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GameStop selling specialized Android tablets at 200 U.S. stores right now

by Jessica Conditt on Oct 30th 2011 5:30PM

GameStop has initiated Protocol 3 -- which is less lethal than Protocol 10 but possibly has the same resonating impact on humanity -- with the sale of specialized Android tablets at 200 of its U.S. stores. The tablets are produced by Asustek, Acer and Samsung, and come installed with seven games, including Dead Space and Madden NFL, and links to the GameStop Kongregate Arcade app store and the Android Market.

GameStop began radically expanding its business to include mobile gaming this year, establishing a cloud-gaming division and acquiring Spawn Labs and Impulse, but had said its GameStop-branded Android tablet wouldn't hit shelves until next year. These 200 stores could be an initial test-run before the tablets go mainstream (what hipsters). GameStop now accepts iOS-device trade-ins, which means, in theory, you'll be able to trade in your Apple product directly for an Android one.

As long as the GameStop tablet plays GoatUp, we'll be satisfied.

Source: Gamasutra

Tags: android, gamestop, mobile, tablet

Reader Comments (33)

more info please?

I been wanting a tablet for a while. I either will get an IPad 2 or any android tablet.

@Mustang Fanboy

An iPad 2 or any Android tablet?
So, you've essentially limited yourself to pretty much the entirety of the tablet market. Way to commit.

@Mustang Fanboy - I'd hold out for the Windows 8 tablets, personally. Why limit yourself in terms of connectivity with existing tablets when Windows 8 tablets will more or less be full-blown computers in terms of functionality?

@kevinski

Trying to make a tablet into a full blown computer is why Microsoft's tablets have failed for the past 10 years. Tablets are best as appliances. If you want a full blown computer, get a netbook.

Anybody else get the Arkham City reference? You are oh so clever Joystiq.

They don't play GoatUp. Infact, no Android tablets play GoatUp because it is iOS exclusive.

@mguniverse

That's why it's funny!

LOL

Tablets are for nubz.

Gaming on a tablet? Eh..

@MiguelAMX

That's what we hardcore gamers do. Game on the go - anywhere, anytime. Just whip out our iPads and play some Angry Birds.

You casual, couch-potoato console gamers wouldn't understand.

@MiguelAMX Pssh, you console gamers are so elitist against the smartphone and tablet gamers. See how it feels? : P

@nerdydesi1 i sync my wiimote to my android powered phone and play the sonic of hedgehogs

Gaming on a tablet sucks.

Aside from like Angry Birds or World of Goo where the you directly control stuff on-screen, I'd rather stick my left nut in a toaster than use an emulated on-screen control stick.

@Marshillboy

Your right nut too precious to risk?

@Marshillboy

Doesn't suck for me in some cases...

I got the Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet, so it has a keyboard folio case (which has that "red nub" that Lenovo puts on its notebooks) so that's useful in several situations. Plus, since Android Honeycomb has USB host support, I can plug in a Classic Controller Pro (via USB adapter) into it and use it for games that accept physical input. And there's also Bluetooth drivers out there for Wii Remotes and DualShock 3s.

@Marshillboy

Playing ported console games on tablets sucks.

Playing games built from the ground up for touchscreens can be pretty damn fun.

Is it still going to be the standard, 20 dollar trade in credit for an iPad?

I wonder what the specs are for this so called specialized tablet

Specs and price would be nice... Not that I want one. My android phone is just fine

When the iPhone 4s got announced I was looking around for a place to trade in my 3gs (just went the eBay route, it was super effective) and Gamestop was willing to give me $120 store credit for my phone, which wasn't bad I guess but I was looking to upgrade my phone, not trade it in for two new games.

I'm curious to see just what these tablets are and I'm sure we'll see places like Joystiq/Engadet and Whiskey Media pry them apart soon enough.

how are these in the wild & there are no pictures anywhere? Seriously.

I have no power in my house becuz of blizzard. Wont stop me from gaming. I have a tablet, phone, ds, psp, laptop

@halfportalfortress4dead dude same here unfourtunately my PSP is dead but DSi still works smh at this snowtober storm

@halfportalfortress4dead

Yeah... I play too much wow too and it drained my energy reserves for the month.

Incidentally, supposedly the full version of the Android port of Sonic CD is bundled with these - and is playable on the floor demos.

Just tossing that out there.

HIPSTERRRRRR

"specialized" meaning you probably can't install what you want and have to go through a "specialized" digital store by Gamestop.

Do these "gaming" tablets have physical controls? If not, what differentiates them from standard tablets?

Just give me a PSVita and I'll be happy :/

so GameStop is going to sell a bunch of tablets that failed in the market with $30 worth of tablet games? sounds like one of their great ploys to suck people in with accessories not worth owning.

like their gamestop-branded controllers or console switchers. horrible use and fall apart after a year.

It's probably a scam to sell GameStop-branded controllers so those tablet games will actually be playable.

Come to think of it, doesn't every tablet - including the iPad - have BlueTooth anyway? Why don't regular controllers just *work*?

Touch control works great for Carcassonne, but my Geometry Wars scores went up by a factor of 10-100 once I started using hardware joysticks.

This holiday season, gaming store GameStop will start selling its own brand of Android tablets, notes the Wall Street Journal. GameStop to offer Android gaming tablet for the holidays .
These will be supplied as competition against iPads GameStop already offers. The tablets will be GameStop-branded, and the retailer will pack numerous choice games on each unit in an effort to entice players away from the iPad.

Breaking News

GameStop selling specialized Android tablets at 200 U.S. stores right now

Reader Comments (33)

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 5:34PM Prince David said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 5:36PM Mustang Fanboy said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 5:52PM jtrjuwrue5iiejie5ijeie3i5 said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 10:56PM kevinski said

Posted: Oct 31st 2011 1:43PM dogmaticatheist said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 5:37PM The Cole Train said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 5:42PM mguniverse said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 5:44PM Marco le Polo said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 5:44PM Marco le Polo said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 5:44PM MiguelAMX said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 5:56PM killerjuice said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 7:11PM nerdydesi1 said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 8:30PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 6:06PM Marshillboy said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 6:59PM JB said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 7:29PM BPMOmega XBL PSN Steam said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 8:22PM CaramelZappa said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 6:19PM Gibbeynator said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 6:23PM AlexFirth91 said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 6:34PM shaggyc said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 6:38PM JohnDM said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 6:55PM Consequence9 said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 7:12PM halfportalfortress4dead said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 7:33PM AlexFirth91 said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 7:55PM Morisato13 said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 7:34PM Shadow Hog said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 11:15PM pluupy said

Posted: Oct 30th 2011 11:24PM hami83 said

Posted: Oct 31st 2011 10:19AM MEGATOOL said

Posted: Oct 31st 2011 3:11PM Spunky Monkey 190906 said

Posted: Oct 31st 2011 3:33PM darrell said

Posted: Nov 1st 2011 2:39AM antelope said

Posted: Nov 3rd 2011 2:17AM leahpette said

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