Modern Warfare 2 in stores, selling well on Amazon.com

As many of you know - especially those of you crazy enough to hang out at GameStop during the witching hour (hello, Kyle Orland) Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 is now out and it is selling briskly. But GameStop isn’t the only retailer cashing in on Infinity Ward’s and Activision’s latest modern themed first-person military shooter; Amazon.com is claiming very brisk sales of the game.

Amazon.com has gone so far as to call it “the biggest selling pre-order video game of all time,” having overtaken the previous pre-order record holder, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. The game currently holds the number one and two positions on Amazon.com’s Bestselling Video Games list for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, respectively. Amazon also claims - I assume, according to its own internal data tracking - that “Release-Date Delivery” pre-orders for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 have surpassed TOTAL orders for the previous pre-order record holder, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. Amazon.com offers Release-Date Delivery for selected pre-order items it knows it can deliver on the date the item releases for ZIP codes within the continental United States.

If you don’t want to hang out at GameStop or any other traditional retailer, you can pick up Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and the PC DVD at Amazon. PC Gamers can pick the game up at Steam.

Europe gets inFamous PS3 bundle

Sony Europe is bundling inFamous with an 80 GB PS3, according to an Amazon.com UK product page. The PS3 system bundle offers the Sucker Punch’s super hero themed action game and the 80 GB version of the system with super saver shipping and - for a limited time - a free HDMI cable. The proof can be found at this link.

inFamous scheduled for release on May 26 in North America and May 29th in Europe. The special bundle, which does not offer a specially themed PS3 system, is set for release in Europe on the same day as the game.

A playable demo - though very short - is available via the PlayStation Network.

Amazon’s Release Day Shipments of Ghostbusters Games

Ghostbusters fans maybe interested to know that Amazon.com is release-date-delivery for both the Exclusive Slimer and the Standard editions of Ghostbusters: The Video Game, due out June 16. This means that you won’t have to wait a day or two to play the game after it is released.

Honoring the film’s 25th anniversary, Amazon is also offering the exclusive Slimer Edition of the game on Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360. Bundle-only extras include everything a Ghostbusters addict would need including a ten inch tall Slimer statue created by movie sculptor Steve Johnson, Ghostbusters the Video Game “Minimates” created by Diamond Comics, Ghostbusters Gamer Graffix Skins (removable stickers to decorate your console of choice) and Ecto1 keychain with lights and sound.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game is available from for preorder from Amazon.com now. check out the extras below:

Amazon Selling Xbox Live Arcade Games

If you’re a fan of shopping at Amazon.com, then you’ll be happy to hear that soon you’ll be able to buy Xbox Live Arcade games directly from the site. Amazon.com today launched a beta to test for the the Amazon Xbox Live Store, which gives customers digital access to Xbox LIVE Arcade games, subscription cards and points cards.

Amazon is the first retailer to offer codes for game downloads, which were previously available directly only from the Xbox 360 console or xbox.com. Customers can also gift Xbox LIVE Arcade games, subscription cards, and Microsoft Points cards to friends and family through the new store. Here’s how it works, according to Amazon:

1) Purchase an Xbox Live game from Amazon.com.

2) Immediately view the Xbox LIVE code after purchase (you can email the code to yourself or if it’s a gift, to your recipient).

3) The game code resides in the Your Games & Software Library so you can retrieve at any time. Enter the game code on your Xbox 360 and start playing.

When I asked how this works differently than simply purchasing products from Xbox.com, Director of Communications at Amazon, Drew Herdene offered the following answer:

“When customers purchase Xbox LIVE games from Amazon.com, they get access to all of the features that come with buying on Amazon.com – it’s a quick, reliable way to buy, and they’ll never have to worry about the security of their transaction. The detail pages on Amazon.com allow for customer reviews and more detailed information about the games so that customers not familiar with Xbox LIVE games can get more information to more easily make their purchasing decision. Using Amazon.com to get games also gives customers the chance to gift a code via email to a friend – if you don’t have an Xbox 360, you can still send a gift efficiently and digitally to someone who does. “

While the service is still being tested and tweaked where needed, consumers can access it now by visiting http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=979417011.

Amazon.com’s Holiday Sales Blitz

Amazon.com is having a massive sale starting Friday as it attempts to get some of that lucrative holiday shopping money that may be in short supply during this normally brisk selling season. More importantly, the company is hoping to cash in on people looking to purchase games with a massive amount of specials.
Some of these sales are limited to Black Friday, while others will run for several days - either until the sale ends or the company runs out of the stock it’s trying to move. It’s an interesting move that has the potential to keep some shoppers at home making those all-important holiday purchases from the comfort of their computers. A full listing of what Amazon has planned after the break.

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