As if yesterday's announcement of an entire God of War level theme for LittleBigPlanet wasn't enough to entice you to snap up the game day one, today Sony delivered the icing astronaut on the cake.
Anyone who plays Media Molecule's platforming concoction during its first week of release will be able to download a space suit costume for SackBoy, free of charge, from within the game. Sony says the suit will be a way for players to proclaim, "I was there for Launch!" Get it – launch? Like blast-off. Like what astronauts do. Hence, a space suit. Clever, eh?
Rare just released a list of retailers who would be offering the recently announced pre-order bonus for Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts. Those who reserve the title at the participating locations (the complete list of which is located below) will receive a code which will allow them to download the XBLA re-release of the original Banjo Kazooie free of charge -- and two weeks earlier than its official launch date. We're usually pretty stringent with our Lincolns, but we're not sure we'll be able to resist that bird-filled-backpack-wearing-bear's siren call.
CANADA, JAPAN, IRELAND, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, BENELUX, SWITZERLAND, AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND are participating, but participating retailers have yet to be confirmed.
We imagine that Activision Blizzard has more green cash money than a number of medium-sized countries thanks to their ownership of some ridiculouslyprofitablefranchises. While the skeptical industry analyst might expect them to sit on their surplus, or perhaps swim through it Scrooge McDuck style, a recent announcement from Activision revealed that they're using said wealth to provide faux-rockers with a pretty terrific pre-order bonus for Guitar Hero: World Tour -- an extra guitar peripheral.
As far as we can tell, the offer is only extended to those living (and purchasing rhythm games) in the UK, and is limited to pre-orders of the GH:WT bundle (currently retailing for £150 in most online stores). While it's scientific fact that the modern gaming enthusiast already owns approximately seven guitar peripherals, newcomers to the rockstar simulation genre will now be able to play with a full band without incurring any pesky fees for an extra axe. Would-be bassists, rejoice!
In what has to be the most totally original pre-order bonus ever, Activision is going to let anyone who "reserves" Call of Duty: World at War into a multiplayer beta planned for sometime in October. Oh, that's everyone except PS3 owners. The beta will be available only on Xbox 360 and PC, giving lucky paying entrants a chance to try out the game's new perks and squad system.
In "no purchase necessary" style, those not feeling the pre-order itch can try their luck by registering for a beta token lottery on the official Call of Duty site – that is if they can navigate through the Web 2.0 minefield of way too much stuff on the page.
Sony previously announced several planned pre-order bonuses for LittleBigPlanet, including custom downloadable "Sackboy" versions of God of War's Kratos and Heavenly Sword's Nariko. While the Ghost of Sparta went to GameStop, the official LBP blog has revealed that pre-ordering the game at Best Buy will land you a download voucher code for Nariko.
Both characters are über-spiffy, but, if you want both, you'll have to pre-order the game twice. No one's preventing you from avoiding it at one of the two stores when it's released, though. Oh no, certainly not us. Of course, you could always wait a bit for the characters to be made available for paid download via the PlayStation Store, something we're sure Sony would never think of doing, not in a million billion years.
It's good to be the king, er ... prince. Or, in this case, simply a pre-order holder for Ubisoft's upcoming Prince of Persia series refresh. The publisher has announced that anyone who lays down the cash (or plastic, or first-borns) to reserve the game will receive the Limited Edition – at no extra cost.
In an unusual step, Ubisoft is creating the LE for pre-orders only, simply as an incentive to pony up early for the game. Unlike other "special" or "limited" edition treatments of current-gen games, it won't come as a $10-$20 premium to advance purchasers – it'll run the standard $59.99. However, those who don't pre-order won't get the goodies, which include:
Collectable Limited Edition packaging
An exclusive look at the making of Prince of Persia
A Prima digital mini-strategy guide full of developer's secrets
A digital art book
The original soundtrack scored by master composer Inon Zur
We're still chomping at the bit for Ubisoft to show off more of the promising action-platformer, but, for now, this most recent walkthrough video straight outta Leipzig will have to do.
We pretty much crammed the need-to-know right up there in the headline, but here it is again: Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts pre-orders (confirmed: the game's only $40) will include free download codes for the original Banjo-Kazooie on Xbox Live Arcade at "participating" retailers (read: not the little game store up the block). The code apparently will be redeemable on Nuts & Bolts' launch day, giving players a "two-week head start" on the XBLA game, which won't be released to the masses until a couple weeks later.
But why would you put down the new thing for the old one? Good question. For the answer we'll point you to "Stop 'N' Swop," a slice of Banjo lore that has intrigued completists of the original N64 games for years, now fully realized for the first time. (Spoiler: Certain accomplishments in Nuts & Bolts unlock <gasp>new content in the decade-old XBLA re-release</gasp>.)
Speaking of bonuses, we've got a little something special for you today. Hit up the gallery below for the first screens of the newly revealed Nuts & Bolts game world: Jiggoseum. It's like the Olympics ... but with cah-razy vehicles!
You and a friend can now join in the SOCOM Confrontation beta just by bullying some other friend to pre-order the game from Gamestop. According to an email sent out to the PlayStation Underground members, a Confrontation pre-order will net you participation in the public beta and the ability to invite two friends for free. If you read the fine print, however, the deal is rendered immediately null and void should either party decide to end the friendship. Sony keeps a very strict "friends only" policy. The public beta begins September 1 for pre-orders and September 8 for Qore subscribers.
The God of War himself will soon find himself under new employment as Super Awesome Sackboy Superstar. The official US PlayStation blog has revealed that there are plans for five separate LittleBigPlanetpre-order bonuses in North America, depending upon where you reserve the game (a key detail that has yet to be revealed). Here are the bonuses:
The Official "LittleBigPlanet Creator" MiniGuide by Brady Games
A LittleBigStickerBook, which is -- shocker -- a sticker book
LittleBigPouch, a burlap sack reportedly big enough to at least fit a copy of LBP
An exclusive Nariko (of Heavenly Sword fame) SackGirl
Exclusive Kratos (God of War) SackBoy
Sure, the exclusive SackPeople are nice, but we're willing to bet those will eventually arrive as premium downloadable content or recreated/shared via the LBP community. We'll take two pre-orders for the decidedly more tangible LittleBigPouch, wherever that reserve bonus may end up.
In case your appetite for voice-controlled strategizing hasn't been whetted enough by the bountifulbeta leaks, an Ubisoft Forum Manager has announced that you can get "access to the exclusive Stress Test" (i.e. early playtime) for Tom Clancy's End War by pre-ordering the game at participating retailers. More details are said to be forthcoming; a stress test registration page has been unearthed on the End War website that lists July 8 as the opening day.
Microsoft has announced that Fable 2 Pub Games, a collection of three casino-style Xbox Live Arcade games that help you boost your money for Fable 2, is coming in August for 800 MS points (US $10). However, according to the press release, Pub Games is free for those who pre-order at participating retailers. The three games are:
Keystone, a combination of Craps and Roulette
Spinnerbox, an "updated take" on slot machines
Fortune's Tower, a "press your luck style of game"
Also included is Shell, a tutorial for all three. Taking a route similar to SporeCreature Creator, Microsoft is also including the Pub Games in both the Standard and Limited Editions of Fable 2, meaning if you can hold out until the game is released, you won't have to shell out the $10. Fable 2 is due out "later this year," with recent hints of an October launch.
We're pretty sure that everyone and their dog played the original Gears of War the first time around (aside from most Border Collies, who are, in fact, devout PS3 fanboys), but if you've yet to divide a competitor using a firearm/lumberjack tool, a Gamestop pre-order listing for a $40 Gears re-release might tickle your fancy. We've yet to hear from Microsoft about details for the title (or a confirmation of the game's existence, for that matter), but as the listing reads "Gears of War with Maps", we can only assume it will contain the Hidden Fronts DLC as well as the Raven Down and Old Bones levels, rather than the hit song by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. With less than a month until the game's supposed release date of June 24, we're sure to hear more soon.
Gamestop recently released a mega-PDF of every store (in the States) opening at midnight for the Grand Theft Auto IV launch. We're pretty sure there's still plenty of time to get that pre-order in at Gamestop before April 29 occurs in your respective time zone.
As always, customers shouldn't plan on showing up at the launch without a pre-order and expect a copy to be waiting like at otherretailers. It's surprising to still find customers at every major midnight launch disappointed when the Gamestop clerk tells the people without a pre-order to take a walk. When will people learn that Gamestop has rules?!
LionGames.com is offering a $20 discount off of all Halo 3 retail editions. The catch is you'll be paying the full discounted price upon purchasing. Lion Games does imply that this is a limited time offer, encouraging interested shoppers to 'buy now,' meaning you'll be forking over at least $40 for a product that's unlikely to ship for at least another nine months. The deal could certainly be a device for the newly launched retailer to build some quick capital; but if you don't mind contributing to that, then go ahead and purchase a copy (or two).
We can't vouch for Lion Games' credibility, but the site, headquartered in Winsted, Connecticut, appears to be a legitimate operation -- we have little doubt that your pre-purchased copy of Halo 3 would be shipped soon after the official release. As an added bonus, Lion Games accepts trade-ins (you pay for shipping). So as an alternative, you could pile up enough games and send 'em in to cancel out the Halo 3 charge -- heck, you could even trade in enough product to get Lion Games to cut you the check.
