People have been suspicious of this for years now. Accusations are always made, but nothing has ever been done about it. Does GameStop sell used games as new? I am 100% convinced that they do in fact sell used games as new games. I was suspicious of this practice several years ago when I bought a few new games that seemed to have “used level” scratches on them. When I took them back to the store, the manager apologized and replaced the discs. I got what I wanted, so I was satisfied for the time being.

Over the years, I have questioned GameStop’s reasoning for new games coming in cases that were already open. Most of the time, you will hear that they like to keep empty cases on the shelves to prevent theft. While this makes sense, it also makes it real easy for them to pull off the shady business practice they are accused of. With the numerous complaints all over the internet concerning this activity, I am sure the corporation is aware of the complaints, yet they do nothing about it. Would it be too hard for them to just put cardboard inserts on the shelves and give you a new unopened game when you get to the counter?

Continue reading »

written by Will Snizek \\ tags: Accusations, business, fact, game, Gamestop, level, manager, New, nothing, practice, sell, shopping, State, store, time

Too cheap to buy the full retail version of SoulCalibur IV?  Well, this week’s FREE demo is a nice appetizer to the main dish.  Also, The Last Guy looks pretty cool, but stay here for review.  Other than that the two Warkhawk Add-on’s are the other updates worth noting.  Enjoy your last update in August!

Downloadable Games

• The Last Guy ($9.99)

Add-on Content:

• Rock Band DLC
  • “She Does” - Locksley ($0.99)
  • “Don’t Make Me Wait” - Locksley ($0.99)
  • “Don’t Make Me Wait” - Locksley ($0.99)
  • “All Over Again” - Locksley ($0.99)
  • Locksley Pack 1 ($2.99) - includes: “All Over Again,” “Don’t Make Me Wait,” and “She Does” by Locksley.
• Warhawk Fallen Star Pack ($7.99)
• Warhawk Booster Combo ($15.99)

Game Demos

• NHL 09
• Soulcalibur IV

Game Videos:

• SOCOM Confrontation Extraction trailer
• LittleBigPlanet Leipzig “Sackzilla” Trailer
• Motorstorm Pacific Rift Leipzig Trailer
• PAIN Trauma Mode Trailer
• GT5 Prologue Play the Pros with Tanner Foust!
• Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway Machine Gun & Bazooka Video
• Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway Squad Gameplay Video
• Facebreaker Audition Video #1
• Facebreaker Audition Video #2
• Facebreaker Audition Video #3
• Madden NFL 09 Gameplay Trailer
• Madden NFL 09 Madden Moments Trailer
• Madden NFL 09 Play Call Trailer
• Top Spin 3 Player Creator Trailer

Movie and Blu-ray Trailers:

• Quantum Of Solace
• Prom Night

PS3 Wallpaper:

• (2) The Last Guy
  

Via Blog.PlayStation

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: All, are, Ares, August, band, Blu-ray, Brother, buy, call, combo, Combos, Content, cool, Creator, Demo, DLC, download, Downloads, Edition, Enjoy, Facebreaker, Facebreakers, Fallen, free, game, game games, gaming, GUI, gun, guy, Hell, Highway, Include, Leipzig, LittleBigPlanet, look, Looks, machine, Machines, Madden, make, Makes, making, mode, MotorStorm, movie, Movies, NFL, NHL, night, Pacific, Pack, PAIN, play, Player, Playstation, PlayStations, Pretty, Prologue, Retail, retailer, Rift, Rock, Soulcalibur, Spin, Star, Stars, Stay, store, Than, Top, Tops, Trailer, update, Updated, Updates, version, Via, video, Videos, wait, Waiting, Wallpaper, Warhawk, Week, Weeks, WIth, worth

The title pretty much says it all. Five teenagers were arrested in Chicago for breaking into a video game store and looting merchandise. The strange part is that two of the criminals nearly escaped the scene, but they asked police officers for a ride home and that’s how they were caught.

I’m not sure if these guys were gamers or not, but they ceratainly need to play a little more Grand Theft Auto IV. They could probably learn a thing or two from our good friend Niko Bellic when it comes to the proper way s of evading police. These guys may actually make our list of “world’s dumbest gamer criminals”.

We decided to use the Beta image of Niko above because these guys don’t deserve the real thing.

Via Destructoid

written by Will Snizek \\ tags: beta, Burglars, Chicago, Cops, game, Grand, Home, looting, merchandise, Niko, Niko Bellic, part, police, Ride, scene, store, thing, title, video

We’ve read some weird video game related crime reports, but this has to be one of the strangest. On Wednesday, a man robbed an EB Games store located in the 9000 block of St Charles Rock Road in St. John, Missouri. The town is located approximately 14 miles from downtown St. Louis.

The suspect in the crime entered the store, picked up a PS3 and approached the counter to check out. When the clerk prepared to ring up the purchase, the thief pulled out a gun and told the clerk that his family was being held hostage and he needed a Sony PS3 to have them released. To make it stranger, the suspect instructed the clerk to call the police as he left the building.

By the time the police arrived, the man was already gone and no one really knows what’s going on with the hostage situation if there even is one. The St. John Police Department is currently looking for leads on the case. If you happen to know about this, you can call them at 314-427-8700.

Via KSDK.com

written by Will Snizek \\ tags: Allegedly, block, clerk, crime, Family, game, hostage, man, Missouri, police, Rock Road, Save, St Charles, St. John, St. Louis, Steals, store, strangest, video, Wednesday

If you’re looking for some old school flavor with some new packaging, then Bionic Commando: Rearmed is your present.  This week the PlayStation Network is “choc full of goodies.”  There’s also Street Fighter Alpha, which should keep you tamed until Street Fighter IV.

My 60gb PS3 is running a little low on disk space, but I NEED those playable demo’s!  Tiger Woods ‘09 and BC: Rearmed are in my cart as we speak.

Downloadable Games

Bionic Commando: Rearmed ($9.99)
PS1 Classics for PS3/PSP

Street Fighter Alpha ($5.99)
Add-on Game Content

Rock Band

* “Constant Motion” - Dream Theater ($0.99)
* “Aesthetics of Hate” - Machine Head ($0.99)
* “My Curse” - Killswitch Engage ($0.99)
* “Clouds Over California” - DevilDriver ($0.99)
* “Runnin’ Wild” - Airbourne ($0.99)
* “Sleepwalker” - Megadeth ($0.99)
* Roadrunner Records Pack 1 ($5.99) - includes “Runnin’ Wild” - Airbourne, “Clouds Over California” - DevilDriver, “Constant Motion” - Dream Theater, “My Curse” -Killswitch Engage, “Aesthetics of Hate” - Machine Head , and “Sleepwalker” - Megadeth.

File sizes: 22.5 MB - 48.8 MB (singles), 221 MB (track pack)

Price Promotion: these tracks will become to $1.99 on 8/21. The track pack will become $9.99 on 8/21.

Game Demos (free)

Bionic Commando: Rearmed Demo
1942: Joint Strike Demo
NHL 2K9 Demo
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2009 Demo

Game Videos (free)

The Last Guy Gameplay Trailer 2
Bionic Commando: Rearmed: The Making Of - Part 3
Bionic Commando: Rearmed Launch Trailer
Saints Row 2 – Gangs Trailer
Vampire Rain Gameplay Trailer 1
Vampire Rain Running Alley Trailer
Legendary Behind the Scenes Teaser Trailer
Madden NFL 09 Buzz Video
Madden NFL 09 Announcers Video
Madden NFL 09 Presentation Video
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 : Fusion
Mirror’s Edge Story Trailer 1
AST Dew Tour - Cleveland FMX Jam Session
AST Dew Tour - Cleveland Skate Thrills
AST Dew Tour - Cleveland BMX Highlights
AST Dew Tour - Hear it from Nyquist

PS3 Themes (free)

BioShock Theme
Bionic Commando: Rearmed Theme (x2)

PS3 Wallpaper (free)

Bionic Commando: Rearmed Wallpaper (x2)
PLAYSTATION Store for PC

Here is this week’s content release for the PLAYSTATION Store for PC. To download these games to your PSP, navigate to http://store.playstation.com. There, you’ll find descriptions of the content and directions on how to get started. For more on the PLAYSTATION Store for PC, please click here.

PS1 Classics for PS3/PSP
Street Fighter Alpha ($5.99)

PSP Themes (free)
Bionic Commando: Rearmed Theme (also downloadable via PS3)

PSP Wallpaper (free)
Hot Shots Golf Open Tee 2 Wallpaper (x2)
Madden NFL 09 Wallpaper (x2)

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: Alpha, AST, Bionic, California, Commando, Demo, Dew Tour - Cleveland, Dew Tour - Hear, Fighter, Guy Gameplay, Madden, NFL, Pack, PC. To, Playstation, Rain Gameplay, Rain Running, Rearmed, Saints Row, Sony PSP, store, Street, Tiger Woods, Trailer, Wallpaper

Sony’s PlayStation 3 Home, is allowing the PS3 community to participate in their Beta testing. All you have to do is download the Theme!

If you’re one of the anxious PS3 gamers who wants to get involved with PS3’s Home, now’s your chance to get in.  Here are the very simple instructions, go to the PlayStation Store and download the ‘PlayStation Home Theme’.  That’s it!!!  By downloading that theme you are submitting and application to join the Home Beta testing.

I know this kid is looking to get in there and “Let it Rain!”

Via Blog.PlayStation

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: application, beta, blog, Chance, community, download, Home, Interested, Kid, Playstation, Rain, Read, Sony, store, testing, theme, Via

While we’ve been working hard on getting our own Kezins podcast up and running for a while now, you can get a taste of what’s in store for you lucky readers now. This writer got a chance to guest star over at The Gamer’s Garage podcast last week enjoying the lively conversation.

Tune in to listen to us ramble on about some of the contests the guys have coming up, Madden’s divisive IQ system, Xbox 360 price drop rumors, and other newsworthy items.

Check out the podcast here.

written by Carlos Macias \\ tags: Chance, conversation, gamer, Gamers, Garage, Guest, Kezins, podcast, Star, Stars, store, taste, tune, Week, writer

Murder suspects on the run typically lay low and avoid public situations. In this case, 30-year-old Raymundo Castaneda thought it would be wise to hang out at a Wal-Mart in Jacksonville, Florida playing Guitar Hero while he was being tracked down for a murder in North Carolina. The U.S. Marshals were tipped off that he was there and stormed the store to capture the suspect. The interesting part of the story is how he was so focused on playing the game, he never noticed the feds moving in on him. They never mentioned in the article what song he was playing at the time.

News4Jax

written by Will Snizek \\ tags: article, case, Castaneda, Caught, game, Guitar, Hero, Mart, murder, part, Raymundo, run, store, story, Suspect, Wal

Do you love PlayStation Trophies?  Well then get out there you rookie!  The very addictive ‘PixelJunk Eden’ has joined the PSN today for $9.99.  It’s the first game to support trophies at its release.  And don’t forget that you can upload your in-game footage to Youtube.  Grab your “Grimp” and get swingin’.

Also in this weeks PSN update, ‘Facebreakers’ will have you reaching for Neosporin.  Check out the rest of the list below:

Playable content

• PixelJunk Eden full game ($9.99)

Add-on content

• Soul Calibur IV “Customization Equipment” pack 1 ($1.50)
• Rock Band DLC
  • “They Say” - Scars on Broadway ($2)
  • “This is it” - Staind ($2)
  • “Electric Crown” - Testament ($2)
  • “Yomp” - The New No 2 ($1)

Demos

• LEGO Indiana Jones demo (free)
• Facebreaker demo (free)
• Madden 09 demo (free)

Game Videos

• The Last Guy trailer
• Vampire Rain Altered Species trailer 3
• Beijing 2008 “track” trailer
• Beijing 2008 “swimming” trailer
• Bionic Commando Rearmed Making of - part 2
• AST Dew Tour - BMX Progression trailer
• AST Dew Tour - BMX Rewind trailer
• AST Dew Tour - FMX Unleashed
• AST Dew Tour - Skate Highlights

PS3 Wallpapers and Themes

• Killzone 2 theme
• 2x PixelJunk Eden themes
• 2x Siren Blood Curse wallpapers
• 2x Soul Calibur IV wallpapers
• Street Fighter IV Summer 2008 wallpaper

Game Music

• 17x Sould Calibur IV tracks ($0.99 individually, $14.99 as a set)

Via PlayStation.Blog

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: Beijing, Calibur, Demo, Dew Tour - BMX, Dew Tour - FMX, Dew Tour - Skate, Eden, Edition, game, Guy trailerVampire, Indiana, July, Pixel Junk Eden, PixelJunk, Playstation, Playstation store update, PSN, psn store, Rain Altered, release, Rock Band, rookie, store, Today, trailerAST, Trophies, update

This week looks to be a very hot week for Playstation news as another screenshot surfaces.  We already have seen PSone games hit the PSN, but with the news of PS2 games hitting the store this can be BIG NEWS!  I, for one, am an original PS3 60gb owner.  While the news of PS2 titles arriving to the PS3 is nice, I can bet that I own most of the titles they will release PLUS have it on disc which is playable on my PS3.  So, for you 20gb, 40gb, and some games on the 80gb PS3’s it looks like you’ll finally be able to play God of War I and God of War II.  Until it’s confirmed it’s just a rumor!  So why not spread it like wild fire!

So far I can see Red faction, MGS2, Fantavision, Smuggler’s Run and SSX and maybe Ridge Racer V.

Thanks for the tip PS3Fanboy!

written by Juan Perez \\ tags: Big, disc, Fire, God, Hits, Metal Gear Solid 2, news, owner, Playstation, PLUS, PS2 coming to PSN, PS2 on Playstation Store, PS2 rumors, PS2 titles, PSN, PSone, Rumor, screenshot, store, War, Week