GameStop.com selling $995 PS3 bundles

Last week, GameStop angered many by offering a Wii bundle on its online store for $695. The bundle included the $249.99 basic Wii package (the Wiimote, Nunchuk controller, power and AV cords, sensor bar, stands, and the game Wii Sports), a set group of six games (costing $49.99 each), an extra Wiimote controller ($39.99), a 1GB Wii Memory SD Card ($59.99), a 12-month "gift" subscription to Game Informer ($19.99), and a normally optional 12-month product replacement plan ($24.99). Despite numerous and vocal protests, though, the bundle sold out shortly after going live.

Now, GameStop.com will try a similar approach with the fall's other next-gen anticipated console, the PlayStation 3. Starting tonight, Friday, October, 17, GameStop.com will begin selling "an extremely limited supply of 20GB PlayStation 3 console bundles" for $994.28, plus tax and handling.

The PS3 bundle includes the basic $499 20GB basic PS3 package (console, one Sixaxis controller, AV and power cables, and a Blu-ray Disc copy of the comedy Talladega Nights), six unnamed games ($59.99 x $6 = $359.94), an extra Sixaxis controller ($49.99), a 12-month "gift" subscription to Game Informer ($19.99), a Resistance: Fall of Man game guide ($17.99), and a 12-month product replacement plan--which, again, is usually optional. Presumably, the inclusion of the guide means that Resistance will be one of the six games included in the bundle.

Before the replacement plan, the amount of items in the bundle comes to $946.91--meaning the same replacement plan that cost $24.99 with the Wii bundle rings up to $47.37 when part of the PS3 bundle. However, such price-scaling is common at many retailers, which usually base the cost on the price of the item which would be replaced.

GameStop.com did not give a specific time when it would begin offering the PS3 bundle. However, as of 4 p.m. PST, it was still unavailable.