Many froth-mouthed fans of Blizzard's intergalactic real-time strategy masterpiece Starcraft have anxiously been awaiting word on when the next installment of the series would land in their anticipatory laps. Blizz has been characteristically tight-lipped about the title's launch window, though we were recently informed that an online SKU search for Starcraft II on Best Buy, Circuit City, and Gamestop's web sites reveal the same supposed release date of December 3, 2008. With no confirmation from Blizzard, it's far from official -- though we imagine this won't stop dedicated zerglings from dropping by the office tomorrow, and requesting off the last month of the year.

[Thanks, Chad.]

As our coverage continues on the second mega-release this year, Best Buy has posted its list of midnight store openings for the Grand Theft Auto IV launch. We've placed the list after the break, and the Best Buy site has maps to the locations for those who need it.

We don't have explicit details how the Best Buy midnight launch should go -- like we do for Wal-Mart -- but it's best to show up early Monday evening. Plus, the company states that there'll be "Grand Theft Auto-related giveaways, but quantities will be limited." And just to prove how non-highfalutin of a site we really are, this blogger will be standing in line at the Dedham, Mass., store taking pics and waiting to get his copy just like everyone else.

Mega-chain Best Buy is sending $50 gift cards to customers who bought HD DVD players or attachments from its US stores prior to Feb. 23 (coincidentally, for our readership, the date Microsoft declared the format dead to the company). CNN reports most customers won't have to do a thing to receive the card as they'll be identified through the Reward Zone program, service plans or online purchases. If you're a customer who won't be identified in this manner, just grab a receipt (you do keep those, right?) or provide your credit card info to the company for proof of purchase. Gift cards will be sent out by May 1.

Circuit City provided a similar deal earlier this month to recent HD DVD adopters by allowing them to return the product if it had been purchased within 90 days. Both Best Buy and Circuit City's online trade-in programs (run by the same company) will allow you to unload your player beginning March 21. Before anyone thinks they're being witty, only HD DVD players can be returned for store credit, you're not getting $50 per movie disc purchased. Although this format war was in no way these retailer's fault, it's very nice to see them taking care of customers left out in the cold.

Although a tip we received was specifically about Best Buy's trade-in program, it appears the service is actually provided by a company called Dealtree.com, which seeks to offer "fair value" for old electronics. For example, the trade-in price for a Gamecube in good condition is $25; if that seems acceptable all the customer has to do is print out the pre-paid shipping label, send it to the company and in seven business days it'll send a Best Buy gift card for the value of the trade-in.

Dealtree.com apparently provides its services to a variety of retailers. It appears trade-in values are universal as a very quick check using the same parameters on the Circuit City version yielded the same trade-in value as with Best Buy. A sterile alternative to eBay or Craigslist for those looking to unload old consoles.

[Thanks Michael]

The PS3 pricing structure is like a really wily monkey. You may think you have him, you've got your stun club and net all ready and then ... poof! He loses you, leaving behind only a monkey-shaped cloud of dust. In what appears to be its latest juke, the 80 GB version of the PS3 will apparently go closeout (read: no new shipments) at Best Buy stores, according to an internal memo sent to PS3 Fanboy.

What does this mean for the PS3 exactly? We've checked with our team of experts and are now able to report that we have absolutely no clue. It's worth noting that in Japan, the 20 and 60 GB SKUs of the system were dropped to focus all efforts on the 40GB model, but we don't know if that's what's happening here. The only facts now seem to be that something is up, and Sony's saying it's business as usual. We'll let you know when we hear more.

We've already traveled to the land of blue, bleak, and reek to check out Rock Band, so with the in-store buzz definitely there, we had to think a midnight launch would be coming -- and it is. 75 locations in 32 states open their doors at midnight to arm you with your "rocksenal," which is actually more than were participating in the Guitar Hero III launch.

So if you're worried about potentially securing a copy (thanks to EA's boast of confidence regarding their stock), this might be a possible solution for you. And after all that sweet unannounced, but coming DLC spied from the pages of OXM, how is anyone with a pulse not excited? Full listing of stores participating rest behind the break.

We have just received an email from Attorney Jack Thompson stating that his 15-year-old son purchased the Mature-rated game BioShock from a local Best Buy. Thompson informs us that BioShock is created by "the notorious Take-Two interactive," you may remember them from publishing such ultra-violent games as Grand Theft Auto. Thompson says that in using his son in a sting operation, he's proven "that Take-Two's upcoming releases of hyperviolent and sex-themed Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV will be widely sold to kids of all ages, despite promises by Take-Two, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), and major retailers." No word if Thompson will allow his son to play the copy of BioShock he purchased.

Thompson goes on to say that retailers and the gaming industry are "engaged in a fraudulent and deceptive trade practice across the nation" by claiming to check IDs. This is exacerbated by his son purchasing the M-rated game from the same Best Buy store Thompson sent his son to buy Grand Theft Auto: Vice City at when he was 10-years-old. Thompson is demanding that Best Buy fire the store's manager and the girl with the "piercing through her right eyebrow" who sold his son the game. Thompson finishes by saying, "The entire video game age rating system is a fraud perpetrated upon American families from sea to shining sea." We should keep that in mind the next time we recruit our own child into a crusade and approve of him or her purchasing an M-rated game.

Let's play our favorite game, "what's wrong with this picture?" Winners earn a hearty handshake and a pat on the back -- feel free to point out the obvious, but we judge on creativity. Check out the highlights for this weekend:

Joystiquery
Joystiq hands-on: Neves (DS)
Joystiq interviews Metanet's Mare Sheppard and Raigan Burns
Podcast Rodeo for Sept. 9: Ear 1
Today's fastest, bluest video: Sonic Rush Adventure gameplay
Today's most self-referencing video: GTA IV trailer in San Andreas
Today's most zombified video: Left 4 Dead 'Subway Outbreak'
The Weekly Webcomic Wrapup Reviewer's Guide

News
MGS: Portable Ops + (plus) trailer, translation required
Harmonix CEO confirms Rock Band's Xbox 360 bundle guitar is wired
PS3 80GB US backwards compatibility checker online
New games this week: Heavenly Sword edition
Zelda Crossbow Training packed in with Wii Zapper
Virtual Console Monday: Are you ready for some football (and a hedgehog and a Zelda-clone)?
BBC talks possibility of Xbox 360 video content
Double Fine returns with Epic Saga: Extreme Fighter
Acclaim's user-created MMO creates jobs; races beasts
1UP previews Silent Hill V, shows in-game footage
No touch-screen strumming for Guitar Hero DS; peripheral promised
Avary talks Wolfenstein movie, Blazkowicz casting
Eternity's Child too big for XBLA, gets Wii instead
Terror threat prompts prisons' console bans
This Wednesday: Sonic 2 hogs XBLA
New Rock Band tracks: KISS a Red Hot Chili in the Soundgarden
Link's Crossbow Training bundled with Wii Zapper, ships Nov 19
Jail guard busted for incriminating City of Heroes forum posts
BioShock "franchise" ships 1.5m units; L.A. Noire bumped from fiscal '08
Take-Two forms casual games label 2K Play
Warhawk demo looking unlikely

Rumors & Speculation
Rumor: 40GB PS3 for $400, 80GB to $500

Culture & Community
Master Chief fully waxed with Fall Out Boy at Madame Tussauds Vegas
South Park wins Emmy for World of Warcraft episode
Capcom sponsoring actual monster hunt
The good, bad and ugly of attending game schools

While the rampant price fixing in the video game industry can be annoying, at least you know that you'll usually pay the same price for new game hardware, software and accessories no matter where you shop. Not always though, as a quick glance at BestBuy.com show some Xbox 360 accessories being sold at inflated prices.

Best Buy's selection of Xbox 360 cables, controller-charging kits and the universal remote have all been marked up by $3 over the MSRP. Best Buy's price increase does not seem to apply to controllers, hard drives, memory units or the the wireless headset (oddly enough, the wired headset price has been increased). Other retailers continue to match or even beat Microsoft's set price on accessories -- Amazon has good deals on the Wi-Fi adapter and play-and-charge kit, while Circuit City goes below the MSRP on battery packs and faceplates.

Three dollars might not seem like much, but the increase is enough to make us reconsider Best Buy for our gaming needs. Here's hoping the extra money made off Halo 3-incensed dupes makes up for the loss of business.

[Via Gizmodo]

[Update: Best Buy has sent an e-mail to all Rock Band pre-orderers admitting to the mistaken listing and cancelling the existing pre-orders. "We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused you. Because you are a valued customer, we would like to offer you a $5 Digital Coupon* toward a future purchase at www.BestBuy.com," the note reads, in part. Hey, it was always a long shot, but at least we get a coupon for our trouble.]

If you've been reading the updates to our story on the $60 Rock Band package with included controllers offered by BestBuy.com, you know that the site stopped taking pre-orders some time Monday night and took down the product entirely on Tuesday morning. Well, this morning things started getting really interesting.

BestBuy.com re-posted the product description pages for Rock Band this morning with a few key changes. The product description now clearly states that the drum, guitar and microphone accessories are "sold separately" and "optional" (Optional? We'd like to see them play the game without 'em!). These notes were not on the version available on the site from at least last Thursday through Monday night, as the above scanned printout clearly shows. Pre-orders are no longer being offered for the item, which has the same SKU and Best Buy ID number as the original posting.

So what about those of us that pre-ordered before the bait-and-switch. We called Best Buy and talked to a customer service representative who seemed just as confused as we were. First she checked to see if she could simply add the peripherals to the order but, unfortunately, BestBuy.com does not yet have the Rock Band controllers in its system (unlike Amazon and GameStop). She then checked to see if other orders placed on Monday had received any special consideration, but none showed any change from the original order. At one point she tried to argue that the original description may have just meant that the game merely supported the peripherals, but the printout we have clearly states that the peripherals were included (that one little word is key here).

We were then forwarded on to a BestBuy.com floor supervisor, Chris, who we walked through the whole situation once again. Chris asked us to fax the printout we made of the earlier version of the page and said he would forward the matter to their corporate headquarters. Chris said in situations like these the corporate HQ has to decide whether to amend the orders already placed or provide some other form of restitution to those affected.

Chris said he expected to have some sort of answer by tomorrow, and you'll be sure to hear about it as soon as we do. In short, don't cancel those pre-orders just yet. Joystiq is on the case!

[Update 4: The latest developments in this saga can be found in a new post.]

[Update 3: I just received the following message in an e-mail from Scott with Best Buy Customer Care: "At this time we are looking into why this page isn't working on the website. Please keep checking to see it once we have fixed it. I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused and thank you for your patience and understanding."]

[Update 2: As of Tuesday morning, the product description pages for Rock Band are no longer available on BestBuy.com. A customer service representative told Joystiq that existing pre-orders tshould still be valid for the moment and that the order could be changed if price or product description changes happen on subsequent versions of the site.]

[Update: It appears Best Buy has taken down the pre-order links as of late Monday night. We'll let you know if and when they come back up, and if we hear anything more about Best Buy honoring the advertised price and features for those that did get orders in.]

BestBuy.com has put up pre-order listings for the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of Rock Band. That doesn't sound like a big deal until you hear about the price each version is listed at: $59.99. That's a lot less than the $300 Gamestop estimate that was getting thrown around a while back.

We know what you're thinking: This deal is probably just for the game disc, without the special controllers needed to make it work. Au contraire -- the product features clearly state that "included drum, guitar and microphone peripherals enable players to perform music together." [emphasis added]. Even if Best Buy realizes their mistake and raises the price, their pre-order FAQ states "you will always receive the lower of the two prices."

We can't guarantee that Best Buy will actually honor this great deal when the game comes out in November, but it seems to us like they might have to. We recommend putting in the order now, printing out the applicable product features description and receipt, and arguing your case when it comes time for the in-store pick up.

The new Xbox 360 shipments are coming in for next week's super-ultra-secret price drop weekend. And what we originally thought was just a deal of purchasing an Xbox 360 and getting Table Tennis for free at Circuit City appears to be a little bit deeper. Turns out the game is actually bundled in the packaging and not just an add on.

We've contacted our Best Buy and GameStop sources to see if their new shipments come with the game inside as well. We also don't know if this has anything to do with Best Buy's Top Spin bundle. Hopefully we'll get some answers starting Wednesday (or maybe a little earlier) when the GameStop materials regarding the big Microsoft announcement start showing up in stores. We can't help but wonder if this is the Microsoft answer to Wii Sports being packaged in the Wii. Oh well, consumers get a free game with the system and that's not a bad thing at all.

[Thanks ToeFurB]

Although really not evidence of the Aug. 12 price drop, there are some interesting things going on with the Xbox 360's pricing and attachments at Best Buy. We've received two separate Best Buy scans of a "360 Top Spin Bun" that will go on sale on Aug. 12 for $399 (the same day as the expected price drop). Though we're not positive, a Top Spin 2 pack-in seems to be the obvious component here (take that Wii Tennis!).

Also curious is that Best Buy has brought down the price of the HD DVD attachment for the Xbox 360 to $150. It's currently sold out online, but most major retailers are still pricing the device in the $180 to $200 range. It's not marked as a sale so, unless there is a computer error, the price looks to stay. Retailers plan to get more details on Xbox 360 pricing next Wednesday.

[Thanks Anonymous and El Conejo]

The hard evidence is starting to flow in that retailers have had about enough from the PS3's 20GB model. A Best Buy employee sent us a printout from their computer system showing the status of the 20GB model as "discontinued." We confirmed the printout information by contacting three separate stores. This does not mean the 20GB PS3 model's production has been discontinued -- just that Best Buy will no longer carry it.

When Joystiq spoke with Sony's David Karraker earlier this week he told us, "Overwhelmingly, retailers have been requesting the 60GB model, the mix has been about 80 percent 60GB, 20 percent 20GB retailer orders." With Best Buy's decision to no longer carry the unit, a major retailer has walked away from the 20GB table, obviously the margins were better on the 60GB model. Sony says they are still producing 20GB models.

Are you a diehard Halo fanatic guaranteed to pick up the upcoming sequel on the first day of release? Here's a deal that might interest you.

If you are willing to shell out the full price of Halo 3 now, Best Buy's online store will sell you 1600 MS points ($20 in US currency) for $4.99. It sounds like a pretty good deal, so long as you had nothing better to do with $60 or $70 for the rest of the year. Best Buy loves it, of course, since they're getting the money virtually free for now and can invest it in a way that more than makes up for the $15 loss they incur for the MS points.