Our source from EBGames/GameStop, Kaizer_911 is back to inform everyone that the Nintendo DSi is now pre-order at all GameStop stores across the US, and only a limited number will be available per store. He also confirmed the Red Xbox 360 console, but only for New Zealand. More details after the link.

And a great big heap of thanks to Kaizer_911 ;)

Not seeing much EB Games stores lately? That would be because it appears as though the merge of EB Games and GameStop sealed in 2005 is finally closing up all loose ties for good. Gaming Target reports that in Rochester, NY, two more branches of EB Games have been renamed to GameStop as of last week.

Although the merge happened two years back, both companies still retained their individual identities - until today, that is. Since GameStop acquired EB Games, the latter has been slowly assimilated into the GameStop profile, and today, it seems that the makeover is drawing its completion. Official announcements on the matter have yet to be given by the companies involved, but you yourself can check that EB Games stores have been silently "disappearing" from neighborhoods, and are instead replaced with GameStop stores.

But while EB Games will be sorely missed, we can only wish for good things to come out of this change. We'll be sure to keep you posted on more updates.

We recently covered EB Games giving massive discounts on their products. GameStop looks to be jumping on the same bandwagon and has announced its already ongoing sale, dropping the price of the products they carry by as much as 50%.

Included in the sale are numerous PSP UMD movies, PSP games such as Dragonball Z Shin Budokai, Gamecubes with copies of Zelda: The Twilight Princess, PS2 Games, Xbox 360 games such as Eragon and Chrome Hounds, controllers, accessories and much more. Those who have been waiting to spend their hard earned simoleons cash, this may be the right time to head down to GameStop and avail of their promos.

You can check out the entire scope of their promo by clicking on our read link. Be sure to keep checking back here for more deals and promos from your favorite retail stores.

Up ahead is another major deal alert for North America's gamers. There's an upcoming EB Games/GameStop sale that will be going down this week, which will be displaying games and accessories for discount prices ranging from 25% to a whopping 50% off.

The sale is expected to kick in this May 27 (Sunday), and will end on June 16 (Saturday). Courtesy of Cheapassgamer (CAG), we've also managed to pilfer acquire an SKU list of the merchandise that'll be receiving the price cuts (make sure to read the fine print):

  

To clarify the list, reibeatall over at CAG further explained that viewers will want to read the first two numbers on the SKUs:

• 16 = GBA
• 18 = DS
• 19 = PSP
• 20 = XBox 360
• 21 = Xbox
• 22 = GameCube
• 27 = PlayStation 3
• 28 = PlayStation 2
• 64 = PC
• 80 = Accessories

That's all for the moment - make sure to set your calendars and clocks for the sales days. For the guys intent on taking advantage of this deal snippet, we wish them the best of luck.

We're always looking for great deals and here's something from GameStop EB Games that'll definitely pique your interest.

They're having In-Store Specials that are valid until May 17. The offers included are the PlayStation 3 that comes with a free SIXAXIS controller. Also, those who're planning to get Donkey Konga 2 can also get free bongos when they get the game. There's also a spot for DS trades and used GameCubes. You can also check out the video game titles that are marked down by US$ 10.

Anyway, you can check out the images above for the titles. And remember, the offers are dependent on title availability so if you see something you like, you better print out the coupons and visit a store at your earliest convenience.

 

Ben Kuchera likes to vote with his dollar, and with that, he prefers to keep the monopoly of gaming shops away from becoming "Only EBGameStop." It's why he prefers not to go into an EB Games or GameStop anytime soon. However, how do you deal with items exclusively up for sale only in a specific store chain?

That's the question he asks himself and others when it comes to gaming. In fact, it's already been happening with some titles, such as Chulip, Tenchu, and The Settlers:

Chulip—an offbeat game involving kissing—has been released in the US to the cheers of fans of quirky games. The only problem is that EBGameStop is going to be the only place to buy it. Strategy gamers will be annoyed to hear that The Settlers for the DS will also be an EBGameStop exclusive.

Sure, keeping games to yourself is sound business practice, but it's not particularly wonderful on the consumer end, and it also puts some strain on the backs of other game shops. The one thing Kuchera asks, and that we're hoping never happens, is this: Wouldn't you hate it if your favorite game was only available in one kind of store, which you never really were a fan of?

Bargain hunters may very well have a field day with this new offer from EB Games, though we're not sure what to make of it. It seems that EB Games has access to some special freebies which you can only get by buying Spider-Man 3 from them.

According to their site, the freebies include a movie poster and exclusive access to the special portions of the game's site. There's the typo in their advert which makes it seem like a rush job, but it seems like quite a minor thing compared to the possible payoff of free swag and a cool game:

Purchase Spider-Man 3 and receive a Spider-Man 3 Movie Poster plus get exclusive access to www.SM3THEGAME.COM, including first look access to behind the scenes videos, bonus developer blogs and more! Supplies are limited. Offer also good in stores. Poster and access code to website will be sent with game.

Sure, it's a small thing, but spiders are small too. In the meantime, here are some little tweaks across the board for the PSP, DS, and Wii versions of the game. Enjoy!

• PSP: The PSP system game is a fully streaming, complete conversion of the PlayStation 2 system game, not a port.
• Wii: The Wii version delivers the sensation of swinging through the city via the Wii Remote and Wii Nunchuk.Its like nothing you've ever experienced before on the Wii. Two bonus Marvel villains: Morbius and Shriek
• DS: Has a revolutionary battle system featuring full NDS Touch Screen combat. Huge, never-before-seen 3D world and large revolving storyline on the NDS platform.

Well folks, GameStop is also doing its best to be one of the Power Rangers of gaming safety and responsibility. They've recently come out with their own campaign to educate parents about the Entertainment Software Ratings Board and their ratings for games.

Their campaign, known as "Respect the Ratings", is comprised of in-store and online information dispersal. GameStop and its companion company EB Games are putting up ESRB ratings info in their stores for parents to take a look at when they're shopping for the holidays. In the online sector, they've created respectthreratings.com, which also tries to explain the ratings system and responsible gaming in layman's terms by breaking down each category and explaining it, as well as offering additional resources for concerned parents.

Best of all, because of their Power Rangers team-up and some good press, the ESRB has also made public service announcements for TV viewers to see, which even has GameStop and Best Buy presidents Steve Morgan and Brian Dunn in them. With a polite request from GamePolitics, the ESRB has hosted the ads on YouTube for everyone to watch at their leisure. Enjoy the vids!

One more ad after the jump!

Curmudgeon Gamer's JVM has a really nice article up that puts into layman's terms some observations on the current landscape of handheld gaming. He notes how handheld game prices are shifting somewhat in favor of the PSP, though it might not be enough to tip over the DS as handheld gaming's best-seller.

Though both the Nintendo's DS and Sony's PSP have a wide assortment and almost equal number of games overall, JVM saw that the previously held notion of DS games being the lower-priced software titles wasn't so true anymore. Checking EB Games' lineup, his assumptions seemed to bear some merit. He says,

In fact, several PSP games have launched recently at $30 or less: Capcom Collection Reloaded, Activision Hits Remixed, EA Replay, Sega Genesis Collection, Every Extend Extra, and Lumines II. Each one of those is starting at US$ 19.99 or US$ 29.99.

Even more importantly, it seems Sony's pricing scheme is a lot more flexible than Nintendo's, meaning that, as a game ages on the handheld, it gets cheaper a whole lot faster than a Nintendo DS game that keeps its price the same for more than a year. Better still, the average price for DS and PSP games as a result seems to end up the same at 30 bucks a title.

Of course, he also says low-priced games won't be the defining factor in keeping the PSP a strong contender. "If the PSP were priced at US$ 150, my gut tells me it'd sell a lot more strongly," he says. Frankly, a cheaper PSP would definitely be a welcome sight.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin is one of the most anticipated games for the Nintendo DS this year. To make your wait less agonizing, EB Games and GameStop are bringing out a pre-order bonus for all those who pre-order. It will be a soundtrack with music from many of the Castlevania games. It's called the Castlevania 20th Anniversary Soundtrack.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin should be out in December according to EB Games' website. It used to be earlier but it seems the game got delayed. Konami will definitely try to release the game before Christmas so they can maximize sales. Hopefully we hear something from the developers soon!