Black Friday
Nintendo DS Still a Winner as Wii Thanksgiving Sales Plummet
Tuesday, December 1, 2009 9:17AM - By Benjamin Opal
Thanksgiving week was kind to Nintendo’s DS handheld, but the Wii failed to surpass last year’s sales. In a press release, Nintendo said that it sold roughly 550,000 Wii consoles during Thanksgiving week. In 2008, Nintendo sold 800,000 units, so it looks like a pretty steep drop, except that in 2007 only 350,000 units were sold. Meanwhile, Nintendo DS sales continue to ascent, with over 1 million DS and DSi handhelds sold last week. Nintendo says that breaks the all-time Thanksgiving week sales record for handhelds, surpassing 2002 sales of the Game Boy Advance.
Why did Wii sales falter, then? Perhaps Nintendo just didn’t have any killer Wii deals for Black Friday. Looking back at our coverage, there were no Wii bundles that rivaled those of the Xbox 360 or Playstation 3, which included two or more games for the same price as the console alone. The best you could find for the Wii was a Walmart bundle that cost extra. I’m not saying shoppers bought the PS3 or Xbox 360 instead, but with no great deals, there’s no rush to buy. The Nintendo DS Lite, meanwhile, could be had for just $98 from Walmart, a $31 discount. So, does the success of the Nintendo DS equate to a net gain for Nintendo? Nope. Bloomberg reports that shares were down as much as 2.7 percent on the news. Mama mia. [via PC World]
Bizarre Black Friday Deal: Old Navy and Lego Rock Band
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 1:28PM - By Benjamin OpalAd
Old Navy and MTV Games are teaming up for a Black Friday deal that’s best described as unusual: Buy $20 worth of clothes at Old Navy, and get a free copy of Lego Rock Band, which usually costs $50, on the platform of your choice. The deal was rumored earlier this month, and has now been confirmed in a video ad spotted by Joystiq. Additionally, Old Navy stores in Texas, Ohio and Illinois confirmed to Joystiq that the deal is for real, but that supplies are extremely limited. Also, Lego Rock Band doesn’t include any instruments, so you’ll need an existing Rock Band bundle or compatible Guitar Hero instruments to really enjoy the game.
Hey, Gamestop’s Also Got Black Friday Deals
Friday, November 20, 2009 10:59AM - By Benjamin Opal
Not to be outdone by Best Buy and Wal-Mart, Gamestop also has a nice slate of Black Friday video game deals this year. Consoles first, as always: For $299, you get the Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle, which includes Lego Batman and Pure, plus your choice of either Bakugan or Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. A $299 Playstation 3 bundle includes the 120 GB Slim console, God of War of War Collection and LittleBigPlanet. For Wii wishers, sorry! No bundle for you. Deals on individual games are bountiful, so we’ll list highlights after the jump.
Wal-Mart’s Black Friday Ads Are Gamer-Friendly, Too
Wednesday, November 18, 2009 12:37PM - By Benjamin Opal
We might’ve erred by raving last week about Best Buy’s Black Friday deals, because Wal-Mart’s Black Friday ad is a real doozy for gamers. Let’s start with the console bundles: For the same $299 you’d normally spend on a Playstation 3, you’ll also get Infamous and Batman: Arkham Asylum — two critically-acclaimed games, mind you — plus The Dark Knight on Blu-ray. There’s also an online-only offer for a Wii bundle, sold at $250 instead of $200 for the console alone, including two games (unspecified) and an extra set of Nyko controllers. By comparison, Wal-Mart’s $199 Xbox 360 Arcade bundle is pretty lame unless you really like the movie Madigascar, as both the original and sequel are included on DVD, along with the video game Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. There’s also a Nintendo DS Lite for $98, straight-up. Crazy game discounts after the jump.
Best Buy’s Black Friday Ads Show PS3 Bundle, Cheap Games
Friday, November 13, 2009 2:13PM - By Benjamin Opal
If you need a reason to brave the lines at Best Buy on Black Friday, this is it: One of the store’s “Doorbuster” sales is a 120 GB Playstation 3 with two games. For same price as the console’s regular cost alone, you’ll also get LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition and Ratchet and Clank: Future: A Crack in Time. They’re both solid, Playstation 3-exclusive titles that’ll give you a taste of what you’ve missed since the console was released in 2006. According to Punch Jump, getting a Doorbuster deal entails waiting outside Best Buy a couple hours before the store’s 5 a.m. opening, and getting a ticket handed to you that can be claimed once you’re inside. It’s just like a console launch day, except you’ll have a slimmer console with better games. More ridiculous Black Friday deals from Best Buy after the jump.
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