PlayStation LifeStyle » Best Buy

First Footage of Robin the Boy Wonder Surfaces

Cameron Teague — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:42:02 +0000

Thanks to a GameStop UK promotional trailer, we are graced with the first gameplay footage of the sidekick Robin, a playable character in the upcoming Batman: Arkham City.

To play as Robin in the game, you must pre-order the game at GameStop in the UK and Best Buy in the U.S. For pre-ordering, you get not only Robin the character, but two challenge maps centered around the “Boy Wonder”. You will also gain two alternate costumes for Robin, taking you back to his past outfits. In the footage below we get a great look at his combat style and move set, with Robin performing acrobatic moves all over the screen.

Batman: Arkham City is set to release October 18th in North America and the 21st in Europe. Will you be placing your pre-order at either of these two places so that you can play as Robin? Let us know in the comments below.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Pre-Order Incentives Revealed

Paulmichael Contreras — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:40:04 +0000

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is set to release this coming January. Following the multimillion-selling Final Fantasy XIII, Square Enix is looking to get you to pre-order the game sooner rather than later. Some pre-order incentives have been announced, and can be read about below.

In a recent presser, Square Enix announced the goodies you will receive if you pre-order the game at participating retailers:

Amazon: Pre-order from this online retailer to receive the Omega Boss Battle, a “Unique coliseum battle against boss enemy “Omega,” who joins the player’s party afterward.”
Best Buy: This retailer has the only physical incentive announced so far: a collectible hardcover book, titled Final Fantasxy XIII Episode i. Square Enix has labeled this as a novella, which bridges the storylines between Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2.
GameStop: Pre-orders from here will come with an alternate costume for Serah.

Assuming you are buying the game, which pre-order sounds the most enticing to you? Final Fantasy XIII-2 is currently set to release on January 31st, 2012.

Mass Effect 2 Sells Out Within 24-Hours of Liftoff

Jonathan Leack — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 17:04:33 +0000

It was only yesterday that we reported that the PlayStation 3 version of Mass Effect 2 had shot to the top of Amazon’s bestseller list alongside LittleBigPlanet 2. The list must have been a crystal clear indication, because it appears that Mass Effect 2 is quickly becoming a rare find.

Within 24-hours of its release, Amazon has run out of supply of the PS3 version of BioWare’s sci-fi RPG Mass Effect 2. Also, the Best Buy that I visited today had no copies in-stock, and the online “check store” feature indicates that three out of five of my local stores are awaiting a second shipment to arrive.

Should we cough this up to some unusually high consumer demand, or limited quantities stocked? Whatever the case, this game is attracting some positive attention, and its welcomed presence is already being felt by Sony and consumer alike.

Best Buy Opens 2011 with a Sale of Major Proportions

Jonathan Leack — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:33:09 +0000

Best Buy is off to the races with the best video game deal we’ve seen so far in 2011. With the purchase of any two games of $29.99 on the platforms of your choice, you can get a third title for absolutely free. This deal is available both online and in-stores, so take your pick, but shipping varies on the titles you choose, so be sure to head to the retailer if you want to save as much as possible.

In addition, Best Buy is bundling LittleBigPlanet 2 or Gran Turismo 5 with the purchase of any 160GB PlayStation 3. A combination of both deals can give you a 160GB PS3, LBP2 or GT5, and three additional titles of your choice for only $419.99. You can’t get much better than that.

There are dozens of titles available for this deal, including the likes of Mass Effect 2 and LittleBigPlanet 2 which release on Tuesday. This awesome deal expires on next Saturday, January 22nd, but titles may sell out fast, so take advantage of this deal now!

According To Best Buy, Gaming Is Down

Joseph Peterson — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 02:20:29 +0000

Best Buy is easily one of the largest brick and mortar retail chains, offering everything from appliances, consumer electronics, and of course, video games. Yesterday, Best Buy released their overall sales figures for this past December, and even with the holiday sales rush, sale were frighteningly disappointing compared to the previous year. Many things attributed to this decline, most notably, says Best Buy, was gaming.

Video game hardware falls under the consumer electronics category, which was down 7.9% compared to last year. The company as a whole was down 3.2% for the month of December when looking at last year, still generating $6.5 billion for the month. Overall, claims Best Buy, the loss is being “driven primarily by a decrease in gaming.”

[Source]

Best Buy Bundles $50 Gift Cards

Tyler Minarik — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 00:57:58 +0000

Holiday deals are as plentiful as ever this year, and Best Buy is joining the fray by including $50 gift cards with numerous PlayStation 3 bundles. There’s no doubt that a PlayStation 3 bundle is a great present for friends and family, but with the inclusion of a $50 gift card the option is open to choose another great game, movie, controller, or other accessory to accompany it. Best Buy is currently featuring six varieties of bundles to choose from, but two in particular are especially worthy of purchase.

First up is the Gran Turismo 5 bundle for all the racing fans out there. With over 1000 cars to battle it out with, this should keep anyone busy for a long time to come. It includes the 160GB model PS3, as well as the movie Grown Ups on Blu-ray disc, all for $349. The second noteworthy bundle is also a 160GB model PS3, but instead includes Little Big Planet, ModNation Racers, and Cars. Retailing at $300, this one is a little easier on the wallet, kid friendly, and packs plenty of content with two of Sony’s exclusive play, create, share style games. Either way, this is a great deal. Check it out here at Best Buy, and be sure to click the check box next to the $50 gift card item at the bottom of the page.

Will you be picking on of these up for a lucky family member this year? Let us know in the comments below, and stick with PlayStation LifeStyle for more holiday deals and news!

BOOM! is Back in ‘Unstoppable’ Best Buy Offer

Anthony Severino — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 17:22:57 +0000

Exactly one year ago today, we showed you a Best Buy ad featuring the VP of the PlayStation LifeStyle, Kevin Butler. Since then the word BOOM! has taken on a whole new meaning; it has become synonymous with PS3/HDTV deals and general awesomeness. BOOM! is back again, this time with an even better deal before that features a 46″ LED HDTV, a copy of GT5, a Blu-ray movie and a PS3. Oh… and there’s some Kevin Butler thrown into the mix to crank it all up a notch.

Right now at Best Buy, when you buy a 46″ Bravia LED HDTV for $1300 (on sale from $2299), you get a free 160GB PS3, a copy of Gran Turismo 5 and Grown-Ups on Blu-ray. If that deal wasn’t sweet enough, everyone’s favorite VP is here to put the icing on the cake.

Best Buy Slashes Prices for Black Friday

Cameron Teague — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 11:18:03 +0000

Black Friday is just around the corner and a leaked ad from Best Buy has made its way online to help get our wallets ready for the big day. There are some very solid deals to be found here and there should be a little something for everyone. Check out the deals and details below.

Friday 11/25 Doorbuster’s – 5AM to while supplies last

EA Games for PS3 – $34.99

EA Sports MMA
FIFA Soccer 11
Madden NFL 11
Medal of Honor
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
NCAA Football 11
NHL 11
The Sims 3

Friday 11/25 and Saturday 11/26 Deals

Sony 160 GB PlayStation 3 bundle w/ ModNation Racers, LittleBigPlanet GOTY Edition and Cars (Blu-ray) – $299.99

$29.99 Games :

Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Mafia II

$34.99 Games

Def Jam Rapstar
James Bond 007: Blood Stone

$39.99 Games

Fallout: New Vegas

$16.99 Games

The Beatles: Rock Band
inFamous
MLB 2K10
Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe
Ratchet & Clank Future

$9.99 Games

Fallout 3
Metal Gear Solid 4
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

So there you have it, a lot of great deals for gamers out there come Black Friday

Best Buy Cuts the PSPgo Price for THIS Weekend Only

Corey Schwanz — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 00:36:24 +0000

Even after the PSPgo’s price drop early last week, a lot of people still thought it wasn’t enough. “Too little, too late,” they said. Best Buy is testing out the waters to see if a cheaper version is even MORE enticing.

Is a $150 price point enough to get you to buy the PSPgo? That’s what Best Buy is hoping. The retailer is starting their early early Christmas shopping sales and this weekend has Sony’s digital portable on sale for $50 less than the recently price-dropped MSRP. There are still plenty of great games that are available on the PSN Store to check out, so you should definitely consider this deal! Don’t like Best Buy? Print out this page and see if any other retailer does will honor the price match. This sale is only available on Friday and Saturday, so make up your mind quick!

[Via]

Best Buy Holds Buy 2 Get One New Game Sale

Corey Schwanz — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 14:52:48 +0000

Everyone is familiar with the “Buy One, Get One” or even a “Buy 2 Used, Get One Used Free” sale at gaming retailers these days. Best Buy is holding the same type of sale, but it’s about games that aren’t even out yet.

Best Buy is holding quite an unusual sale. Buy any two of these unreleased, new, or recently released games, and get the third game free. Of course, the free game only applies on the least expensive game, but still. A good deal is better than no deal. The deal works across all platforms, but here are the specific PlayStation 3 titles:

NHL 11
FIFA Soccer 11
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II (and Collector’s Edition)
Tony Hawk: Shred With Wireless Board Controller
NBA 2K11
The Sims 3
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
WWE SmackDown vs RAW 2011
Medal of Honor

There is no official word as to when the sale will end, but it doesn’t look like it will be long. The latest games on the list are set to release on October 26th, so a conservative estimate would say it only lasts until the end of this week. So get to it gamers!

[Source/Via]

Mix and Scratch DJ Hero 2 at Best Buy Now

Max Murray — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:10:54 +0000

As one of the more recent rhythm games to hit the market, DJ Hero averaged scores in the high 80′s, yet failed to capture the large audience base it was hoping for. So, for the upcoming sequel, Activision is making sure that no would-be DJ’s miss the chance to fade, scratch, and mix to their hearts content.

Hitting stores today, over 900 Best Buys around the country will have demo editions of DJ Hero 2, each containing two turntables for players to experience the thrill in tandem, or in competition.

Songs/mixes in the demo include:

Pussycat Dolls Featuring Busta Rhymes “Don’t Cha” Mixed With Pitbull ”I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)”
Lady Gaga Featuring Colby O’Donis “Just Dance” Mixed With Deadmau5 “Ghosts N Stuff”
MSTRKRFT Featuring N.O.R.E. “Bounce” (Battle Mix)
Estelle Featuring Kanye West “American Boy” Mixed With Chic “Good Times”

If today’s not soon enough, and you’d rather not leave your couch, we’ve got more options for you:

First check out the demo on the PSN store that gets you access to two new tracks, the new streamlined interface, and gives you a first hand experience of the fantastic gameplay updates, like the ability to scratch and fade at will.

But while on your computer, Activision has made a handy desktop version of the game that lets anyone with a mouse and keyboard mix till they’re sick. It’s just a taste, but with the release date of October 19th just around the corner, it should be all you need to quell your rave desires.

[Via]

Split/Second Gets Attractive Best Buy Deal

Zak Islam — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 06:37:33 +0000

Upon Spit/Second‘s release gamers hailed the game for its brilliant arcade-focused, destructive and engaging gameplay. If you’re still looking for a reason to pick the racer up, today’s your lucky today.

Mega retailer Best Buy is offering Split/Second for an attractive price point of $20. A perfect reason to pick this excellent Black Rock Studios-developed racer up. PlayStation LifeStyle’s very own Cameron reviewed the game with a final score of 8 out of 10.

[Via]

Best Buy Stands Up for Firmware Update Charge

Corey Schwanz — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 19:40:06 +0000

Remember when you found out that Best Buy was actually charging customers to update their PlayStation 3 firmware? For us informed gamers, it seems like a pretty despicable practice. But the retail giant apparently feels no remorse.

Just last weekend, PlayStation LifeStyle reported that Best Buy’s Geek Squad can upgrade the firmware on your PS3 for the low, low price of $30. Considering that the process of upgrading firmware is an integral part of owning a console these days and the process is incredibly simple, it seems pretty unbelievable.

But this practice has apparently been around since November 2008 when Geek Squad introduced their “in-store and at home gaming set-up and customization services.” Including the firmware upgrades, these services include setting up multiple accounts, parental controls, transferring data between systems, and hooking up your console to the internet.

But these processes are all described in the PS3′s instruction manuals, no? All these processes are pretty intuitive, but it turns out it’s Best Buy’s policy. Talking with IndustryGamers, a Best Buy spokesperson said:

“Best Buy’s Geek Squad offers services to support virtually all the gear we sell – and gaming consoles are no exception. This service has been available to our customers for nearly two years. While many gamers can handle firmware upgrades easily on their own, those customers who do want help can get it from Geek Squad, and we continue to evaluate this offering to ensure it meets their needs. The service goes beyond a firmware updates, and includes user account setup, parental control setup and other components.”

What kind of people would sign up for this? The parents who don’t take an active role in their children’s gaming life. Probably those same parents that buy their 9 year-old children something like Grand Theft Auto IV or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. At least Best Buy knows their market.

[Source]

Best Buy Charging $30 to Update PS3 Firmware

Kishen Patel — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 00:25:30 +0000

It’s no secret that retail outlets make their most revenue off of a combination of used media sales, warranty, upgrade services. One such retailer that has delved into each of these services is the major electronics reseller, Best Buy. After releasing their own video games magazine, exclusive pre-order deals, and diving into used games sales, Best Buy has expanded on their gamer revenue scheme by using PS3 purchasers as a scapegoat.

According to a Geek Squad promotional sign at a Best Buy, prospective PlayStation 3 consumers can opt to take home their brand-new home entertainment console ready-to-go with the various firmware features for $329.98 plus tax. Basically, for the extra $30–which does not even warrant the device from future firmware issues–Best Buy’s Geek Squad is eliminating a simple 10 to 30 minute firmware update. Who exactly are they trying to fool? Most likely parents and ill-informed customers who might be buying a gift for a certain someone. However, who wants to get a new PS3 that has been opened and configured?

In our opinion, Best Buy might very well be complicating things for the user by removing the beginning audio, video, and wireless settings leaving the user to find the settings for themselves.

[Source]

[Image Credit: Dualshockers]

PlayStation Move Sales Looking Strong, Retailers Having Issues Meeting Demand

Mike Hartnett — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 20:38:44 +0000

The PlayStation Move debuted a little less than two weeks ago. Sony themselves said that they didn’t expect huge sales initially, but that over time the product would pick up speed and start to take command of the motion controller market.

To some gamers’ surprise, PlayStation Move is a hit, and selling out not only at online, but across several brick-and-mortar retail chains around the country as well. Stores such as GameStop and Best Buy are experiencing significant shortages, while the bulk of available controllers are apparently in-stock at places like Toys R Us and K-Mart. We went ahead and checked several stores in our area as well, to find that this is, in fact, true. Most of the GameStops and EB Games had a limited supply, with some stores here and there showing slightly more, this varies of course. This is something that not Sony could have predicted, so it’s not only a win for gamers, but a win for the developers as well.

Can the PlayStation Move maintain this momentum going into the holiday season? More importantly, will this be enough to counteract Microsoft’s Kinect? Only time will tell. But if quality is anything to go by, and we definitely think it is, Sony shouldn’t have a problem. For all the latest PlayStation Move news and info, be sure to stay tuned to PlayStation LifeStyle.