The NRDC report suggests that video game console manufacturers update the consoles with a power saving mode that would kick in after a period of inactivity — but the quickest fix is for gamers to turn their consoles off (or use the console's power saving features) when they're not actively playing them. The NRDC says that consoles use about the same amount of power just sitting there as they do when you're actually playing them.

How much could you save? At the high end, the NRDC says that PS3 owners who shut off their consoles could save as much as $145 a year. Wii users won't save as much, because the Wii uses less power over all. The XBOX 360 is somewhere in between.

The good news is that the XBOX 360 and PS3 do have power saving features, but they're disabled by default. Why not turn them on and save some cash?

Lowering the Cost of Play [NRDC]

Here's a quick summary of the tips:

1. Be patient. If you must have the thing on the day it comes out, you will pay more.
2. Wait for a sale. "Retailers will put the title on sale (like toysrus' annual 2 for 1 game sale) or you can wait a year for the reissued compilation edition of the game that is usually cheaper and has extra bonus content, as well. See Oblivion's Game of the Year edition that comes with extra content that came out a year after it first shipped."
3. Buy used. Got a friend who beats everything and then sells it back? Buy it from him! Or check out places that sell used games, perhaps on the internet.
4. Rent. Video stores rent games, and there is also GameFly, which is similar to Netflix.
5. Employee Discount. Get a seasonal job in retail and use your discount to buy games.

How do you save money on games? Share your frugal gaming tips in the comments.

Gaming on a Budget [Ash the Blog] (Thanks, Ozzie !)
(Photo: C. Barr )

The videos have slightly NSFW language. Here's the first one.

(Thanks, David!)

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!"

Walsh told Villarreal:

“We don’t want to go down any path that starts to go down toward censorship,” Walsh said. “I really believe First Amendment rights are very important. I don’t want the solution to the problem to be bigger than the problem itself.”

Walsh and the NIMF oppose the proposed legislation that the Parents Television Council has been promoting by (incorrectly) claiming that GTA IV rewarded "points for drunk driving."

"What we really need to do is get kind of in the middle. [Philmguy]

The other night I tried booting up my PS3 and got an error message that said "The hard drive is corrupted and needs to be formatted. Press X to format." Grrr. I knew that formatting would erase all of my saved data, but I went ahead and pushed X. And waited. And waited.

The PS3 went to a status bar that said "Formatting..." but stayed at 0% and never did anything. I couldn't get to the cross-media bar, couldn't get it to load a disc - nothing. I turned off the machine, let it sit until the next evening and tried again with the same result: hard disk corrupt, needs formatting, formatting freezes.

I searched Sony's website for a solution to this problem, but couldn't find anything, so I called their customer service number. Unfortunately, the wait time was too long, so I hung up and sent them an email explaining in detail what my problem was. I got this response:

—-—-—-—--
Hello Dustin,

Thank you for writing us.

We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. We would like to recommend the
following PlayStation Knowledge Center article(s) that may help resolve the problem:

- Troubleshoot HDD Problems on the PLAYSTATION(R)3 computer entertainment system:
http://playstation.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/playstation.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=441
In addition, if you have not already done so, perform the following recommendations which may also
correct the problem.

- Restore Default Settings
From the XMB(TM) menu, go to [Settings] > [System Settings] > [Restore Default Settings]. Once you
select Restore Default Settings, you will see a list of settings that will be restored. Scroll
through them and press the X button to restore the settings. After the operation is complete, you
will see the initial setup screen that appeared the first time you turned on the PLAYSTATION(R)3
computer entertainment system. You will need to go through the initial setup process before you can
use the PLAYSTATION 3.

- Install the Latest Firmware Update
To check what version of the System Software is currently installed on your PLAYSTATION 3, from the
XMB menu go to [Settings] > [System Settings] > [System Information]. The system will display the
System Software version number. You can visit the following link to determine whether you have the
latest version installed.
http://www.us.playstation.com/PS3/About/SystemUpdate

- Check your Environment
Make sure to allow adequate ventilation to flow from the PLAYSTATION 3's vents (i.e., avoid
obstructing the vents with long/shaggy carpet, inadequate airflow from cramped entertainment cabinet
setups, etc.). Make sure to also keep the PLAYSTATION 3 away from excessive dust, smoke, steam,
extreme temperatures, humidity, or direct sunlight. Full details on Safety Precautions and Use and
Handling can be found in the PLAYSTATION 3 Instruction Manual.
http://www.us.playstation.com/Support/PS3/Manuals

- Click on the link below to search the PlayStation Knowledge Center for new and existing content.
http://playstation.custhelp.com

If you have followed these steps and would still like to speak to us, please call our Consumer
Services Department at (800) 345-7669. Our representatives are available to assist you, Monday
through Saturday 6:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., and Sunday 7:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Pacific Standard Time.

If you have further questions regarding this message and are replying back via email, please refer
to your email case number:5782785.

Sophie
Multimedia Representative
Sony Computer Entertainment America
Consumer Services Department
—-—-—-—-—-—--

Apparently they didn't read my email, because their "solutions" all involved a PS3 that booted to the main menu and the cross-media bar. They didn't address my problem, nor did they offer any helpful solution. So I sent them back this email:

"I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but your response to my email was inadequate and unthoughtful.

If you look at my email, you will see that I am getting an error message when I turn the machine on. I can't do any of the things listed in your knowledge center, because I can't access the cross-media bar. I can't even get my PS3 to boot up! For some reason, it freezes up when trying to format.

I will give your customer service center a call. Please know that most of us who have purchased a PS3 are familiar with technology and know how to search for an answer on a company's website. I wouldn't have written to you without first trying every solution I could find online.

Sending a form letter in answer to a detailed email is condescending.

Dustin"

And this was their response:
—-—-—-—-
Hello Dustin,

We apologize for any inconvenience you may have experienced. We would like to recommend the
following PlayStation Knowledge Center article(s) that may help resolve the problem....

Sigh. Guess it's back to the hold queue for you, Dustin.

Phil Villarreal of the Arizona Daily Star has interviewed a spokesman from the Parents Television Council, a group that is lobbying for a $5,000 fine against retailers who sell "M" rated games to youngsters, about the scourge that is Grand Theft Auto IV. It seems that the group's spokesperson isn't really all that familiar with the game...

Parents Television Council: "I’ve actually played ‘Grand Theft Auto IV,’ and it’s right in keeping with previous versions. The series continues to lower the bar and this is the first game that has an alcohol content warning. You get points for driving drunk in this game.”

Mr. Villarreal: "You know that’s not true, right? The game doesn’t have points."

[PhilmGuy]
(Photo: meghannmarco )

From the Mass Effect forums:

It is good that Bioware and EA want to kill piracy — but really, though; at what expense?...If somehow a copy of MEPC game gets out w/out any protection around comes out, that copy won't be hindered by any checks. Why should a legitimate buyer of MEPC have to pay money to be treated like he's a pirate when he isn't the pirate?

Say you, the legitimate MEPC owner, has lost their Internet connection — and it's say not on your end, but your ISP's. What now? Will you be locked out of your legit copy of your game for NO REASON?

Say you, legitimate MEPC owner, tried to get your copy verified online from its online check — but, for some reason, EA and Bioware's servers are down. Or say, too many MEPC users are booting MEPC at once to get verified and you just can't connect for a good while — whether it's 2 minutes, 20 mins, or 1 hour or more. That's an inconvenience. So, will the game boot b/c you can't get your legit copy verified?

Let's hope EA and Bioware are planning on operating these servers in perpetuity, because Mass Effect is very addicting, and if you don't agree, my level 60 Adept Nemesis will Singularity your ass.

What do you think of this style of DRM? Are they punishing the ones who don't steal? Or is this necessary to protect their investment?

Mass Effect for PC System Specs, SecuROM and FAQ [Bioware]

Nick writes:

Hey Consumerist,

I enjoy your website quite a bit.

I don't usually have too many consumer related issues, but I've run into something today that was sort of odd and thought that you guys may or may not be interested.

When I woke up today, I got into my usual routine, checking around the web to see if there were any places that had the Nintendo Wii in stock. As luck would have it, Toys'R'Us said they had them in stock. I'm thrilled, I've been saving up for a few months to get a Wii, and finally, I can get one. So I order one around 10am.

I get an e-mail at 12:55pm saying that, sorry the Wiis are currently on back order. I'm bummed out, but not crushed. I go back to the Toys'R'Us page, and guess what, they're still saying they are available. At this point, I find this really annoying. They are not telling customers that these have been backlogged on the site, but are sending out e-mails saying as much. I took a screencap of the site (still listing it as available at 1:15 or so).

I still really want my Wii, and would like to know when it'll be shipping. I call thier customer service, and I am helped by a very polite lady who tells me they are unable to say when the backorder will ship. Cue further dissapointment. I've sent of a polite e-mail through their web e-mail interface to express my disappointment in the handling of not only my own order, but continuing to take orders even though they knew they were selling a product they didn't have in stock (but were listing it as in stock).

I'm really pretty bummed out with this whole thing. I haven't canceled my order yet, because I'm hoping by some miracle this will come through. I don't know if you guys at Consumerist would be interesting in something like this or not, I don't know if this is par for the course when trying to get a Wii. Nor am I sure what benefit this will really have, maybe you guys could do soemthing with this at least.

Toys"R"Us' letter to Nick:

Dear Nicholas,

Thank you again for your recent purchase at Toysrus.com & Babiesrus.com.

We have received your order 85439XXXXX-000, and wanted to let you know that there has been an unexpected delay in the shipment of the following items:

Item: 4172131
Description: Nintendo Wii Console
Quantity: 1 @ $249.99
Shipping Method: Standard Ground

Shipping to the following address:

Nicholas
Address

We want to assure you that your order will be fulfilled once the the item(s) becomes available. Once we are able to ship the item(s) you will receive a shipping confirmation email with updated tracking information.

All of your order information will also appear in the My Account section of our website where you can:

* Track all your orders
* Change your passwords

Please allow up to 60 minutes for your order information to be updated on our system.

http://www.Toysrus.com/checkout/index.jsp

Thank you once again for your order and selecting Toysrus.com & Babiesrus.com! We are continually expanding our selection to serve you better, so be sure to visit us often for new items and the latest promotions. If you have any further questions concerning shipping, order status, payment or other website policies, visit the Help area of our website at http://www.Toysrus.com/help .

Sincerely,
Customer Service

This e-mail was from a notification-only system; please do not reply to this message.

Nick's response:

Good Afternoon,

I was writing to express my disappointment in your handling of my order 85439XXXXX-000. I was really looking forward to getting a Nintendo Wii, and was excited to hear that Toys'R'Us had them in stock this morning (Friday, May 2nd). I placed my order in the morning, and then at 12:56pm received a notice that the order had been placed on back order.

I was rather annoyed that this was the case, but understand that sometimes these things can happen. But then I checked the Toys'R'Us website, and the item was still being listed as available. I took a screencapture of this at 1:10pm. While I am personally disappointed that my item is on backorder, I am even more disappointed that Toys'R'Us continued to claim that they were available, even though they clearly were not at that point.

I am also terribly disappointed that when I called customer service to find out when they might be shipping, to find out that no one could even give me an estimate of when they might ship.

I am leaving my order active with you currently in hopes that you resolve this issue quickly, but all and all, I have been very let down with Toys'R'Us.

Respectfully,
Nick

Don't be ashamed if you don't have the Wiis, Toys"R"Us. Nobody does.

If Wii-hunting is integrated into your morning routine, consider popping into the Nintendo World Store early one morning to buy one in person. As a responsible retailers, Nintendo won't take your credit card unless the console is in stock.

Nintendo Wii Console [Toys"R"Us]
RELATED: Why Are Nintendo Wiis So Hard To Find?

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

Here are tips 1-9, from the "Numbers to Call" section:

1. "Read The Consumerist."
Done.

2. "Go to the collections department."
This is a department companies will actually devote resources to, so your odds of reaching a live person can jump dramatically.

3. "Search EDGAR."

4. "Find important numbers through Whois.net."

5. "Call the number for new service."
As with the collections, companies have a strong incentive to provide efficient customer service to possible new customers, so pretend to be one.

6. "Find the right number."
VOIP-News writes, "If you find a specialized number, you're more likely to get through quickly." We agree only if it's truly a special, not-revealed-to-the-public number—otherwise you risk falling back into the company's automated system and miss your chance to game it.

7. "Call the retentions department."
See #2 and #5 above.

8. "Do a Web search for the company."
"Hit your favorite search engine and enter the company's name, plus terms such as 'president,' 'investor relations' or 'executive service.'" You should also try similar searches on Consumerist for past contact info posts.

9. "Find disgruntled customers."
"Again, search engines can help you locate numbers if you enter phrases such as 'I hate company X' or 'company X sucks.'"

(Thanks to Andy!)

"PBX Hell: 50-Plus Hacks and Tips to Get to a Real Person at Any Corporation in 10 Seconds or Less" [VOIP-News]
(Photo: Getty)

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]

He used the "recovery" service to get the tag back, but when he got access to his tag he realized that he could no longer use any of his saved games.

That was about a month ago and Microsoft still has no solution for his problem. Frustrated with losing all the games he's saved, Brad filed a complaint with the BBB.

Microsoft responded:

We are unable to comply with your request to provide a free Memory Unit. Accessories such as that may be purchased from a retail location.

Brad writes:

After using the account recovery service on my 360 to recover my gamertag after using it on a friends 360, I found that I could no longer access ANY of my saved games. I contacted 18004MYXBOX four times about this issue, each time, receiving the same script and run-around. I finally escalated the issue, and Jeff from the Xbox Live division called me back to discuss it. He acknowledged that there was an issue with their account recovery service, but that there was nothing they could do, and offered me no compensation. Unfortunately, MS decided to use their DRM system on the saved games as well. When my gamertag account became partially corrupted on their server, it no longer allowed linked to my saved games. And of course, MS does not know how to fix their own system.

Thank you for using the Better Business Bureau's Online Complaint System.
Your complaint has been assigned case # *NUMBERDELETED*.
Correspondence regarding this complaint will be emailed to : *EMAILDELETED*
Please print a copy of this for your records.

Filed on : January 24 2008

Filed by :
*MyNameDeleted*
*MyAddressDeleted*
*MyLocationDeleted*

Filed against :
Xbox
1 Microsoft Way
Redmond WA 98052

Complaint Description:
When moving my Xbox Live! gamertag from a friends Xbox 360 console back to my own console, I lost the ability to access my saved games, even though they are still present on my 360's hard drive. Moving the gamertag to play in different locations is how the Xbox Live! service is intended to be used, there is some error causing my gamertag to not recognize my saved games. This occured Thurday, January 17th. I placed calls to 1800MYXBOX on 3 separate occasions: January 18th, January 19th, and January 20th about this issue. Customer service did not offer any solutions which worked, and failed to put me in contact with someone who had expertise in the area. My 1800MYXBOX reference number regarding this issue is 1056102591. These saved games are my personal data, and represent 2 years of my time and effort. Microsoft's Xbox live service, either intentionally or unintentionally, has caused damage to my gamertag and/or my personal saved game files. I have documented my issues and experience on the Xbox Forums here: http://forums.xbox.com/18015242/ShowPost.aspx#18015242 . Other Xbox Live! and 360 uses have had identical or similar issues as shown by the following forum posts: http://forums.xbox.com/17067018/ShowPost.aspx , http://forums.xbox.com/18049832/ShowPost.aspx#18049832 . I have been in contact with several other Live! users that have experienced the same problem. Their Live! gamertags are: 'klamath xor', 'JigSaw XV', 'd3adpoetic', and 'XCALIBUR18'. 'klamath xor' has also filed a complaint with the BBB regarding this issue here: http://app.alaskaoregonwesternwashington.bbb.org/complaint/view/*NUMBERDELETED*.

Your Desired Resolution:
I would like Microsoft to acknowledge the problem and fix it, allowing me and the other affected to use their saved games again. If this is not technically possible, I would like Microsoft to prevent the issue from occurring in the future, and offer a formal apology. If that is not technically possible, I would like to be offered a full refund on my Xbox 360, Live! service, and all of my games and accessories. It is unacceptable for Microsoft to provide a game console/service that destroys users data, and I cannot support such a system/service.

Microsoft responded:

RE: Your complaint to the Better Business Bureau

Case Number: 22146246

Dear Brad,

A copy of your report filed with the Better Business Bureau of Oregon & Western Washington regarding your Xbox Video Game System has been forwarded to Microsoft.

Our records indicate, that we contacted you by phone on the 7th of January in regards to your Xbox console.

We are unable to comply with your request to provide a free Memory Unit. Accessories such as that may be purchased from a retail location.

Thank you for your continued support of Microsoft Xbox gaming platform.

If you have any further concerns regarding this issue, please contact 1-800-4MY-XBOX and use ticket number: 1053326815. Otherwise we will consider this issue closed.

Sincerely,

Kevin Lamb
Xbox Customer Support
Microsoft Corporation

cc: Better Business Bureau of Oregon and Western Washington

Brad pointed us to a forum thread where he details the steps he took to recover his saved games, etc. You can read that here.

After recovering my gamertag I can no longer access my saved games! [XBOX Forums]
(Photo:louder)

GTA: San Andreas' developer has set up a website detailing the compensation one can expect to receive. The more detailed proof you have, the better your cash reward.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas First Edition Disc gets you a replacement disc. All other kinds of proof:

Detailed Store Receipt Cash payment up to $35.00
General Credit Card Statement or Check Cash payment up to $17.50
Disc/Purchase Details Cash payment up to $10.00
No Disc/Purchase Details Cash payment up to $5.00

To give your word that you totally really did have the game click here.

GTA Settlement
Hot Coffee [Wikipedia]

Fair Isaac adjusted its FICO scoring system for 2008 so that it now prevents one of these score-enhancing techniques—you can no longer bump up your score by adding your name as an "authorized user" to a stranger's perfect credit account. But the new techniques still work, which really annoys not only FICO but the National Association of Mortgage Bankers.

For a $1,399 fee, TradeLine adds the borrower's name to a stranger's recently paid-off loan just before the account is closed. The account, with its perfect payment history, is then added to the borrower's credit record in 30 to 45 days.

Ted Stearns, chief executive of TradeLine Solutions, said he came up with what the company calls its "seasoned primary accounts" program using a "loophole" in the law. Adding a single account can raise a credit score by 35 to 40 points, he said. But most clients purchase three accounts, at $1,399 for the first one and slight discounts for subsequent ones, to increase a score from say 560 to 700, he said.

He emphasized in an interview that [FICO] is not a law enforcement agency, but would bring concerns to the attention of the Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission, the F.B.I. and attorney general's office if lenders started complaining about such practices.

The F.T.C. and other federal agencies declined to comment on the programs or to say whether any investigations were under way.

"Investigations are nonpublic and we don't opine over whether something is legal or not," said Frank Dorman, public affairs specialist with the F.T.C.

RELATED
"How FICO 08 Changes Your Credit Score"
(Photo: Getty)

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

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

Dear Consumerist, I just wanted to follow up and let you know that Circuit City was quick to contact me and resolve the issue. The associate I spoke to was very apologetic about my experience and offered to send me both games free of charge. Although I shouldn't have had to go through so much in-store hassle to begin with, I was impressed to see how well Circuit City handled the situation.

Cheers,

Adam

PREVIOUSLY: Circuit City Refusing To Honor Advertised Offer For Free Call Of Duty 3?

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]

We guess you could forgive EBgames for being slow to update its inventory database—except the announcement was made a full week ago. Oh, and also, this is EBgames' core business.

Maybe taking pre-orders on publicly canceled videogames is part of their strategy to boost profits for this quarter—it's like getting lots of interest-free loans until some point in the future when they're forced to admit that they pre-sold you a product that the publisher has admitted will most likely never exist.

Oh, EBgames: we wish there was a cheat code to use against you.

official announcement [Perpetual Entertainment] (Thanks to Tuck!)

Circuity City wants CheapAssGamer to turn over all personal information they have on user "Speedy1961," a forum member who has been happily leaking CC's weekly ads before their official release. Kotaku says:

"The subpoena mentions one CheapAssGamer thread in particular, which prior to E3, revealed that the PS3 would get a price drop. That same thread also included pricing for games at Circuit City as well as game prices at Target and Best Buy."

"The CAG community's trust and respect is very important to me, so I've hired legal representation to deal with the situation," Abrams [CAG Productions CEO] tells Kotaku.

Circuit City Subpoenas CheapAssGamer [Kotaku]

From Ars Technica:

It's apparent from the study's results that one thing interests the majority of consumers: games. The dueling next-generation HD disc formats, the ability to download content, and even high-definition graphics don't seem to matter to the majority of the game-buying public; if these figures are reflective of the wider market, all those features are being roundly ignored by most gamers.

Ars speculates that your disinterest in these features is one reason the Wii has been so successful. You just like to play games. What's wrong with that?

Report: Gamers largely clueless about next-gen console media capabilities [Ars Technica]
(Photo:everyone's idle)

Dear Consumerist(s)...

I was a frustrated Xbox 360 owner. Long story short, I had 6 Xbox 360 since launch that needed to be replaced, 4 of them due to poor quality control with the refurbished units (only 2 fell victim to the overheating issue). I had already purchased an extended warranty, beyond the extended one Microsoft provided. On the 6th repair, I was insisting on getting a new, not-refurb, unit. I escalated the call as high as I could, to where I was given a special phone number and extension for a case worker of sorts.

I was told that if I had called a few days sooner (closer to when I received the 6th unit), I could have gotten a new unit...but it was too late. He also insisted he was as high as I could go, and there was no flexibility. I thought what I was requesting was fair, and was getting very frustrated.

Around the time I received the box in which to send back my busted 360, The Consumerist posted the email addresses for Microsoft execs, including Bill Gates. I typed up my case, clicked send, and crossed my fingers. Just two days later I received a call from a rep who was perfectly willing to replace my 360 with a new unit! The turn over time was fast, and so far my 360 has worked flawlessly! Granted, it wasn't in a brand new retail box, so I will never know if it is truly new, but it had no scuffs like my refurbs did, and smelt like a new item. So I just wanted to than you guys, and if you are ever at the Jersey shore, come on over for a BBQ and some Xbox 360 gaming!

AlteredBeast

(Photo:AlteredBeast)

RELATED: Contact Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer

Also of note: "Xbox 360 Core System will drop in price by $20, to $279.99, and Microsoft will shave $30 off the price of the 120 GB Xbox 360 Elite, taking it to $449.99."

Advertisements showing the price cut were leaked on the internet more than a week ago, and confirmed by Microsoft yesterday.

Confirmed: Microsoft cutting Xbox 360 price by $50 [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]
(Photo:Maulleigh)

The player's ability to don, kick, toss or use products is part of the appeal. In "Super Monkey Ball," players try to get their monkey characters to collect Dole-branded bananas. And in "Tony Hawk's Project 8," players use Nokia phones.

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

For advertisers, they're not just games [LA Times]

At $500, the PS3 will still be $20 more than the most expensive XBOX 360, and twice the price of Nintendo's magical Wii. From Reuters:

"Our initial expectation is that sales should double at a minimum," Jack Tretton, chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment America, said in an interview.

"We've gotten our production issues behind us on the PlayStation 3, reaching a position to pass on the savings to consumers, and our attitude is the sooner the better."
...
We're especially proud of the fact that the PlayStation 3 has the lowest failure rate of any PlayStation product. It's absolutely the gold standard," Tretton said.

Sony cuts price on PlayStation 3 by $100 [Sony]
(Photo: fozi999)

PricewaterhouseCooperss released the data in its annual "Global Entertainment and Media Outlook" report covering 2007 through 2011, which outlines expected growth in the entertainment, film, music, and video game industries, among others.

The information not only reflects the gaming industry's strong trajectory but also serves as a painful reminder that the music industry continues to suffer.

Report: Video game spending to surpass music spending this year [Ars Technica]
(Photo: cryptolife)

I can't game for 20 minutes without spikey jagged graphical flickering obscuring my view. I finally get annoyed enough to start fixing the problem. Evidently, 7900 GT's, such as mine, are now notorious for memory problems which are causing (gasp) artifacting. They're being RMA'ed left and right. So I pull out one card, test the remaining 7900 GT...yup, it's....artifacting. I pull out that card, put in the other one...it's fine. Ok, this is workable, I can still play on the one card while I send back the other for replacement.

I recently submitted an RMA for a 7900 GT and sent it in. I got back a 7900 GTO card. While this is a nice card, even fantastic, I purchased a set of 7900 GT's with the express purpose of running them in an SLI configuration. Sadly, I cannot run the 7900 GTO and my remaining 7900 GT in SLI mode, no matter how much I wish I could. So I am now running the new 7900 GTO alone, by itself, while my poor 7900 GT is sitting on my desk, looking at me with forlorn hope of a productive life. What can I do about this? Would it be possible to send in my 7900 GT for another 7900 GTO so I can run my system in SLI mode? I'd understand why eVGA couldn't do this, but then, what's life without a little hope? I purchase eVGA products because of their reputation of customer service, please help me out. Thanks!

I can work with my RMA department to make sure that we can upgrade your other 7900 gt. I just need you to verify the serial number for your 7900 gt and your shipping address and we can start an RMA for your 7900 gt to a 7900 gto.

(Above and Beyond highlights exceptional and extraordinary acts of service performed by individuals. To nominate someone for inclusion, send your story to tips [at] consumerist [dot] com. Be sure to put "Above and Beyond" in the subject line.)

eVGA Customer Service and how it makes me giggle like a little girl [Administrative Confinement]

Nintendo's PR team send out an email announcing increased production:

"While shipments of Wii hardware are expected to grow this month due to increased production, demand for the system remains at unprecedented levels."

(Photo: toholio)

I called my local Gamestop, where I know most of the employees by name, and asked what to do. They said they couldn't help me directly, but to call customer service at (800) 883-8895. I called that number, waited on hold for a few minutes, got a CSR and asked that my name be removed from the solicitation list. I said that I don't mind the calls telling me my reserved games are in, but that the solicitations needed to stop. He said that the two systems are linked, and that I couldn't be removed from one without being removed from the other. I said that was acceptable, since I really didn't want the solicitations. He asked for my phone number, I gave it to him, and he said he'd "put in a request" to have me removed from the system.

I actually like the "Your game is ready" calls. But I'd rather have no calls at all than the solicitations.

This policy is insane. Our tipster says at no time does GameStop inform customers that by accepting a "reminder" call they are opening themselves up to solicitation calls. They also offered the tipster no confirmation that his name had been removed. —MEGHANN MARCO

(Photo: stan)

"We hope you're enjoying your copy of Twiliight Princess, but if you're finished with it, why don't you bring it to the store and trade it in? We're willing to give you $35 in trade for your copy of Twilight Princess...." I hung up at this point, and try not to curse. I really don't like this sort of phone call, but I'm almost willing to tolerate it when they're telling me a game I want to buy is coming in.

GameStop wants your trade-ins. Enough to call you and ask for something they've already sold you [Opposable Thumbs via Kotaku]

Report: 'Supply Glut' for PS3? [Game Daily]

"I showed up at the CompUSA store promptly as the store opened on Friday, November 17, 2006 as the store opened and request to pick up both my LCD TV and my PS3. The store personnel told me that PS3's were IN stock, but my TV was not yet in. So I requested to pick up the PS3."

"that they can't give me a PS3 AND that my LCD TV wasn't going to come in for another week at least... he thinks..."

Now Mary would like to know what to do. We say cancel the pre-order call your Better Business Bureau, and next time...listen to the Consumerist. —MEGHANN MARCO

The rest of Mary's email inside.

Mary writes:

"To whom it may concern,

As per CompUSA's ad, I purchased a Sony 40" LCD TV for nearly $2000 the weekend the ad was effective. I also reserved the PS3 with my LCD TV purchase. The store personnel told me #1, the TV that was in the ad wasn't available so I had to buy a higher model and #2, it would be available in 3 days.

I showed up at the CompUSA store promptly as the store opened on Friday, November 17, 2006 as the store openedand request to pick up both my LCD TV and my PS3. The store personnel told me that PS3's were IN stock, but my TV was not yet in. So I requested to pick up the PS3. They told me that I couldn't pick up the TV because it was first come, first serve basis. Given that I was one of the first to have met their pre-qualifications (e.g.bought the HIGHER MODEL TV) and requested the PS3 which they told me was in stock, I was still denied the PS3. The store personnel told me that there was a priority list but they couldn't tell me if I was on the list. This is despite the fact that a PS3 was confirmed to be in stock. THey also told me not to worry because at least my TV was going to arrive on November 18, 2006. They then told me I would have to wait for 2 hours for the store manager to return. I obviously left.

I receive a call later in the day from their store manager who then tells me that they can't give me a PS3 AND that my LCD TV wasn't going to come in for another week at least... he thinks...

Any opinions on what I can do would be greatly appreciated..."

Our geeky, mouth-breathing brother site — long a source of bemusement and contempt to the editors at Consumerist as they wax on and long about imaginary elves that live inside their computer — have been on a roll with consumerist-releated complaints lately. We're starting to warm up to these guys.

This time, Florian Eckhardt over at Kotaku has described a problem transferring a character in World of Warcraft (one of those very games in which you play an imaginary elf who lives inside a computer) from one server to another. It appears that Blizzard's system for doing this has been broken for 9 days. Obnoxious, but the real kick in the pants is how Blizzard has been continuing to allow people to transfer characters and claiming there's nothing wrong in the system, leading to this:

Can you even imagine what would happen if a company like AOL or T-Mobile had a glitch like this, that resulted in bankrupting their customers? It defies belief. Even more amazing, it was only after a week of problems that Blizzard silently pulled the transfer system. Smooth, Blizzard. Smooth.

Nice Character Transfer System, Blizzard [Kotaku]

Fry's Outpost is out of the Xbox360 bundles we posted about in the Morning Deals, but fear not!

If you missed the package, which contained a XBOX 360 Premium Console, Saint's Row, Dead Rising, Test Drive Unlimited for only $359.96 (a $200 savings)....

Starting this Saturday at 5am Eastern Pacfic Time, Fry's Outpost will have the same bundle, or even better, available for purchase. The Fry's rep we talked to said it's part of their big anniversary sale.

Set the alarm for crack o dawn and keep your eyes peeled on Fry's Outpost or call 1-877-OUTPOST.

"As part of our standard and ongoing process of analyzing repair data, we recently noticed a higher than usual number of units coming in for repair," Microsoft told IGN in a prepared statement today. "Upon further investigation, it was further discovered that the bulk of the units were isolated to a group that was part of the initial manufacturing run of the console. Returns for repair are coming in for a variety reasons and it's a higher rate than we are satisfied with."

Well, good. I don't personally have an Xbox 360, but if I did, I am sure that it would be broken. Every console I've ever purchased has broken—from NES to PS2. I can now open a PS2 and readjust the laser in 3 minutes flat. I'm like a NASCAR pit crew with that thing.

But I digress. If your box is broken, Microsoft will either repair the system or, if the problems cannot be fixed within two days, Microsoft will replace the old system with a new one. Anyone with a broken system can call 1-800-4MY-XBOX to speak with a customer service person. And, naturally, we'd like to know how that conversation goes.

Ahhh, sweet satisfaction.

One coupon hound found that her store had run out of the items. So she whipped out the ones she previously bought and bought them again. Call it shoplifting into the store.

It will certainly be exciting for the store manager doing inventory when he discovers he's sold 1500 of his 1000 Rolaids.

(Thanks to Joe!)

It was a bit different Monday night. We were settling in for a lil' round of Counterstrike when something strange happened to our Dell XPS Inspiron. The screen froze and white dots flashed all over it. We restarted and tried again, same thing. We restarted and booted up Oblivion. The game froze repeatedly, went purple, then the HUD was visible on a field of brown with a diagonal field of purple and green flashing dots. Pretty trippy.

We called Dell Tech Support and went through all of Justin's tests. He was pretty nice but after 45 minutes, it was pretty obvious our video card was fried. The screen would go black in Windows and we couldn't function normally, let alone secure the blue power node...

Read more after this jump...

Luckily, when we built the computer online we had, in a moment of safety-conscious whimsy, opted for the on-site warranty. Which meant that Justin was dispatching a man with a new video card to come to our apartment and replace it. Sweet. But we still had to wait a little bit. Perhaps, even till Friday. Bitter.

Somehow we slogged through blogging yesterday on a different computer, our girlfriend's MacBook. Nice piece of machinery. Not as nice without all our programs and shortcuts. Plus, we really need a big screen. BIG. But we see how all those gloopy icons and smoothness are pretty appealing.

Justin's tech \called us yesterday to see how late they could push the appointment. "I'm a blogger! I need this as soon as you can get it done! The world must be consumed!" He seemed to understand.

Today, Vinnie calls us up to let us know he'll be coming over sometime today. All in all, we received about five phone calls as he variously told us he was getting the part, had the part, would be calling us later to schedule a time and then scheduled a time and then let us know he was 15 minutes away.

Vinnie arrived, was friendly and personable and got down to work. We found out that Dell was actually going to upgrade our video card, from an NVIDIA 6800 to a 7800. Score. Vinnie finished up, ran a few tests, and played some Half-Life to make sure everything kept running smooth.

And now, we have our fully functional laptop with upgraded video card, two nights after placing the tech support call.

Thank you Dell and thank you Vinnie. If you're in the New York area and need a service tech nights, weekends, in your home or office, drop him a line at vexmaster@earthlink.net

This Christmas in July, that is.

• Grand Theft Auto 4 announced. This time you're a gangster pimp in colonial Burma.
• How would you like to cast spells with your feet? Do it with these toe-controlled foot fraggers.
• Robin Williams spins one-liners about Spore, the alien creature growing game. Three out of eight are drug-related. Dude's still on the top of his game.
• In a sign of the creeping force of neo-puritanism dominating the American psyche, this year there's been a "bikini ban" on the booth babes. These chicks protested with their curves, legs and smiles. C'mon E3, this is the only chance for many of the expo's participants to see bare female flesh.