If you’re still hung over from all the booze you drank on July 4th weekend, remember how you ended up with all that extra cash. While our deals may have aided in enhancing your alcoholic stupor, you ultimately brought that hangover upon yourself.

Grab some coffee and sober up, it’s time for another week of gaming deals!

Many have heard the recent news about the price drop for the Xbox 360 premium and Target stores have confirmed it in their ad which is currently plastered all over the net.

The department store will be selling the 20GB Xbox 360 for $299.99 this coming Sunday, and if that isn’t enough, you also get a $25 dollar Target gift card with the purchase. If you haven’t “jumped in” yet, now is the perfect time to do so.

GameStop has recently dropped prices on many well-known used titles for the Xbox, PS2, and Gamecube. There are some quality games to be had for short money, as many titles are well under $5. Click over to GameStop.com while supplies last.

Hover over the platform tab and select the system of your choice. Then roll over the condition tab and set it to used. Below are some examples of the titles currently available on sale:

PS2
Virtua Fighter 4 $4
Grand Turismo 3 $4
Spy Hunter 2 $5
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty $5

Xbox
Prince of Persia: Warrior Within $5
Splinter Cell 3 Chaos Theory $4
Dead To Rights $4
Counter-Strike $4

Gamecube
Viewtiful Joe $3
007: Agent Under Fire $4
Freekstyle $5
SSX Tricky $3

By now the coffee should be kicking in. Unfortunately, if you are suffering from an added beer belly as well, you are going to need more than coffee. The Wii Fit is only $79.99 at Costco at the moment, and combined with the proper motivation, it will have you back to your old self in no time.

Until next week, remember to keep your games close and your wallet closer.

It’s time to celebrate Independence Day with some great deals brought to you by Ripten. Here are some money saving tips that will leave you with enough cash left over to buy a few extra cases of booze this weekend.

With the announcement of Diablo 3 last week, sales for the second installment have increased heavily – some stores are even selling out. If you really want to play Diablo 2, keys are being sold along with the expansion key for $5.45, and according to the many forum posts I have seen, gamers are stating that the keys work just fine.

Purchase Diablo II Classic and LOD CD-KEYS.

Have a Meijers close to you? You’re in luck then, because they are currently selling Metal Gear Solid 4 for only $39.99, and with an additional coupon for $5 off any purchase over $25 dollars, you can stealth your way to a $37.09 total at checkout and make a run for the door before the guards spot you.

Pass time while you wait for the fireworks to start with food off the grill and some first person shooter fun (sort of). The next gen installment of Turok is currently selling on Amazon.com with a price tag of $39.99 for the PS3, and an even cheaper price of $23.49 for the 360 version.

Grab this Tur-iffic deal right now at amazon.com.

With all the traffic that holiday weekends bring, online only deals should be a welcome addition for thrifty gamers. Purchase Ubisoft’s Assassins Creed for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 from the comfort of your own home at Circuit City’s official website www.circuitcity.com for only $29.99. This deal is only available online and for a limited time only.

Yours truly is back at it again with the Deals of the Week. Let’s start off with the pre-played games over at GameFly. They are selling plenty of titles for dirt cheap, here are a few examples:

• Mass Effect (Xbox 360) – $17.99
• Devil May Cry 4 (Xbox 360) – $19.99
• Burnout Paradise (Xbox 360) – $19.99
• Assassin’s Creed (Xbox 360) – $19.99
• Devil May Cry 4 (PS3) – $19.99
• Unreal Tournament III (PS3) – $17.99
• Burnout Paradise (PS3) – $27.99
• NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams (Wii) – $14.99
• Manhunt 2 (Wii) – $14.99

All you have to do is visit gamefly.com/store for a complete list.

Still don’t have Halo 3? The limited collector’s edition right now for the Xbox 360 is only $34.24 with free shipping at buy.com. If you have never purchased from buy.com, you can apply the $10 discount for first time Google Checkout.

For the newbs who still use old ass video cards, here is your chance to grab a SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 3650 with 512MB GDDR2 PCI-E for $45.00 after rebate. We all know rebates are a hassle to go through but you can’t deny it’s a discount worth taking advantage of.

Enjoy these gaming deals of the week! Remember to keep your friends close, and your wallet closer.

Former MLB Hall of Fame shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. is off the bench and promoting Real Baseball, a Massive Multiplayer Online Sport Game (MMOSG). Real Baseball has been under beta for the last three years under Ultimate Baseball Online.

The MMO gives gamers a first-person perspective of a baseball player. Players will compete as a team, and character has the ability to build up their skill.

Real Baseball looks to go further fantasy baseball and give players a realistic view of what the game is like, according to Cal Ripken.

“Real Baseball is a fun game that provides the players with a unique perspective and delivers a one of a kind lifelike baseball experience,” said Ripken. “The online baseball community reinforces baseball fundamentals and provides baseball fans and gamers with a challenging experience. It is a great destination for baseball fans of all ages.”

Players in Real Baseball will be manning each position to compete as a whole team against other from across the world.

What better way to represent the MMO, than with one of baseball’s icons? Ripken, who played for the Baltimore Orioles, set a record of longest streak of games played at 2,231 and is also a 19-time MLB All-Star.

“We are very excited to partner with Cal in an effort to make our website and video game even better for baseball lovers across the globe,” said Andy Wang, founder and CEO of Netamin.

“We strive to make Real Baseball the most authentic baseball video game it can be, and adding Cal to our team not only strengthens our brand, but connects us with a baseball legend that will take our video game and community to the next level.”

Players can visit www.playrealbaseball.com to see what the action is all about.

Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest retailer has decided to call it quits on Toshiba’s HD-DVD format, signaling what seems to be the end of the hi-def format war.

“We’ve listened to our customers, who are showing a clear preference toward Blu-ray products and movies with their purchases,” Gary Severson, head of home entertainment for Wal-Mart’s U.S. stores, said in a statement.

Just last week, online rental service Netflix Inc. has said that they will no longer carry rental for HD-DVD, allowing them to go exclusively with Sony’s Blu-ray disc.

With recent support from most studios and retailers, Blu-ray looks to be paving the way for HD-DVD’s grave. Studio support such as Disney, who supported Blu-ray from its early stages and Warner Bros, who has jumped ship to Blu-ray, are major reasons for the recent support.

Although Blu-ray may look to be the only hi-def format in the near future, HD-DVD still has an exclusive contract with Paramount Pictures, who also own DreamWorks and Universal Pictures.

According to the Associated Press, consumers are holding off buying hi-def DVD players until the format war has finally been decided.

Certainly the format war hasn’t completely ended, but with recent events, consumers are able to see which one will stay and may finally decide to go hi-def.

College bands will toot their horns in your living room when you start up NCAA Football 09 for the Nintendo Wii this fall, now that Electronic Arts has announced the title.

“Nintendo is excited to have NCAA Football 09 available for Wii. In my family, NCAA Football has always been a family event,” said Steve Singer, Nintendo of America’s vice president of Licensing. “Now with the Family Play mode from EA we can share the football experience all year long.”

This marks the first NCAA football title for the Wii, and just like EA’s other titles, it will incorporate Family Play. According to the press release, Family Play creates an accessible and rewarding interaction for the whole family to enjoy, regardless of your skill.

Family Play will allow everyone in the family to be able to take a snap, throw the ball and kick the football in between the goal post.

In addition to the title’s release, there will be exclusive NCAA college team mascots for each platform. The mascots will be voted on by players by visiting www.ncaafootball09.com.

Look out for the title this fall, and hopefully we’ll have a full review then.

Awards are given out each year for video games by most news outlets across the world, some we look forward to, and others we could really care less about.

We listed the games we thought stood out from the pack in 2007 not long ago, but what about the opinions of those who make them?

The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences, a non-profit organization that promotes awareness of the art and science of interactive video games and entertainment, have released their 11th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards.

The organization is run by a board of directors that include men and women from different companies around the industry, from Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, and Entertainment Software Associated, to name a few.

Below is their list of winners broken down by category:

Best Overall Game (& Best Console Game): Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Best PC Game: Half-Life 2: Orange Box
Best Family Game: Rock Band
Best MMORPG Game: World Of Warcraft: Burning Crusade
Best RPG Game: Mass Effect
Best Racing Game: Motorstorm
Best Adventure Game: Super Mario Galaxy
Best Strategy/Sim Game: Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars

Sales of the Xbox 360 in Japan have been struggling, so Microsoft is looking to lower the price for its Arcade version to boost sales, according to the Associated Press. The price will be cut 20 percent, from 34,800 yen ($325) to 27,800 yen ($260).

Microsoft’s Arcade version is $269.99 at most retailers in the U.S., but sales haven’t been as tough for the American company.

In Japan, sales haven’t looked too bright for Microsoft since it entered the console market, mainly because Sony and Nintendo hold up well in the market as Japanese companies.

Only 260,000 Xbox 360s were sold in Japan in 2007, while the Nintendo Wii and the PS3 sold 3.63 million and 1.21 million in 2007 respectively.

Worldwide, the story has been very different, with Microsoft selling 17.7 million Xbox 360s so far and Sony’s Playstation 3 far behind at 10.5 million. The ever popular Nintendo Wii has sold more than 20 million worldwide, with sales still increasing.

A price drop may reach America next, depending on how the 360 performs in 2008.

Source: Yahoo News

Ever watch an And1 basketball game with a silly yet annoying announcer? Midway Games is changing that up and allowing music icon Chuck D, of the rap group Public Enemy, to be the announcer and host for NBA Ballers: Chosen One.

Listed as one of the “Immortals, 50 Greatest Artists of All Time” in April of 2004 by Rolling Stone magazine, Chuck D is an icon, not just in hip-hop, but in the music industry as a whole.

With a powerful voice also comes the addition of a great super-producer, Just Blaze, who has worked with some of the top talents in the rap game from Jay-Z to Kanye West.

“The talents of Chuck D and Just Blaze will greatly enhance the NBA Ballers: Chosen One experience, as players live the fantasy lifestyle of an NBA Superstar,” said George Gomez executive producer, Midway Amusement Games.

This is just another step for Midway to bring the casual gamer into the lives of the NBA superstars.

“Chuck D is one of the most recognizable voices in music history, while Just Blaze has produced multiple chart-topping hits. Together they’ll ensure that NBA Ballers: Chosen One will feature a sound to match the game’s amazing graphics and gameplay, said Gomez”

Giving the players a unique fantasy basketball, NBA Ballers allows one-on-one or two-on-two action with 65 of the top NBA stars.

NBA Ballers: Chosen One ushers in a new way of bringing the music to players, instead of random compilation of tracks from various artists, allowing a talented producer like Just Blaze to do the entire score may give the game a more unique “signature” feel in the end.

Seems like we’ve all been hit with the MC Hammer plague (after all, he lost 33 million dollars) and being broke isn’t fun, but scrounging money for deals is smart. Here are this week’s deals that will save you lots of money.

Still haven’t rocked out with your jock out? Well, Circuit City has Rock Band for $152.99 with 10% off coupon code – G3ACMHRA9G. Offer expires this Saturday, Jan. 26.

Amazon.com has Gran Turismo 5: Prologue for pre-order at $39.99, and remember Amazon doesn’t charge tax and has free shipping.

Gran Turismo 5: Prologue

Blu-ray? HD-DVD? Who cares? At buy 2 get 2 free at Gamestop on all used DVDs including high definition disc, you don’t have to decide on a next-gen movie format quite yet. Deals in-store and your mileage may vary on stock at participating locations.

We all know how Ripten hates Wii bundles. With Hammer money it wouldn’t even matter, but Gamestop is offering a nicely priced bundle for only $474.93. There are two to choose from which both include 3 games, memory card, extra controller and charging station. The games are good depending on which bundle you decide to get.

Gamestop Wii Bundle

That’s it for this week! If you had Hammer money from the early 90s, then you wouldn’t have a problem with cash flow, but we’re all as broke as Hammer is now! Stop! Hammer Time!

Thanks to the loyalty of Sony fans everywhere, Digital Playground’s thrown their weight behind Blu-ray by releasing eight pornographic films on the format.

The pornography studio has announced the shipment of “Pirates,” the first Blu-ray title, on Jan. 4 (thank you pr0n gods, my birthday was on the 5th), we should be available by Jan. 11.

Digital Playground had initially chosen HD-DVD as the format they would be releasing their videos on but decided to ship Blu-ray also – meaning they will support both formats.

Company founder Joone told CEPro that he was influenced by PlayStation 3 owners asking when their content would be available on Blu-ray.

A lot of people were emailing that bought a PlayStation and they were basically saying, ‘When are you guys going to release Blu-ray?’ They really have no preference in format yet because it’s so new. When it comes down to image quality, there is no difference between the two.

According to CEPro the next eight titles to be released are: “Island Fever 4,” “Babysitters,” “Island Fever 3,” “Jack’s Teen America 3,” “Jesse Jane: Sexual Freak,” “Hush,” “Contract Star” and “Jesse Jane in Pink.”

Source: [CEPro]

The format war seems to be settling on whether or not Blu-ray or HD-DVD is the choice for the upcoming years. But what about an Xbox that plays Blu-ray movies?

“It should be consumer choice; and if that’s the way they vote, that’s something we’ll have to consider,” said Albert Penello, group marketing manager for Xbox hardware. Penello was asked by Reuters whether Microsoft would support a Blu-ray DVD accessory in the event that HD-DVD failed.

Since Microsoft fully backs Toshiba’s HD-DVD format, don’t expect a switch soon. Microsoft still believes that their videogame sales will not be affected by DVD sales, and has expressed doubts whether the format of choice will ultimately be Blu-ray.

“I fundamentally don’t think … this has a significant impact on Xbox 360 versus (Sony’s) PlayStation 3,” Penello told Reuters in an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

DVD has always been a big hit for current systems dating back to Sony’s PlayStation 2 and Microsoft’s Xbox, but the driving factor in video game consoles are the games themselves.

Microsoft currently offers an add-on drive for the Xbox 360 with a price point much lower than most stand-alone HD-DVD players.

Source: Reuters

Now that you got all that Christmas shopping done or received a lump sum from recycling beer bottles, here are some deals to take you into the New Year:

Best Buy has a small list of games for only $39.99 right now:

Need For Speed: ProStreet (PS3) $39.99
Resistance: Fall of Man (PS3) $39.99
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas (PS3) $39.99
Ninja Gainden Sigma (PS3) $39.99
Assassin’s Creed (Xbox 360) $39.99
NBA 2K8 (Xbox 360) $39.99
Half-Life 2: Orange Box (Xbox 360) $39.99

Also, for just $29.99, they have Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 for the Nintendo Wii

Didn’t get in on Call of Duty 4? Well Sears retail stores are currently selling them for $39.99.

Going on right now, for $9.99, GraveyardMall.com has MLB 07’: The Show for a limited time.

Have an extra component input on your new TV? Monoprice.com has Wii component cables for $6.39 plus shipping right now. The difference can vary depending on television sets, but many have said to use the component for richer and sharper colors.

Imagine waking up in the morning and being able to turn on your Nintendo Wii and enjoy a game of Madden 08 — well the two college football teams playing in the BCS Championship game won’t have to.

If you are one of the many who tried to obtain a Nintendo Wii this holiday season, only to come up short, you may be surprised to hear that while Mark Neville, spokesman for the Holiday Bowl, stated that the consoles were not easy to find, he was able to obtain one for each player on the Ohio State Buckeyes and LSU Tigers team as a part of their BCS gift pack.

If you believe that Mark stood in line overnight, battling the cold winter weather in order to pick up the nearly 250 Wii consoles needed to supply both teams, I have a bridge I would like to sell you.

In addition to the Wii console, each player on both teams will also receive four Wii games, a baseball cap, a watch, and a fleece pullover, according to Sports Illustrated.

While the BCS has awarded players with the most coveted console of the season, other bowl players have received Best Buy gift cards as well as other electronic gadgets.

Source: sportsillustrated.com

With the recent shortage of Nintendo Wii’s, many are on the prowl to obtain the item that’s probably on most kids’ wishlists. Well, one retailer has been told to sell their Wiis on eBay at a mark-up of $399.

The retailer, Slackers, located in the Illinois/Missouri area, has been selling their shipments on Ebay for the past year, according to an employee from the store.

“In the past year, none of the 12 [Slackers locations] have sold any Wiis except for a one-time promotional deal, where we did force customers to buy a game with it,” an employee told Ars Technica. “The real crime is that we get Wii shipments regularly. In fact, right now we have about 20, but none of them make it to the store front. They all get put on the store’s eBay site at a minimum $499.99 buying price.”

The price has since been lowered to $399.99, since the higher priced units weren’t selling. A link to their eBay auction can be found here.

Source: Ars Technica, news.filefront.com

Beverly Hills Cop may be a bit too old for some of our readers to remember; maybe a more recent film like Pirates of the Caribbean would be better suited for our introduction. Well, the individual responsible for producing both of those films, Jerry Bruckheimer, is set to venture out into the world of video gaming.

MTV and Bruckheimer have joined forces setting up a gaming lab at MTV headquarters, as a part of a larger $500 million interactive initiative set into motion by parent company Viacom.

“It’s pretty exciting what’s going on in that arena,” Bruckheimer told the Associated Press.

Bruckheimer has yet to name names in terms of what exactly he will be working on, but he does drop a few hints by stating that the games will be in line with the work he has already produced for TV and Film.

Ironically enough, the loop comes full circle as Bruckheimer is also hard at work producing a Prince of Persia movie based on the popular video game.

Ok, cool, now that you’ve got all your gaming needs taken care of, it’s time to shop for a television set to complete the experience, but before you buy yourself that new TV, lets start off by taking a look at the system you will be using it with.

The Nintendo Wii will only output at a resolution of 480p, so pretty much any new television will do. But in order to get that 480p, you will need to purchase a component cable, as the composite cables won’t do.

The Xbox 360 and PS3 have the ability to output of 1080p through component and HDMI cables. The added benefit of HD-DVD (add-on for the 360) and Blu-ray (built into the PS3) make the purchase of a 1080p set a no brainer.

Alright, now that we have got that out of the way, we can start looking at some TV’s. In terms of types, we will be focusing on two brand names (available in both LCD and Plasma) that will give you some of the best gaming graphics available without running your wallet dry.

Sharp Aquos: One of the better lines of televisions available on the market, it will beautifully showcase video game graphic. The 1080p LCDs offer very high contrast ratios. The Aquos 1080p variety will run you between $1,200 to $2,500 for 40” and above, with the 720p LCDs available for between $700 to $1,200.

Comparable TVs with higher price tags: LG, Sony

Vizio: We won’t go into the 1080p vs. 720p gang battle again when it comes to this manufacturer, but the popular brand available in the orange box is rather complaint free. What you need to remember is, even though Vizio is a lower end brand, and possibly more prone to being faulty at times, what sets the Vizio above the rest is their amazing picture quality and untouchable price point.

Comparable TVs: Olevia

In closing, TVs are all about preference and room setup, so make sure to check out the sets in-store before you purchase. Do ask about their service plans, but avoid the high priced accessories in-store, and opt to purchase them at Monoprice.com instead.

The right cables are the essential last step to ensuring the best picture quality, but there is no reason to buy them at insanely marked up department store prices.

Less than eight shopping days until Christmas and most of us are broke. The malls and department stores are a mess so we have some online retailers to help you save some time and money.

Here is a list of deals for the week:

If you’re looking to get a present and want to get something free for yourself, Toys R Us has buy three get one free for all their video games. Not as good as the one they had several months ago for buy two get one free, but it still beats any other deal right now.

Buy Three Get One Free

Circuit City may not be a place we like to frequent, but every now and then they have some pretty amazing deals. Right now they are having two for $30 on all $19.99 priced titles.

Two For $30

Worst Buy, I mean Best Buy also has deals this week. Ninja Gaiden Sigma for PS3 is currently $39.99 and Guitar Hero ½ combo (game only) for $49.99 on the PS2. They also have PC titles for $39.99: Crysis, Bioshock, Call of Duty 4, Hellgate: London and Unreal Tournament 3.

www.bestbuy.com

OK, the next deal may vary depending on your mileage. Circuit City has posted in their circular for the week both Madden 08 and NCAA for PS3 and Xbox 360 $22.49 after 25% off. A lot of people have been going around and price matching this price at department stores such as Wal-Mart and Best Buy. Remember, this is a deal where your mileage may vary.

25% Off

We started playing video games at an early age, but now senior citizens are playing them, and even competing. The Nintendo Wii has revolutionized the way we play video games and Nintendo has not only owned the kid’s market with the DS, but your grandparents as well.

One (apparently older) person, Bill Sjovall of Wallingford, Connecticut, told NBC30.com, “I like it. I enjoy it and I think it will gain interest and we’ll get a little league going Tuesday mornings or whatever.”

Health Net, an organization based in Connecticut is holding events for seniors in a center in Wallingford, CT. Sjovall is just one of the participants. A Health Net representative also told NBC30.com that this is exciting for them and are glad that they are bringing new life instead of just trying to provide them with insurance.

Health Net said they may be holding competitions at different centers to find the best virtual bowler. Maybe this means we will see more seniors at the next MLG tournament.

Millions of young gamers who have put down their Nintendo systems in disgust, horrified that they might be interested in something that old people now like, could not be reached for comment.

Source: nbc30.com

The holidays are coming up, and you know what that means—a negative bank balance, and jacked up interest rates? Not if we have anything to say about it! Here’s just a few deals to get you started. Remember that you’ll want to order early to receive your gifts before Dec. 25.

If you can’t afford a stand-alone HD DVD player, then Amazon has a deal just for you 360 owners. They are currently selling the HD DVD player that attaches to the 360 for only $129.99, down from MSRP of $169.99. The player comes with King Kong on HD DVD as well as 5 HD DVDs through the mail. This is the best deal on this player so far, and Amazon offers free shipping and no tax!

Link: Amazon

Etoys.com is having a blow out sale that will end on this coming Monday, Dec. 10. Take 60 % off of select video games and accessories, from PS3 to Xbox 360 titles
Link: Etoys

Circuit City has tons of copies of Call of Duty 4 for the Xbox 360 at the moment for only $39.99 until this Sunday. Be sure to pick up a copy of this highly acclaimed game and read our review here at Ripten.

Ripten Review

Also on Circuit City’s list of deals, they are offering PS2 games starting at just $3.96 with free shipping on orders $24 or more. These are great stocking stuffers for people still playing on the ancient system.

Link: PS2 Games

For PC players, Best Buy is currently offering these titles at only $39.99 with free shipping (tax in most states): Call of Duty 4, Bioshock, Gears of War and Soldier of Fortune.

Link: Best Buy

That’s it for this week in deals! Remember to keep your friends close, and your wallet closer.

Gas Powered Games is set to release Supreme Commander on Xbox 360 sometime next year, according to Chris Taylor, CEO of the company.

After successfully releasing the PC game Supreme Commander and its expansion Forged Alliance, Gas Powered Games is looking to march its way into the console market.

Below is the complete newsletter from Taylor:

Hello everyone,

Wow, what a year! I can’t believe how much has happened, and how many new things we have in the works. Not only did we release the first version of Supreme Commander, we also launched its stand-alone expansion, Forged Alliance. And it didn’t stop there — we announced our new action-RPG Space Siege with Sega and even more recently, our new publishing partnership with Aspyr to release Supreme Commander on the Xbox 360 early next year. Whew!

You’re probably thinking, these guys know how to keep busy, and that’s a bit of an understatement because we have so many new things in development. I already hinted at another expansion pack for SupCom, and I’m even going to hint at another big secret: We have a new PC game that will be announced very shortly, and it’s unlike anything we’ve done before. Stay tuned for more information!

All of the news and announcements aside for just a moment, let me take the time to thank each and every one of you for your continued support. We hope you have a terrific holiday, and lots of laughs spent with friends and family. And hey, you can always sneak away for a few minutes to play a little Forged Alliance!

Happy Holidays,

Your browser may not support display of this image.
Chris Taylor
CEO
Gas Powered Games

Unreal Tournament 3 may be making its way to shelves sometime in December, despite reports that Midway would be delaying the title until 2008.

“The PlayStation 3 version of Unreal Tournament 3 has gone gold! We got news last night that Unreal Tournament 3 has been approved by SCEA and has been released to North American manufacturing,” said Epic’s Mark Rein.

Rein is apparently working with retailers to iron out a firm release date, and speculates that UT3 may be in stores as early as the 2nd week of December.

Via: Gamasutra.com

Rumors have been swirling, but are they true? It seems people are tired of hearing about a rumored Duke Nukem title to appear in the next year. The latest rumor has stated that we may possibly see Duke Nukem Forever hitting store shelves in 2008.

According to GameGuru.com, an “insider” has leaked that significant progress has been made by 3DR on the PC title.

Speculation has it that the game is to be “completely over the edge”, whatever that means, and that a console version is reportedly in the process as well.

In all honesty, time is the only way we can tell if there will ever be another Duke Nukem title, and GameGuru.com expects an announcement to come soon.

Via: GameGuru.com

Last year, approximately 137 million people shopped on the weekend after Thanksgiving according to the National Retail Federation. Well, this year reports are saying that it may be more, with NRF reporting that 77 million may be shopping on the starting day, Black Friday.

Black Friday is the first day of shopping for the holiday season. Prices are slashed and deals can be too tough to pass up. Deals that are called “loss leaders,” are used as a tactic to draw customers in. “Loss leaders” is the term for a marketing strategy where retailers will sell products well under cost to lure in customers.

Stores each have their own strategies, and many of the deals you see are too good to be true – and they are. For example, a retail store’s “loss leader” may be that 50” LCD HDTV they offer for $900, but the problem is they will only have so many (usually less than 10), causing hideous lines wrapped around the store.

To help our Ripten readers, we have compiled a list to easily navigate which stores have what gaming items and the difficulty obtaining such items.

RED: Get off your ass and get there early, son! These deals are the “loss leaders” and most stores have limited amounts. Maybe they have 50 – until you realize they are giving out tickets to the first people in line who came to purchase them. Line up ASAP, possibly right after you stuff yourself full of turkey. These items are usually only available during the select “door busters” hours – 5 to 10 a.m.

BLACK: Slow down! These will probably be there after the first mob of people enter the store. Be aware that these items may be picked up fairly quickly and aren’t marked down too much.

BLUE: Sleep in! These will probably be there chillin’ like a villain, waiting for you to come pick them up like a bad habit. These items may be there even after the first day.

KEY: Mail-in-rebate (MIR), Door Buster (Limited Time)

Best Buy: Opens 5 a.m., line up early, possibly the night before.

HP 42” 1080p LCD HDTV $996.99

PC Bioshock or Half-Life 2 Orange Box $24.99

PS3 40GB Spider-Man Blu-ray w/ NBA 08 and Open Season Blu-ray $399.99

Xbox 360 Pro w/ Free Guitar Hero II pack (game & guitar controller) $349.99

DS Lite w/ free Nintendo DS Lite Starter Kit and Over the Hedge game – Metallic base w/ Nintendogs Best Friends or Sold w/ Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass $149.99

Assorted Nintendo Wii games – Resident Evil 4, Sonic and the Secret Rings, Brunswick Pro Bowling, Rapala Tournament Fishing $19.99

PC Guild Wars or World of Warcraft or Lord of the Rings Online $9.99

Panasonic 42” 720p Plasma $899.99

Dynex 37” 720p LCD HDTV $629.99

Samsung 22” LCD Widescreen Monitor $199.99

Envision 22” LCD Widescreen Monitor $149.99

VisionTek HD2600 512MB DX10 PCI-E or AGP Graphics Card $99.99

Circuit City: Opens 5 a.m., line up early, possibly the night before.

Wii Mario Galaxy $34.99

PC Half-Life 2 Orange Box $34.99

Western Digital 1TB My Book Essental External USB Hard Drive after $50 MIR $199.99

Xbox 360 Pro w/ 2 free games (Ultimate Alliance/Forza 2) & wireless control $349.99

PS3 40GB Spider-Man 3 Blu-ray w/ free wireless controller & 5 free Blu-ray movies $399.99

DS Lite – Metallic base w/ Nintendogs Best Friends or Sold w/ Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass $139.99

PS2 Bundle w/ free controller $129

PSP Core System $169.99

Wii Mario Strikers w/ $10 gift card $49.99

Wii Wheel or Wii Remote & Nunchuck Gloves $2.99

Xbox 360 Halo 3 or Assassins Creed – receive free $10 gift card $59.99

Guitar Hero 2 Bundle Xbox 360 or PS2 $59.99

PS2 Madden 08 $14.99

Assorted Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS games $9.99

Assorted PS2, Xbox, GB Advance games $4.99

PC Sims 2 or Sims 2 Celebration Stuff $4.99

Samsung 24” HD LCD Widescreen Monitor after $129 MIR $329.99

Sharp Aquos 1080p LCD HDTV $1299

Samsung 50” slim DLP HDTV $799.99

Zenith 50” Plasma HDTV $999.99

Panasonic 42” Plasma HDTV $999

Polaroid 40” LCD HDTV $699

CompUSA: Opens 5 a.m., not much here

Olevia 37” 720p LCD HDTV (Available Thanksgiving Day, store open from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m.) $599.99

Xbox 360 Pro Bundle (Ultimte Alliance/Forza 2) and free wireless controller $349.99

Acer 24” Widescreen LCD after $110 savings and $80 MIR $249.99

Costco: Opens 9 a.m., you can go here after other stores, but the TV is worth it to come early

Vizio 50” 1080i Plasma HDTV $999.99

KB Toys: Opens 5 a.m., will sell out quick

Buy one get one free entire stock of video games

K-Mart: Opens 6 a.m., don’t even bother

Xbox 360 Half-Life 2 Orange Box $39.99

Xbox 360 Madden 08 or NBA Live 08 $49.99

Meijer: Opens 5 a.m., don’t even go here

$40 off a Nintendo Wii with purchase of gfm Wii controller Nunchuck skin and Crash of the Titans

Xbox 360 Pro (Refurb) $229

Assorted Xbox 360, Wii and PS3 games 50% off

Micro Center: Opens 6 a.m., not bad

EVGA e-Geforce 8600 GTS 256MB PCI-E Graphics Card $99.99

PC World of Warcraft $9.99

PC World of Warcraft Battle Chest $19.99

Office Depot: Opens 6 a.m., good screens

Acer 24” LCD Widescreen monitor $279.99

Olevia 42” LCD HDTV $699.99

Olevia 37” LCD HDTV $649.99

Office Max: Opens 7 a.m., cheapest 24” and not bad quality

SOYO 24” Widescreen LCD monitor $249.99

Sears: Opens 5 a.m., line up real early if you want a new TV

Sylvania 42” Full 1080p LCD HDTV $899.99

LG 42” Plasma HDTV $899.99

Sharp Aquos LCD HDTV $999.99

Target: Opens 6 a.m., same applies to Best Buy

Xbox 360 Halo 3 Edition – Free $60 gift card with purchase $399.99

Olevia 37” 1080i LCD HDTV $549

DS Lite Bundle – Metallic base w/ Nintendogs Best Friends or Sold w/ Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass – Free $10 gift card with purchase $149.99

Xbox 360 – Choose from Call of Duty 4, Half-Life 2 Orange Box $48

Xbox 360 Gears of War $38

Toys R Us: Opens 5 a.m., had a better deal before Thanksgiving on buy 2 games get 1 free

50% off any Nintendo DS accessory when you buy a DS Bundle

PS2 Wireless Rock Guitar $19.99

Buy 1 get 1 50% off on any Xbox or Gamecube title

Wal-Mart: Opens 5 a.m., all right but not great

42” Polaroid 1080p LCD HDTV $798

PS2 Bundle, 2 controllers (1 rumble, 1 non-rumble), ATV 4 video game $129

PS2 Guitar Hero I and II Bundle $39.82

EA Sports Video Game Assortment – Choose from Tiger Woods 08, NASCAR 08, NCAA 08, NBA Live 08 or Madden 08 $19.88

Overall, a pretty lame Black Friday but some decent deals can be found. From the deals last year, nothing much has changed and TVs were about the same price last year. Is sitting out for 8 hours before a store opens is worth it? That’s up to you.

For other readers’ enjoyment, post any deal that you may have come upon Friday afternoon. Happy hunting!

Special thanks to our very own Josh Pankratz for his help putting this list together.

It’s that time of year again -- time to give thanks (to the video game gods) and presents to those you love, but that doesn’t mean you have to break the bank in the process. We here at Ripten value the good ol’ American dollar as much as you do, and pride ourselves in delivering money saving tips to you each week. That said, here's our latest edition of "Gaming Deals of the Week".

Our first deal, may not be much of a deal per say, but Amazon.com is selling the Xbox 360 Holiday Games 3-pack (Fuzion Frenzy 2, Cars, and Open Season) for $29.99 with free shipping. All of the proceeds from the purchase go to the ESA Foundation, which raises money to support groups like the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Penny Arcade’s Child’s Play Event. Three great games for a great price, and an even greater cause.

Link: Amazon 360 3-pack ESA Foundation

Purchase an Xbox 360 between Nov. 21 and Dec. 21, and Microsoft will send you a free copy of Halo3 in the mail. All you have to do is follow the simple directions below:

1. Buy the Xbox 360 between November 21st and December 21st.
2. Connect to Xbox Live.
3. Register HERE with promotional code XBX7777, your new console serial number, and a valid e-mail address.
4. Pester your mailman until it arrives.

Link: Microsoft's Free Halo 3 Registration Area

Starting today, Toys’R’Us will be offering customers who purchase two Nintedo Wii games a third one FREE. All Wii games apply, and what’s even better is that they're offering a $10 gift card for all purchases of $75 or more. You can purchase them in-store from Nov. 18-21 or online at toysrus.com, where they are allowing the use of the promotion on pre-orders.

Link: Toys'R'Us Buy Two Wii Games, Get One Free

Love Shrek? Well, visit your local Best Buy store, purchase the Shrek 3 DVD ($14.99 with a $5 coupon attached) and the Shrek 3 video game for the Nintendo Wii ($19.99) together and receive a $10 Best Buy gift card, Shrek Hardcover Book with stickers, Shrek gift bag, Shrek activity cd for the PC, and a bag of M&M’s. The M&M's are the obvious deal breaker here.

Link: Best Buy Shrek 3 Deal Information

Blast WoW or Team Fortress 2 on your PC with the purchase of Logitech's THX Certified Z5300E 280W PC Speakers for $49.99 after rebate. ClubIT is offering the set for a limited time at $109.99 with a $40 and $20 rebate. Shipping may be a grip at $24.00, but if you are a PC gamer on the market for a cheap set and THX Certified speakers, these will make a great addition.

Link: ClubIT Logitech THX Certified Speaker Deal

With these deals, you can get what you want, and still have enough cash in your wallet for Black Friday. Remember to keep your friends close, and your wallet closer.

Video cards are frequently updated, but the new GeForce 8800GT will last several years, and OnSale has it for a low price of $226.99 with free shipping. The card is developed by MSI Computer and has 512 MB HDCP PCI-E.

Link: OnSale.com GeForce 8800GT Deal

Circuit City is offering two games for $30, including titles for the Nintendo Wii and PS2. There are numerous games to choose from and CC is offering free shipping for orders over $24.

Link: Circuit City Two Games for $30 Deal

This may vary for most people who have access to a Kmart, but a lot of people have been able to purchase PS3s for $320 after using a 20% coupon you can receive at the pharmacy. Tell them it’s for your girlfriend’s tampons so things don’t get awkward. This is the new 40GB PS3 (backwards compatibility not included) and it also includes a free copy of Spider-Man 3 on Blue-ray. Be aware this has worked for many, but some Kmarts have refused to give the discount.

Assassin’s Creed is out this week, and if you have a Fry’s Electronics in your town then you’re in luck. They are selling the Xbox 360 and PS3 for $39.99 this Thursday, Nov. 15. Fry’s Electronics seem to vary on what time of day they will receive the game, so make sure to check with your store by phoning in.

NBA season has started and the basketball gods have given us NBA Live. Well, Amazon.com has NBA Live for the Xbox 360 for $39.99 with free shipping.

For those of us who wouldn’t normally care about buying used games, Gamestop.com is offering 25% off used video games and DVDs. Just enter coupon code AFF25. Or if you wish to purchase a new copy, they are offering free shipping on games by simply entering coupon code SAVER.

Looking for a way to back up your games or take more of them on just one cartridge? Dealextreme.com is selling an R4 Multimedia Card English Version with 1GB Kingston TF for $48.50 with free shipping. Check out the product review here.

Link: Dealextreme R4 Multimedia Card Deal

You are lucky if you have a Hastings in your area, because for a limited time, they're offering the 60GB PS3 with free controller or a copy of Heavenly Sword for $399 after a $100 rebate. Hurry up and visit a store near you because the 60GB version is low in supply.

Link: Hastings 60GB PS3 Deal

Enjoy these gaming deals of the week! Remember to keep your friends close, and your wallet closer.

Sunday is usually a day for football, chores, or church, but Ripten wants to make it easier to fit in your gaming news as well, in case you were busy during the week. Here is our first “Week in Review” for the week of November 11, 2007.

We recently reviewed Fury for the PC, which scored a dismal 4 out of 10. Well, several days later we noticed that one of the Auran developers resigned and cited our review in his resignation letter.

Hellgate: London for the PC came out this week, and our own Josh Pankratz seemed to enjoyed it as he gave it a 9 out of 10 in his review. A few days later we got word via Kotaku that players in Asia were going to have their characters completely wiped due to weary servers. Those players will be compensated with a free month of play, but there will definitely be some unhappy Hellgate gamers in Asia regardless.

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was released on Monday, and in addition to obtaining a comment from Infinity Ward's Associate Producer regarding the PS3 version of the game, our managing editor gave it a 9.8 in his review. We also announced the winner of our "Rank Up - Win Big" COD4: Modern Warfare contest earlier today.

Street dates aren’t usually broken, and when they are, it is usually by accident and immediately rectified. Best Buy, for example, recently broke the street date for Super Mario Galaxy, but unfortunately only one of the two customers who noticed the game on the shelf was able to purchase it before the store realized their mistake, leaving the other customer empty-handed. We contacted several Best Buy managers to find out about the rumored break, and back that they had received no official statement allowing their store to break the release date of the game. In addition, we were told that any store breaking the game would be fined.

Other treasure hunters looking for Mass Effect on the Xbox 360 at their local K-Marts were similarly disappointed. It’s hard to find K-Marts in the U.S. since they downsized several years ago, and readers on Kotaku were reporting a no-go at their locations.

In other early release news, Amazon is listing Metal Gear Solid 4 for Europe a month earlier than the U.S. release. Expect many players to import their copy if this happens, but this is not confirmed and Amazon placeholder dates are often nothing more than placeholders.

Sony released firmware version 2.0 for the PS3 this week, adding new features like a scrolling Playstation news ticker and the ability to customize your XMB.

Activision seems to be giving gamers a lot of love this week with COD4, and now XBL and PSN users can download Guitar Hero 3 song packs by the Foo Fighters and Velvet Revolver. The competition this year between GH3 and Rock Band may mean tons of extra downloadable content for musically inclined gamers. This will surely extend the life of your latest $60 purchase.

Xbox 360 outsold the PS3 in Japan, with a little help from Ace Combat 6. Sony sales continue to be the lowest of the big three even after the release of the 40 GB version several weeks ago. What’s ironic is that Sony will release a new PS2 model in Japan later this month after noting that the 40 GB PS3 won’t be backwards compatible.

Electronic Arts closed its Chicago office this week and laid off 350 employees. EA’s Chicago office is responsible for the Fight Night and Def Jam games. Last quarter EA lost $195 million and things don’t seem to getting any better for one of the world’s biggest third-party publishers.

That’s it for the Week in Review this week, but look forward to our upcoming Deals of the Week, Preparation for Black Friday, and Holiday Season Buyer’s Guide soon!

Are you a Canadian who was looking to purchase a new 40 GB PS3, but are little tight in the wallet from days spent on beer or women? Well look no further, because Dell is offering the console for $399.99. You must be reading this thinking “Where's the deal, isn't that the original price?”

Dell is offering it at that price, but it also includes Spider-Man 3 on Blu-Ray, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction (check out our review) and a Startech 6 ft. HDMI cable. Original price, yes, but it does come with the free game, movie, and cable-- and you can't beat that.

Link: Dell PS3 Bundle

Forming the perfect Rock Band can be very difficult to say the least, but Electronic Arts is doing their part to make it easier on your wallet by offering the guitar, drums, and microphone bundle at $169.99. While that deal is nice, we have something even better.

Newegg.com will save you ten dollars more, as they have the Xbox 360 and PS3 bundles for just $159.99. Be aware that Rock Band doesn't come out for another couple weeks, but you can preorder it, and so far this is the best price we have seen for the bundle.

Link: Newegg Rockband Bundle

If you need a new 360 headset and you are planning on buying COD4, then hit up Best Buy.com. The site is offering $20 off if you purchase both Call of Duty 4 (Xbox 360) and a wireless headset, but the deal only applies online. The complete package with free shipping will ring in at $99.99 before tax.

Link: Best Buy COD4 Game & Wireless Headset Deal

Buy.com has two Xbox 360 deals this week, and new Google Checkout (GC) customers will receive $10 dollars off either one. Free shipping is included as well.

The first is the Xbox 360 Live Vision Golden Pack Bundle, which includes a camera, headset, 12 months of Xbox Live, 3 Arcade Games, and 200 Marketplace points for $60.89 or $50.89 with GC.

And for those of you who need another controller for your 360, Buy.com is selling the pink wireless control for $36.99 or $26.99 with GC. Free shipping is included. So, if you don't mind having the pink controller, or simply want to have a controller your buddies will never touch (trust me, not everyone washes their hands), then this controller is for you.

While Super Mario Galaxy is still about a week away, Toys 'R Us wants to make sure you buy the game from them.

"The World's Greatest Toy Store" is offering a $25 dollar gift card if you purchase the game in-store. Preorder the game, and you will also get a free medallion. Gift card quantities are limited, and may not be available in all areas.

Crysis, one of the most anticipated first-person shooters of the year, is arriving next week, and being that many gamers had to dish out a few bucks to prepare their PC's, saving a little dough on the purchase of the game itself sounds like a great idea.

Well, Family Video has it for preorder at a low price of $42.99 with $.99 shipping. First time customers will also receive a $5 discount for entering coupon code: NEWPGMEM, bringing the price to $37.99. Tax applies in most states.

Link: Famiy Video Crysis Deal

The Battle of the Bands is heating up, with challenger Rock Band offering more instruments and more downloadable songs. Why does Rock Band belong in the Hall of Game with Guitar Hero 3 performing extremely well, considering our review? We went to MTV spokesperson Ton-Essa La’Rocque to explain what makes RB special.

Q: I thought the release date was official for the 23rd?

A: I’ve heard the 20th, I’ve heard the 23rd. It’s unofficial.

Q: What are the changes from GH to Rock Band?

A: What they tried to do with Rock Band was go for authenticity. For instance, Fender really designed the guitars. Rollins and Boss did the drums and the pedals. It’s more of a love for music and also gaming so what they wanted to do was merge.

You have the microphone where you can do karaoke, which rates you on tone and diction. You have the bass, guitar, and drums so you can form a whole band. You can also do this online. You can be at home and form a whole band and online from other households. You can have battle of the bands. You can battle another band in probably another country online.

What they’re going to do is every week or every two weeks they’re going to make available new downloads. It’s going to be sort of like iTunes, where you can download entire albums and songs. Right now they have a deal with The Who and Metallica.

Also what they’re going to do is you can customize your band so all the members can look just like you. You can create your whole hometown. It’s going to be very detailed as you make more money. It’s going to be a whole storyboard. So as you make more money you get better venues, clothing and equipment.

Q: Is Rock Band only coming in a bundle on release date?

A: That is also unofficial. They are thinking about a bundle which has a microphone, the drum set and one guitar. However, if you do have Guitar Hero guitars or other peripherals they are compatible with Rock Band.

Q: Why are there ten buttons on Rock Band guitar compared to five on the GH guitar?

They are actually the same. You can play higher up on the board or lower down. If you play lower down on the smaller buttons you acquire style points. Yea if you really want to get low and rock out you can use that. Also, we have sound effects, so when you release your star power, for anybody who is familiar with GH it’s the same with RB where you can release your star power and you can use your sound effects.

Q: What sets Rock Band apart from GH?

What sets it apart is authenticity. If you look at the guitars they are more realistic. The p’s are actually flush on the neck and they have a longer neck. Because of the authenticity and the whole band being able to play live or on set, there’s really no comparison.

We will be posting a “deals of the week” column each week meant to help frugal gamers get the games and gadgets they love without breaking the bank.

Looking to buy an Xbox 360? Well, look no further because Microcenter is selling refurbished Xbox 360’s with 1 yr. exchange warranties for $229. Be aware that these are REFURBS, but Microcenter will honor it through their stores – meaning they will do the exchange themselves.

When you purchase this though, remember to mention the warranty to the sales associate. Also, take note that this 360 is the older version and does not include the built in HDMI input. If that doesn’t bother you then head over to your local Microcenter soon, because the deal is only good until Sunday, November 4th.

Want to make sure your Nintendo Wii gets from point A to point “Bii” safely? If you answered yes, then you’ll be happy to know that Buy.com is offering a Wii carrying case and charge station combo for $29.99 after $10 rebate.

First time Google Checkout users will receive another $10 off, brining the total to $19.99. Free shipping is available right now as well, and as a reminder, tax does apply to purchases made in CA, MA, and TN.

With Crysis on the horizon, many PC gamers are on the market for a new video card. The latest NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT has finally hit, and if you have a Fry’s Electronics around you, they are selling the 512MB PCI-E version for $229.99. This is the cheapest price we have seen for the newly released card. Specs include DirectX 10 compatibility, 2 Dual-Link DVI-I’s, and an HDTV + TV Out.

If you are looking for some great deals on games, Gamestop.com is offering 10 % off all new in-stock PC games including the extremely popular as Half-Life 2: Orange Box, and Clive Barker’s Jericho.

Simply proceed with your online purchase and enter the coupon code: NOV10PC when instructed, and the discount will appear. Shipping will ring in at $2.99, and the offer ends Thursday, November 15th. Taxes apply in most states. Check back next week for more deals.