Retail Radar: Schwag for Pimp My Ride, Gitaroo Man PSP, NFL Street 3

Freebie DVDs, pins, and trading cards intended to help upcoming releases stand out from the holiday crush.

The gaming industry's version of the film world's summer blockbuster season is without a doubt the October-December rush. The holidays account for a disproportionately large percentage of the industry's annual revenue, and it's when the biggest of the big go head-to-head for consumer dollars.

With the wealth of big-name new releases hitting shelves, it's common for games to be overlooked at retail, but it's equally common for publishers to try and sweeten the deal for their latest offerings with attention-getting preorder incentives. The Retail Radar this week picked up on a few such schwag offerings that aren't of the ordinary bonus "making of" DVD variety.

First up, GameStop is offering a little bling for PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PlayStation Portable preorders of Activision's Pimp My Ride. Gamers who put money down on the game early will receive the first-season DVD set of the MTV show on which the game is based. Pimp My Ride is expected to ship November 14.

November 14 is also the release date of Koei's Gitaroo Man Lives!, a PSP revamp of the PS2 cult favorite from 2002. Those on the fence about whether or not to commit to picking up the game when it comes out may be swayed by the online-only GameStop-exclusive offer of a five-pin set for the game. Main characters U-1, Kirah, and their canine companion each get a pin, with the remaining two dedicated to logos for the game.

Yet another November 14 release is offering a bonus for preordering customers, as Electronic Arts' NFL Street 3 for the PS2 and PSP will come with a pack of NFL Street 3 trading cards from Topps. The six-card packs will also give gamers a chance to win a card autographed by NFL Street 3's cover athlete, Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson. The trading card promotion is running at Wal-Mart and GameStop.

17 Comments

  • TintedChimes

    Posted Oct 26, 2006 11:16 am PT

    Gitaroo man, nice...might check it out after I get WTF, seriously, where is the WTF review.

  • OtterX

    Posted Oct 26, 2006 11:00 am PT

    Feral, go back to your Gamestop and show your preorder receipt... I'm sure they'll give you the Gitaroo pins if they're cool like my local EB.

  • shizwill03

    Posted Oct 26, 2006 8:45 am PT

    Initial Thought: Pimp My Ride is going to be sucktactular.

  • U1

    Posted Oct 26, 2006 5:32 am PT

    I got excited about the Gitaroo Man pins until I saw that they're just those cheap badges you could make yourself, not metal ones.

  • FeralKat007

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 10:31 pm PT

    Man, just after I reserved my copy of Gitaroo Man at Game Stop... Oh, well. That's why there's eBay!

  • Generic_Dude

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 5:14 pm PT

    A Pimp My Ride game? Dear God, is there nothing that they won't sell into the ground anymore? Dreadful.

  • GoreObsessed

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 4:45 pm PT

    I might put 5 bucks down just for that season 1 of pimp my ride.

  • DevilMayAsian

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 4:17 pm PT

    Gitaroo Man....not sure if I'll pick it up. I already have the PS2 version of it, so...

  • Shellshock92

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 4:07 pm PT

    Ohh and Street 3 is going to KIK A$$ )O( this just adds to its success

  • Shellshock92

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 4:05 pm PT

    Just my luck I get reported again,once again HATIN.I Have no freedom of speech

  • Turisman4

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 3:40 pm PT

    I don't want this game to Pimp My PS Deuce.

  • neoand12

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 3:21 pm PT

    Gitaroo Man Lives owns!!!

  • Chubbums

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 3:14 pm PT

    *YAWN* I'm sorry what is this again?

  • blackthegame

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 3:11 pm PT

    cool

  • kidneyboy

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 3:04 pm PT

    eh while offering pimp my ride 1st season DVD just for preordering is a great deal. The game is bound to suck.

  • highvolts12

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 2:48 pm PT

    Trash games trash pre-order bonuses will not help.

  • peeviness

    Posted Oct 25, 2006 2:47 pm PT

    First

    and nobody really cares about Pimp My Ride anymore..

    West Coast Customs ftw.

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