Hitman: Absolution is making its way to consoles and PC on November 20, but before you get your hands on Agent 47′s latest chapter, Square Enix wants to challenge your sniping skills first.

Available only for those who pre-order the game at GameStop, Hitman: Sniper Challenge is a downloadable taste of the game that also doubles as a contest. The game will put players behind a balcony and will task them with taking out Richard Strong, Jr., CEO of Stallion Armaments, and his staff of bodyguards. Your goal is to score as high as you can, discovering kill multipliers and added bonuses for hiding dead bodies. Online leaderboards will track everyone’s progress, and the top score by November 20 will win a trip for two to Copenhagen, Denmark where they will meet with the Hitman development team and have their likeness incorporated into the “next Hitman game.” Pre-oders for the game and the Sniper Challenge begin May 15.

Did Square Enix indirectly just confirm that another Hitman game is in the works? One thing’s for sure however, this pre-order incentive sure beats getting a code for an in-game weapon.

Earlier today GameStop sent out calls to a number of customers who had preordered The Last Guardian to inform them that the long awaited PS3 exclusive had officially been canceled. You can hear the call here.

While its far from an official announcement, the evidence seems to be adding up. Searching GameStop.com for the game’s title gives you no results, and several stores have confirmed to Blast that they no longer have a listing for the game. Add to this that fact that the game’s creator Fumitory Ueda has officially left Sony (word is that the game was said to be finished on a contract basis).

But don’t get too disappointed, as a Sony spokesperson tells Kotaku that the game is definitely not canceled.

Blast will have more on this developing story as it becomes available.

Shane Kim, former VP of strategy and business development for Microsoft’s  Interactive Entertainment division, and one of the fathers of the Xbox 360 and some of it’s biggest franchises has joined the GameStop board of directors.

Though no concrete details are available on just what Kim will be doing for the Texas based company, executive chairman Dan DeMatteo said, “[Kim will] bring valuable insight in supporting the advancement of GameStop’s digital strategy.”

It’s a safe bet that Kim will lend his Xbox Live fueled knowledge to the company’s growing online presence. In recent months, the retailer has purchased both online gaming portal Kongregate as well as digital distribution service Impulse and streaming game company Spawn Labs.

Gamestop has listed possible release dates for some of this and next year’s most anticipated games. Keep in mind that these dates are not set in stone or confirmed, and the company uses placeholder dates often.

• Bioshock Infinite listed as a 2/2/12 release date
• Prey 2 listed as a 2/1/12 release date
• Metal Gear Rising listed as a 11/2/12 release date

If I had to believe any, I’d say Bioshock would be it. Bioshock 2 was released in early February.

Rock Band 3 won’t be shipping until October 26 for all of the major systems, but MTV Games and Harmonix have just announced that they’re going to do their best to entice gamers into pre-ordering the game asap from one of three major retail outlets, Wal-Mart, GameStop or Amazon.

Here’s what you can expect as far as free goodies, if you decide to buy the game right now.

Gamers who reserve Rock Band 3 for the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 from GameStop, will receive three downloadable songs at launch for free. “Burning Down the House” by the Talking Heads, “My Own Summer” by Deftones, and “Blue Monday” by New Order.

Amazon shoppers who reserve Rock Band 3 for the Ps3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo Wii will get themselves an exclusive in-game guitar. In addition, for a limited time only, Ps3 and 360 owners who pre-order Rock Band 3 via Amazon will receive $10 off a future videogame purchase. Pretty sweet, right?

Last, those who get their games via Walmart.com can pre-order Rock Band 3 for the Wii, Ps3 or Xbox 360, and get themselves a $10 eGift card for a limited time.

Despite reporting its first ever non-record holiday in January, GameStop today reported record first quarter sales to the tune of over $2 billion.

Total sales are up 5.1 percent from 2009′s first quarter to $2.08 billion due to a 13.3 percent software sales increase.

GameStop attributes the uptick to strong sales of popular franchises’ newest sequels Battlefield Bad Company 2, BioShock 2, Final Fantasy XIII, God of War III and Nintendo’s powerhouses duo Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver.

God of War III, a strong seller for GameStop in its first quarter

Daniel DeMatteo, Chief Executive of GameStop said strong sales at brick and mortal locations is providing necessary capital to the company needed to expand to digital ventures.

“I am pleased that our earnings have achieved the high end of guidance and total company sales have exceeded $2 billion for the first time in a non-holiday quarter. By maintaining a sharp focus on our customer needs and overall business execution, our strong brick and mortar business continues to provide the capital needed to invest in new stores as well as execute our strategic plan to incorporate digital gaming into our global operations.”

GameStop recently began internal promotion for the browser-based title Legends of Zork, a game distributed by Activision and one the company used to test the waters of digital gaming. According to DeMatteo, it work out swimmingly.

Is GameStop ready to embrace the digital revolution?

“The in-store Legends of Zork test proved highly successful in economically acquiring and converting our customers to browser game players. Additionally, at the end of this month, GameStop will be marketing and selling downloadable content in a group of test stores. Of equal importance, our new customer loyalty program will launch in select markets. Altogether, we continue to deliver a superior shopping experience and are introducing our customers to the digital options for gaming,” he said through the statement.

What’s more, the tried, tested, and now reportedly proven trifecta buy-sell-trade has worked well for the company. Paul Raines, Chief Operating Officer at GameStop said store associates have done a great job promoting new releases and putting the aforesaid threesome to great use.

“Our store associates did an outstanding job of executing our ‘Go Big’ marketing campaigns to promote hot new titles. Their effectiveness can be measured by the significant day one, week one and overall market share GameStop captured of this quarter’s new releases. Our unique buy-sell-trade model continues to provide a strong value proposition for new game buyers.”

Many analysts believe the videogame industry is headed towards a more significant level of digitization, bringing about a time where traditional brick and mortar retailers will be affected by the sale games through digital methods. If GameStop’s DeMatteo is to believed, the company is ready for that change. How the company will move ahead in the digital age remains to be seen.

GameStop first quarter fact sheet.

Rockstar Games’ ambitious Western, Red Dead: Redemption, an open-world action game, described as Grand Theft Auto of the West, releases May 18 for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3.

Pre-order your copy...right now.

Rockstar has pushed its title through the rigors of hard-hitting marketing and their efforts culminate next Tuesday at midnight, when the title officially gets released to the masses.

Like many blockbuster titles, Red Dead: Redemption is receiving the midnight launch treatment, allowing dedicated gamers the ability to purchase the $59.99 disc as early as possible.

John Marston.

The title will release at midnight on May 18 at Wal-Mart, GameStop and Best Buy locations nationwide, and thankfully, Rockstar has assembled a widget of sorts that aggregates a list of locations where the game will be sold the second after 11:59 p.m.

And of course, if you’ve yet to pre-order the title at any of the above retailers, you’ll need to embark upon that $5 quest first. Also, if you’ve yet to warm up your fake sick cough, now would be the time.

I’ll be at the midnight launch event in my area and will slog through some of the game’s campaign before jumping into RDR‘s quite alluring multiplayer component. If you’d like to join my posse and wreak some havoc by my side, add me as a friend on Xbox Live at the GamerTag “eddie not eddy” (spaces included).

Red Dead Redemption Midnight Launch Info Across the US

No one on Earth, except the secretive folks at Blizzard, know when Starcraft II will release, but the closed beta for it opens to the masses today, thanks to everyone’s favorite videogame retailer GameStop.

The retailer is handing out beta keys to anyone slapping down $5 to reserve the title in-store or online.

If you want it right now, hop, skip or jump over to your local GameStop and reserve it. If you’re slightly more patient, head to the game’s GameStop listing and you’ll have the code e-mailed to you within 24 hours. Either way, once you have your key, you cannot cancel the pre-order, so choose wiesely.

The game’s been in closed beta since February, available to a select few. That changes today and if you’ve been clamoring for it, now’s your chance.

Starcraft II: Wings Of Liberty @ GameStop

Videogame megaretailer GameStop does a heck of a lot of business. It sells everything from software to hardware, accessories and even more. The goods stream in from upwards of 75 independent companies, but one shines brighter than the rest.

Revealed today in an annual filing to the Securities and Exchange Committee, were GameStop’s year-end vendor relationship statistics, naming Nintendo an owner of a whopping 23 percent of its new product business.

The other leaders were Sony at 17 percent, Microsoft and Electronic Arts at 12 and Activision accounting for 11 percent, the first time the company has hit double digits with GameStop.

When games like New Super Mario Bros. Wii and Mario Kart are flying off shelves like clothes of passionately drunken college lovers, it’s no surprise Nintendo and GameStop are such pals.

Source: GameSpot

Mega video game retailer GameStop, today announced its plans to open thousands of its stores across the nation early for the launch of Nintendo’s larger portable, the DSiXL.

But by early, we don’t mean midnight.

That’s right, more than 3,200 GameStop locations will open their doors at 9 a.m.

Wait, what?

Yeah, 9 a.m. A full two hours before the story normally opens.

Why do this? GameStop says it’ll “allow customers to be among the first to get their hands on the highly-anticipated handheld.”

Oh, okay. So everyone who buys their DSiXLs at GameStop will have a one hour gloating window over Best Buy and the like. Joy?

Women are starting to beat men at video games.

It’s not something you hear very often, but it is now a rising fact in the video game industry. Women have been rising in the “extreme gamer” category by 5 percent over each of the last two years.

Walk into any GameStop of EB Games and you will see more women on the demo’s than guys lately, and men are not sure what to think.

"Its surprising to see a girl rock out on games as good as guys can," said video game player Nick, who declined to give his last name. "But damn, they’re getting really good!"

As an avid gamer, and a woman, I took on gamer Nick at a fighting game. We were evenly matched, and Nick gained a greater respect for women in the gaming world.

"I have to giver her props, man,” he said. “thought girls only liked to play those model games and fashion games.”

Well that is far from the truth. Other ladies in the store listed their favorite games. We’ve got: Prince of Persia, Resident Evil 4, Final Fantasy 7 and 8, Legend of Zelda, Ninja Gaiden, and many, many more. So don’t be alarmed when you here a woman request God of War or another hack-n-slasher. We girls got game.

It’s no secret video games are trending towards digitalization. It happend with music and it’s happening with video games. But with this digitizing of software, large hard drives are needed to store all the goods.

Today, GameStop has listed a 250 GB Xbox 360 hard drive for $129.99.

250 big ones

The hard drive, previously only available in the Modern Warfare 2 Super Elite bundle, is supposedly going on sale in March, but not without some controversy.

Microsoft’s Aaron Greenberg told Joysitq “We’re always evaluating, but for now we feel like the 120 is serving us very well as the standard offering, and then having the 250 as a limited edition is a good balance.”

No official word has come down from Microsoft about the move to sell the spacious hard drive just yet, but when they comment, and they likely will, we’ll have it.

Source: Destructoid

Mega-video game retailer GameStop recently launched a national TV ad campaign proclaiming the “biggest trade event ever” and it’s certainly hard to disagree with them as the company is offering a whopping 50% trade-in bonus on your rusty old games.

Not too bad, eh?

Famous for offering consumers jack-squat for their games, this promotion buffs that threshold to the “almost certainly worth it” level. Now, that copy of NHL ’07 still won’t get you anything to brag about, but if you’ve got some newer games you want to get rid of, now is absolutely the time to do so.

Looks like games like Modern Warfare 2, BioShock 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii will each earn you $35 in credit (before Edge Card) and Mass Effect 2 at an amazing $52 before Edge Card. Pretty great, huh?

The trade-in promotion ends March 14, so if you want these resale values, beat those games quick and trade ‘em in.

For more, including fine print and the like, check out the promotion’s GameStop page.

Those who pre-order Sony’s upcoming God of War III, besides earning eternal glory for buying what looks to be the most epic game of this era, will get a poster signed by God of War III concept artist Andy Park.

That’s not all though, gamers throwing down at least $5 for the game before it releases in March, will get themselves the previously-announced and wholly exclusive Phantom of Chaos character skin.

7-11 already jumped into the Kratos-craze and now GameStop truly ups their game by offering something gamers might actually want as a pre-order bonus. 

The press release issued by GameStop today said the poster was “signed” by the artist. I’ve reached out to GameStop for clarification of whether or not it’s hand-signed or stamped and will update when/if I hear back.

Reserve yourself a copy today at GameStop.

Below is the poster you’ll get for reserving the game. And GameStop slapped the “For Display Only” tag on it, not me.

The glory of Kratos

GameStop today announced that thousands of stores nationwide will open their doors late next Monday evening to sell Sony’s Massive Action Game (MAG) and BioWare’s Mass Effect 2 at the strike of midnight on January 26.

Power to those who stay up until midnight!

According to GameStop, over 2,500 stores will participate in the midnight sale, with many of those stores holding some sort of launch event beginning at 10 p.m.

Wondering if you’re local GameStop is opening? Take a look at this behemoth of a list (.pdf link), and just to be safe, give ‘em a call to confirm.

We’ll have reviews of both games up on the site soon. Keep checking back.

Electronic Arts wades deep into the waters of all things corny in this advertisement for Army of Two: The 40th Day.

Featuring main characters Salem and Rios and some spiffy looking GameStop location, this ad is actually kinda funny.

Notice the juxtaposition of the line “In too deep…” when the dude’s laying on top the girl. Nice one.

Joey Logano, the GameStop-sponsored NASCAR driver, will race around the track this weekend at a blistering pace with a massive Modern Warfare 2 decal slapped on his vehicle.

Logano goes for his sixth win of the season tomorrow in Florida, (televised on ESPN 2 at 4:30 p.m.) and you can watch this 200 mph. advertisement drive in loops all evening, if you’d like.

I think it’s kind of funny how the M for Mature ESRB rating icon is tagged on there as well. Nice.

I dated a girl once whose family enjoyed NASCAR. We broke up. You fill out the rest.

Believe it or not, Thanksgiving is next Thursday, which means Black Friday, the unofficial, yet totally official, beginning to the Holiday shopping season, is one week from today.

What does that mean to you, frugal gamer?

There’s deals to be had, provided you forgo sleep and enjoy a sweaty crowd of incessant shoppers in the cold.

Anyway, GameStop’s Black Friday ad recently surfaced, and while it doesn’t contain face-meltingly amazing deals, it does have some gems in it, namely some sweet Xbox 360 and PS3 bundles.

Check out the gallery, and click each image to make super huge awesome large. Also, stayed GLUED to BlackFridayAds for absolutely everything deal-related. It’s the best best best site out there for this kind of thing.

Source: Kotaku

GameStop, your best buddy, is offering you a chance to play DJ Hero weeks before it releases and to possibly score some serious prizes including a trip to see EMINEM and lots of free copies of the game.

This Sunday, from 10-6 at GameStops nationwide, store-goers can try their hand (literally) at the game on Xbox 360 and see if they have what it takes to scratch like a pro.

According to the press release, there won’t be a contest during the Demo Day, rather shoppers can simply drop their name in a hat and hope for the best!

Here’s what you’ll win if you’re graced with the luck of the Irish Blarney Store Leprechaun.

Grand Prize (1 Winner)

o VIP trip for you and a friend to EMINEM’s concert at the Voodoo Music Experience in New Orleans on October 30, 2009

o Exclusive invitation to EMINEM’s sound check

o VIP meet and greet with EMINEM

o 2 Xbox 360 DJ Hero Renegade Editions signed by EMINEM

o 2 Xbox 360 consoles

o 2 Xbox LIVE Messenger Gold Packs

o 2 DJ Hero exclusive prize packs

1^st Runner Up (10 Winners)

o Xbox 360 DJ Hero Renegade Edition signed by EMINEM

o Xbox 360 console

o Xbox LIVE Messenger Gold Pack

2^nd Runner Up (1,000 Winners)

o DJ Hero exclusive prize pack including: DJ Hero hat, keychain, pen and sticker

A new GameStop guarantee promises an instruction book and cover-art for all used games purchased through the company’s website.

According to the new promise, all Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, PSP, and DS games purchased at GameStop.com will ship to you with both cover-art and an instruction manual.

The guarantee is good online only and does not apply to consoles, accessories, movies or UMD.

Now, no mention was made in the announcement of whether or not that cover-art will be the game’s genuine cover, but some cover-art is a step in the right direction.

I don’t often order from GameStop.com but one time that I do recall, I purchased a used copy of Tony Hawk’s Project 8 (don’t judge me), and received that wretched generic boxart as well as no instruction manual, which I actually enjoy reading. Glad it won’t happen again!

GameStop is banking on ODST. With Bungie developing and a thirsty-for-more fanbase numbering in the millions, Halo 3:ODST, Bungie’s latest foray into the Halo universe is likely to be a runaway hit both creatively and monetarily.

So what does GameStop do with such games? Sell them at midnight of course!

GameStop Corporate today announced that 3,600 stores nationwide will open their doors at exactly 12:00AM this coming Tuesday, September 22 to take your $60 in exchange for the title.

Here’s a full list of participating stores, and check back here next week for our thorough review of Halo 3: ODST.

As a PSP racing enthusiast, I love all things racing. However, growing up, my favorite game was always the PS1 original Gran Turismo. So nothing got me more excited than to hear that a new Gran Turismo game would be coming out for the PSP. The game will have 35 tracks and over 800 cars, so it’ going to try and assuage racing enthusiasts by including more cars than anyone can ask for. However, there are four special cars which you can receive by‚  pre-ordering the game from either Gamestop, Amazon, Best Buy or Game Crazy. Depending on where you order the game, you can get one of the four special car as an in-game reward. The offerings are as follows:

- Amazon: 2002 Enzo Ferrari in “Giallo Modena” yellow

- Gamestop: 2009 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 in “Black M” color

- GameCrazy: 1974 Lamborghini Countach LP400 in “Arancio” Orange

- Best Buy: 2008 Citroen GTbyCITROEN in yellow

Here are some photos so you can get a look at what’s what.

Personally, I’m going with the 1974 Lamborghini. What do you want to go with? Comment below so I can get a feel for which way everyone else is leaning.

GameStop corporate is at it again. This time changing the wording on their traded-in games from the in-your-face “Used” to a more approachable “Pre-Owned” adage. In addition to the name change, the tacky yellow stickers slapped on the four regions of plastic we call a game box, have been replaced with white ones, as in the same white color used to sell new games.

Is the color white still synonymous with purity (and lack of scratches) ? And is “Pre-Owned” an easier adjective to digest than “Used”? Amidst this wash of marketing, one thing’s for sure; corporate sure as hell thinks so.

The 80′s may be synonomous with tunes from Van Halen and dodgy outfits, and my birth, but this fall, when Tony Hawk: RIDE releases, it’ll also be an exciting and alluring era to travel to, provide you reserve your game from mega-retailer GameStop.

Dubbed the “80′s Quicksilver Level,” this exclusive reserve goodie scores you access to a “Vert Ramp challenge sandwiched between two 747′s on the runway of the Frankfurt Airport decked out in Quiksilver 80′s theme including Tony Hawk himself.”

Tony Hawk: RIDE will ship with a full-on plastic faux-skateboard this November 17 and will surely forever change the way we think of the extreme sport genre. What will EA and “Skate” answer with is also a serious question, provided RIDE doesn’t fall on its face and fail.

Gamestop has put up a listing to Pre-Order Gears of War 2: Game of the Year edition for a retail price of $ 39.99. This Collector’s Edition comes with Gears of War 2 and the All Fronts Collection which includes the Flashback Map Pack, the Combustible Map Pack and the Snowblind Map Pack all in one package. This provides new gamers with 19 additional maps and a deleted campaign chapter which was exclusively for Xbox Live. With entire cities sinking, gamers are forced to launch an all out attack on the Locust’s Underground stronghold in order to save humanity. Gears of War 2 is exclusively for Xbox 360.

Comment below with thoughts on the news!

Those who have been waiting, rejoice! Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 is now available through the Playstation Network. However, there is also a limited retail release of the game at Gamestop for $14.99.

People who buy the limited retail copy will recieve a code to digitally download the game from the Playstation Network and also a redemption code for a month’s subscription of digital comics from Marvel.com.

There are only 15,000 retail copies available though, so if you want one you’re going to have to be quick to get a copy. Curious about our thoughts on the game? Check out our review for the Xbox 360 version.

In what looks to be an effort to rid the backrooms of GameStop of‚  heavy Guitar Hero/Rock Band stock in preparation for the onslaught of new music titles on the way, the mega-retailer is holding a “music blowout sale” on all things faux-guitar inspired.

We aren’t talking about your normal, everyday $5 off a used game here, we’re talking massive savings.

How about the Rock Band 2 SE bundle for PS3/Xbox 360 for $94.99 with FREE 3-day shipping. Sound good? Great because if Guitar Hero is your fancy, the World Tour bundle is available at the same price point.

As far as older games and bundles are concerned, Guitar Hero 3, and Aerosmith with Les Paul (happy 94th birthday yesterday) guitar will set you back only $34.99.

Grapevine Texas-based Gamestop promises that all games are brand new and in their original wrapping but their respective containing boxes may be a little rough around the edges. But hey, isn’t that a musician?

Hop on over to the GameStop deal page for full details and pricing.

International mega-purveyor of video games GameStop today announced that, should you thrown down a monetary deposit for the upcoming The Beatles: Rock Band music title from Harmonix, your reward will be 3 free DLC tracks and an unlock code for an in-game Beatles photo album.

No mention of just what the specific tracks are right now, but when we know, you’ll know.‚  For now, hop on over to your local GameStop or plug away online to secure yourself not only a copy of this soon to be coveted game, but also to nab the goodies.

The Beatles: Rock Band is slated for a September 9 2009 release for every major home console.

Prototype, the open-world action game is set to release next Tuesday but what would such a game be without a monumental marketing effort from everyone’s favorite video game retailer? Yeah, we’re talking about GameStop here.

The tech-savvy folks at GameStop threw together this video which mixes real world parkour in what looks to be New York City, the setting of the game, with in-game footage of’ main character Alex Mercer.‚  The effect is alluring eye candy that will probably only stir the feelings you already have in your chest to pick up the title. Or not, we’ll leave that up to you.

An updated product detail page on the GameStop website and a source within the company revealed a lofty $119 price tag for the soon to be “revolutionary” skateboarding game.

We’ve learned a bit about the plastic peripheral, even from the man himself in the past weeks since the games’ official announcement on May 15 and we guessed at a price range between $80-$100, given the skateboards’ technological capabilities, but Activision clearly has other plans.

The peripheral allows for total on-screen control of your skateboarding avatar in the new game through multiple motion sensors and pressure pads of sorts,‚  weighing in at 3.5 pounds, and decked out in a slick black style, we were not expecting the rig to come cheap, but $120 is a little more than I, and maybe you,‚  can stomach at the moment, even if the game “changes skateboarding games forever.”

That said, however, Guitar Hero and Rock Band bundles sell like hotcakes, and with the millions of gamers behind the Tony Hawk name; the market is clearly alive and breathing cash in pocket who wish to see the new face of skateboarding.

Personally, I have bought and played every Tony Hawk console title (except Downhill Jam) and will definitely play RIDE at some time, but maybe when gas prices calm down a bit.

GameStop

What about you?‚  Is $119 worth it for a new take on game-play?

Throwing down $5 to reserve a new release at mega-retailer GameStop is sometimes a hard thing to do.‚  Sure I’ve reserved myself a copy and earned the associate a precious “reserve tally,” but what about me, the loyal customer?

Well, if you’ve had an eye on Prototype, the M-rated open world action game, GameStop is offering up what they call a “critical hints map” with a Biohazard tube container as well as an Alex Mercer action figure complete with a grossly unnatural right arm, as thanks for your $5 donation.

Prototype hits shelves June 9 for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC, and a $5 reservation at GameStop now ensures you not only the title, but mass a mass produced trinket.‚  Awesome?

Prototype at GameStop

Nintendo ushered in a new era of portable gaming this past weekend with the highly anticipated release of the Nintendo DSi.‚  Before the clocks struck midnight however, Nintendo hosted a massive launch party in Los Angeles complete with music groups, television personalities, Nintendo executives and an overwhelmingly excited crowd of enthusiasts of every demographic.

Gamers who descended upon GameStop’s Universal CityWalk location in Los Angeles ‚ got their hands on interactive gaming stations, had their ears tickled by a live performance from Gym Class Heroes and counted down the seconds to midnight with Cammie Dunaway of Nintendo and Kevin Pereira of G4′s Attack‚  of the Show.

Finally, when the hands of the clock aligned at 12, the DSi officially went on sale.‚  The lines were long and giddy with excitement, but one man, Vince Jimenez, 21, of Los Angeles, California (pictured at right) snagged the very first system and held it above his head triumphantly.‚  Jimenez was not alone is his elation however; the multitude of fans huddled at the world’s largest video game retailer mirrored his joy and left with unbreakable smiles and unbridled enthusiasm.

Check out the gallery at right for more images from the launch event‚  and a video detailing the event here.

Your every day friendly video game retailer GameStop is having a spring sale specifically on new titles and while the list is mostly lacking in the quality department, a certain PlayStation 3 role playing game, available for 50% off is attractive enough to whet the thirstiest gamers’ appetite.

Valkyria Chronicles, the PS3 exclusive RPG/strategy game received a very high metacritic score yet only sold a trifle over 370,000 copies worldwide.‚  Valkyria is what we call a “sleeper” title.‚  Maybe the marketing was transparent or none of your friends played it, but two wrongs don’t make a right, do they?

As part of GameStop’s annual GameDays sale, starting tomorrow April 5th and running the whole month, Valkyria Chronicles will have its selling price reduced by one half all the way down to $29.99, hardly a lofty figure for the length of gameplay and satisfaction such a game incurs.

The list is sparse but if you’ve been on the prowl for super easy buffed gamerscore, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith’s price has been dropped to $9.99, thus possibly justifying the investment if you desire some sweet emotion.

Full list of titles at Cheap College Gamers.

As we reported earlier this month, due to the falling value of the British pound, Nintendo has instituted a price hike on the popular Wii console for UK retailers.

However, no such hardship is facing US retailers, in fact, as we distantly approach the fourth holiday season, the Wii supply has “finally” become sufficient.

GameStop Senior Vice President of Merchandising Bob McKenzie remarked in an interview with GamaSutra, that after nearly four years of shortages the Wii is readily available.

“You know, three years later, we finally have enough inventory on the shelf, and we’ve got a couple of weeks in supply of this. That’s good because we can finally determine and gauge it before we get into the fourth holiday season.”

Furthermore, although any idea stemming forth from Nintendo’s creative design icon Shigeru Miyamoto is almost certainly pure gold, McKenzie and GameStop had some reservations regarding the fitness oriented title.

“We weren’t sure if that was really gonna be successful or not, and to be honest I don’t think Nintendo really knew how successful that would be.”

Long story short, McKenzie is happy with the current state of Wii and Wii products availability and will use these business figures to effectively plan for the holiday season.

Anyone still on the prowl for the shiny white console?

Full interview available via GamaSutra.

Blending elements of the RPG, real time strategy, and shooter genres, Knights in the Nightmare, set to release exclusively on the Nintendo DS this June, just got a little sweeter.‚  ‚ ‚ Pre-order bonuses seem to be the new thing these days, and whether the prize is physical or digital, the feeling of added value is undoubtedly what publishers are after.

Atlus, publisher of Knights in the Nightmare, is offering up a CD of the games soundtrack, as well as a 7″X10″ full color art book, through their Atlus Spoils program.

The art book will feature characters, world designs, concept art, and anything else your mind can conjure.‚  As far as the soundtrack is concerned, the music in Knights is reminiscent of age old Pokemon titles, peaceful and harmonious, but also tense and nail-biting during those epic boss battles.‚  If you have a ‘video game music’ playlist on your iPod, the Knights soundtrack will fit right in.

Previous spoils from Atlus have been the hefty, image adorned, 100 page Persona 4 art book, and the Raiho plush doll with Devil Summoner 2.

But don’t run out and reserve Knights just anywhere, when Atlus says ‘Participating retailers’ they mean GameStop, EB Games (Canadian stores), GameCrazy, and Amazon.

Gamer Doc, a California-based start-up billing itself as an alternative video game retailer, is expanding to the East Coast and plans to have new stores in Boston by the end of this year, the company’s president said recently in an interview with Blast.

“My whole belief is that the community of gamers all over the world, including Boston, is insulted by commercials, bored with TV content and is looking for a source of entertainment with more depth,” said Gamer Doc president Jim Belanger, 54. “Video games are providing that.”

“They want true freedom to play what they want when they want,” Belanger said. “They’re kind of rejecting the old ways of marketing.”

Gamer Doc has generated news buzz in local and national markets.‚  They sell games, but instead of just putting product on shelves, there are video games being played all around with game systems being repaired in the back and gaming-related events and contests going on in the middle.

This interactive “gaming community” experience promises to be unique.

“We’re like a Gamestop, a Blockbuster, an arcade and a repairs center all rolled into one,” said Jason Renfro, 37, who opened the first Gamer Doc in Los Angeles.

Gamer Doc hopes to launch three stores in the Boston area this year

Locations provide services based on the needs of the customer. By talking with staff, gamers and new players can increase their knowledge of specific games and systems. Customers can actually play games and participate in events in the store like tournaments, gaming leagues, new game demonstrations and release date events.

In the original Gamer Doc location, the model seems to have worked too well — “In December there was so much business in the store that we had to cancel all the events,” said Renfro.

When events do happen,‚  Gamer Doc locations will often recruit regular customers to help out the staff. Knowledgeable gamers can be a great asset to the community in a Gamer Doc location, Belanger said.

“They are key to our success,” he said. “We have a process of recognizing, and involving, the knowledgeable gamers to get them into the system.”

Belanger said GamerDoc planned to open three franchise stores in and around Boston

A franchise store is paid for by a group of investors. An agreement between Gamer Doc and the investors defines the market area. The challenge for the company is to find qualified franchisees, this will affect the timetable for store openings in Boston, Belanger said. The company sees benefits to franchising.

“The benefit to the owner is to be part of a growing and exciting brand,” the founding president said. “For the customers, we find generally, franchisees are more committed to the customer experience.”

Belanger and David Huether started the company in 2007. Many of the staff members on the current roster have been with the company from the beginning. There were many retailers selling video games at the time, but the pair had a different idea. Instead of simply selling the video games, they wanted to begin recognizing the role of “hardcore gamers” in the store.

“On the Xbox 360 there were these malfunctions called ‘the red ring of death’ that made the system inoperable,” Belanger said. “Hardore gamers were amazed when we gave them loner machines, so they could get back to playing their games,” Belanger said.

The focus on hardcore gamers will be reflected in the layout of the store. Locations will even have a specific line where gamers can quickly pick up their games and go if they want.

“Our idea is to make it so that people can get their games, and get to playing them right away,” Belanger said.

Belanger has been gaming since 1977. His first game was a “cocktail” version of the Pac-Man arcade game that sat two people for simultaneous play. His first console was an Atari 400. He currently owns an Xbox 360 Elite, a PlayStation 2 and a Wii.

He ended any ambition of PC gaming after repeated destruction in World of Warcraft, at the hands of his co-workers.

“Overall, I see the gamers of today are as the golfers of my generation, you have to play every stroke every time, or you’ll never know if you’re really good.”

Mastiff, otherwise known for making the competitive eating game, announced on a more serious note that their upcoming Nintendo DS game, Moon, will be released November 18. They’ve teamed with GameStop to offer anyone who preorders the game a free telescoping Moon stylus and game case, too.

Moon is described as a sci-fi, action-adventure, first person shooter.

Game summary:

Developed by Renegade Kid,‚ Moon‚ is an intense sci-fi, action-adventure title for Nintendo DS.‚ Moon‚ places gamers on the cold lunar surface in the year 2058. Researchers of the newly established Lunar Base Alpha are shocked when they discover a sealed, alien hatch during construction of a new lunar base, but it’s a shock that soon pales in comparison to what they find beyond the hatch.

Game features:

• Renegade Kid’s patented formula of sick and twisted FPS adventure features a cinematic storyline and white-knuckle shooting action.
• Built on the Renegade Engine 2.0, Moon delivers rich environments and robust FPS gameplay that screams at a blistering 60 FPS.
• Collect alien artifacts and challenge insane difficulty levels to unlock premium hidden content – only the hardcore need apply.
• Annihilate alien hostiles as you rip up the lunar landscape in your turret-equipped buggy, or pilot the Remote Access Droid to delve into the Moon’s darkest corners.
• Deliver Major Kane’s style of intergalactic diplomacy as you wield powerful alien technology like the Lepton Spread – a particle shotgun that can tear your enemies a new black hole.

For more information please visit‚ www.moon-game.com.