

Wal-Mart preorders are for those who prefer real-life swag, with a lenticular cover, and iron on patch, and a zone map packed into its exclusive limited edition package, while Amazon is the place for those who value avatar looks above all, with three exclusive costume pieces on offer.

I am really beginning to hate this practice. It seems completely silly and arbitrary to me. It also makes me wonder who is negotiating these deals, as I cannot see why any fan would chose Amazon or Wal-Mart over the stores offering early access to the game. Madness, I tell you. Check out the full list of benefits below to help you determine where you'll buy Champions Online come September 1st.

GameStop

GameStop customers who pre-order Champions Online receive access to the Early Start Program. Battle an alien menace, collect exclusive items, and join the early start weekend to get a jump on the action! GameStop customers also receive the exclusive Insectoid Airfoil costume piece and Experimental Anti-Graviton Generator flight travel power at character creation for an early boost in mobility.

Wal-Mart

Wal-Mart is offering an exclusive Limited Edition Package with collectible lenticular cover that includes an exclusive zone map, iron-on decal and an additional ten in-game micro-transaction dollars! Check online and in-store for more details and other potential offers.

Best Buy

Best Buy is offering their customers the fun and functional Lil' Champ Pack. These persistent pets are iconic, knee-high characters from the Champions universe! Best Buy Customers receive their own Lil' Champ. In addition, Lil' Champ owners also receive a functional damage resistance item. Best Buy pre-order customers will also receive access to the Early Start Program and head start weekend.

Amazon

The High Roller Pack is perfect for players who insist on the finest accoutrements for their avatar. With three unique, exclusive apparel options (harlequin headpiece, black knight helmet, grenade chest strap), and an additional five in-game micro-transaction dollars, you'll have plenty of options to push your "High Roller" look.

All

All Champions Online pre-orders receive guaranteed access to the Champions Online open beta test on August 17, exclusively offered by IGN.com. Additionally, all retail purchases include 30-days of free play and five in-game micro-transaction dollars.

Video game specialty chain GameStop may have the lion's share of the used market currently, but the vultures are definitely circling. This week, several Best Buy locations in Austin and Houston Texas will be testing game trade-in kiosks, which allow customers to automatically trade their used video games for store credit without the need to clog up cash registers with complicated transactions. The machines work much like the ones Wal-Mart is testing in their stores, checking the discs for readabiity before accepting them. The main difference here is that instead of simply charging money back to a credit card, a process which takes 3-4 business days, the Best Buy machines will actually issue a Best Buy gift card, instantly redeemable towards anything the store carries.

Along with the kiosks, the selected stores will also begin selling used games as well, perhaps gaging how they fare against more traditional retail outlets.

The news comes by way of a blog post from Best Buy CMO Barry Judge, who explains the move towards used games is all about value and choice...and passion.

We're excited about this test, especially because we know how deeply passionate our customers and our employees are about gaming, movies and entertainment overall. And the trade-in and used value propositions will give those passionate customers even more choice and value at Best Buy.

With Wal-Mart's rather convoluted used game solution, Best Buy is currently looking like the best bet to peel off some of the used game business from GameStop. Not only will the kiosks provide instant gratification in ways that Amazon and Wal-Mart are not, it's all done without having to stand in a long line and dealing with a GameStop employee. I love my friends who work at GameStop, but if I can get similiar values without having to bug them, then that's what I would likely do.

New Places and Spaces - Used Games Launch [Barry Judge - thanks Jim!]

Writes blogger Kevin Gannon:

I was looking at the guns and huge knives while Carlos was in the bathroom. He came out and told me I had to see something. I went in and I'm glad I did. What I saw was hilarious. In the toilet of the handicapped stall was a collection of dated (I really mean dated) "Call of Duty" games. PS2, mostly. Who would do such a thing? Well, a thief obviously who didn't want to trigger an alarm.

I dunno, what's the big deal here? So Activision shit out some sequels, how is that news?

Call of Doodie [A Journey]

The machines, currently being tested in 77 Wal-Mart locations in New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, should be relatively simple to use. You scan the bar code on the game box in order to receive a quote. Once you accept the quote, you insert the game discs, which I am assuming are checked for damage before being accepted. Then things get a bit cloudy.

While the Video Game Buy Back kiosk shown in this photo has a Wal-Mart sign that says "Trade in Games for Credit", it doesn't seem to mean Wal-Mart store credit. According to an e-Play representative, the machines only support charging the trade-in value back to a credit card, which takes 2-3 days, according to the instructions on the company's website.

We also asked e-Play who sets the trade-in prices for the games, and are awaiting a call back with that information, as the representative we spoke with did not know.

NeoCrisis had a chance to try out one of the machines this weekend, only to find that most of their games wouldn't scan and the one that did (Mirror's Edge) wasn't in the kiosk's database.

Not exactly a GameStop killer of a trade-in program, really. With no immediate payout, I can't see these kiosks taking any substantial amount of trade-in business from the video game retailer any time soon.

UPDATE: e-Play has confirmed that they themselves set the trade-in prices based on a proprietary algorithm that can change as regularly as daily based on a number of different factors. They also verified that trade-in credit can only be applied to a credit card or debit card at this time, so no Wal-Mart store credit is changing hands.

Also, a representative from Wal-Mart contacted us to let us know that if the pilot program is successful, the company would consider working with e-Play to provide actual Wal-Mart credit instead of a charge back.

Trade Used Games at Walmart [NeoCrisis via Cheap Ass Gamer]

Because she's a cool mom, Jody Wykle, of Lake Wales, Fla., gave her son Guitar Hero: On Tour even though he didn't have a DS, just so she could make the guy squirm while she played clueless. Then, surprise! She handed over the DS - a sealed box, mind you - and when he opened it, things got unintentionally a lot worse.

"When he opened it, he was like, 'A box of rocks?'" Wykle told WTSP-TV. "He said, 'Mom, that ain't a joke.'"

Indeedy not, especially for a $138 handheld. She went back to Walmart, which gave her the not-our-problem treatment - until Ms. Wykle called in the media, at which point it became very much their problem. They refunded the DS and shelled out a gift card.

Before getting the refund, Wykle bought a second DS, just so her son could have a proper birthday present. "I made them open it while I was there to make sure there was a DS in it," she told WTSP.

Here's the kicker: Seems that box of rocks had been returned before.

$138 Box of Rocks? [WTSP-TV]

For those who didn't get the picture above:

See, Eliso was treated to a late, late Christmas present from his mum last week. She took him to a Wal-Mart in Manatee County, Florida, and bought him a PSP. All was well!

Until he took it home and turned it on. And found that the wallpaper was of a naked chick. And that the PSP somehow had a memory stick already inside it that was full of "hundreds of pornographic pictures".

Wal-Mart offered to give the kid a new PSP game. Eliso's mum, Tamatha, is having none of it, and wants a whole new PSP instead.

Mom Finds Porn on New PSP [Fox, via VE3D]

Yes, that's a full length body mirror adjacent to the Wii Fit kiosk, a deviously placed hint that's not so subtly telling Wal-Mart shoppers "Hey, time to put the Oreo Double Stufs down and get some Wii Fit yoga done, chubs."

We don't know how far or wide the appeal from Wii Fit to chunky women has been deployed, as reader Zach is our source for the conspicuously placed display. But we hope they erect some near our local mall food court — right next to the Cheesecake Factory seems appropriate.

Actually, scratch that. A quick flashback to my last Wal-Mart shopping experience makes me think the clientele here are probably a good crowd to target.