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| I'm in Ur Blog, Watching U Read |
| November 29, 2007 at 4:41pm |
We can haz Catz and Kitty Luv gamez?
Some cat lovers in our Store Support Center were concerned that we didn't do enough
to promote the release of Petz Catz 2 a couple of weeks ago. They asked why we didn't
have midnight store openings, a Catz 2 tournament or exclusive Catz 2 videos on our GameStop Cinema page.
Our first response was, "There was a Catz 1?" We thought it
was funny, but our cat-lover friends failed to see the humor in it.
So in an effort to boost morale in the workplace, we offered to make
amends by mentioning it in the blog.
In fact, we should take this opportunity to remind you that Kitty Luv for Wii is shipping out January 8.
So you should pre-order now or set up camp outside of your local GameStop. Apparently, intentionally misspelling
words like "Catz" and "Luv" makes them even cuter.
A quick perusal of the GameStop.com website will show you that
cats are not the only virtual creatures available to you animal
lovers out there. You can find games dedicated to dogs, horses,
hamsters, bunnies, and even dolphins or tigers.
Conspicuously absent are dung beetles and spitting cobras. Maybe if
they were called "Dung Beetlez," they'd get a warmer reception.
We'll keep an eye out for any upcoming cat games, and we'll let you
know as soon as we hear anything. |
| Which Console is Right for You? |
| November 29, 2007 at 2:46pm |
Which console is the gaming champion?
If you think "Wii" is something you shout when you're riding a roller coaster, or if you
think "PS3" is what you write at the bottom of a letter when you're adding to it for the third time,
then you could probably use some help deciding on which gaming console to give this year. By the way,
if you are giving someone a gaming console this year, you'll be more popular than Santa
and Hannah Montana combined.
How do you decide which console is the best? Just as boxing has
about a dozen different leagues, each with its own "undisputed"
champion, the gaming community has just as many opinions about who
is the victor in the console wars.
For brevity's sake, as we are getting down to the proverbial holiday wire, we'll concentrate on a
few features of the big-three consoles, the Xbox 360, the PS3 and
the Wii.
Microsoft Xbox 360
The Xbox 360
was the first of the "next-generation" consoles to be released, beating the PS3 and Wii
by about a year. As a result, the Xbox 360 boasts a larger game
library than the other two consoles, as well as a larger online
gaming community, Xbox Live. The Xbox 360 is designed to handle the
demands of high-resolution gaming graphics, as well as the demands
of a high-definition movie downloaded from Xbox Marketplace. You can
also play a
standard movie DVD on your Xbox 360, but playing a high-definition DVD
requires an additional accessory. The Xbox 360 game library includes
a wide range of titles, ranging from family fun to intense mature
thrillers. Some of these exclusive games include Halo 3,
Project Gotham Racing 4,
Scene it?
and Mass Effect.
Sony PlayStation 3
The PS3
is also considered state-of-the-art when it comes
to high-definition gaming. Plus, with its ability to play Blu-Ray movie disks, many
people are discovering that the PS3 is a two-for-one deal as a game console and high-definition movie player.
The PS3's new SIXAXIS wireless controller utilizes motion-sensing technology for many of its games. Although the PlayStation Network does not yet offer as many
downloadable options as Xbox Live, it does allow for free online
play versus Xbox Live's $50 annual fee. Recently, Sony announced plans
for PlayStation Home, a virtual community which
will
allow gamers to interact. PS3 titles run the gamut as far as
age-appeal goes, including Heavenly Sword,
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction,
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
and the eagerly awaited Metal Gear Solid 4.
Nintendo Wii
While the Xbox 360 and PS3 duke it out for high-definition superiority, the Nintendo Wii
seems to rely on its unique approach to game control to find its niche in the console battle.
It's not the only console with motion-sensing capabilities, but the
Wii's focus on motion-sensing technology
makes it popular for a wide range of casual and party games. However
it would be wrong to think of the Wii as a party toy because it also has
a broad selection of games from other genres. Like the other two consoles, the Wii offers online
capabilities which include creating "Mii" avatars and downloading
classic games via the Wii Virtual Console. The Wii library includes
exclusive staple titles, like
Super Mario Galaxy,
Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess and the
highly anticipated Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
In the end, it boils down to
personal preference. All three offer some kind of online
connectivity, and all three offer some kind of parental controls.
The PS3 and Wii are both Wi-Fi compatible, while the Xbox 360 will
limit placement to within your ethernet cable's reach. The PS3 and
Xbox 360 will blow you away with high-definition detail, while the
Wii devotes more energy to its motion controls. The Wii and Xbox 360 offer entry-level
options, while the PS3 will set you back a little more. All three
will be in short supply this season. So perhaps you should buy
whatever system you can get your hands on as the big day approaches.
Or maybe the console-exclusive titles will sway your decision. Regardless of which console
you end up giving this holiday season, we guarantee that any kid who
receives an Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii from you will consider you a
holiday hero. |
| Reach Your Full Gift-Giving Potential |
| November 27, 2007 at 2:42pm |
Step away from the monkey. You can do better than that
with our Holiday Gift guide.
We've known each other a while, right? So we can be honest with each other, right?
Well, we hate to break it to you, but you know those Gold Toe™ argyle
socks you gave
your nephew last year? They're sitting unworn in his sock drawer, still attached to that
weird little plastic sock-hanger thing. And that budget cologne you gave to your
brother? He used it to un-stick a rusty lug nut on his Buick LeSabre.
The transformation from give-up gifter to power-up gifter is only
a click away with the help of our Holiday Gift Guide.
To get the most out of the guide, you'll have to do a little reconnaissance work. In the same
way your old Neil Sedaka 8-track tapes won't work in your CD player, gaming consoles can only play
games that are made specifically for them. You need to know which gaming console your intended "giftee"
uses in order to get a game that's compatible with his or her
system. Although it's up to you to decide how you'll glean this
information, we suggest you just ask. If you've already gained the
reputation as a talking-tire-gauge giver, they will never suspect, anyway. At best, they may suspect that you're
planning to give them Mario mud flaps, which, by the way, would be an AWESOME gift.
However, we digress from the subject at hand. Once you know which
system to shop for, just visit our Holiday Gift Guide.
You'll find
our most popular games arranged by gaming system and age range. From
there you can click on a game to find descriptions, screenshots and
reviews to help you make your final choice. Once you've made an
informed game-gift decision, the only thing left to do is to sit
back and watch their heads explode with astonishment when that
peanut-brittle-shaped box turns out to be a video game.
You can do it! We believe in you. We're glad we had the chance to
have this little talk. |
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