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EB Games Canada 'Game Days' On Until June 22nd

EB Games Canada is currently offering a ton of game deals as part of their huge summer Game Days promotion. The game bargins continue until June 22.

To check out the deals online, EB Games has the Game Days flyer posted on their website. But I must warn you - their flyer navigation software is absolutely atrocious. Good thing the deals aren't!

Oh, and if you're in the market for Xbox 360 consoles or games, have a look at the Xbox360 Fanboy site for a more easy-to-read run-down of the deals.

UPDATE: Play TSN On Xbox Live @ 7:00pm Tonight

As mentioned a few weeks ago, TSN will be on Xbox Live starting at 7:00pm tonight. In honour of the hockey finals, the chosen game for tonight will be EA's NHL '08.

To play a game against TSN, add the gamertag "TSN LIVE" to your friends list. They also added a second Xbox Live account under the gamertag "TSN Ninja". I'm assuming that both TSN accounts will be online tonight.

Well, game on, and good luck!

Video Games Live Plays Free Show In Toronto, June 21

Video Games Live, which bills itself as "the first and most successful video game concert in the world" will be performing a free concert on June 21st, 2008 in Toronto at the Younge-Dundas Square. The event begins at 8:30pm.

Expect to see a large Future Shop presence as the company was announced back in February 2008 as the exclusive Canadian Sponsor of Video Games Live.

I had the opportunity to attend the February 9th Video Game Live concert at Massey Hall an it was an amazing, interactive, symphonic experience. Definitely one of the most memorable concerts I have ever attended.

For those who haven't yet seen a live show, check out this teaser video on YouTube:

Uwe Boll's 'Postal' Playing In Three Canadian Theatres

Even though Uwe Boll's video game based movies are almost universally panned I sometimes can't help but feel bad for the guy. I mean, his newest movie - Postal - based off the PC game of the same name, was supposed to open this past weekend in over 1,000 theaters in North America. Instead, within the last month all but 21 theatres pulled the plug on the movie. Three of these theatres just happen to be in Canada.

Uwe Boll, speaking on the Postal website, had these disparaging remarks to say to his critics:

"...you want only movies like JUMPER , SPEED RACER , WHAT HAPPENDS IN VEGAS ...? then keep going and your dreams will be fullfilled. POSTAL makes some very important points ..but you dont wanna see that .... : that Bush used the SEPTEMBER 11 to start a war against a country what had nothing to do with Bin
Laden etc.... but this all doesnt matter because you are all busy to THINK that INDIANA JONES or NARNIA are important movies ... but in real they are empty shells of an industry what wants to make money and what wants to keep you looking "escape movies" with nothing in it."

Sounds like Uwe Boll's gone a little postal himself if you ask me!

Anyhow, in case you're interested in checking out his latest video game movie, you can see it at one of the following theatres in Canada:

Rainbow Market Square
80 Front St. E. (Market Square at Jarvis St.)
Toronto, ON

AMC Forum 22
2313 Ste-Catherine Ouest
Montréal, QC

Empire Granville 7
855 Granville St.
Vancouver, BC

For a complete listing of theatres & showtimes, check out the movie's Page on Facebook.

Nestlé Canada Giving Away 94 Xbox 360's; Yes, That's Right, 94

"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ...video games!" I can hear the revised ice cream aficionado chant now.

Not to be out done by those other companies, Nestlé Canada have announced a summer promotion of their own that will include, among others, free video game consoles. Starting the beginning of summer, Nestlé will be drawing one new name each day to win an Xbox 360 console as part of their Blue Freezer Contest. For those people who like numbers, that's 94 give-away consoles in total according to Nestlé.

When I think of summer, I generally go with the rule-of-thumb that it starts on June 21st and ends on September 21st. So I counted, and that's only 93 days - one console shy of the 94.

Well, I decided to check the most reliable source known to humankind - Wikipedia - and it says that the summer solstice begins on June 20 at 11:59pm, and the autumn equinox begins on September 22 at 3:44pm. So technically, Nestlé Canada owes us 95 Xbox 360's, and not 94. I could argue the finer point here, but hey, I can forgive them for rounding up a minute. Two minutes though, and I'd raise hell!

After reading through the Rules & Regulations (yes, I do the monotonous work so you don't have to), I discovered that the Xbox 360's have "an approximate retail value of $399.00CAD" - so it's probably the Pro console they're giving away. At least it's not that bare-bones Arcade version, [insert w00t! here].

The best part about the Blue Freezer website though has to be the description given for an Xbox 360:

"Xbox 360 fully engages you in a gaming experience that is more expansive, dramatic, and lifelike, where the possibilities are limitless and your imagination knows no boundaries."

And here I thought it was just your average Next Gen video game system!

[Photo courtesy of Clover_1. Thanks!]

TNA iMPACT! Game Needs More Maple Leaf Muscle

Let's get one thing straight: I'm a huge fan of TNA Wrestling. Been so ever since when I watched Scott D'Amore form one of my favourite heel professional wrestling stables - the illustrious Team Canada.

Their wrestling angle was simple: unite the Canadian TNA wrestlers into a single, red-and-white powerhouse faction. The group's theme music was an awesome electric guitar remix of the Canadian National Anthem, and they came down the aisle waving a Canadian flag attached atop a hockey stick. A diehard Canadian wrestling fan couldn't ask for much more than that.

Even though Team Canada has since disbanded, many of the wrestlers have moved on to successful singles careers within TNA.

That's why when read IGN's hands-on impression of TNA iMPACT! (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii) I was quite dismayed that only one former Team Canada member is confirmed in the game - Eric Young. They have of course included another Canadian, Christian Cage, but given his headlining propensity, his inclusion was a given.

So will we see absent ex-Team Canada superstars such as: Petey Williams, Robert Roode, or Johnny Devine? Well, Midway have announced that 25 wrestlers will appear in the game, and 18 have been confirmed thus far - meaning there is still hope. Given the huge pushes Petey Williams and Robert Roode have received of as late, they do seem on the surface to be logical choices.

The problem of course, is that from a marketing standpoint it makes sense to select household name wrestlers to promote the game - and there are still many well-known TNA wrestlers not yet confirmed (e.g. Team 3D, Black Reign, Kevin Nash, & Kip James). Meaning the 7 remaining spaces could fill up quickly.

Will we see some more maple leaf muscle in the final retail product? TNA iMPACT! does have the potential to be very Canadian-friendly. I guess we'll have to wait until game gets released in September to know for sure.

CBC 'Test The Nation' Wii/DS Contest

Quick Quiz, Canadians: Do you want to win a Nintendo Wii or DS?

A) Yes, I do.
B) Yes, Of Course.
C) Yes, Absolutely.
D) Yes, Pliis!

If you answered A, B, C, or D - then you're in luck!

CBC is currently running a Wii/DS promotion for 'Test The Nation: Sports', the nationally televised interactive quiz show airing on Sunday, May 25th at 8:00pm. The two-hour live event will be hosted by Wendy Mesley, and she will be joined by Ron MacLean from Hockey Night in Canada fame.

According to the contest Rules & Regulations:

During the broadcast on Sunday May 25th at 8 pm (8:30 NT) watch Test the Nation: Sports on CBC Television and when prompted, text the word PLAY to CBCTXT (222898) on your mobile device. By texting PLAY you are entering the Text the Nation: Sports contest with a chance to win a Nintendo Wii console.

Unlimited entries per person allowed via mobile entry.

To enter the Nintendo DS contest, all you need to do is text the word REGISTER to CBCTXT (222898) on your mobile device anytime between now, and May 26th at 1:00am.

Best of luck to all who enter!

Operation Polar Bear - Reflections on Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts

As my battle-hardened infantry units went to work assembling a machine gun nest at a vital bridge crossing in a recent Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts skirmish, I was struck with a sense of the unfamiliar. Not because I was playing a game set in arguably the most commonly portrayed historical period for video games; if anything that feeling is familiar to the point where I could probably field-strip a M1 Garand in the dark. The unknown factor in this case was the units themselves, who wore neither the Stars and Stripes nor the Union Jack on their arms. They were in fact, card-carrying members of the Dominion of Canada.

So how had these plucky Canucks found their way from Juno beach into my game? Up to that point, I had been battling the German Wehrmacht with the stiff upper lipped gents of the British S.A.S. An interlude came in the form of a mission where the Royal Canadian Rifles were tasked with capturing a vital airfield near the French town of Caen. It seems Jerry was going to come knocking on the door, and the Brits wanted to see if the lads from across the pond could answer. The mission is based on Operation Windsor, which took place in June of 1944. The Canadians were the main force behind the securing of a vital airfield at Carpiquet. In reality, the mission went as planned, and the forces which ultimately captured the airfield also repelled a German counter-attack. I hoped to recreate this experience within my game.

As the mission went on, I found myself less concerned with fending off waves of attackers in coal scuttle helmets and more with the portrayal of my own countrymen as they fought towards the airfield. The initial surprise of having any Canadians appear in a game was significant enough. Our representation to this point hadn’t exactly been awe-inspiring. Wolf Hawkfield from Sega’s Virtual Fighter series? Sasquatch from Darkstalkers? Not what I would call easy to identify with characters. CoH’s Canadians were a likeable enough sort. They were determined, and they steadfastly resisted the German attempts to instill fear via a fellow with a bullhorn. “Why fight for the imperialists who forget your sacrifices at Vimy?” he taunted. That made my eyebrows go up a bit. The reference to Vimy Ridge, a major source of national pride for us syrup peddlers suggests that Relic Entertainment did their homework. Looking up Relic revealed that they’re based out of Vancouver, and it’s at that point that the whole thing fell into place. Putting a single Canuck mission into their game must have given them some personal satisfaction (and variety) in an already stellar expansion pack.

So on the whole, did the men of the Royal Canadian Rifles do their country proud, or were they destined to join a crazed wrestler and some sort of Yeti fellow in the Canadian Videogame Character Hall of Shame? I thought the lads were portrayed well. There were some Bob and Doug Mackenzie accents, particularly the order acknowledgments, but other than that, they came off sounding great. I really can’t get too hung up on stereotypes though, especially when the British characters either sound like stuffy old men sitting in an armchair or Bacon from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. If nothing else, I got to send a few hundred crying Nazis back to mama, and that is always worth the price of admission.

LOST PS3 Contest: You Can Enter 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, or 42 Times

I am absolutely addicted to ABC's Lost. Yeah, sure Season Three was a sore spot on the otherwise pristine serial drama, but J. J. Abrams and the gang redeemed themselves with a (thus far) thrilling Season Four.

For Canadian LOST fans out there, you might be interested in a contest Sony, Ubisoft and ABC Studios are running on the playstation.ca website, with the Grand Prize being a free copy of LOST: Via Domus for the Playstation 3.

A word of caution however: in order to qualify for a chance to win the game, you need to answer 10 LOST trivia questions - and get at least 7/10 correct. For LOST regulars, this shouldn't be much of a problem; however, if you've never seen the show you probably have little chance of correctly answering the questions (unless of course, you happen to be named Jacob, then maybe).

The contest runs until midnight on June 2, and according to the Rules and Regulations you're allowed "five entries per eligible person per day throughout the promotional period." According to my calculations, that means I could enter up to 70 more times if my persistence keeps up for the next 13 days.

Oh, and if you choose not to enter the contest I won't hold it against you. The LOST game did get an embarassingly low score of 53% according to Metacritic's ranking. But hey, it's free to enter, and there are apparently LOST hints and clues scattered about in the game, so it might be worth checking out.

Wii Fit Canadian Mall Tour, Do Aerobics In Public!

It's a good year to be Shigeru Miyamoto. When you're the creative genious behind such 2008 worldwide successes as Super Smash Bros. (3.66 million units sold in N.A.) and Mario Kart Wii (1.65 million units sold in N.A.) you can't help but grin from ear-to-ear. And to think - it's only May!

Brace yourself because tomorrow marks the date of Shigeru's next software juggernaut - Wii Fit - quite possibly Nintendo's biggest release of 2008. As of writing, the game is already listed as the Most Wished game on Amazon Canada, Amazon USA, and Amazon U.K. and apparently is selling at a rate of 2.5 units sold every minute according to Joystiq.com.

Not that Wii Fit actually needs advertising (it could easily thrive off mainstream press alone), but Nintendo have announced a Canadian mall tour that will visit British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec. The tour will run from May 19 to June 15.

While the mall tour will will undoubtedly spur even more interest in the game, I might go just to see how foolish people will look doing balance board aerobics in the middle of a congested retail space. I would try the game out myself, but I don't how I'd feel if the game called me a Fatty McFatterson in public. I'd rather know that from the privacy of my own house, thank you very much.

Wednesday is going to be damn nuts. I think I'll pick up Wii Fit after the crowds die down a bit (if I can actually find a copy of the game, that is!)

UPDATE: Live Pics @ Cineplex Mario Kart Wii Tour

On this past Thursday, I had the opportunity to check out the Cineplex Mario Kart Wii cross-Canada event discussed last week. It was a fun chance to test out Mario Kart Wii and try the *shudder* plastic wheel device. After a few laps it became rather evident that for a diehard Mario Kart such as myself, that the wheel simply doesn't cut it. I found the controls rather sloppy, and often found I was oversteering the turns.

Thankfully, I finally received my own copy of the game from Dell Canada and had ample time this holiday weekend to try out the Wii-mote + Nunchuk control option. It works wonderfully: giving you the familiarity of the analog stick and allows you to effortlessly perform the speed boost jump tricks.

There was a lot of excitement at the Cineplex event, for both kids, parents, and well, people like me. For the truly crazed fan, you could have your photograph taken and superimposed on a Mario Kart Wii license. As promised, I opted to use the name 'Birdo Blooper Jr.', but realized afterwards that it just made the already silly looking license even more outlandish. Ah well, all in good fun!

For some more pictures of the event, click the thumbnails below:

Canadian Game Sales Record | GTA IV

WHAM Gaming is reporting that GTA has broken the record for launch week sales, previous held by Halo 2, by delivering 270 thousand copies to Canadian Gamers. For a grand total first week sales total just over 17 Million dollars.

Since launch GTA has continued to hold top spot on XBL, toppling both Halo 3 and COD4.

Move over Master Chief and Sergeant MacTavish, Niko Bellic looks to be the big kid on the street now.

Do You Have The Guts To Play 'TSN Live' One-On-One?

Similar to my MTV Canada post last week, TSN is also launched a webpage devoted to Xbox Live. You can check out the page at www.tsn.ca/xbox.

Cool features include:

- Reviews of Xbox 360 sports games (they link to the Xbox Canadian website)

- NHL Playoffs Simulation (I won't ruin the surprise if you haven't seen it, but I will say that a certain Canadian team made it to the finals)

And by far my favourite feature:

You can play the TSN LIVE Gamer at 7:30 on the last Thursday of every month. In April, the the chosen game was NHL 08, and at the end of the gaming session the TSN Live Gamer posted memorable highlights of the games. The next match-up is on May 29 on XBox Live, and is expected to be one of the following games: FIFA Street 3, Euro 2008, or MLB 2K8.

But be warned, according to the website:

"When it comes to sports video games, TSN Live is a bag of tricks. An easy-going,mild-mannered gamer one day, but push the right buttons, TSN_Live can be easily transformed into a lean, mean, butt-kicking machine."

Sounds badass to me.

One piece of advice: In order to play TSN on Xbox Live you need to add the gamertag "TSN LIVE" - without an underscore. Just to confuse you, on the website they use TSN_Live twice that I can see.

Maybe the TSN Live Gamer wanted to confuse us before the game in order to get the psychological upper hand. And here I thought Rick Flair was the dirtiest player in the game!

12 Story GTA IV Banner In Toronto

I just got back home a few hours ago from the inaugural Video Gaming Research Symposium my fellow NextGener, Matt, posted about last week. I had a fantastic time and met some incredibly interesting University of Toronto researchers, game developers, and video game educators. Later this week I'll have a full review post to let you all know about some of the more exciting presentations from the Symposium.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share some photographs I took today of the huge 12 story Grand Theft Auto IV banner hanging off the side of building at Huron Street and Bloor Street, downtown Toronto. I saw this banner last week and was determined to come back and take a nice collection of shots.

To view the banner from a number of different angles and perspectives, check out my recently created flickr set.

Cheers!

Vancouver International Game Summit - May 21 - 22, 2008

The 2nd annual Vancouver International Game Summit, organized by Reboot Communications, is being held this month on May 21 & 22. The two day conference will bring together many of Canada's top video game leaders and businesses responsible for the explosive growth of the Canada gaming industry, providing a platform to discuss global perspectives on developing games for next generation consoles.

The Summit will focus on providing educational, networking and business opportunities for game development professionals through four tracks: Management, Technology, Design and Environmental.

To kick-off the event, Shane Kim, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft Games Studio, will present the opening keynote address. The following day will feature a keynote from Jason Rubin, founder and former President of Naughty Dog.

Just announced on the VIGS blog, the Summit will feature closing remarks from some of the key leaders behind the 2007 Game of the Year: Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, including Infinity Ward’s Vince Zampella and Tabitha Hayes from Activision.

My favourite part of the VIGS website is the Reasons To Attend section which includes, among others:

• The parties are going to be amazing!
• We serve real food! No box lunches!!
• Not only will you have fun but you will learn something useful to take back to the office, we promise!

Hey, they had me at the first bullet point!

Race To The Big Screen With Cineplex And Mario Kart Wii

Cineplex Entertainment is celebrating the release of Mario Kart Wii in a big (screen!) way with a new Canadian promotion at select theatres in Alberta, B.C., Ontario, and Quebec.

The promotion started on May 8th and will run it's final lap on June 1st.

At the events, you'll have a chance to give Mario Kart Wii a test run and take home a free personalized Nintendo license. Very cool indeed.

Hmm...I think I would use the name "Birdo Blooper Jr." on my Nintendo license - after my three favourite characters from the Mario universe. I've always thought they'd make the perfect hybrid Nintendo character - imagine an evil, ink spewing androgynous egg-spitter. Scary. As. Hell.

To see all the Cineplex theatre locations hosting Mario Kart Wii events, check out the Cineplex website here.

Canadian Gaming Deals, May 9th Edition

As usual, there are a ton of game deals going on this week. Here's a list of deals from major Canadian retailers:


Zellers

40GB PS3 with Gran Tourismo Prologue - $429.99
Pirates of the Caribbean (PS3, PS2, PSP, Wii, Xbox 360) - $19.99

Best Buy

Xbox
Free Rainbow 6 Vegas with purchase of Xbox Elite - $449.99
Scene It -$ 39.99
Halo 3 - $39.99

PS3
Free Eye Cam with PS3 40GB - $399.99
Gran Tourism Prologue - $29.99
MBL '08 (PS3) - $49.99

DS
Nintendo DS - $129.99

Future Shop

Wii
Wii Fit with free crystal case for Wii remote & Nunchuk - $99.99
Sega Bass Fishing - $19.99
Nights Journey of Dreams - $19.99

PS3
Free Golden Compass and Virtua Fighter 5 with PS3 40GB - $399.99
Ballers: Chosen One - $54.99
Guitar Hero III: Legend of Rock Bundle - $89.99
7-in-1 Pro Gamer's Kit - $29.99

360
Free UEFA and NCAA games with 360 Pro - $349.99
Halo 3 Sling Bag - $14.99
Halo 3 Missile Case - $9.99

Toys R Us

Wii
High School Musical Microphone Bundle - $39.97
Big Brain Academy - $49.99
$10 off when you buy any 2 Wii Mario Games (Mario & Sonic at the Olympics, Mario Galaxy, Super Paper Mario, Wario Ware Smooth Moves, Mario Strikers Charged, Mario Party 8)

DS
Brain Age - $19.99
Brain Age 2 - $19.99
Big Brain Academy - $19.99
Pokemon Diamond / Pearl - $34.99
Nintendogs - $29.99
Assassins Creed - $29.99
Lego Star Wars - $24.99
+ many more deals

Wal-Mart

Not really a deal, but I noticed while shopping today that they are selling Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (DS) for $35. Every other store I've checked has this game for $39.99.

Rip-off of the week: Wii console - $296.83 @ Wal-Mart

Far Cry 2 Art Director: "We Stayed In The Wilderness, With The Animals"

When Ubisoft Montreal decides to recreate a living, breathing environment they do it in the most authentic way possible: they live the experience. Mid-way through an Introduction Trailer Ubisoft released today, Far Cry 2's Art Director had this say:

"Far Cry 2 takes place in Africa - so we went there. But we wanted the real Far Cry experience, so no hotels for us. We stayed in the wilderness, with the animals. We visited savannas, woodlands, jungles, we came back with over 7 gigs of pictures, dozens of hours of HD footage, and a truly terrifying story of lions in our camp at night - an experience that I truly would not want to live through ever again. But when we came back, and realized what we had and applied it to the game, we knew that it was all worth the effort."

Ubisoft Montreal looks to have an incredible sequel in the works for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC this fall. Check out the full Introduction Trailer below courtesty of GameTrailers. Roarrrr.

Playstation® Canada Expanding Facebook Presence (Tomorrow!?)

Most nights when I log into my Facebook account I follow the same tried and true routine: i) return-poke friends on my 'you've been poked' list; 2) resist Facebook stalking friends; and finally 3) delete spam distribution list messages in my Inbox.

But on the evening of Thursday, May 1st I broke tradition. Not only did I read a distribution message, I actually kept it in my inbox [insert shocked emoticon here!].

The message was from Playstation Canada, informing me that in 7 days or more (i.e. May 8th or later) the Playstation Facebook Group would be evolving into a full-blown Facebook Page. Normally I wouldn't get this excited, but it was the first Facebook communication from Playstation Canada I have received since joining the group about a month ago.

So what exactly is the difference between a Facebook Group and a Facebook Page? Well, this is what Sony had to say in the message:

"The PlayStation Canada Group is becoming a Facebook Page on or after Thursday, May 8.

A Facebook Page is a distinct presence, similar to but separate from a user profile, customized for musical artists, businesses, brands, and more to represent themselves on Facebook. You don't have to do anything to have your current group membership transfer to the PlayStation Canada Page. "

Hmmmm, a little vague, but interesting nonetheless. I browsed a few other Facebook Pages to get an idea of what some of the changes may be, but all the pages I visited were quite diverse and there were not many common elements between pages.

Needless to say, I can't wait to check it out tomorrow. Please Sony, if I can make one recommendation: add Scrabulous to your Facebook Page, I would love the opportunity to use my Brobdingnagian vocabulary to kick Jack Trenton's butt!

Toronto Video Game Conference

The University of Toronto is holding their first ever "Video Gaming Research Symposium". View the Invitation here (pdf).

Event Description:
Video gaming incorporates and impacts cutting edge research in the fields of computer science, engineering, sociology, management and law. We are delighted to present a broad array of research projects that are representative of the breadth of work underway at the University of Toronto. The presentations will focus on the technical aspects of video game design and then consider the social and legal aspects of game playing.

Details:

Video Game Conference
May 13th, 2008
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
40 St. George Street
Bahen Centre for Information and Technology
University of Toronto
Room 1190

Be sure to register for this event in advance, and Look out for Paul (LeetBeatMeat) who will be in attendance.

For more information, please click here.

Rock Out With MTV Canada & Xbox Live

MTV Canada, in partnership with Microsoft, recently lauched a dedicated Xbox Live webpage to promote the awesomeness that is Rock Band. Check it out at www.mtv.ca/xbox.

Cool features include:

- Add 'mtvdotca' on Xbox Live and play Rockband with MTV.CA - Thursdays at 5pm EST

- Written reviews of Rock Band tracks

- Exclusive interview with Harmonix

- Gameplay footage courtesy of Gametrailers

And my personal favourite feature: The music videos for most of the songs contained in Rock Band!

Lego Indiana Jones Looks Impressive

Anyone who's played a Lego Star Wars game can attest to how perfectly the lego universe mixes with classic Hollywood theatrical trilogies. That's why I have very high expectations for Lego Indiana Jones coming out June 3rd for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii, and handhelds.

If this eye-popping new video from Gametrailers is any indication however, it looks like I nothing to fret about.



The real question is whether to buy the game for sharp HD graphics (PS3/360), or for the waggle whipping motion control (Wii).

The question is, which system will you be buying it for?

Canadian Gaming Deals, May 3rd Edition

Holy fugally frugalness, there are so many hot Canadian gaming deals this week I barely know where to begin.

Let's see, Dell Canada is offering both the White DS Lite and the Pink DS Lite for the ridiculously low price of $99.99. They would definitely be a great gift for Mother's Day.

Next, Amazon.ca has a Spring Cleaning promotion on all May with all games listed being 50% off or more. While many of the games are of average quality, there are still some good deals to be found:

- Battalion Wars 2 (Wii) $22.50
- Nights (Wii) $19.99
- Spiderman (360) $22.50
- Xbox wireless controller Halo version (360) $48.59
- Mario vs. Donkey Kong (DS) $15.00
- Master of Illusion (DS) $12.60
- Madden NFL 08 (PS2) $13.50

And last, but most certainly not least, make sure to check out the Cheap Ass Gamer Canadian forum for a listing of deals from Future Shop, Best Buy and Zellers.

In there you can find deals on God of War: CoO (PSP), Dark Sector (360), Professor Layton (DS), Bully (360), Tiger Woods (Wii), Mario Galaxy (Wii), and many more.

Have a happy (and cheap) gaming week, all!

Blu-ray Player Sales Dropping, PS3 May Reverse Trend

The Globe and Mail is reporting today that the victory of Blu-ray over rival HD-DVD has not improved stand-alone player sales. Monthly sales have actually declined by nearly 40% since January. The format's prognosis is improving however, as sales of the PS3 have climbed steadily since the holiday season. According to the March NPD sales data, Sony's next-gen console achieved a year-over-year sales lift of over 98%. Analysts are expecting new titles such as Grand Theft Auto IV and Metal Gear Solid 4 to lift sales even further.

ABI Research, a technology market analyst firm, estimates that PS3s will account for more than 85 per cent of Blu-ray players in use this year. So essentially, the Blu-ray market and the PS3 market are one and the same. Got it.

It's Fiesta time @ Bungie

Bungie have already started this weekends double EXP playlist for Halo 3.

What is this weekend's theme you ask?

To celebrate the upcoming holiday, Cinco De Mayo (Fifth of May), Bungie is throwing a fiesta!

Fiesta, is a Halo 2 inspired game where players spawn with random weapons. To play you Fiesta requires both the Heroic and Legendary map packs. Also announced is this weekend's playlist will be available until Tuesday.

Oh yeah and Happy May day!

Win Mario Kart for the Wii

Each and every month RedFlagDeals.com rewards one lucky subscriber of the Bargains Newsletter with an awesome prize.

This month RedFlagDeals giving away a copy of the newly released Mario Kart for the Nintendo Wii.

Subscribe now - what are you waiting for...

* Deadline May 31st - Open to legal residents of Canada who are residing in Canada - full contest rules here.