Round 2 of the Goozex Exchange

Kube00 Says: Everyone get excited: it’s Round 2 of the Goozex Exchange!!! The Goozex Exchange is going to happen again sometime soon. The idea behind the Goozex Exchange is that members can use their points to get brand-new, sealed games. This time around, members can get games such as Halo Wars Limited Edition, Halo Wars, Killzone 2, Resident Evil 5, and Street Fighter IV for 1600-2000 points per game.

I am excited about this because it’s a great way for Goozex members to use points to get brand-new, sealed games. Many members have earned a huge amount of points from trading their old games and they don’t know what to spend them on. This is an opportunity for members with a large stockpile of points to trade them in for a brand-new game.

All games from the Goozex Exchange ship from Amazon, so they should arrive fast and in good condition (no broken cases).

If these Goozex Exchanges are successful, then you can look forward to more in the future. I, along with others, look forward to this sale and we hope it goes as well as the last one.

Gamestop’s Buy-2-Get-1-Free Sale This Weekend

Kube00 Says: I’m sure you’ve heard about this, well if not, it’s exciting news. On March 13th through the 15th, Gamestop is holding a buy-2-get-1-free sale on all used games. This is a great time to pick up older games to finish off your collection or to trade on Goozex. Get three $10 games for $30 and you’ll only pay $6.66 a game! This is also a great time to get newer, used games such as Fallout 3, Resistance 2, and Halo Wars. Just think, at 54.99, you spend roughly $110 for three games, making each game less than $40 a piece!

Let’s take a look at some cheaper pickups that would do great on Goozex or to round out someone’s collection. Assassin’s Creed for the Xbox 360 is used for $17.99 and it’s worth 550 Goozex points, that’s the perfect price to pick it up at. For the PS3, there’s Army of Two, which is a great co-op game, although it’s on the short side. That game is worth 500 points and at $17.99, who can say no? The first F.E.A.R. game for the Xbox 360 is also $19.99 used, it’s easily the best of the console versions out there and it’s worth 500 Goozex points. One of my personal favorites, Condemned 2 for the PS3, is $17.99 used, and it too is worth 500 Goozex points.

What about the last generation? During a sale like this, it is also a great time to check Gamestop’s limited selection of Gamecube, Xbox, and GBA games. I am going to try to track down a copy of Chronicles of Riddick for the Xbox. Can’t afford Resident Evil 5? Then opt for Resident Evil 4, which is another must-have for the PS2, and at $9.99 used, that price won’t get much better. RE4 is still hailed as one of the best games in Capcom’s long running series. It’s also worth 200 Goozex points. To round off the PS2 games, I also recommend Lego Indiana Jones, it’s a decent game that’s very easy to play and unlike Lego Batman, doesn’t feel old and forced. Lego Indy is $34.99 and is worth 650 Goozex points and is in very high demand. Finally, go with Devil May Cry 3 (150 Goozex points and $7.99) or Twisted Metal Black ($6.99 and 250 Goozex points). Remember to use your Edge card and save an extra 10% on all your used purchases.

Handhelds Like No Other

Kube00 Says: Everyone knows about the Sega Nomad, but what about the Nintendo Virtual Boy, or the Game.com?

Virtual Boy
The Virtual Boy, also known as the "red screen of death," graced the American Market in 1995. Touted as the first handheld that created true 3D, users were forced to stare into a bulky headset, which attempted to create a 3D environment. The headset today reminds me of things they have at the Optometrist’s office.

The controller had six buttons and two d-pads, which most developers never fully utilized. There was an extension, or EXT, port on the side for multiplayer play. Unfortunately, very few games took advantage of this feature. Fourteen out of 22 games made it stateside, and most of those were first party games.

So what made it so bad? After all, it was a marvelous piece of technology. First off, it was uncomfortable and heavy to use, so it wasn’t much of a handheld or a portable console. There were warning labels on the console stating it was not recommended for those seven and under. People complained of getting headaches after about 30 minutes of play. And finally, although Nintendo released such games as Mario Clash, Mario Tennis, and Virtual Boy Wario Land, there were almost no third party support. To most gamers and the press it was an expensive piece of hardware that wasn’t in color. In fact, only 800,000 shipped before the Virtual Boy died a quiet death in 1996, and by that time some stores dropped the price down to $25. If you can find one in good shape today it’s still worth hanging on to as some of the games have grown immensely in value.

The Sega Nomad
Nothing like a portable Genesis, this bulky monster sputtered into the gaming scene in 1995. The Nomad came equipped with a/v jacks to plug into the TV, and featured a second controller port. One player could use the Nomad’s screen while the other stared at the TV. What’s not to love about the portable version of a console that became the bane of my youth? Lots. It sucked batteries; all six of them, gamers got 2-4 hours of play time if they were lucky. Sega’s powerful add-ons, such as the Sega 32X and Sega CD would not work on a Nomad without a clumsy and dangerous third-party adapter.

Although gamers had over 600 titles to choose from, the Nomad was too bulky to be portable. Unfortunately, it appeared at the end of the Genesis era when systems like the N64, PSX, and Sega Saturn were making headway. And to think I had one back in the day… It was great for short car rides, but beyond that, the regular Genesis more than filled the role.

Tiger's GAME.com
Gamers were blessed with the GAME.com in 1997. Originally targeted to an older audience, the GAME.com had a PDA-like interface with a touch screen and stylus. There were two cartridge slots and a 14.4 kps modem. What’s not to like? Well, getting online was a battle and a half. You needed the modem, which plugged into one of the cartridge slots, and the Internet Cartridge to access the web, which was limited to text only. Hey, at least you could check your email. Oh yeah, there was also a monthly fee, and even if you had a quick Internet connection there wasn’t any multiplayer support.

The GAME.com low points included a dim backlight with black and white graphics and dependence on a button battery to save data. Duke Nukem 3D and Resident Evil were titles that were supposed to draw in gamers but were painful flops. By 2000, the lack of third-party support, poor marketing, and ghosting served to bury this hybrid PDA and its successor, The Game.com Pocket Pro. A bright point is that you could say the touch screen idea might have influenced the Nintendo DS.

There are you are, three handhelds that lived less then successful lives for one reason or another.

Out with the Old Games and In with the New

JimmyJames70 Says: Gone are the days when only teenage guys played video games. These days it seems like everyone plays games, whether you’re a mom playing the Wii with the kids, or a 20-year old female holding her own—or better—on Xbox Live, game demographics are now 50% women and that figure is likely to grow. Reuters reported that 800,000 Wii’s were sold over the last Thanksgiving holiday. This family-friendly gaming console provides everyone a chance to play and have fun. Unfortunately, these games aren’t cheap. A new game can cost you $60, which helps explain how the gaming industry is worth $35 billion. How do you keep your family in new shoes and new games at the same time while the economy is crumbling? It’s simple, trade in your old games for new ones.

Most kids don’t want to trade in their old games, mostly because they might want to play them again, but that doesn’t stop them from wanting new games. Jennifer Galloway, mother of three and Goozex member (TNmomwith3kids), explains it to her kids this way, “They can wait on someone to buy them a new game while they just keep beating the same old game over and over, or, they can trade their beaten game for someone else to enjoy, and in turn get a different game for themselves!” This is especially great if they have a game that they didn't really enjoy and want a new one.

Several game-trading and rental sites exist, such as GameFly, SwitchGames, and SwapTree. Goozex.com happens to lead the pack. The site was profiled in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Cnet, and several notable gaming sites. The people behind Goozex have a caring heart, last December they partnered with Cause and held a two-month charity drive for America’s military wounded. They also act as mediator for any disputes that might arise during trading.

Chain stores like GameStop buy used video games for a fraction of what they are worth. Galloway says, “My kids were into trading their games for store credit at the Rhinos/Game Stop before I found Goozex. When they saw that they could get equal credit for their old game towards a 'new to them' game, they jumped at the chance.”

The concept behind Goozex is simple. When you’re done playing a game, make it available, and the system finds another gamer who is requesting that game. When the match is made, you are notified via email and you can choose to accept or reject the trade. If you accept the trade, you receive Points (the number of points you receive is based on the age of the game and supply and demand). You then use your Points to request a game you want. Each trade only costs $1. If you have a kid, or a husband—or even yourself for that matter—who burn through games faster than you get paychecks, then a service like this is a must.

The Worst of the Nintendo and Sega Consoles

Kube00 Says: Excluding handhelds, here are the two Nintendo and Sega consoles that are the worst of the bunch.

Sega, well it’s a tossup, I even thought about lumping the Saturn in the mix. There was so much good and bad about the Dreamcast, Master System, Genesis, etc. Anyway, I decided it was between the Sega CD and the Sega 32x, both ill fated add-ons to the mighty Sega Genesis. The Sega CD was supposed to provide extra storage space for game content; instead games got lame FMV scenes and better musical scores. Many of the games released for Sega CD were remakes of Genesis games. But at least the Sega CD had some decent franchise releases and some of them have become rare, such as Lunar and Popful Mail.

What about the Sega 32x? In my opinion, it was a poorly designed piece of hardware forced to sit in on top of the Genesis, plugged in through the cartridge slot. The 32x was supposed to bring better graphics (3-D) and enhanced sound. I have nightmarish memories of the Doom port, which played and sounded terrible in comparison to the SNES version. Most of the games were crummy ports that were in 2D, not 3D like everyone hyped them to be, which, along with defective hardware, contributed to poor sales numbers. By the mid 90’s, stores couldn’t give away the top-heavy, console-toppling beast that was the Sega 32x. Furthermore, there are very few 32x titles that are sought after by collectors, or that fall under the “rare” jurisdiction. The Sega 32x takes the cake as the worst Sega console ever. Thank Goodness Goozex does not deal with 32x games.

Now for Nintendo, for which I am a little biased against. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the SNES and Nintendo Handhelds. The Wii and I see eye-to-eye, but honestly, a few of Nintendo’s consoles are less then appealing. Skipping over the Virtual Boy, there is the N64 and the GameCube. Both have strengths and weaknesses. Several shared weaknesses include the chosen media format for games, the leaning toward a younger market base, and lack of 3rd party support. But the N64 at least pushed the limit with Nintendo’s IPs, Mario was in 3D, and FPS games such as Goldeneye and Perfect Dark became household names. With this in mind, the GameCube was sent to the chopping block as the worst.

Here are the reasons why the GameCube stinks. First off, using mini-DVDs as a format was a poor choice when everyone else was using DVDs, what were you thinking, it’s not any cheaper. Strike number 2 is that it offered next to nothing for online play. A broadband modem was an option, but very few games took advantage of it. The Internet was filled with potential gamers and this technology could have helped sell more consoles. The extreme lack of 3rd party support hurt the console as well. And many games were scaled back to fit on the GameCube as it lacked the horsepower of the Xbox or the PS2. The final nail in the coffin, and still one of the worst choices to make, was to focus on the younger market. Wake up Nintendo, the younger market is a minority, gamers want blood, guts, and lengthy RPGS with swearing; not common 3D platformers. To make matters worse, the GameCube couldn’t sell out the N64 and lagged far behind with 22 million consoles sold vs. the PS2’s 140 million consoles sold.

The Hidden Costs of Goozex...and How to Avoid Them

Mike Beacom Says: If you're visiting this site, you probably use Goozex, or you're considering it. It's a great service that lets you trade games you've already played, no longer want, or for games you don't have. The Goozex system is simple, nicely automated, and it saves you money compared to the retail purchase of used games. But, if you don't pay attention, it can be very expensive.

If you're new to Goozex, you might be thinking to yourself, "But Goozex is a free service." Well, you're right. And you're wrong. Here's the thing, Goozex IS free [ed note: except for the $1 per trade costs]. Unfortunately, shipping your game to another Goozex user is not. Normally that's fine, but in some cases, shipping costs can really sneak up on you. If you trade game for game, shipping is not an issue. You send out a game and pay shipping while someone else sends you a game and they pay shipping. This is fair and evens out nicely and everyone is happy. The potential for problems starts when you decide to clean out your old game collection to increase your point score.

I'm sure we've all done it. Early in our Goozex experience, we dig through our dusty games looking for the ones we don't mind getting rid of in hopes of squeezing a few extra points into our queue; getting us that much closer to that new 1000 point release. The older games sit in the queue for a while but eventually start generating some points. You start shipping games (for me this is about $3.20 each), and before you know it, you've shipped a bunch of games and gained some Goozex points.

Ok, so let's do some math. Let's say you get rid of five 100 point games, two 150 point games, and one 200 point game. You've shipped 8 games and gained 1000 points. Viola, you just sold some used, old games and got a new one in return. Sounds great doesn't it? But wait a second. If you shipped 8 games at $3.20 each, you just spent $25.60 to get 1000 points. What basically just happened is that you've cut the already low value of your used game in half. And, you've likely waited weeks or even a couple months to get that new game. A better idea is to buy 1000 Goozex points for $50.00. This allows you to get that new game sooner because you don't have to wait for all your old games to be requested. If you get the new game sooner, you'll have a better chance to trade it again while the point value is still high.

Now you're probably asking, "But what about my old games? I want to get something for them." If you want to trade your old games, that's great, there are a lot of people who still want them. What you need to do to minimize the negative cumulative shipping costs is simple. Make sure you have some older games in your request queue. If you request some low point games, you can make your shipping costs go further, because for each game you send, you also receive one. The shipping costs only start to hurt you when you send out a large number of games, but only get one or two in return.

So, make sure your queue is full of a variety of games and game values. There are probably lots of older or more common games you missed that are worth playing. That's part of what makes Goozex great, and something I'll be writting about in future articles. This not only allows you to get more games sooner, but takes some pain out of paying shipping costs on eight games only to receive one.

Editor's Note: I couldn't disagree more with this. Taking Beacom's example of trading 8 games, gaining 1000 points, and spending $25.50 in shipping is an awesome deal. Not only did you get rid of eight games that you no longer play, but you also earned enough points for a new game, which would cost you $60 at retail. You have to think of it this way, you didn't spend $26 in shipping, you saved $30 on a new game.

Purchasing points is something I did one time to get the ball rolling when I first started Goozex and now I wouldn't dream of purchasing points. If I run low on points, I'd much rather spend my money on a used game rather than points. That way, not only do I have a new game to play, but I can eventually sell it back on Goozex for points, and usually at a profit.

10 Must-Have Games for the Sega Dreamcast

Kube00 Says: Is your Dreamcast still sitting in your closet? Well, get it out, dust it off, and fire up your VMUs! Sega’s last console was an innovative piece of hardware that muscled in near the end of the PSX/N64 era and into the beginning of the Playstation 2 era. Although it only lasted 3 years, 1998-2001, the DC left its mark on the world as being the console that could save Sega; alas, it was the last console Sega manufactured. I could go on and on about the features and why it succeeded and failed but that’s another piece waiting to happen. Instead, I give you my top 10 must-have games for the Dreamcast.

10. House of the Dead 2 (100 Goozex pts), one of the Dreamcast’s early arcade ports that made use of the much toted light gun. Feels like and plays like the arcade version, a must have for any Dreamcast owner.

9. Cannon Spike (700 points and a long line), one of the last games to come out for DC from 2001. It’s a top-down shooter with a cast of Capcom characters. From what I remember, it’s an intense game that leaves your thumbs sore.

8. Skies of Arcadia (450 points and not too long of a wait), this RPG was re-released on the GameCube, but the original is still the best. Epic sky-ship battles, along with deep characters, and a twisting plot, what fan can’t say no to that?

7. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (This game is not cheap, costing 1000 Goozex pts), this is the version that plays the most like the arcades, no frame rate slow down or graphical glitches like the PS2/Xbox version. I spent many afternoons playing this game over and over; it’s a must-have for any fan.

6. Sonic Adventure (Only 150 pts and easy to get on Goozex), it’s an actual 3D sonic game that is really well done. The game shows off the graphic abilities of the DC while keeping the fans happy.

5. Crazy Taxi (Another cheap 100-point game that’s still a blast), although the concept of the game is simple—pick up fares and deliver them fast—the upbeat soundtrack and humor keeps you entertained for hours.

4. Resident Evil Code Veronica, (100 points) although it was re-released on the Playstation 2, the original is still king. Again, a game that showcasedathe abilities of the Dreamcast, it picks up with Claire and Chris heading to Europe to further pursue Umbrella.

3. Dead or Alive 2 (100 pts), this in-depth fighting keeps one to two players coming back for more. Multi-story arenas partnered with a host of colorful and appealing characters makes this a must-have.

2. Power Stone 2 (900 points and a long wait), the hailed sequel to Power Stone 1, it’s a game similar in concept to Super Smash Brothers, only in 3d. 1-4 players battle it out in a variety of stages, utilizing weapons, and the environment to defeat each other while collecting three stones to transform into powered up versions.

1. Soul Calibur (200 points), a game that is much more than a fighting game. Namco’s arcade version fits perfectly on the DC. Two-player vs., arcade, and adventure modes along with the opportunities to outfit your characters with new weapons made this an endless fighting game.

Here’s a list of a few more games that didn’t make the top-10 but are still good games: Sega GT (great arcade racing with a Gran Turismo feel), SNK vs Capcom (another great fighting game with so many characters), and Shemnue II (PAL release only, an in-depth adventure game that has yet to be rivaled). Now go get some Dreamcast Games!

Miner Dig Deep

Dale Culp Says: As I play “Miner Dig Deep,” I can’t help but wonder what ol’ Tennessee Ernie Ford would think of this community game on Xbox Live. Just what do you get for loading 16 tons? Well, I’ll tell you what I got… I got a lesson on the work habits of the petite bourgeois, that’s what.

Work harder, earn more; greater risk, greater reward. That seems to be the overall lesson of “Miner Dig Deep” as I push further into the earth in the pursuit of more valuable material to sell at the store. It’s kind of a modern day parable on consumerism, entrepreneurship and The American Dream. Of course, I’m sure this wasn’t what the developers had in mind at all while they made the game, it’s just something that occurred to me while I played it.

“Miner Dig Deep” is the story of a miner with some simple tools, a bit of land and big dreams of getting rich. To get rich, however, you’ll have to dig deep, avoid the pits and watch out for falling rocks. It’s those dangers that make things interesting, though. The drive to get rich quickly overrides the fear of becoming trapped—or worse—and all too often I found myself getting too greedy to slow down and think things through. Like in real life, we find it too easy to forget about the simple things in life and push ourselves to the breaking point, often finding out, too late, that we’ve painted ourselves into a corner. There was something more driving me, though, something beyond material gain. It was the mystery of what I might find, down there. In this crazily addictive game, I felt compelled to keep going—deeper and deeper at the cost of all else—just to see what lies at the bottom of this thing. Is there even a bottom? I had to find out for myself.

What makes the game so addictive is also, personally speaking, one of the game’s most depressing aspects. The ground becomes denser the deeper you go, slowing you down until you buy a stronger pick. You could keep the one you have, but, eventually, you hit a point where a stronger pick becomes a requirement. Later, after upgrading to a drill, you find that stronger drills are also required. Likewise, better kerosene lanterns put out more light so you can see where the different ores and materials are while longer winches help pull you back out of the mine.

Ultimately, you save up, and repeat the process of mining the valuable material out of the ground and going further into the dangerous depths to do so. Then—and here comes the depressing part—after you’ve acquired enough wealth to buy that new item you’ve been coveting, the instant you purchase it, it’s replaced by an even better, more expensive item. You don’t even get a moment to enjoy your new purchase before you find yourself back in the pit, grinding your life away just so you can buy the upgraded version. The parallels to real, every day life are staggering as you constantly spend vast amounts of money only to come away slightly disappointed and wanting the next best thing.

I feel “Miner Dig Deep” could have been more punishing with random cave-ins, equipment break-downs and more elements of danger to keep players on their toes. It was more tedious than difficult. Even so, “Miner Dig Deep” was a lot of fun and stands out from the vast amount of lower-quality stuff available in the community games market. A praiseworthy attempt, for sure, and well worth the 200 Microsoft points to purchase from the community games market on Xbox Live.

Check out Dale’s video game column in The Weekender.

Goozex Strategies

Kube00 Says: Want to know how some Goozex members have built up tons of points without spending a lot of money? Well, you could buy new releases, play through them, and then trade them on Goozex to the eager, pining masses. Or, you could gather up your rare games and trade them on Goozex, forgoing their value on the future. Examples of this include the high-demand and super-long-wait games like Final Fantasy VII, or Intelligent Qube. Finally, you could dump your whole collection of old sports games for 100 points apiece and hope that someone in a year or so requests them. Actually, none of the above is the best strategy. Let me help you out with a few secrets of the trade from an expert.

Here’s a better and more effective way, and it doesn’t involve going to Gamestop or Game Crazy. Garage Sales, pawnshops, and thrift stores can be a gamers’ paradise. Who knows, your neighbor down the street might want to offload a few of his Playstation or Dreamcast games cheaply, and who knows, there might be a few worth flipping to Goozex. Your neighborhood thrift shop might have some disc-only PS2 games for less than $1 a piece. Keep in mind that the weather is getting warmer, and that means more garage sales are going on, and a lot of them are listed on Craigslist.

Speaking of garage sales, here’s a good tip. Check out your local Giant Nickel and Craigslist on Wednesdays before the weekend to scoop out the garage sales. Oh wait, you want to save some gas money too? Well, why not email the garage sale hosts, and politely ask them what games they have and if you can buy early. Make sure you plot your route so you know exactly where you are going, it helps to bring along a buddy to navigate. Make sure you get going before 8 am on a Sat/Sun or even a Friday so you can get there when the sales first open.

The only bad thing is you’ll have to know the general value of games, don’t just get anything, know the general point value of games so you can maximize your trip. Pass on copies of Madden 2002, instead, grab that copy of Resident Evil 2 for the Playstation and hold onto it tight. If you have an iPhone or other Internet-capable portable device bring that along as it may help you. Over the last few years I’ve found plenty of games to trade on Goozex, including several high demand titles for next to nothing. So if you are looking to score a few games, why not take a walk, car trip, or a bike around the neighborhood: you might get lucky.

Editor’s Note: When I see a game that is still high in value (over 900 points), has a long wait, and was released over three months ago, I visit eBay. I then place a maximum bid of $30 for the game that I want. If I win, I then play through it, and sell it on Goozex for a profit (granted, I get points instead of cash). This strategy has been pretty successful for me. I’ve done it with Battlefield: Bad Company, Mercs2, and Quantum of Solace.

The Goozex Report is not responsible for things you buy from Garage Sales, pawnshops, etc. Know the value before you buy. Know your spending limit.

Revisiting Uncharted

Kube00 Says: Uncharted is by far one of the best new IPs to come out for the PS3. It is also one of the best looking games on the PS3, to this date. Following its release in 2007 I ignored it in favor of Assassin’s Creed due to the fact that I saw Uncharted as no more than another Tomb Raider clone. So instead using my shrewd bargaining skills, I traded in a bunch of PS2 games and using credit at my local Hastings Entertainment Store, I snagged Assassin’s Creed. Big mistake, although Assassin’s Creed had been super hyped by Ubisoft and looked cool, after about five hours I was beyond bored and it was tossed aside like yesterday’s trash. About a month later, I traded someone on craigslist for my copy of Assassin’s Creed for their copy of Uncharted. I soon discovered I got the better deal and I sat down and played straight through the game, which is rare for me to do.

Uncharted was developed by Naughty God, the guys behind the Jax and Daxter series. Uncharted is as much of an action/adventure game as Tomb Raider is, minus the girl, the bad controls, and the complicated puzzles. The game revolves around small puzzles, gorgeous environments with vivid color jungle/temple/cavern/ruins/water effects, and a twisting plot. The killing system, which features your fists and firepower, doesn’t get old. The action is simple: duck-and-cover, blast, sneak up on your enemies; or better yet, hit them with a brutal melee combo while gunfire peppers the ruins around you.

Throughout your adventure things get tossed in the mixed, there’s a rail shooter opportunity in a jeep, as well as a frantic splashdown jetski ride. The puzzles are never more then pull this, push this, or destroy this; most of them take about 30 seconds to do. I would say the game forces more on the action, and the story, which is told through very good looking in-game cinematics. Speaking of which, the associated wiki has this to say about the story, “… the game charts the journey of protagonist Nathan Drake, supposed descendant of the explorer Sir Francis Drake, as he seeks the lost treasure of El Dorado, with the help of friend Victor "Sully" Sullivan and journalist Elena Fisher...” Bit of a spoiler for fun: Sully ends up betraying you later in the game; oh the things some of us will do for money.

Although the game is short, you can beat it in 8-10 hrs, it’s worth at least 2 replays for the stuff one can unlock; new weapons, costumes for Drake and for the enemies, color tints, artworks, cinematics, etc. With the recent addition of trophies there are at least a few reasons to get back into the game.

The sequel was announced earlier this year and it looks even better with more action. It’s titled Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. It looks to hit shelves in fall of 2009. Although Uncharted is worth 750 Goozex points, and the line is long, do yourself a favor and get this game. It is a must have for PS3 owners everywhere.