Tag: pre-order

Best Buy Jumps The Gun On New Nexus 7 Pre-Orders, Confirms Android 4.3’s Existence

Google will be hosting an event this morning with Android and Chrome boss Sundar Pichai. We all kind of assumed it would have something to do with Android, but the specifics were still a mystery until Best Buy jumped the gun.

Best Buy launched the pre-order pages for both the 16GB and 32GB variants of the Nexus 7 this morning way ahead of Google’s announcement. The retailer quickly pulled the devices from appearing in search results, but you can still access the product pages via a direct link.

Of course, we already pretty much knew the new Nexus 7 was being announced today. What we didn’t know were the official specs. Now we do thanks to the Best Buy product listing.

According to the product page, the new Nexus 7 comes equipped with a 7-inch 1920×1200 display, a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU, 2GB of RAM, a 5MB rear camera, a 1.2MP front camera and Bluetooth 4.0.

The product listing also confirms that the new Nexus 7 will ship with Android 4.3. Unfortunately, it doesn’t detail any of the new features coming to the updated OS, but it does confirm that it’s still called Jelly Bean.

Here are some of the official product shots from the pre-order page:

It should be noted that the pre-order page confirms the leaked prices from last week – the 16GB Nexus 7 will cost $230 and the 32GB will cost $270. What the pre-order page doesn’t say is when we’ll start seeing it in stores. That’s not too big of a deal, however, as a leaked Best Buy ad from earlier this week said it will become available on July 30.

Best Buy may have spoiled the fun, but we’ll still be bringing you any and all news from Google’s big event this morning. Who knows – Pichai might have something more for us besides Android 4.3 and a new Nexus 7.

[h/t: Engadget]

July 24, 2013
Halo 4 Limited Edition Available For Pre-Order

Halo 4 is now available for pre-order and Microsoft has just announced a limited edition version of the game that will be available on launch day, November 6. The limited edition will cost $100 and includes extra content not available to those who purchase the standard edition.

The limited edition of Halo 4 will come in the packaging seen above. Included with the game is informational material detailing the armor, weapons, and ships of Halo 4. Also included is a special 90-minute extended edition of the web series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, complete with featurettes and behind-the-scenes material. Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is a live-action web series that Microsoft will air in the months leading up to Halo 4’s release.

As for the game content provided with the limited edition, players will gain early access to three extra multiplayer maps from the War Games map pack. Limited edition buyers also get free downloads of three planned future map packs, each containing a total of three maps.

Limited edition purchasers will have the ability to unlock six “specializations” before they are available to standard edition purchasers. Microsoft states that “specializations” can be used to achieve higher spartan career rankings. Other than the fact that they “unlock new customization options,” it is unknown exactly what “specializations” are. However, if they increase a player’s chance at winning in Halo 4’s multiplayer, Microsoft could see a bit of a backlash from the Halo community. Players have never been comfortable with “pay for power” schemes in anything other than free-to-play games. More information about these “specializations” will be available at next month’s E3 gaming convention.

The free map packs alone make the Limited Edition of Halo 4 a good investment for players who anticipate playing the game well into the future. Still, Microsoft is choosing to hold back content that could (or very well may be) on the Halo 4 disc in order to sell it to players for an extra fee. This will serve to bifurcate the Halo 4 multiplayer community, at launch, into haves and have-nots. Less fortunate Halo fans who already see the $60 price tag of the standard edition of Halo 4 as a large investment will already be left behind.

May 16, 2012
Hitman: Absolution Gets a November 20th Release Date and Pre-Release Content

Square Enix today announced the release date for next installment in the Hitman series Hitman: Absolution. The game will launch on November 20, 2012 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Windows PC.

Square Enix also announced a special pre-order bonus for players who pre-order the game from GameStop stores in North America. Those players will get exclusive access to Hitman: Sniper Challenge starting on May 15. The content is separate from Hitman: Absolution and has players take on the role of Agent 47 to assassinate an arms dealer and his bodyguards from a rooftop.

“Hitman: Sniper Challenge sets a new industry standard for pre-order incentives,” said Mona Hamilton, vice president of marketing at Square Enix. “For all those HITMAN fans that just can’t wait to play Hitman: Absolution, they can immediately take part in an exclusive competition featuring the original assassin when they pre-order at GameStop.”

Players will be able to unlock equipment upgrades and use score multipliers to top an online leaderbord for the game. Monthly prizes will be rewarded to top snipers, and the player topping the leaderboard at the launch of Hitman: Absolution will win a trip to Copenhagen where he or she will have their likeness captured for use in the next Hitman game.

Players who pre-order from other retailers will receive an exclusive costume and weapon. Amazon pre-orderers will get a “high-tech” suit and a Bartoli custom pistol; Wal-Mart pre-orders come with a “high-roller” suit and a Krugermeier 2-2 pistol; and Best Buy pre-orders come with a “public enemy” suit and Bronson M 1928 SMG.

A pre-order mini-game with prizes leading up to a major game launch is a great idea. Unfortunately, limiting the content to only those users who pre-order from a specific vendor is unfair to users who can’t or don’t want to use Gamestop to purchase their games. Also (because I know you are thinking it), Gamestop is clear that pre-orders cannot be cancelled after a special promotion code or item has been redeemed.

Sadly, it looks as though retailer-exclusive pre-orders are here to stay. Both Electronic Arts and Activision have implemented the marketing scheme for games this year. What do you think? Are exclusive pre-orders unfair or a perfectly valid way for retailers to advertise? Leave a comment below and let me know.

May 10, 2012
Spider-Man Pre-Order Allows Playable, Super-Powered Stan Lee

Activision and Marvel today revealed two pre-order exclusives for the upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man video game and one of them is – odd. Players who pre-order the game from Amazon will be able to play as Spider-Man creator Stan Lee. As seen above, Lee will use abilities similar to Spider-Man’s while collecting the pages of his latest script from around the city. After this Stan Lee mini-game is completed, Activision promises a special surprise related to this year’s 50th anniversary of Spider-Man.

Players who instead opt to pre-order the game from GameStop will, instead of Stan Lee, receive “The Rhino Challenge” content, featuring Spider-Man supervillain Rhino. The Rhino mini-game will feature a timed event in which the villain races to break things using combo streaks.

Both of these pre-order deals will be exclusive to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions of The Amazing Spider Man. No exclusive pre-order deals have been announced for Nintendo’s Wii, 3DS, or DS systems.

I disapprove strongly of vendor-exclusive pre-order content and content that is included on purchased game discs being sold to or locked to certain players. Still, the thought of playing a Spider-Man game as an elderly man, swinging past skyscrapers while shouting “excelsior!” makes me laugh and sounds incredibly fun. For a few minutes, at least. What do you think? Are either of these exclusives enough for you to choose one retailer over another? Are exclusive pre-orders unfair to players? Leave a comment below and let me know.

May 9, 2012
Call Of Duty: Black Ops II Pre-Order Bonuses Announced

Well, that didn’t take long. The first trailer for Black Ops II hit the airwaves yesterday and we already have the retailer specific pre-order bonuses lined up for gamers who can’t wait to get their hands on the latest Call of Duty title. This year’s pre-order bonuses are a little odd though.

First up is GameStop’s offer which has pre-order bonuses unlocking in tiers. For gamers who pre-order now, you’ll be able to get a double-sided poster featuring artwork from the game. Through the monts leading up to the game’s release, three more bonuses will unlock presumably with more pre-order bonuses. As an added bonus, you will also get a Modern Warfare 3 prestige token if you’re a PowerUp Rewards member.

GameStop obviously has the best offer, but other retailers are offering some pretty sweet deals as well. UK retailer GAME, recently saved from destruction, will also be offering a prestige token for anybody who pre-orders the title. The token will be delivered to all who pre-order within a week.

Best Buy will be offering the same reward they offered with the first Black Ops – dog tags. Only this time, the dog tags will have the game’s logo printed on them. It’s important to note that the dog tags will be delivered at the time of the game’s launch for online pre-orders whereas in store pre-orders will receive the dog tags at the time of transaction.

Unfortunately, Amazon seems to have gotten the worst deal out of the bunch. Their only offer right now is a downloadable wallpaper for your PC. It’s odd since Amazon usually gets great pre-order offers so there might be something better down the road. If all else fails, they might offer Amazon credit that can be applied to other game purchases.

If you feel that you must pre-order the game, it seems that GameStop has the best deal. Of course, we don’t know what those last three bonuses are going to be. There will also probably be a provision that says you can’t get the previous rewards if you pre-order late just to make sure that you aren’t getting cheated.

[h/t: DigitalWarfare24/7]

May 2, 2012
Resident Evil 6 Pre-Order Bonuses Detailed

It was inevitable. After Capcom announced that they were pushing up the release date for Resident Evil 6 to October, the pre-order bonuses were quick to follow. Thankfully, it seems that the pre-order bonuses this time are not game changing additions that lessen the experience for other players.

The pre-order bonuses are coming in the form of maps for Mercenaries mode according to the Capcom Unity blog. Each retailer – GameStop, Amazon and Best Buy – will be getting one map each for your pre-order. It’s nice since it doesn’t give any one retailer the better bonus, so it’s up to the player to decide which one they want.

For those who aren’t acquainted with the super fun Mercenaries mode, here’s the description from Capcom:

The super-intense Mercenaries Mode lets you play as your favorite characters from Resident Evil 6 as you fight your way through hordes of enemies within a given time limit. Chaining together multiple kills and finding other surprises will help you reach the highest score and prove that you’re the world’s greatest mercenary!

Now onto the bonuses with GameStop’s map – The Catacombs – coming up first. While dark tunnels would already be bad enough in Mercenaries, the map has the added bonus of booby traps. One of the screens features a spike trap on the floor with a level that may control it. Maybe players will be able to use the traps to their advantage.

Next up is the High Seas Fortress from Amazon. This map seems huge with it taking place on top of an aircraft carrier as well as inside the ship. Interestingly enough, the post says that players will “hone [their] martial arts skills inside the narrow confies of the hangers.” Did Capcom just hint at there being more of an emphasis on melee combat in Resident Evil 6?

The final map coming from Best Buy is the Rail Yard. As you can probably guess, the map is set on a railroad yard. The description says that it’s a multilayer stage which should make things more interesting. The screens make it look more like a subway system, but the post says that players will be fighting on the “roof of the yard” so we’ll see where it takes us.

As always, you can expect this DLC to not remain retailer exclusive after the launch of the game. The maps you miss out on will be available at a later date for a price. I will be pre-ordering from Amazon personally because I really like that aircraft carrier stage.

Resident Evil 6 will launch on October 2 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Capcom announced a PC version as well with this post saying that the company will be revealing more on that later. Knowing Capcom’s track record, we won’t be seeing a PC version until a month later.

Are you going to pre-order Resident Evil 6? If so, which Mercs map do you want? Let us know in the comments.

April 12, 2012
Mass Effect 3 Pre-Order Bonus Guns and Gear

For those who have been wrapped up in the Mass Effect saga, dating all the way back to 2007, the day for the “final” installment in the trilogy is nearly upon us. On March 6th, Commander Shepard will be going toe-to-toe with an insane amount of reapers and for those of you who pre-order, you’ll have a bit of additional firepower to help.

Today, EA/BioWare announced the pre-order bonuses for their upcoming title. For everyone who pre-orders, you’ll have access to the M55 Argust Assault Rifle, with the description for the gun stating, “Deadly at any range, the Argus boasts quick burst-fire to ensure ammo conservation and maximum accuracy on the battlefield.“.

If you want to snag the N7 Warfare Gear, which includes the N7 Valkyrie Assault Rifle and armor set, you’ll have to pre-order from GameStop. Not stopping there, those who game on the PC and pre-order from EA’s Origin Store will receive the AT12 Raider Shotgun. If you have any inquiries concerning the pre-order bonuses, BioWare has a FAQ page dedicated to it.

To coincide with this announcement, EA has sent out feature videos and screenshots which are available below.

Screenshots (Click to Enlarge)

M55 Argus Assault Rifle

N7 Warfare Gear

AT12 Raider Shotgun

January 4, 2012