“Video Gaming ” — 239 Posts

Nearly a year ago I was standing in a line that wrapped around the Galen Center in Los Angeles to witness the unveiling of Kinect for Xbox 360. The atmosphere was uniquely memorable as Cirque Du Soleil performers sounded large drums as we walked in to the arena and interacted with us as we waited for the show to begin. We watched a giant mechanical elephant carry us to a new dimension and we were all given white capes that would end up leading a coordinated light show. The entire event was a symbol of innovation that was both primal and progressive.

The experience was honestly surreal and I sincerely bought into the hype that Kinect would enter us into a new dimension of gaming. The message was simple, Kinect was the center of a new evolution of human interaction with technology. It fed directly into my intense desire for the video game industry to become more and more immersive with its audience, it was love at first sight.

In almost the same passion I came to care about Kinect I could not have fallen more out of love with the device since its launch last November. I counted the days for the release of Kinect to be rewarded with experiences that could only be characterized as Wii-like without the nunchuk. Only Harmonix provided any substance to the launch with the excellently crafted Dance Central which still remains focused to a particular subset of potential gamers out there like my 12 year old sister and my boss (watch this video for a laugh).

Without question, Microsoft's focus on expanding gaming to the casual market is something that should be commended. The more gamers the better! The Kinect message was supposed to be more compelling than just capturing a new demographic though.

It is up to the developers, the artists and kings of our industry to make us once again realize what Kinect represents. It is with this hope that the Kinect page turns with the upcoming release of Child of Eden from the brilliant mind of Tetsuya Mizuguchi. Though playable without Kinect, the first-person-dual-hand controls are unique and responsive when using the fastest selling consumer electronics device in history.

I could not be more honored than to announce that Tetsuya Mizuguchi will answer questions FROM YOU about his new launch of Child of Eden here on KmartGamer!

Please read on for more details:

As much as I would love to have an epic L.A. Noire deal set up every week, at the end of the day (for my own mental sanity), sometimes you just need to take a breath. With that boisterous lead in, please read below for this week in KmartGamer deals:

The consistently excellent developer Codemasters once again does not disappoint this week with the release of Dirt 3 today. Excellently reviewed for its varied gameplay and also a nod back to its classic rally roots, Dirt 3 could potentially be the best racer to release this year.

With every in-store purchase from May 24th through the 28th, Shop Your Way Reward members will receive a $15 gaming coupon with purchase of the Dirt 3 for $59.99 (360, PS3) good towards a future gaming purchase at Kmart.

I mentioned on Twitter last night @Kmartgamer that I hope no one misses a certain game releasing this week due to the huge buzz surrounding L.A. Noire and our offer.

The Witcher 2 is shaping up to be every bit as impressive as everyone hoped and is proving itself as a potential contender for game of the year for the PC.

With every in store purchase from May 17th through the 21st, Shop Your Way Reward members will receive a $15 gaming coupon with purchase of the Witcher 2 for $49.99 (PC) towards your next gaming purchase at Kmart.

If you have been following @KmartGamer on Twitter and our Facebook accounts @SHCGamer and @KmartGamer, you will have noticed some L.A. Noire rumblings.

This blog is the official confirmation regarding our launch offer for Rockstar's upcoming masterpiece, L.A. Noire!

In-store from Tuesday, May 17th through the 21st, Shop Your Way Reward members will receive a $20 gaming coupon good towards a future purchase of gaming products at Kmart. The bonus offer is that you can also receive any one $19.99 or less game free with every in-store purchase of L.A. Noire for $59.99 (Xbox 360, PS3) as well.

NOTE: This is the latest in our series of Kmart gamer spotlight Q&As. This time, we've interviewed Kmart customer Kristen Green. If you're interested in being featured, e-mail daniel [dot] honigman [at] searshc [dot] com. You can also direct message Daniel on Twitter at @KmartGamer!

Starting today, May 10th through the 14th, select new releases will provide a gaming coupon that can be used for a future gaming purchase at Kmart!

The one important thing to note is that in order to receive the gaming coupons you must be a Shop Your Way Reward Member. You can sign up in store and receive your card immediately (only takes a couple of minutes) or at www.shopyourwayrewards.com.

Purchasing the below games will produce a gaming coupon towards your next gaming purchase at Kmart:

• Brink $59.99 (360, PS3) = $20 gaming coupon
• MX vs ATV Alive $39.99 (360, PS3) = $15 gaming coupon
• Lego Pirates of the Caribbean $49.99 (360, PS3, Wii) = $15 gaming coupon

Update: The coupon system was updated yesterday for the coupons and though the offer is valid in all stores and they just need to reboot their register, I recommend waiting until tomorrow. As much as that is unacceptable and may impact our sales I just don't want to see anyone disappointed. Wednesday morning it should be working like clockwork.

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Brink in my opinion has been given a tough rap this morning for being just what it is, a team based shooter. If you are only playing Brink for the single player campaign or feel, you will be disappointed. The game shines though on Xbox Live especially with a group that cooperates towards Brink's unique team based goals and objectives.

Read on for further details:

Our Portal 2 offer last week for PS3 and Xbox 360 was an absolute smash but we left PC owners out in the cold. Shame on us.

Well, this week we hope to make up for it and will be discounting Portal 2 for the PC to $29.99 (Reg. $49.99) and Darkspore to $34.99 (Reg. $49.99) through Saturday the 14th.

Make sure to check out your local Kmart this week! We've got the bloody awesome Mortal Kombat on sale for $39.99 (Reg. $59.99) in-store through Saturday the 14th.