The Video Game Thread

[TripletDaddy]

Not sure many people know how much video game work goes on in the valley here.

http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-ca...,7893915.story

I saw Cars 2 at E3. It looks better than the first Cars video game, I will say that much.

[DapperDan]

PSA: The Steam Summer Sale has started.

Sale runs today through July 10th. There are different titles on sale every day as well as x% off sales on many publisher catalogs and game packs that run throughout the sale.

Traditionally there are some great deals to be had during these big sales. For instance, you can get the Valve Complete Pack (which includes Portal 2) for $50.


http://store.steampowered.com/

[MartyFunkhouser]

I've now payed through Mass Effect 2 once as an adept (my first play through) and I'm slowly doing a 2nd play through as an Infiltrator. I'm amazed at how much different the gameplay experience is with a different class. As there is a long time until Mass Effect 3 and I doubt I'll be buying many more games, I'll probably give a 3rd class a try. Mass Effect 2 is the best game I've ever played.

[thesaint258]

I've now payed through Mass Effect 2 once as an adept (my first play through) and I'm slowly doing a 2nd play through as an Infiltrator. I'm amazed at how much different the gameplay experience is with a different class. As there is a long time until Mass Effect 3 and I doubt I'll be buying many more games, I'll probably give a 3rd class a try. Mass Effect 2 is the best game I've ever played.

The ending of ME2 was great. Get some of the DLC for ME2, especially the one that leads up to ME3 (I forget its name).

[TripletDaddy]

China is very polluted.

[Zubaz]

Uncharted 3, Need I say more?

[Colly Wolly]

Best Buy has a pretty good pre-order deal going right now. Now through November, pre-order and purchase 5 games and get a $100 gift card. I jumped on this bad boy given the strength of the line up coming this fall.

I pre-ordered:
Gears of War 3
Forza 4
Batman: Arkham City
Uncharted 3
Battlefield 3

I also pre-ordered FIFA 12, but I think I might change my mind on that one. Also planning to buy Deus Ex Human Revolution, Rage, and Saints Row the Third! YARG!!!

[SCcoug]

This past week Blizzard announced that the highly anticipated Diablo 3 will feature an auction house in which players can buy and sell in game items and will have the option of using real world currency. When it comes out I'm sure we'll see stories of enterprising individuals who manage to make a good chuck of change grinding through the game and selling the loot in the auction house.

This blog brings up an interesting question, would a random drop of a rare item be considered a prize like winning a car or vacation on The Price Is Right for tax purposes? Any accountants or tax attorneys want to opine?

[Commando]

This past week Blizzard announced that the highly anticipated Diablo 3 will feature an auction house in which players can buy and sell in game items and will have the option of using real world currency. When it comes out I'm sure we'll see stories of enterprising individuals who manage to make a good chuck of change grinding through the game and selling the loot in the auction house.

This blog brings up an interesting question, would a random drop of a rare item be considered a prize like winning a car or vacation on The Price Is Right for tax purposes? Any accountants or tax attorneys want to opine?

The legal questions this game presents will ensure that I'll never play it

[DapperDan]

This past week Blizzard announced that the highly anticipated Diablo 3 will feature an auction house in which players can buy and sell in game items and will have the option of using real world currency. When it comes out I'm sure we'll see stories of enterprising individuals who manage to make a good chuck of change grinding through the game and selling the loot in the auction house.

This blog brings up an interesting question, would a random drop of a rare item be considered a prize like winning a car or vacation on The Price Is Right for tax purposes? Any accountants or tax attorneys want to opine?

The tax question is sadly interesting. I'm also disappointed that the game is online only and will not allow mods. I fear the Activision side of Activision Blizzard is taking over.

[Drunk Tank]

Trading in used video games

Anybody trade in their used video games? When I was a manager for Gamestop, I used to hate it. We were a pretty high volume store and having to process the trades really slowed us down.

As a consumer, I never really got behind the whole trade in program becasue I felt that I was not getting enough value for the games, and that I would rather keep them.


This weekend my son approached me and wanted to trade in some of his old video games so he could buy Mass Effect 2. Reluctantly I agreed so we rummaged through all of our old games (some really old) and gathered to gether all the ones he never plays anymore and drove down to Gamestop. Gamestop was packed and I was beginning to have flashbacks of why I have grown to hate that place...screaming kids, angry parents, messy shelves. I was quickly becoming agitated as I waited in line and almost told the kids to forget the trade ins and left. I am glad I didnt.


Apparently, Gamestop is running a promotion where you get an extra $10.00 for every 3 games you trade in right now. On top of that, I renewed my Game Informer subscription and with that I get an extra 10% on top of the normal trade in value. After all the trades were processed, we got $178.95 in store credit. I was floored. Being the good dad that I am, I reserved MW3 and the new Battlefront for myself, and reserved the new Elder Scrolls and the new re-done Halo game for my son. My son and daughter eached picked out a couple new games and I still have $50 in store credit left. Thanks Gamestop!

[Colly Wolly]

Anybody trade in their used video games? When I was a manager for Gamestop, I used to hate it. We were a pretty high volume store and having to process the trades really slowed us down.

As a consumer, I never really got behind the whole trade in program becasue I felt that I was not getting enough value for the games, and that I would rather keep them.


This weekend my son approached me and wanted to trade in some of his old video games so he could buy Mass Effect 2. Reluctantly I agreed so we rummaged through all of our old games (some really old) and gathered to gether all the ones he never plays anymore and drove down to Gamestop. Gamestop was packed and I was beginning to have flashbacks of why I have grown to hate that place...screaming kids, angry parents, messy shelves. I was quickly becoming agitated as I waited in line and almost told the kids to forget the trade ins and left. I am glad I didnt.


Apparently, Gamestop is running a promotion where you get an extra $10.00 for every 3 games you trade in right now. On top of that, I renewed my Game Informer subscription and with that I get an extra 10% on top of the normal trade in value. After all the trades were processed, we got $178.95 in store credit. I was floored. Being the good dad that I am, I reserved MW3 and the new Battlefront for myself, and reserved the new Elder Scrolls and the new re-done Halo game for my son. My son and daughter eached picked out a couple new games and I still have $50 in store credit left. Thanks Gamestop!

I don't generally like to trade games because I enjoy collecting them and like to tell myself that I will likely go back to most of the games I have at some point. If there is a new game that I know I wont play anymore, I'll trade it in at Best Buy now that they are accepting trade ins. Hate Game Stop and hope to never enter one again in all my days.

[falafel]

DT, how many (and which, if you don't mind) games did you trade in? I've got a bunch of games I never play, but it seems like they are probably too old to bring in much cash.

[Surfah]

FYI, Amazon does game trade-ins. They have values online and you can print off a free shipping label.

http://www.amazon.com/Video-Games-Tr...node=979418011

[falafel]

FYI, Amazon does game trade-ins. They have values online and you can print off a free shipping label.

http://www.amazon.com/Video-Games-Tr...node=979418011

Thanks.