Mobile Messenger was a classic middleman, managing the billing for third-parties who sold ringtones, games, alerts, jokes, horoscopes, and applications. Since they didn't directly provide services, your itemized bill might display a short code instead of "Mobile Messenger." Carefully check this list of codes (pdf) for anything familiar that might have cropped up on your bill.

The scammy subscription pusher's settlement covers anyone who received an unauthorized charge between January 1, 2005 and August 13, 2008. Mobile Messenger had previously agreed to settle a class action covering only AT&T subscribers; if you're eligible for both settlements, you can only file one claim form. Sorry!

Class members who received a one-time charge are eligible to dip into a settlement fund of up to $12 million. Anyone who was billed for subscription services without authorization can receive a refund for up to three times the amount of their monthly fee. The settlement is great news for the mother whose son charged $600 in a single month. She can look forward to an $1,800 payout.

The claim forms are available at the class action's website.

Gray v. Mobile Messenger Class Action Settlement [via Top Class Actions]
(Photo: KB35)

(Photo: Marike79 )

After you think you've got it all worked out, the game will tell you if you met your goals and what your budgeting style is. I'm apparently a "down-sizer," which is somewhat unsurprising considering the fact that I'm cheap. Watch out all you big government types. I'm coming for you.

Budget Hero [APM]

Chris writes:

I never imagined a simple videogame purchase would turn out to be such a nightmare!

Two days ago I came across Circuit City's online ad, advertising God of War 2 was on sale AGAIN! for $9.99. Vowing not to miss this second chance I telephoned my local store - #0421 the Van Nuys location the following day. [redacted] said they had just sold their last copy, but according to the system the Woodland Hills ( #0419 ) store held 2 copies.

I high-tailed it over there, but not before speaking with [redacted] there to confirm. I arrived at the store to find their Playstation 2 shelves in utter disarray, but after a rather quick search found God of War. The sequel was not there.

I flagged down a young lady and asked her if they held any copies, citing my previous conversation with [redacted]. She mentioned sometimes the computer was inaccurate, but went to check in the back and sent another associate to browse along with me. After flipping through all their games I returned to the front whereupon she told me they had none.

I politely asked if she would assist me in locating a copy. Her first result was that Van Nuys had 8! I told her I'd just spoken with someone from that store to no avail. While she called around I called back [redacted] at Van Nuys & told her I was in their Woodland Hills store without the game. She offered another location - Hollywood.

After assuring me she could do nothing more than offer me their number I took down the Hollywood number and hung up. I noticed the young lady helping me seemed somewhat flustered at this point. She told me that upon inquiring at another store the associate was bold enough to tell her they were "not going to waste their time looking for a $10 game" and hung up.

I called up store #0401 - Hollywood. While on hold she told me their Glendale store not only had a copy but was willing to hold it for me. She took my name & printed out directions for me. I hung up with the Hollywood store & thanked her for all her help.

I arrived at store #3361 hours later after battling traffic, to find a couple of copies on the shelf and another game, Namco Museum ( PS2 ) and happily traipsed to the register to checkout. I paid and left thinking that would be the end of it.

After arriving home battling a second wave of traffic I sat down to enjoy the spoils of war. I first noticed a chalky substance on the top surface of the game where the wrapping closes & then how the container seemed rather light. I shook the box and was able to hear something shifting about inside. I wrote this off realizing the game was a 2 disc set. Imagine my rage when upon tearing off the wrapper & opening the cart to find the registration card & disc 2 - the special features! No game. No manual.

I'd heard the horror stories but thought surely they wouldn't apply to a brand new "sealed" game. And of course as luck would have it I'd just read your article on "What To Do When A Store Sells You Box of Crap". This experience could not have epitomized "caveat emptor" more!

A Very Disgruntled Chris

Wow, what a crappy day you had. We hope you bought the game with a credit card, because then you can do a chargeback and your story can have a happy ending. If not, you might want to launch an EECB on Circuit City and see if they can't help you out. After all, the game was only 10 bucks. Your continued loyalty as a customer should be worth that much? Right?

For more information about launching an EECB, click here.

(Photo: Mach1Power )

"Amazon temporarily gags Spore critics, deletes and restores all customer reviews" [ArsTechnica] (Thanks to Nathan!)

From page 52 of the manual:

You may have multiple Spore accounts for each installation of the game.

However, here's what "EA_violet" wrote on the EA forums in response to complaints that players couldn't set up multiple accounts:

That section in the manual was a misprint and will be corrected in future printings of the manual. There is one Spore registration/account per game/serial code so you are correct in that you cannot make multiple accounts at this time.

We're among all those people who waited a long time for Spore to come out, and we're facepalming at how broken it is, all thanks to EA's misguided DRM implementation. This particular detail is notable for revealing that at some point in the past it was likely that the game allowed multiple accounts, and that this functionality was removed in order to tighten the DRM net.

forum.spore.com (Thanks to Sir Mildred Pierce!)
(Spore creature: Henjoness)

...the game incorporates a draconian DRM system that requires you to activate over the internet, and limits you to a grand total of 3 activations. If you reach that limit, then you'll have to call EA in order to add one extra activation. That's not as simple as it sounds, since when you reach that point EA will assume that you, the paying customer, are a filthy pirating thief. You will need to provide proof of purchase, reasons why the limit was reached, etc, etc (it has all happened before with another recent EA product, Mass Effect). EA, of course, is not obligated to grant you that extra activation or even provide that service. In a couple of years they might very well even shut down the general activation servers, because "it's not financially feasible" to keep them running. What you will be left with is a nice, colorful $50 coaster. And you will be required to pay for another copy/license if you want to continue playing.

And...

The DRM for the game utilizes securom which is essentially a virus that installs itself without warning when you install the game. There is no way to completely remove it without reformatting and it is constantly running in the background if not removed. Sucking up computer resources.

It also is overpriced. This is actually a RENTAL, not a bought game because it only lets you install 3 times.

And...

I logged on to buy this but now no way. I dont care if its the best game in the world, I'm not loading it onto my computer if it has DRM. No thank you, remove it and I'll buy version 2.0.

And...

I personally feel EA has crossed the line with what is considered an acceptable protection scheme. What they have done is essentially created a rental for the price of the full game, and after 3 activations you have to call up EA and beg them to reactivate the game. I for one am a computer enthusiast and format and upgrade regularly so I'd burn through the 3 install limit in about three months top and I REFUSE to have to call up any company and have to beg and prove that I rightfully am entitled to an install. As a paying customer I expect to be able to install the game infinite amounts of times on MY computer without any DRM disturbances. Whats worse is that this DRM considers any computer upgrade, BIOS update, and some patches as system change and thus requires an additional activation.

And...

Thanks to everyone who warned us about the DRM in this game. I'm interested in the game, but not interested enough to break my computer to play it.

And...

Too bad I can't play this game because of the horrible copyright protection scheme/malware called SecuROM which locks up my rig. It doesn't even keep the game from being pirated, so I don't know why EA treats its paying customers like criminals.

And...

I will not pay EA $50 to rent a game, period. DRM is dying, and its dragging good products down with it. Get a clue EA. The music industry did, now its your turn to face the fire.

And...

I was going to buy this game today but because of the DRM and a few other issues I will skip this game altogether. It's a shame because I was really looking forward to owning this game. EA is not helping Will Wright in any way.

You get the idea. Have these reviews convinced you to skip this game?

Spore [Amazon via Kotaku]

Micah's correspondence with Electronic Arts appears below:

I preordered Warhammer: Age of Reckoning in March, but I have moved. I updated my shipping and billing address, but the invoice still reflects my old address. Will this automatically update when the game ships, or will that have to be done seperately?

Hi Micah,

Thanks for providing information. Here is the Codes for "Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collector's Edition" you want to have:
Beta Code: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Bonus Code: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Head Start Code: xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Please let us know if there is anything else needed.

Thanks,
Razia

So just to confirm, the collector's edition, when shipped, will be mailed to my new address, correct?

Thanks for your time.

Hi Micah,
Thank you for contacting back.

I have searched your Order Id # xxxxxxxxxx and found that the Shipping address that is listed on your order is "xxxx xxxxxxx Avenue, RALEIGH NC, 27607 US " . Hence your order will be shipped on the same address as listed on your Order Invoice.

Please let us know if there is anything else needed.
Thank you,
Razia

That is the reason I started this in the first place. I no longer live at xxxx xxxxxxx Avenue. I now live at xxxx-x xxxxx Street. I need the invoice updated to ship to my current address. What do I need to do to make this happen? Thanks.

Hi Micah,

Thank you for writing back.

Unfortunately, you can not change your shipping address after your order has been submitted. The order is immediately sent to the fulfillment agency and can no longer be changed by our system.However as this game is being sold as preorder now and it is no longer available on the site so you can not place a new order on your desired address.

Please let us know if there is anything else needed.

Thank you,
Razia

So it's either cancel my order and don't receive the now sold-out collector's edition, or just let it ship to a place I don't live, hope the people living there hold onto it for me, and then reverse charges on my credit card when I never receive the item? It seems there should be some way of contacting the fulfillment agency if you're going to release a presell of a collector's edition 8 months before the game even comes out.

Hi,
Thank you for contacting Electronic Arts accounts services. In order to assist you with this issue, we will need some information. Please provide us the following information:
- Order number:
- Full name used to place the order:
- Email address used to place the order:
- Last 4 digits of the Credit card used to place the order:
- Date of birth as listed on the account:
- Zip Code as listed on the account:
Once we have this information we will be able to look into your
situation further.
Thank you,
Rudra

Um... that information was provided further down in the email.

Hi Micah,

Thank you for providing the information.

We have now issued refund for the same, we request you to please wait for 3 to 5 business days and the money will be credited back to your account. If your refund issue remains, please reply to this mail with your refund request number "Refund # 80981409". Let us know if there is anything else needed.

Thank you,
Rudra

I've tried being nice, but I've had about as much of this runaround as I can take. I don't want a refund. I want my !#$%ing game. If you can cancel the order, you can update the address. If you don't want to do it, give me the phone number of someone who will. You say the fulfillment agency has the information already and you can't change it, fine. Give me their number. If you've cancelled my order, then apparently there's now one for sale. I don't care how you do it. I want my bloody game. If you can't do it, give me the number of someone higher who can.

Hi,

Thank you for contacting Electronic Arts Customer Support. This is the highest level of support.

Your order has been cancelled per your request. We cannot re-create your order. Please attempt to purchase your game from some other online source as we are sold out.

If you need additional assistance or have further questions please reply to this email or visit our self help knowledge base at http://support.ea.com

Thank you,
Samuel
Senior Representative
Electronic Arts Customer Support

Electronic Arts boasts that "only 60,000 units of the Collector's Edition will be available," but adds: "(We're making a couple extra, but those are for us!)" Why not send Micah one of your extra copies free of charge, Electronic Arts, as a way of saying "sorry we didn't use a half-competent processor!"

Someone in Microsoft's fulfillment department needs to make a note that "Version Français" means, like, "this game is in French" or something:

My boyfriend bought Mass Effect for his Xbox 360, but within a month it was clear there was something wrong with the disc (frequent disc read errors occurred).  Microsoft readily agreed to replace it, but every replacement they have sent has been in French.  I’m writing to you 5 months and 4 French discs later!

At the beginning of January my boyfriend returned his faulty English version.  Over the next month and a half he made 4 calls to Microsoft, where the status of his replacement oscillated between “It’s in the mail” to “have you sent the original yet?”  His replacement finally arrived late February.  He popped it in the Xbox and was all ready to play, but all the text seemed to be in French.  Confused, he grabbed the case and found a green oval on the front that said, “Version Française.”

He phoned Microsoft and explained that he needed an English disc to replace the English disc he returned.  They assured him that wouldn’t be a problem.  The second replacement arrived quickly, but was also in French.

He phoned Miscrosoft again.  They apologized and assured him that a specific note was in his file saying all replacements should be in English and the 3rd replacement would definitely be in English.

In April a 3rd replacement arrives.  The case is damaged… and it’s also in French.

He phoned Microsoft.  Again.  They phoned back 3 or 4 times to say they were so sorry and that his issue would be escalated.  Then someone phoned saying she was the manager and was on top of the situation.  On May 11 they phoned to say the English replacement was on its way and should arrive in 3-5 days.  On May 12 a package from Microsoft arrived.  Inside: Mass Effect, Version Française.

I’ve attached a photo of our 4 French versions of Mass Effect.  Despite escalating the complaint and involving a manager, Microsoft still sent a French disc.   At this point we’re wondering if we’ll see an English version by mid-June, the half year anniversary of when he last got to play Mass Effect.  My boyfriend may be moving soon so it’s important they get an English version in the mail.  Any suggestions?

P.s. Anyone want a French copy of Mass Effect?

Tipster Michael writes:

Apparently the local Best Buy has an unbeatable service option for you. Looks like they will come to your house and insert your game to your 360 for you. Wonder how much they would charge to turn it on and put the controller in my hand?

I've been a regular personage at a Blockbuster in Mishawaka, IN for some time. Just recently I moved into a new house, so I was rather excited to know that your store was within walking distance to rent movies. Not having a car, this meant plenty of rentals of video game software for my 360 and Wii.
 
However, just recently I rented Halo 3, and when I brought it home, it was cracked. They graciously replaced it with a "free rental", so I went to another one of your stores and rented Halo 3 there. I returned it on time, and proceeded to rent Rainbow Six Vegas 2, and Oblivion, both for the 360 again. When I got it home, neither worked. When I opened my 360 Oblivion had a scratch on it, which 360's are known to do. Rainbow Six's disc looked just fine. It however wouldn't load. When I called your store that night because it was already too late to head back over, they told me they'd grant me a "free rental" and return the games for replacements. Now here's where the problem begins.
 
I went over just a few minutes ago, and brought the games in, and told them what was going on. When I couldn't find anything else to rent and asked for my money back, even though I'd rented the games on my debit card, the manager (Adrian I believe) told me "It's not store policy." I asked if I could put the money toward purchasing a product (a used copy of Halo 3, for 39.99), and she told me she couldn't allow that either because it wasn't store policy. I had my receipt from the rentals, that clearly said debit card, and she still wouldn't put the $17.10 toward the purchase.
 
She finally refunded the money, however, she terminated my ability to rent games from the store.
 
They also tried selling me on their "Game plan" which means you get unlimited replacements for ONE game for 20 some odd dollars and said "Five bucks additional wouldn't have killed you, with what you spent on the games previously."

I'm proud to say I instinctively reasoned the Monty Hall game correctly, which is a surprise since I have a naturally ability to screw up pretty much any probability question thrown my way.

Part I: "The Monty Hall Problem" [New York Times]
"Interactive Monty Hall Game" [New York Times]
Part II: "Monty Hall's Other Problems" [New York Times]
Part III: "The Psychology of Getting Suckered" [New York Times]
(Image: New York Times)

The bag contained:

• Legendary Edition Helmet signed by most-if not all-of the studio staff
• Halo 3 Soundtrack (two disc) signed by Marty O'Donnel (with "DO NOT ERASE!" written under his name)
• Bungie Jacket
• Bungie T-Shirt
  
• Halo 3 Messenger Bag
• Two Halo 3 Limited Edition Wireless Controllers (one covenant, one human)
• Halo 3 Faceplate and Skins for Xbox 360
• Four McFarlane Action Figures (MC, EVA Spartan, Brute Chieftan, Jackal Sniper)
• Halo Actionclix Preview pack (Target exclusive sticker on the front)
• Halo Actionclix Game Pack 4
• Halo 3 Wall Graffix
• Halo 3: Ghosts of Onyx Novel
• Halo Graphic Novel
• Halo 3 Wristband
• Halo 3 Hackeysack
• 
  

And finally, to the staff of Bungie Studios:

I cannot thank you enough for the outpouring of support that you have lavished upon me in the aftermath of the release of my story. Long have I known of your dedication to your fans and community, but I find this single act of kindness mind boggling. Apart from the fact that a few of you had signatures adorning my console, you had no involvement in what occurred. As such, you have far surpassed any response I could have anticipated. I don't think I could ever repay you for this.

Thank you all for what you have done for me. I wish each and every one of you continued success in your future endeavors.

P.S. Marty, I love the soundtrack, and I promise you that I will do as you've requested and not erase any of it.

Nathanial's full letter and more pictures of the swag are posted on Hawty McBloggy.

Bungie Unscrews Previously Screwed Gamer [Hawty McBloggy]
PREVIOUSLY: Microsoft Scrubs All The Valuable Signatures And Artwork Off Your XBOX 360 Case

An avid gamer, Nathanial carried his XBOX 360 around to various events, collecting signatures and artwork from members of the gaming community. When his XBOX finally died, he contacted Microsoft to make sure that he could send the console in without having the exterior case replaced or damaged. Microsoft ensured him that his request would not be a problem.

Nathanial included (along with his XBOX) a letter explaining the markings on the case and requesting politely, but firmly, that he receive his original case back.

And he did.

Unfortunately, someone at Microsoft took it upon himself/herself to scrub the exterior of the box until the signatures were completely removed. This just seems spiteful. Trying to picture the person who thought that giving someone's signed XBOX a bath was an awesome idea makes our brain hurt.

We read complaints for a living and can't help but wonder why gamers given so little respect by the companies that make such exorbitant profits off of them. The complaints we get are insulting. From retailers who allow their employees to "check out" products before selling them as new, to consoles and games crippled with broken DRM, gamers are consistently treated like children, or worse, criminals by the companies that benefit from their loyalty.

(I say this purely from observation, as I'm not what anyone would call "a gamer." The vast majority of video games give me motion sickness, to be perfectly frank. I'm quite fond of Lego Star Wars, however.)

Here's the letter Nathanial sent in with his XBOX:

To whom it may concern:

Enclosed in this package you will find one Xbox 360 console, serial number 610537654806. I pre-ordered this machine months before the Xbox 360 launched, and I've been a proud owner ever since it arrived. Although the original warranty for my machine has expired some time ago, I still keep the sales receipt and original retail box.

I have taken this unit along with me on some of my travels over the past two years, and during that time I have acquired a number of signatures from notable members of the gaming community.

Among those signatures are several members of the Rooster Teeth Productions staff, certain members of the Xbox 360 team, and some of the staff from Bungie Studios. Those signatures are also joined by custom artwork by Rooster Teeth Comics artist and Halo fan artist Luke McKay. This console represents some special memories—of which I am quite fond—from the past two years of my life. As you can imagine, this particular unit has a great deal of sentimental value to me and is quite possibly of reasonable monetary value as well.

I am well aware that in many cases new replacement units have been returned to those who have sent their consoles for repairs. I would be displeased if this were to happen to me. When I put in the service request for my unit, the agent that took my call assured me that the same unit I have sent to you would be shipped back to me. If you must send a different unit back, please put my original case on the replacement unit. Having put the above information forward, it is logical to conclude that I would be most disappointed should I receive a different console with a plain white case in return.

Please take care in handling the case, as despite the fact that the ink is permanent and has had plenty of time to set, the possibility yet remains that it may be smudged.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Another Gamer Screwed by Microsoft [Hawty McBloggy]

Walmart now lists the game for $49.82. After the jump, Walmart's email of lies, and the best way to speak out against their thuggery.

Here is Walmart's email. Reads like they are doing us a favor.

===========================================

Dear Avid Gamer Who Probably Does Not Like Getting Screwed,

We have received your request to cancel the item(s) listed below from your order (#xxxxxxxxxxxxx).

We will attempt to cancel this order, however, we may already have processed your order for shipping. If you need to contact us about this order, please call us at 1-800-966-6456 between 6 a.m. and 1 a.m (CT), seven days a week.

=================ITEM(S) REQUESTED TO BE CANCELED —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-— —-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—- Order Date: 11 JAN 2008 04:54 Order Number: xxxxxxxxxxxxx

ITEM QTY PRICE TOTAL—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii 1 19.82 19.82

===========================================Returns If we are unable to cancel your order because it already has been processed, then you can return any unwanted items to us after you receive them. You will have the option of returning the item(s) to us via mail or directly to a Wal-Mart store, whichever is more convenient for you. Instructions on how to return items will arrive with your order.

Help If you have any questions, please visit our Help section:

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=5436

Sincerely,

Customer Service at Walmart.com http://www.walmart.com

===========================================

Rob writes:

BestBuy has a rewardszone coupon for 10% of 1 toy, 15% off 2 toys and 25% off 3 toys. See attached coupon. Went to my local Best Buy in Bridgewater NJ and attempted to use the coupon on a Xbox 360 and 2 games for the system. I was told by multiple rude employees that an Xbox 360 is a video console and not a toy. A search on BestBuy's website for the item "toy" shows Halo 3 as the 1st item. Also further down the list it shows the Xbox 360 unit.

How is a video game not a toy? I called Best Buy corporate office and was told same thing. I was told a doll is a toy. Didn't know Best Buy was in the doll selling business. Then I was told that if it is an electronic game for a child 12 and under it is a toy. Doesn't seem like Best Buy has any clue what a toy is. As you can see from the attached pdf file no were in the exclusions on the coupon does it state Video Game Consoles.

Got to love Best Buy making up rules that only suit themselves.

Game Over.

Already, the persistent shortages have led to speculation by angry consumers that Nintendo was deliberately keeping supplies short to create more hype for the product. Reggie Fils-Aime, the president of Nintendo's U.S. division, denies this, saying Nintendo simply didn't anticipate this level of demand for the Wii this holiday season.

"It really is a missed opportunity if we're not able to satisfy that demand, which is why we're working so hard with retailers," he says.

Supply-chain management experts say missed opportunity may still be better than being stuck with excessive supply. Unsold Wiis could create a negative impression that consumers don't want the product. The consequences are so painful that many companies end up erring on the side of a shortage.

"If you flood the market, it will come back to haunt you," says Christopher Tang, a professor of supply-chain management at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Nintendo may be missing opportunities by allowing other people to profit from the shortage by charging premiums, but Mr. Tang says that isn't entirely a bad thing because it creates hype. "Psychologically, it's better if the customer is begging for the product," he says.

An excess supply also angers retailers, who must work harder and offer discounts to get rid of the product. The manufacturer's financial results also suffer because they are forced to lower prices or take back the products retailers can't sell.

Finding a Wii takes time and persistence. If you are in New York, a shipment of Wiis arrives daily at Nintendo's World Store in Rockefeller Center. After several failed attempts, we walked in on a Tuesday before 10 a.m. and walked out with a Wii. Other retailers usually receive a scheduled shipment of Wiis. It may only be five consoles every three weeks, but by cultivating a relationship with your local store, you can find out when it might be wise to pop in. As a last resort, eBay and Craigslist are overflowing with overpriced consoles.

Nintendo Plays It A Wii Bit Cautious [WSJ]
(Photo: largeprime)

Well if you have a child (mine is 4) you know having a portable gaming system can make things like Doctor visits and trips to the DMV a lot less fidgety, so I called up Nintendo with Visa in hand ready to shell out at least 80 or 90 dollars. After being on hold for all of 20 seconds a very nice gentleman answered, and asked why I was calling. I explained that my son's DS would not power on and before I could go any further he asked me to provide me with the serial number and after looking up my information (I register all my Nintendo products online) he told me that they would be sending me a replacement DS and all I had to do was ship the old one back to them, they even provided a shipping label. Already happy beyond belief I was even more surprised when they sent it 2 day UPS air!!!! GO NINTENDO! I have had returned my Xbox 360 7 times for repair and never received treatment anywhere near that nice.

(Photo: mightynine)

Reader John writes:

Would it be possible for you guys to cover the Guitar Hero 3 for Wii sound issue? Activision and Red Octane so far have not and will not acknowledge that there is a problem with the sound for the Wii version of the game(which they should have made a press release that they were going to fix this once it was known there was a problem). When you contact support they just tell you to set up your receiver correctly which is wrong. The sound when set correctly to Dolby Pro Logic only comes out of the center speaker when it should come out of all speakers. Furthermore, a user has proved that the sound coming from the game is not even stereo sound, it's Mono. This is absurd for a game that is completely based off of sound.

Seems like the sort of thing that should have been disclosed on the box, no?

Guitar Hero III audio issues (thread) [GPForums]
No surround sound? (thread) [Guitar Hero]

After getting my items added with the sales rep on the phone, when it was time to use the coupon I was again told that it was invalid - this time, however, I was a given a reason. The sales rep told me that the coupon was not good for video games or movies (I was ordering a game and the flight of the conchords DVD). I told the rep that the coupon stated neither video games OR movies as restrictions for use and he got a manager. Three managers and supervisors later, they wouldn't budge. Needless to say, I didn't make the purchase through them. I told them that I had previously worked in retail, knew that they had the power to manually take $15 off of my purchase if the coupon wouldn't go through, and would not be making my purchase unless they honored the coupon as it was stated in their own promotion.

For your records, and hopefully other people are writing about this (my sales rep told me I wasn't the first person that had called trying to use the coupon), here is the fine print on the back of the coupon in its entirety, I've put in bold the text that is applicable to this sale:

"Excludes November 22-24, 2007.

*This offer is good for a $15 discount on a regularly priced purchase of $100 or more. This offer is good for one use only and applies to total qualifying purchase on a single sales receipt dated from 10/15/07 through 12/31/07. Not valid on previous purchases. Offer excludes gaming consoles, notebook and desktop computers, Verizon, Sharper Image, Infinity, Velodyne, Bose, Polk, HP MP3 Players, Apple, Kicker, MTX Thunder, Sony XBR TV's, LG, KEP, outlet, firedog services and Gift Card purchases. Delivery fees, shipping charges and sales tax not included in total purchase calculation. Coupon code valid online and at 1-800-593-4391. Barcode valid in-store only. Not combinable with select Circuit City offers. Not redeemable for cash. Void where prohibited or restricted. Reproductions/photocopies will not be accepted."

As you can see, nothing about DVD's or games.

Instead of their promotional tool shoeing in more business, it's just lost them a customer for life.

Ryan
San Diego, CA

(Photo:cmorran123)

In the early part of this decade, cell phones started to become less about the phone call and more about the ring tone. Mobile-gaming types began to realize two things.

First, if kids were willing to pay $3 for a 10-second snippet of a 50 Cent song, they'd probably be willing to pay some nonzero amount for a game. Second, consumers aren't going to buy the cow when they can play Virtual Milkmaid for free. It's obvious where this line of reasoning leads: Goodbye Tetris, hello $7 Tetris. But Tetris isn't the industry's endgame. Established gaming companies—images of a potentially multibillion-dollar market dancing in their heads—have bought out mobile-game studios and set to work manufacturing slimmed-down versions of full-platform games. (Electronic Arts paid $680 million for Jamdat Mobile in December 2005, for instance.) If you've felt a primal need to play Age of Empires II in an elevator (just $19.95 on a Windows Mobile Smartphone), your long and burdensome wait is over.

Can You Play Me Now? [Slate]
(Photo: Hu.lag.way)

The seller made the mistake, but the gamers are paying the price.

Todd says:

This complaint is about Valve, a PC video game company which makes games like Half-Life 2.

This effects many thousands of customers.

They recently released a product called the "Orange Box", which is a bunch of games.
All their products are activated online via unique serial numbers through the Steam service.

Many of us bought the product (and hence, the serial numbers) legitimately online via well known international game stores, as they sell them significantly cheaper than American stores.

We were able to activate the products without a problem.
One week later, Valve, via the Steam program, inactivated all Orange Box games (after they had already been active for some time), stating that they are in the "incorrect territory."
There was no warning or anything, just completely inactivated.

The thread that was started on www.valve.com has been removed by the operators there.

I think this is absolutely reprehensible customer care. We paid for our products, and they just go and remove it without warning from our computers.

Thanks

-Todd

Date Posted: Oct/22/2007 7:57 PM Rating: +1

same crap here
this was my question

======================================================================================

Customer (xxx xxxxxxxx) 10/20/2007 11:07 AM

Hello my cd-key was invalidated and game removed
i get a steam error
Steam - Game unavailable
Team Fortress 2 is not available in your territory

ok so i contacted retailer to get a refund
and purchased a new copy at a local Circuit City here in Tacoma
but when i enter new cd-key says game is already installed log in to steam
but of course that doesn't work and takes me back to
Steam - Game unavailable
Team Fortress 2 is not available in your territory

so i guess i need the supposedly invalid cd-key removed
so i can enter my new one
thanks

======================================================================================

Response (DougV) 10/22/2007 05:06 PM

Games purchased in Thailand or Russia can only be played from those countries. If you purchased a game from Thailand or Russia and you do not live in one of those countries, you need to contact the seller for a refund.

======================================================================================

Customer (xxx xxxxxxx) 10/22/2007 05:37 PM
yes did you even read what i said?
and do what i asked you to do
guess not

What a mess!

Valve Orange Box for ~20$ [Fat Wallet]

Is breaking street date good customer service? Well, probably not, but Mr. pr0zac sure is happy about Dell's prompt shipping.

Oh no. No, it will not be that simple. No, it will not.

In Jenn's story, Best Buy:

• Refuses to take Jenn's exchange because the product is defective, which is why she is returning it.
  
• Makes her call BestBuy.com over and over again, passing the phone between the store manager and the manager of BestBuy.com.
  
• Tells her to go home and print shipping labels, pack up the game and ship it to BestBuy in order to get her exchange. She refuses.
  
• Tells her she can get an exchange if she pays an extra $10 because that's the store price of the game.
  
• Randomly mails her a gift card for $0.40.
  

It's from Jenn's blog, but it's so ridiculous we've reposted the whole thing here for you to read. Enjoy.

Jenn writes:

Dave and I had been boycotting Best Buy. A couple of years ago I wanted to buy a laptop that they had advertised. We went to three Best Buys and none had it. The third one we went to said that the store about 20 minutes away had two. I called them on the way there and confirmed that, yes, they had two in stock. I asked if they could hold it for me. They said no, even though I was on my way there and now about 10 minutes away. We get there and they don't have any. I don't think they ever did. One of the employees made a comment about it being advertised but they never got a shipment. I don't think the two they supposedly had ever were really there. So we went to Comp USA, bought the same one, got the price matched, and never went to Best Buy again until recently.

Dave got a gift card there for his birthday. He wanted a computer game and they just opened a brand new store near us. In the store the game was $20. On Bestbuy.com it was $10. He ordered it on bestbuy.com for $10 and did the in-store pickup so he got it later that day. He put it away for a couple of weeks but went to install it before we left for vacation.

Enter problem.

It's missing the manual that has the encryption key on it so he can't play the game. No problem, it's defective so we can exchange it for the exact same thing (only complete this time) according to Best Buy's return policy. The bestbuy.com return policy says you can return items bought through there back to the store.

Dave takes it back and they refuse to take it back because it's missing the manual. They tell him to call bestbuy.com. I have to go out anyway, so I take it back to the store. I go the back of the store, get a new game (same exact game, I just want an exchange, or even just the manual) and get in line. The woman at the counter, let's call her Best Buy employee #1 (BBE1), says they can't take back opened merchandise and I need to call bestbuy.com. I explain that it's defective since it's missing a piece and she says no.

I step aside and call bestbuy.com. After 10 minutes, mostly on hold, I'm told that if the store carries the item I'd like to exchange that they can in fact return it. I get back in line. I talk to BBE1 again, she calls her manager who says no. Her explanation is this: They have to send back all their returns to bestbuy.com and they can't send something back that is not complete. In order to send it back, they would have to take out the manual of the new game they gave me to put it with the old game so it would be complete when they send it back.

Let that sink in. So I can return it, but only if they give me one without a manual, which is WHY I'M RETURNING IT? Yes. And I need to call bestbuy.com.

I explain that I just DID call them and they said you can return it if they carry the same thing. Manager looks right at me and says, "Well we don't carry that."

Oh-ho-ho. "Well, Manager, I brought up the same game a few minutes ago to try to exchange it. There are at least four more on the shelf back there plus the one I brought up to the counter, so YOU DO."

Manager backpedals and says that they must have just stocked it then. She must have forgot that when Dave bought it, he ordered it online in the morning and picked it up IN STORE later that afternoon. So then she tells BBE1 to call bestbuy.com. She does and they tell her what they told me. They talk back and forth and then she says, "She wants to talk to you."

"Hello?"
"I understand they are giving you a difficult time exchanging the game."
"That would be an understatement."
"Do you have the shipping labels?"
"No."
"Well, what I can do is e-mail you a link, follow that and you can print out shipping labels, send the game back to us and we'll send you a new one."
"So you want me to go home, print something out, go to the post office, sent it back, wait, and then hopefully get a new one when I am RIGHT HERE in the store with the old game and they have new ones on the shelf? Besides, we didn't get it shipped to us in the first place, it was picked up IN STORE and now I can't take it back to the store?"
"Um, can I talk to a manager there?"

Manager gets back on the phone and tells that woman the same story about having to take a manual out of the new one in order to send it back. Then she hands me back the phone and says, "She wants you to talk to one of their managers there, not me."

I get back on the phone and one of the bestbuy.com managers comes on and immediately asks for the store manager (he did not ask to talk to me). BBE1 goes to find store manager. He comes over and she explains the situation. He looks at her and says, now get this, "Why don't we just exchange the one missing the manual for a new one?"

I think my head exploded at that point. I jumped up, "Yes! That is what I want!"

BBE1 gets on the phone and tells the manager from bestbuy.com that the store manager will let them exchange it. Problem solved, right?

Ha.

BBE1 says she'll return it and I can go buy a new one. I explain, again, that it was $20 in the store but $10 on bestbuy.com and I'm not paying $10 more for the same game because it was defective. Manager comes back over and says to go get the game (apparently the one I brought back up to exchange in the first place had disappeared) and they'll fix it so it's $10. So I go get it and BBE1 does the return. Then she rings up the new game and tells me "That will be $10.49." I just stare at her. She stares back.

"But I just returned one game. It's an exchange, why am I being charged another $10?"
"They credit your account for the old one."
"So they credit it and I have to buy a new one?"
"Yes."
sigh.
"What account?"
"How did you pay for it?"
"Gift card."
"Then they'll credit the gift card."
"I don't think we still have the gift card. He spent it."

So I call Dave to see if he still has the gift card. No, he tells me, but they just sent him an e-mail saying they are crediting him $0.40. Yes. Forty cents.

I explain this to BBE1. She calls over Manager. BBE1 calls bestbuy.com (for the third time) and asks about this. They say they will fix it and mail out a new gift card in 7-10 business days.

I tell BBE1 to cancel the purchase for the new game. We'll wait till that gift card shows up and use that because the boycott is back on and I'm not spending another DIME in that store. All told, I was in there for two hours. I don't think it was an unreasonable request and it was all perfectly in line with their posted return policy. It didn't have to be that complicated. It's still a pain in the butt to have to have the new gift card issued and wait then go buy a new one, but at least that's in the policy. It does clearly state that damaged, defective, or incorrect items can be returned to the store. I wonder what their problem was.

I wrote them through the "Contact us" on the website and this is the response I got:

Jennifer,

I am Mich with Best Buy Customer Care.

At Best Buy, we understand the importance of good service, as well as
how frustrating poor service can be. I apologize that your experience
with one of our stores has been unpleasant.

We appreciate all comments from our customers because it helps us find
areas for improvement. When a customer gives us feedback of any kind, we
enter it into a database with other customer comments. We then look for
trends to help us identify areas for improvement. I will properly
process your email for documentation and be assured that your comments
have not been taken lightly.

Thank you for sharing your comments with Best Buy. We look forward to
your next visit to one of our stores or to www.BestBuy.com

Sincerely,
Mich
Best Buy Customer Care Team

I wonder if he could properly process my request for those two hours of my life back.

UPDATE:

We get back from vacation and expected to have the gift card with the $10 on it in the stack of mail that accumulated while we were gone. Oh there was a gift card alright. For $0.40. Dave called bestbuy.com and had them check into it. They credited the $10 back on the gift card he had already used. We had told them that and that's why they were supposed to be sending back out a new gift card. So now they are sending out ANOTHER gift card with the refund on it and we should have that in ANOTHER 7-10 business days.

Customer...what? [Jenn's Journal]
(Photo:pansonaut)

For example, "Why hasn't Nintendo apologized for the shortage?" And, "Why haven't they ramped up production?" And, "Is this hurting game developers?" And, "Where's my damn Wii?"

3. Game vendors (including Nintendo) are hurt by this, since their TAM/CAM is held artificially lower. Since shelf life of a game is very much based on release date, this hurts the game developers.

4. It is unclear how much this has pushed sales of XBox360, PS3, PS2, and even older Gamecube devices. Since Wii has a quite different controller design, people are attracted to it. Normally, this would have benefited their competitors a lot according to economic theory.

We Want a Wii! (Still) [Freakonomics]
(Photo:Michael T. Gilbert)

I stood there and watched the clerk open the cabinet and lift out a Sid Meier's Pirates designed users manual. I see him pop open an empty PSP case and slide it in.

"I said NEW." I replied angrily, having seen this before and knew what he would say,

*voice shaking* "This is new," I was furious at this point. It was cold and late and I didn't have time for his crap.

"So if I walk out the door right now with that unsealed case then walk back in here next week with it in the same condition, you'll give me full return credit as a new game? I mean, it IS new after all right!?"

Hey Gamestop! Stop Opening My New Games! [Aeropause] (Thanks, Kat!)

"Burger King Holdings Inc., the world's second-largest hamburger chain, said Tuesday that quarterly earnings rose a better-than-expected 40 percent as an Xbox 360 video game promotion spurred sales in the U.S."

Burger King's results get lift from Xbox [Burger King] [Photo: MrSnap]

Nolen: In the wake of your successful PSP site, I would like to interview you for a position in the Defense Dept. I think you could really teach those guys something.

Greg: I didn't do the PSP site. I haven't worked for Zipatoni in 6 years.

Nolen: Um hum.

Greg: What kind of response is that? "Um hum."

Nolen: You should read this and then defend yourself in public if you are not involved. THOUSANDS are people are laughing at what has been attributed (at least in part) to you. http://www.consumerist.com/ read the article about PSP......and you.

Greg: Thank you for alerting me to http://www.consumerist.com. I haven't worked for Zipatoni in 6 years. After I left, they changed the Register.com contact info, however, they upgraded their Register.com account and Register.com must have screwed something up. I got this info from my friend who still works at Zip. I'm not really sure how I can go about defending myself on this matter. I think the PSP site is so goofy that it really doesn't warrant the amount of energy that people are spending on it. Also, I'm a little surprised you would want to interview a "douchebag."

Previously: Meet The Douchebags Behind The Sony PSP Flog

Sony takes 'em down, we put 'em back up. Here's the flog they were originally on.

What really kills this Petey video is when he starts humping the ladder.

This cements AVEX's slot at CMJ 2007. — BEN POPKEN

PREVIOUSLY:
• Meet The Douchebags Behind The Sony PSP Flog
• Sony's PSP Blog Flog Revealed

A video capturing the site in its entirety.

And the 807 comments that were on the Dancing Petey video....

this guy can't dance
Comment By joe schmoe At 12/4/2006 11:11 AM
with skillz that sad, you don't even deserve a gameboy.
Comment By J_Holbrook_$$$ At 12/5/2006 9:51 AM
OMFG! IMHO that is teh LAWLZ funniez! I SMP! Srsly. 'O'RLY?', You may ask. Yes, RLY.

Out.
Comment By Young Squeezy At 12/5/2006 7:33 PM
This site is truly crumbelievable.
Comment By Professy At 12/11/2006 3:21 PM
Wow. They actually did delete my previous post. What losers.
Comment By True Gamer At 12/11/2006 1:23 PM
Where'd my comment go? I merely suggested that Elite Beat Agents would be a better game for people.

The DS, I hear it has two screens
Comment By Hater At 12/11/2006 3:23 PM
This is retarded. As a gamer who is part of Sony's target audience I'm insulted not just by the integrity of this website, but that this reflects how intelligent Sony's marketing department thinks I am.

Good job turning consumers off your pr0duct.
Comment By Tim At 12/11/2006 3:24 PM
Dumb Site.
Comment By s0nEE At 12/11/2006 1:25 PM
Hey Sony - I own a PS1 and PS2. You have cemented me never owning another of your gaming products. Good job!
Comment By Former Fan At 12/11/2006 3:25 PM
I love bees. Yo what is up. Hello to Sony. I'm just testing this out to see if it will run through a filter and retard my comments. This is pretty funny. How desperate Sony must be to invent this Web site.
Comment By Tim At 12/11/2006 3:26 PM
Hey Sony - I own a PS1 and PS2. You have cemented me never owning another of your gaming products. Good job!
Comment By Former Fan At 12/11/2006 3:28 PM
Thiss ess da bestest sight ebar!!!
Comment By jeremy At 12/11/2006 3:30 PM
Registrant:
the Z IPATONI co.
Gregory Meyerkord
555 Washington Ave. 3rd Floor
St. Louis, MO 63101
US
Email: greg.meyerkord@z ipatoni.com

http://www.z ipatoni.com/contactlist.html
Comment By Invalid name At 12/11/2006 3:30 PM
I love bees. Yo what is up. Hello to Sony. I'm just testing this out to see if it will run through a filter and retard my comments. This is pretty funny. How desperate Sony must be to invent this Web site.
Comment By Tim At 12/11/2006 3:32 PM
the DS has two screens you say?
That's like twice as much as that PSP thing has, no doubt it must be better then!

oh, btw, lame site oO
Comment By Dooomed At 12/11/2006 1:33 PM
Oh, and once again, Sony proves they are completely inept.
Comment By True Gamer At 12/11/2006 1:35 PM
Soooooooo puthetic Sony.
Comment By Disgusted Gamer At 12/11/2006 3:35 PM
If you want a PSP badly enough you should get together with an ad agency. Then try to sell the product through a lame website while attempting to speak down to what you consider your target audience.
Comment By Jim At 12/11/2006 3:35 PM
I emailed and called Sony to complain. I promise I will introduce legislation to fix this problem.
Comment By Nancy Pelosi At 12/11/2006 3:35 PM
Hey C&J,

Ur site is teh ****.

So which one of y'all is this dope cat?

Registrant:
the ZI P ATON I co.
Greg ory Meyer kord
5 55 Washingt on Ave. 3rd Floor
St. Lo uis, MO 631 01
US
Email: greg.meye rkord@z ip aton i.com

I loves me some Z IP ATON I marke ting Bull****. Thanx WHO IS!!!

Sony Sux the w ng.
Bi te it
Comment By Jonny Bob At 12/11/2006 3:36 PM
Interesting, the word adver-tising is blocked from being posted here.
Comment By Embarressed At 12/11/2006 1:36 PM
Hi Sony! Hope your little psp sells better now that you have torqued off a bunch of your target m.a.r.k.e.t.!

Ever since the rootkit, I have refused to buy anything with Sony's name on it. And I have been successful too!
Comment By k At 12/11/2006 1:37 PM
from the Zeepp a a thone i w eb sit e :

b u z z mark eting means gett ing into consu mers convers ations [...] We kno w we can 't contr ol the dial ogue [...]

In de ed.

(sorry for half words, trying to get posted)
Comment By TOnytheZipper At 12/11/2006 1:37 PM
this was a good idea
Comment By m!ke At 12/11/2006 3:37 PM
How many consumers has this website activated so far?
Comment By john At 12/11/2006 3:39 PM
Activated or Pissed off and insulted?
Comment By Jonny Bob At 12/11/2006 3:41 PM
This is worse than Ali G's bad hip hop references, and he does it on purpose so it's forgivable. Guess Plato was right.
Comment By helvetica At 12/11/2006 1:42 PM
.......................................................... __ . __........................
........................................................./'`: : `\,—-`. .....................
......................................................../|,-'` `\(o)_\,—--,,,_...........
.................. ~* `"\,............ _ _.........( `\(o),,_/` : o :
Comment By Nobu LLet At 12/11/2006 3:42 PM
What's up Z-men. I'm writing to laugh at Tom. I knew him in HS. Once a loser...
Have fun at your craptacular job.
I hope they pay well.
Comment By John At 12/11/2006 3:42 PM
Activated, or agitated?
Comment By True Gamer At 12/11/2006 1:43 PM
I am totally insulted. But, by spreading the word, just like zi-p-pa-t-o-n-i, I am doing my best to make sure this does not work.
Comment By iam At 12/11/2006 1:44 PM
@ Kingz

Yeah, dude. We get it. It's total BS, and I believe we're all calling these Z ip atoni guys out on it.
Comment By True Gamer At 12/11/2006 1:44 PM
hey john, who is tom? He in charge?
Comment By iam At 12/11/2006 1:45 PM
I'm Activated!!!!!!!!!!!
Comment By Activated At 12/11/2006 3:45 PM
Anyone sent this to dvorak.org/blog yet?
Comment By iam At 12/11/2006 1:46 PM
Mi casa es su gato.
Comment By sam At 12/11/2006 1:48 PM
S ony, this f ake site is so re tarded.
Now this tactic will get fed to the media and they'll all report on how S ony has to resort to such schemes to try to reach their target m arket.

Here's an idea, make something that is affordable AND works for gaming.
Comment By K1 At 12/11/2006 3:49 PM
I am getting a DS for Xmas!! YEAH BABY!
Comment By marco At 12/11/2006 1:51 PM
Better idea, K1... make something that has decent stuff on it instead of rehash what is on the PS1.
Comment By k9 At 12/11/2006 3:51 PM
Yay Marco!
Comment By k9 At 12/11/2006 3:52 PM
what's really ironic is that you have to use 133t5p34k to get past some of the wordfilters.
Comment By MassiveDamage At 12/11/2006 3:53 PM
All I want for Christmas is a DS lite to replace my aging DS that I got at UK launch. And Wii Play.

Just to test, is it only the mar| Comment By Bleh At 12/11/2006 1:53 PM
Whoa dudes, this vir-a-ll markkketing is bodacious!
Comment By soneextreme At 12/11/2006 1:54 PM

Mi casa es su gato.
Comment By sam At 12/11/2006 1:48 PM

Wtf did you do to my cat?!?!?!?

If you did something to it i'll hunt you down and make you watch this vid over and over clockwork orange style
Comment By Knives At 12/11/2006 3:54 PM
My DS is really awesome, I get my own flow on with it, yo. At only $129 there's plenty of cash-money left for games, yo.
Comment By DS At 12/11/2006 3:54 PM
You should buy a more Deserving System.
Comment By Batmanbegins24 At 12/11/2006 3:54 PM
I'm sorry guys. This is a fake site. You've caught us. We'll be taking it down as soon as possible.
Comment By jeremy At 12/11/2006 3:59 PM
I doubt this message will reach whoever it needs to, but S ony desperately needs to stop hiring these b ozos to do their ma rketing. This website is as bad as the PS 3 baby ads, which are as bad as the PSP dust ball ads, which are worse than the most annoying Old Navy ad you could possibly think of.

Now watch as I do a magic trick! This message will disappear!
Comment By D-stab At 12/11/2006 1:59 PM
Did any of you realized that by blowing the cover of Zi pa toni the site will get even more publicity now?
Bad publicity is still publicity and the blogs mentioning this will bring even more traffic to the site... which nobody cares for anyways.... I hope they didn't do this on purpose but you never know...
Comment By None At 12/11/2006 1:59 PM
Okay, you can't spell the name of the v i r a l m a r k e t i n g company. I even tried the word z i p p e r and it would not work. Now my pants fell down.
Comment By dalek At 12/11/2006 4:00 PM
Dear Sony,

Are you losing as much money on this as you are on the PS3?

Luv,
G4m3rZ
Comment By The world At 12/11/2006 4:01 PM
No. Bad publicity is just that. Bad. I don't buy sony products because of the rootkit. Lots of people don't either. Why? Bad publicity.
Comment By dalek At 12/11/2006 4:01 PM
Posting bashful things here= more fun than psp :D
Comment By Knives At 12/11/2006 4:02 PM
this was a good idea
Comment By m!ke At 12/11/2006 4:04 PM
Its hillarious that most of those coments are from S0ny reps.This has to be the worst v1ra1 mar ke t1ng campa1gn ever.Its so bad that it makes me want to buy a second Deserving System.I had a PSP but sold it due to the fact that the games were horrible.PS3DO looks to be heading in the same direction.The '$360 box' at launch games looks and play much better than PS3DO launch games.And games that are out for both system are better on the $36O.

W116O FTW!!
Comment By Batmanbegins24 At 12/11/2006 4:04 PM
Dude, my 2600 is more fun that a psp. That's why I sold it. Totally crap games.
Comment By dalek At 12/11/2006 4:04 PM
This site is believable, that's what I like about it!
Comment By Giant Enemy Crab At 12/11/2006 4:04 PM
@Charlie

Dude, we understood you're from Z1pat0ni the first time you posted. It really didn't take you repeating the exact same post for us to really grasp the desperation there.

@Jeramy

Ah, now if only you were actually from Z1p. However, if it just so happens that Z1p is trying to take this down, could someone make sure to get it archived or something? We wouldn't want all this glorious incriminating evidence to be lost, now would we?
Comment By True Gamer At 12/11/2006 2:06 PM
The DS, I hear it has 2 screens.
Comment By Yeahrly At 12/11/2006 4:09 PM
I heard about this train wreck/website from a colleague and wondered if Tom Kasperski(sp?) is still a VP there.
Comment By I_am_john At 12/11/2006 4:12 PM
boooo
Comment By Deathmonkey At 12/11/2006 2:14 PM
zi pat oni appears in the who is! They are a mar ke ting tea m!
Comment By wiiwin At 12/11/2006 4:15 PM
yo dogs, enough with the hatin'

These guys just want some PSP love.
Comment By oldskoolpsp At 12/11/2006 4:16 PM
hohoho: all of them are getting baleeted. But then 100 more pop up. They should just remove this abomination of a site and just go on to promoting Huggies or something.

THEIR HEAD ASPLODE!

by the way, looks like they upped the post timer.
Comment By dalek At 12/11/2006 4:17 PM
HAY GUYS, WHAT'S GOIN ON IN DIS V IRAL M ARKETING?
Comment By LolPSP At 12/11/2006 2:17 PM
.............I think I'm going to go play my n-gage. :D
Comment By WWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHEEEEEEE At 12/11/2006 4:19 PM
The funniest part is that they are speaking some kind of hip-hop-net-speak that nobody actually uses, at least nobody who would buy a PSP.
Comment By grotto At 12/11/2006 2:19 PM
The funniest part is that they are speaking some kind of hip-hop-net-speak that nobody actually uses, at least nobody who would buy a PSP.
Comment By grotto At 12/11/2006 2:20 PM
Hay guys, what's going on here??
Comment By Viral Vincent At 12/11/2006 4:21 PM
yo! peep this!

the psp's screen is as big as how much of a mistake this site is, mirite???? lololollerskatescopter

also pimp rides and have you heard? wmds are the bomb!
Comment By streetcr3d At 12/11/2006 2:21 PM
If you two hep cats want, I can loan you the $8 to make your domain info private. Cause we roll mad deep like that. Gyeah.
Comment By Mr Payback At 12/11/2006 2:23 PM
I am teh ghost of Lik-Sang past and Iam going to wiiiii all over u
Comment By Lik-Sang At 12/11/2006 2:25 PM
Nintendo DS Lite
Comment By working At 12/11/2006 2:26 PM
PEEP DIS

Yall are hatin' up the wrong tree.

PSP IS F'N ILL SON, AND DAT'S DAT.
Comment By oldskoolpspfagoat At 12/11/2006 4:26 PM
fooking garbaaage
Comment By arsebandit At 12/11/2006 2:27 PM
Oh shiz.........

SHOOP DA WHOOP
Comment By gman At 12/11/2006 4:28 PM
artards
Comment By gamergirl At 12/11/2006 2:31 PM
Hey dudes, this site is GNARLEY!!!
I have some totally awesome marketing ideas I'd like to share with you and I really know how to sling the lingo of the kids these days (my grandson keeps me hip). Maybe I could wrap too!!
Comment By Tom DeRose At 12/11/2006 4:33 PM
?????
Comment By ???? At 12/11/2006 2:39 PM
Tell your friend Jeremy to get a Wii instead. Not only is it more fun, but the company that makes it, Nintendo, doesn't degrade and insult its target mar_ket like Sony does with garbage like this.

I previously disliked Sony because of their poor-quality pr_oducts, but now I am thoroughly offended that they would do something as low as this. I will be sure to pass along word of this site and what Sony has allowed their mar_keting agency to do anytime I hear any of friends or relatives express plans to purchase a pr_oduct from Sony.
Comment By Cosmos At 12/11/2006 4:42 PM
This is a m a r k e t i n g ploy by Z i p o t i n i.
Comment By Jackson At 12/11/2006 2:42 PM
HA HA HA.
We're laughing all the way to the bank.
Stop crying and go home!!! Don't you have something better to do with your time?
Comment By dorkboy At 12/11/2006 4:43 PM
OMG i would totaly buy a psp but theres no final fantsay games!! and my brother died when he waited for a ps3 :(
Comment By Frankie At 12/11/2006 4:43 PM
Someone call Jerry, one of his kids have escaped.
Comment By Stefan At 12/11/2006 2:55 PM
Dorkboy, it's hard to understand how you're laughing on the way to the bank, because it's evident you're simply a raving fanboy with no connection to Sony other than buying their products.
Comment By Morkboy At 12/11/2006 4:57 PM
You see this? YOU SEE THIS? Don't underestimate teh social networks. They're mad. Oh, yes.
Comment By Bleargh At 12/11/2006 4:58 PM
All i want for Christmas is a Nintendo DS and a copy of Nintendogs.
Comment By Jimmy At 12/11/2006 5:00 PM
YO stop SPammin my BLOG... da psp is pwn, if u cant feel da flow then step off hatas
Comment By charlie At 12/11/2006 5:04 PM
eh
Comment By what At 12/11/2006 3:13 PM
@OldSkoolPSP...(whatever tag change you wish)

Stop trying to run damage control and 'convince' us to 'stop hating' on this horrid site. It's not run by two guys that want a PSP really badly; no one would want a PSP.
Comment By True Gamer At 12/11/2006 5:13 PM
What better way to a d v e r t i s e than to represent gamers as w a n n a b e gangsta m o r o n s who live in their parents basements in their late twenties?
Comment By hata At 12/11/2006 3:20 PM
Does some guy hi up in a sony office really think 'This is what kids think is cool!' Jesus...
Comment By Drew At 12/11/2006 5:22 PM
YO stop SPammin my BLOG... da psp is pwn, if u cant feel da flow then step off hatas
Comment By charlie At 12/11/2006 5:22 PM
high* eesh
Comment By Drew At 12/11/2006 5:23 PM
YO stop SPammin my BLOG... da psp is pwn, if u cant feel da flow then step off hatas
Comment By charlie At 12/11/2006 5:23 PM
' YO stop SPammin my BLOG... da psp is pwn, if u cant feel da flow then step off hatas'

Stop. Talking. Like. A. Retard.
Comment By Dangerous-Dave At 12/11/2006 5:24 PM
First...I better not get added to a mailing list for giving my email address.

Second...Sony...PLEASE stop trying to be 'hip'. Please START focusing on product and games and opening a REAL dialogue with your users to make your gaming products better.

I've owned a PS1 (2) and a PS2 (3 of em...quality issues) but have held off on the PSP because of your ability to launch technologies and then dump them or make them unusable (UMD). Why the heck did you not a: make UMD burnable like with minidisc and b: force game makers to tighten their code so load times would be less (we know it can be done).
Comment By Ksparydad At 12/11/2006 5:25 PM
So...in summary...

1. Come out and identify yourselves as Sony and asks for and listen to your user base comments.

2. Make UMD burnable ASAP and include UMD discs with DVD/BR/HD movie releases for 2 or 3 bucks extra

3. Build in ALOT more memory on the PSP or GIVE me a bigger Memory Stick

4. Make PS1 games downloadable without the PS3 NOW.
Comment By Ksparydad At 12/11/2006 5:26 PM
This is a mark-eting fiasco. Your bosses should really shut you down before this gets more publ-icity; everyone I know dislikes Sony more after seeing this.
Comment By Al At 12/11/2006 5:26 PM
' YO stop SPammin my BLOG... da psp is pwn, if u cant feel da flow then step off hatas'

Stop. Talking. Like. A. Retard.
Comment By Dangerous-Dave At 12/11/2006 5:26 PM
webbot.fetch('response'): 0582 - overflow error

0582: contant system administrator
Comment By charlie At 12/11/2006 5:30 PM
YO stop SPammin my BLOG... da psp is pwn, if u cant feel da flow then step off hatas
Comment By charlie At 12/11/2006 5:36 PM
you, who are writing this, are what? 40 years old?
Comment By slothrop At 12/11/2006 5:39 PM
Haha the word is out. What a bunch of clowns. You actually thought this site would be a good idea? All you're getting for Christmas is a pink slip.

u feel dat homes? u just got pwnd.
Comment By DEAD_PIXEL At 12/11/2006 5:39 PM
hilarious. a bunch of lab rats. ur being studied.
Comment By guess what At 12/11/2006 3:44 PM

hilarious. a bunch of lab rats. ur being studied.

You're giving these mo-rons too much credit. There's no secret clever plan to learn how we feel from this site, it's just a ploy gone horribly wrong.
Comment By Al At 12/11/2006 5:47 PM
HAY I LOVES ME SOME PSP
Comment By ZIPATONI At 12/11/2006 4:00 PM
Look people, I can impersonate Charlie too.

Do you really think the company would post here without deleting the comments?
Comment By CHARLIE At 12/11/2006 6:01 PM
PLEASE tell me this is a Joke.....
Comment By Visar At 12/11/2006 4:05 PM
It's an Ad compaign
Comment By Chris At 12/11/2006 6:06 PM
S o n y , I demand an apology for being treated like a f u c k i n g i d i o t.

Al raises excellent points....why is 'z i p a t o n i' a u t o f i l t e r e d if this s c a m is not created by them?

Quit underestimating your t a r g e t m a r k e t. We're not r e t a r d e d.
Comment By Ryoshi At 12/11/2006 4:08 PM
v iral mar keting you say?
Comment By joey At 12/11/2006 6:10 PM
Yeah I am CHARLIE too. This is a joke. and I am laughing as hard as anyone. It's far funnier than anything i could think up.
Comment By CHARLIE At 12/11/2006 4:11 PM
Mar keting for du masses
Comment By Charlie At 12/11/2006 6:11 PM
November NPD Sales Data:
1. NDS ~ 918,000 (8.1 mil LTD in the US)
2. PS2 ~ 664,000
3. GBA ~ 641,000
4. 360 ~ 511,000 (3.8 mil LTD in the US)
5. Wii ~ 476,000
6. PSP ~ 412,000
7. PS3 ~ 197,000
8. NGC ~ 62,000

Sony's getting their asses stomped! Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. :)
Comment By Seth At 12/11/2006 6:14 PM
Don't delete my posts...you can't run from the truth. :)

November NPD Sales Data:
1. NDS ~ 918,000 (8.1 mil LTD in the US)
2. PS2 ~ 664,000
3. GBA ~ 641,000
4. 360 ~ 511,000 (3.8 mil LTD in the US)
5. Wii ~ 476,000
6. PSP ~ 412,000
7. PS3 ~ 197,000
8. NGC ~ 62,000

Sony's getting their asses stomped! Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. :)
Comment By Seth At 12/11/2006 6:24 PM
we have nothing to do with this be quiet :(
Comment By zipatoni marketing At 12/11/2006 6:24 PM
we have everyhting to do with this. Why be quite?
Comment By zipatoni marketing At 12/11/2006 4:25 PM
Charlie,

Stop talking in ebonics

<3 Mom
Comment By Charlie's Mom At 12/11/2006 6:26 PM
YO stop SPammin my BLOG... da psp is pwn, if u cant feel da flow then step off hatas
Comment By CHARLIE At 12/11/2006 6:26 PM
I am activated!
Comment By [+.. ] At 12/11/2006 4:27 PM
I am activated!
Comment By [+.. ] At 12/11/2006 6:28 PM
All I want for