Sucker Punch Really, Really Wants You to Preorder Infamous 2
Preorder bonuses for games are nothing new, and DLC bonuses aren't exactly compelling (especially when those bonuses can't be accessed on the PS3 and I still don't have my freaking Sub-Zero classic skin yet!), but if you keep piling them up, they form a pretty decent argument for going with a specific retailer. Instead of multiple vendor-specific DLC packs spread across Gamestop, Best Buy, Amazon, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and so on, it looks like Infamous 2 is putting all of its bonuses in Gamestop and Best Buy's baskets.
What do you get if you preorder from Best Buy? A Kessler multiplayer skin and multiplayer beta access to Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception.
Meh, that's nice, but what do you get if you preorder from Amazon
Pretty good, but how can you sweeten the deal? Gamestop figured it out, with a little switching of the preorder bonuses (bonii?). You don't get the gold energy weapon, but you get the Lightning Hook power, plus the other props and the Reaper skin. Oh, and you also get a poster. Not a DLC poster, but an actual poster you can put up on your wall that shows Cole looking all badass and electric. That's... a lot of extra crap just for ordering a game before it comes out. Also, adding Sly's Cane as a DLC bonus? Could this be another hint that, after Uncharted 3 ships, Naughty Dog will work on another Sly Cooper game? If the answer isn't yes, people are going to get choked.
You can get even more extra swag by getting the Infamous 2 Hero Edition, a $99 premium edition that packs enough feelies and other content to make me consider rekindling our "From the Game" feature. This edition comes with DLC codes for the lighting hook power, gold energy weapon, and Kessler skin (making the Gamestop/Best Buy difference moot, besides the poster), plus an electrocution grenade power. Also, it comes with a soundtrack disc. Also, it comes with an Infamous #1 mini-comic. Also, it comes with an 8.5-inch statue of Cole. Also, it comes with a replica of Cole's sling bag, which might be the second greatest parkour-using messenger bag ever used in a video game. I'm fairly certain there's a game in there, too. You're supposed to get a game along with all this stuff, right?
[Editors' note: I said Naughty Dog when I meant Sucker Punch. I'm an idiot. Carry on.]
Portal 2 Now Just $30-35
You haven't played Portal 2? You need to play Portal 2. The full review of the single player campaign comes later this week, but here's a preview: without the co-op mode, purely based on the gameplay, writing, voice acting, and graphics of the single player mode, Portal 2 is excellent. Stephen Merchant and JK Simmons steal the show as Wheatley and Cave Johnson, the game is easily twice as long as the first Portal, and it's even funnier and darker. For that experience alone, the game is worth the $50 it goes for on PC and $60 it goes for on PS3 and Xbox 360.
Well, went for $50/60. Amazon just dropped the price like a rock
Wii No Longer Speaking
If you wanted to scoop up a Wii Speak peripheral, you should pick one up nowish. According to GoNintendo, the Amazon page is currently listing the device as "discontinued by manufacturer". Incidentally, the developers of upcoming Wii FPS The Conduit 2 have said intention to support the Headbanger Headset instead of Wii Speak. (via Eurogamer)
Kinect selling out nationwide
When a Microsoft rep tweeted expectations of 5 million Kinects sold by year's end, eyebrows were raised, eyes were rolled, and lips were curled in an assortment of skeptical sneers. Now it looks like they just might hit that mark. USA Today (via Nowgamer) reports that Kinect is sold out in stores across the country. Best Buy, Amazon, GameStop, Target's online store, and Walmart's online store are apparently completely out of the standalone Kinect sensor, although Amazon and GameStop still apparently have some of the Xbox 360 Kinect bundles ($300 to $400, depending on the bundle) left. Target might have some in stores, and Walmart has not yet reported a sellout.
Color me impressed. Despite my personal skepticism, I've been hearing some glowing praise for Kinect, and the consumers seem to be voting with their wallets. If you have your heart set on Kinect in time for the holidays, I don't think you need to be in panic mode just yet. All of the aforementioned retailers will be stocking Kinect as fast as they can be manufactured, and are taking backorders now. It is likely that ordering it online will result in a wait of several weeks, rather than several days. The availability of Kinect will be a story to keep our eye on as the holiday shopping season rears its head once again.
Amazon Kindle – The Next Big Game Platform?
People use their Kindles
Every Word is a scrambled word game reminiscent of Boggle; you are given 7 letters and are challenged to spell out as many words as you can either with or without a time limit. Once you spell out the longest possible word, you go to the next level. Playing with a time limit feels somewhat frantic as you have to think as quick as you can, while playing without a time limit falls to far the other way and feels to laid back. All in all, Every Word is a fun little diversion.
The other game is Shuffled Row. Shuffle Row is very much like playing Scrabble; you have a rack on which 60 letter tiles will drop that you can use to spell out words. Each letter has a point value and longer words get a multiplication bonus starting at four letters. You can't hold more than nine tiles at once on the rack and the leftmost tiles will be lost if not used fast enough. Of the two games available, I find Shuffled Row to be far more entertaining.
The only issues I had with playing the games is discomfort with typing on the Kindle; I personally don't make a ton of notations, so I am not very good at the games. Unfortunately, you can only get these games if you have a Kindle; they don't work on Kindle for iPhone, Android, PC, or Mac. The best part of the whole deal is that both games are completely free. I suggest giving them a try today.
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