Nerd Rating

Tag: Christmas

  • Merry Christmas From Machinima. You’re Fired.

    Today was not a good day to be an employee at website Machinima who laid off almost 10% of their staff just two weeks before Christmas. The layoffs affected the editorial staff. Machinima employees were given no forward notice of their terminations.

    To rub salt in the wound, Machinima released an official statement about the matter.

    “Today Machinima underwent a reorganization to address its global growth, and this process unfortunately resulted in layoffs. Less than 10% of Machinima’s workforce was effected. Also as part of the restructure Machinima is hiring across key divisions including Sales, Marketing and Product.”

    So for all the people that created and edited content for the website take heart, they are hiring new employees to help sell your content.

  • Will Next Xbox Have Two Very Different Versions?

    More Than Hard Drives Could Seperate The Two.

    Rumors abound that Microsoft is planning on releasing two vastly different console experiences next year in order to get into more living rooms of casual gamers.

    When the Xbox 360 released in November 2005 the console was released in two versions (Pro and Core) in which the main difference was an attached hard drive on the Pro but it appears that when the new console is released next year one will be the true next generation console experience with all the bells and whistles that Microsoft decides to put inside while the other sku would be more of an set-top box experience that will run on Windows 8 and run as as DVR and be able to play more casual games and run apps.

    While that sounds all well and good for Microsoft in their plan of getting into more casual gaming houses I can already see the headache of brick and mortar store employees having to explain to parents in the holiday season the differences in the two consoles. Not to mention the look on kids faces if they end up getting what will basically be a Microsoft TV box for Christmas.

  • Black Friday Fight List (Buyer’s Guide)

    Head Trauma Free Of Charge.

    It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Of course, that technically starts on Saturday because Friday will be about cold early morning lines, running over the weak and seeing how that old lady with the Wii U can handle a punch.

    That’s right it’s Black Friday, which over the past few years, has begun to take over Thanksgiving as well to where most people have just enough time to finish their family time of thanks and goodwill then head out for battle. We here at Nerd Rating are here to help you on your journey into the deepest, darkest of holiday humanity with a buyer’s guide that will show you the best of the deals that most retailers are offering for TV’s, tablets, video games and more.

    Be sure and hit the links to compare to Amazon.com because the online retailer is matching or even beating a lot of the advertised prices out there.

    Televisions

    • [amazon_link id=”B006ZH0K7A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]LG 47″ LED 1080P 120Hz HDTV[/amazon_link]- $599.99 (K-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B006Z9W6AW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]LG 50″ Plasma 1080P 600Hz HDTV[/amazon_link]- $549.99 (K-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B004OBZM8G” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Sharp Aquos 60″ 1080P 120Hz HDTV[/amazon_link]- $999.99 (Best Buy)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0075Z2SMG” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Toshiba 40″ LCD 1080P 60Hz HDTV[/amazon_link]- $179.99 (Best Buy)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0073K64NM” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Toshiba 50″ LED 1080P 60Hz HDTV[/amazon_link]- $399.99 (Best Buy)
    • Emerson 50″ LCD 1080P 60Hz HDTV- $298.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B009H8JOZS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Vizio 60″ LED 1080P 120Hz HDTV w/ Wi-Fi[/amazon_link]- $688.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • Westinghouse 50″ 1080P HDTV- $349.00 (Target)

    Tablets

    • [amazon_link id=”B0083PWAPW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7″ display w/ 16GB[/amazon_link] + $30 Best Buy gift card- $199.99 (Best Buy)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0051VVOB2″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon Kindle Fire 7″ display w/ 8GB[/amazon_link] + $30 Best Buy gift card- $159.99 (Best Buy)
    • [amazon_link id=”B007P4VOWC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7″ display w/ 8GB[/amazon_link] + $20 Best Buy giftcard- $179.99 (Best Buy)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0047DVWLW” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Apple iPad 2 16GB w/ Wi-Fi[/amazon_link] + $75 Wal-Mart gift card- $399.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”140053271X” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch[/amazon_link]- $39.00 (Sears)

    Laptops

    • [amazon_link id=”B0085RUYHE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Compaq Presario, 2GB RAM, 320GB, 15.6″[/amazon_link]- $179.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0078HGTR6″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]HP Laptop, 4GB RAM, 500GB, 15.6″[/amazon_link]- $349.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B005LF3S6C” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Toshiba Satellite, Intel i7 Processor, 8GB RAM, 750GB, 15.6″[/amazon_link]- $599.99 (Office Depot)

    Consoles

    • [amazon_link id=”B0096KEMUY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]XBox 360 250GB Holiday Bundle w/ Forza Motorsports, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim[/amazon_link] and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2- $249.99 (Gamestop)
    • Playstation 3 250GB Console w/ Infamous 1&2, Uncharted 1&2 and one month of PS Plus- $199.99 (Gamestop, Wal-Mart, Best Buy)
    • [amazon_link id=”B002I0JZOC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Playstation Vita (White) Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation Bundle[/amazon_link]- $199.99 (Gamestop)
    • [amazon_link id=”B006C4B9I0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Nintendo 3DS (Fire Red) Bundle w/ Super Mario 3D Land[/amazon_link] and any choice of Nintendogs game- $169.99 (Gamestop)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0009VXBAQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Nintendo Wii Console[/amazon_link]- $89.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • XBox 360 4GB Console w/ Skylanders Giants Starter Kit- $149.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B002I0JZIS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Playstation Vita Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified Bundle[/amazon_link]- $199.99 (Best Buy)
    • [amazon_link id=”B006C4B9I0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Nintendo 3DS (Fire Red) Bundle w/ Super Mario 3D Land[/amazon_link]- $149.99 (Best Buy)
    • Playstation 250GB Console w/ Infamous 1&2, Uncharted 1&2 and free Air-Flow controller- $199.99 (Toys R Us)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0096KENEO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Xbox 360 4GB Console w/ Kinect, Kinect Adventures, Disneyland Adventures[/amazon_link] and free Air-Flow controller- $249.99 (Toys R Us)
    • [amazon_link id=”B002I0JZIS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Playstation Vita Call of Duty: Black Ops: Declassified Bundle[/amazon_link] w/ free Vita 10-in-1 Essentials Pack- $199.99 (Toys R Us)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0045F8QDE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Nintendo Wii Console w/ Wii Sports, Wii Sports Resort[/amazon_link] and Just Dance Kids 2- $119.00 (Target)
    • Playstation Vita w/ Lego Batman 2 game- $199.00 (Target)

    Games

    • [amazon_link id=”B007MM9E42″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Epic Mickey 2[/amazon_link]- $24.96 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0085L2T14″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]WWE 13[/amazon_link]- $25.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0050SX9VO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Borderlands 2[/amazon_link]- $25.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B007M6W38W” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NBA 2K13[/amazon_link]- $25.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B005C2D1YI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Dishonored[/amazon_link]- $25.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B006WQR3GA” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]XCOM: Enemy Unknown[/amazon_link]- $25.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B006VB2UNM” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Madden NFL 13[/amazon_link]- $25.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0022TNO7S” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Max Payne 3[/amazon_link]- $15.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0050SY8UK” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Fable: The Journey[/amazon_link]- $15.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B006JKARN0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Gran Turismo 5[/amazon_link]- $10.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B002I0J5UQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]L.A. Noire[/amazon_link]- $10.00 (Wal-Mart)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0050SYDEQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Forza Horizon[/amazon_link]- $39.99 (Gamestop)
    • [amazon_link id=”B008OQTU6C” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Battlefield 3: Premium Edition[/amazon_link]- $29.99 (Gamestop)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0050SWZHS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Medal of Honor: Warfighter[/amazon_link]- $29.99 (Gamestop)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0050SWTAQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Need For Speed: Most Wanted[/amazon_link]- $29.99 (Gamestop)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0050SX00Y” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Little Big Planet Karting[/amazon_link]- $29.99 (Gamestop)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0074LJ3CE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Mortal Kombat Vita[/amazon_link]- $14.99 (Gamestop)
    • [amazon_link id=”B007SRM5MO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Batman: Arkham City GOTY Edition[/amazon_link]- $19.99 (Gamestop)
    • [amazon_link id=”B006OI3CTS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Kingdom Hearts 3D Dream Drop Distance[/amazon_link]- $19.99 (Gamestop)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0050SXFKE” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Assassin’s Creed 3[/amazon_link]- $34.99 (Best Buy)
    • [amazon_link id=”B00178630A” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Diablo 3[/amazon_link]- $34.99 (Best Buy)
    • [amazon_link id=”B008277M0Y” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]FIFA Soccer 13[/amazon_link]- $34.99 (Best Buy)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0056WJA30″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Darksiders 2[/amazon_link]- $29.99 (Best Buy)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0085CA8NY” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Dead Island GOTY Edition[/amazon_link]- $7.99 (Best Buy)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0050SYX8W” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Halo 4[/amazon_link] w/ $20 gift card- $59.99 (Target)
    • [amazon_link id=”B0086V5UF0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Just Dance 4[/amazon_link] w/ $10 gift card- $39.99 (Target)

     

     

     

  • Best Buy’s Black Friday Ad Is Up. 360, PS3, Vita Bundles Among Deals.

    Big Games Like Assassin’s Creed, Need For Speed Reduced.

    Black Friday is quickly approaching and to get everyone ready Best Buy has just posted their Black Friday ad and there is plenty to get excited about in the gaming department. The 360, PS3, 3DS and Vita will all have bundles on sale as well as some of the best selling games of the year like Borderlands 2, Assassin’s Creed 3 and Darkstalkers 2 will be almost 50% off.

    Here is the rundown on the best of what Best Buy has to offer for gamers.

    (Items marked “Doorbuster Deals” are only available at the midnight opening until out of stock. Tickets will be handed out at local stores)

    -Playstation 3 250GB system w/ Uncharted 1&2, Infamous 1&2 and one month of PS Plus- $199.99 ($100 off) *Doorbuster Deal*

    -XBox 360 250GB w/ Skyrim and Forza Motorsports 4- $199.99 ($100 off)

    -Playstation Vita Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 Declassified Bundle- $199.99 ($50 off)

    -Nintendo 3DS (Fire Red) w/ Super Mario 3D Land- $149.99

    -Assassin’s Creed 3 (360, PS3)- $34.99

    -Borderlands 2 (360, PS3)- $34.99

    -Madden NFL 13 (360,PS3)- $34.99

    -Forza Horizon (360)- $34.99

    -Diablo 3 (PC)- $34.99

    -FIFA Soccer 13 (360, PS3)- $34.99

    -Need For Speed: Most Wanted (360, PS3)- $29.99 *Doorbuster Deal*

    -Darksiders 2 (360, PS3)- $29.99 *Doorbuster Deal*

    -Medal Of Honor: Warfighter (360, PS3)- $29.99 *Doorbuster Deal*

    -The Amazing Spider-Man (360, PS3)- $29.99 *Doorbuster Deal*

    -Epic Mickey 2 (Wii)- $29.99 *Doorbuster Deal*

    -Battlefield 3: Premium Edition (PS3)- $29.99 *Doorbuster Deal*

    -Dance Central 3 (360)- $24.99

    -Just Dance 4 (360)- $24.99

    -Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (3DS)- $14.99

    -Mortal Kombat (Vita) $14.99

    -Halo: Reach (360)- $14.99

    -Dead Island: Game of the Year Edition (360, PS3)- $7.99

    -Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (360, PS3)- $7.99

     

     

     

  • Take It Home Tuesday. November 6, 2012.

    Spidey Goes Reboot And Roddy Piper Is All Out Of Bubble Gum

    [amazon_link id=”B008QZ5PY2″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Amazing Spider-Man[/amazon_link]

    (Note: Spider-Man releases on Friday, November 9th)

    Yes, The Amazing Spider-Man is another superhero origin story but don’t let that keep you from seeing it. Spider-Man 2 is still my favorite of the Spidey flicks but this is easily the second best. Andrew Garfield is better suited for this role than Tobey McGuire and I could watch Emma Stone dust a living room for 90 minutes and pay ten bucks. There are better comic movies out there but believe me, there are far, far worse.

    [amazon_link id=”B008VF0Y0M” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]They Live[/amazon_link]

    John Carpenter’s cult classic finally gets a Blu-Ray release with what I am officially calling “best Blu-Ray cover of the year”. Let’s face it, you have either never seen this or you have seen it 50 times. This release has audio commentary from John Carpenter and Roddy Piper as well as a new interview with the director and star.

    [amazon_link id=”B009ESIGHI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Muppet Christmas Carol: 20th Anniversary Edition[/amazon_link]

    The best version of  A Christmas Carol ever told (followed by the Patrick Stewart version and Scrooged). So amazing to think that it has already been 20 years since this classic started spreading its Muppet brand of Christmas cheer.

    [amazon_link id=”B008Y1YJ90″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Arthur Christmas[/amazon_link]

    Santa goes high tech in this tale that shows how Santa is able to deliver all the presents to children but when things go bad its up to bumbling Arthur to save Christmas. Yeah so as you could tell I haven’t watched this because that was the most generic description ever. If you love the holidays (like me) then give it a whirl.

    [amazon_link id=”B008WAM2QK” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]nWo: The Revolution[/amazon_link]

    WWE offers up the complete history of one of the most influential groups in wrestling history. The nWo helped WCW go to the top of the ratings and was instrumental in making WWE phase into the “Attitude Era” during the Monday night wars. Includes a roundtable discussion with Kevin Nash, Jim Ross, JJ Dillon and Michael Hayes as well as over 15 matches in their entirety.

     

     

  • Gamestop Kids Set To Open 80 Stores For The Holidays

    Video game retailer Gamestop is opening up 80 stores nationwide that will focus on E-rated games as well as toys and collectibles in an attempt to garner a greater portion of the market from stores like Toys R Us. The stores will be open for the holidays only with the first one opening up today in Grapevine, TX.

    Parents will be greeted with all E-rated games and all of the popular franchises that focus towards kids such as: Angry Birds, Star Wars, Skylanders and Lego. You can check the company website to see if a Gamestop Kids is opening near you.

  • New Wii Bundles Coming In November

    Celebrate The Wii U Launch By Buying A Wii.

    Nintendo dropped the price of their Wii a few weeks back to $129.99 and now they have introduced two new bundles just in time for the holidays.

    The first will be a bundle that comes packed with a normal white Wii and a copy of Just Dance 4, the newest in the best-selling dance series. It will be priced at $129.99.

    The second comes with a baby blue colored Wii and a copy of Skylanders Giants which includes the game, power portal and three Skylanders figures. The bundle comes in slightly more expensive at $149.99.

    Both bundles will be available on November 4th.

     

  • Six Flags: Skyrim Adventure

    How Long Is The Wait For The Dark Brotherhood Ride?

    After 100+ hours in [amazon_link id=”B004HYK956″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Skyrim[/amazon_link] I pretty much thought I had seen everything. Every bleeped out fake curse word video, every arrow to the knee meme. But this blew me away.

    Misty Manley over on FakeAnything.com has crafted a more colorful, Sesame Street friendly version of the massive open world map. I would think that using this map may be the perfect mixture of M-rated content in the game and a slightly more Mario feel.

    “I remember where I dismembered that pack of vampires, it was just past that cute Christmas tree near Falkreath.”