7. Gaming Consoles

By Anthony Celeste

Sales on gaming consoles create a precarious situation for businesses, since their contracts with companies such as Microsoft and Sony prohibit them from placing the consoles on sale. So, retailers have become creative, offering other products, such as free accessories and free games with consoles purchased on Black Friday.

Xbox 360 Arcade Version with Guitar and Game

$199 at Walmart, according to Bfads.net

The Xbox 360 Arcade Version includes five Arcade Games: Boom Boom Rocket, Feeding Frenzy, Luxor 2, UNO and PAC-MAN Championship Edition. Although the Arcade Version does not have all the bells and whistles of the standard and Elite versions (a complete list of the differences can be found here), for many this is not an issue, particularly when the money saved could be spent on games. In addition to the ability to play games versus the computer and to play against friends, you can add a network cable or wireless adapter to your Internet connection and play online versus opponents all over the world. The free inclusion of the highly popular Guitar Hero III and Wireless Guitar can make this package an irresistible offer well worth standing in line to buy. Regular price for these components would total $278.

XBox 360 Arcade Holiday Bundle with Wireless Controller and 20 GB Drive

$199 at Circuit City, according to bfads.net

This is another sweet deal for shoppers looking for the Xbox 360 Arcade Console. In addition to the console and five arcade games, there’s a free wireless adapter (for use in two-player games), a free version of Sega Superstar Tennis and a free refurbished 20 GB hard disk drive. The 20 GB drive will be particularly useful with Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 Dashboard, which can be downloaded for free once you hook up your Arcade console to your Internet connection (network cable or wireless adapter sold separately). Regular price: $298.

Sony Playstation 3 80 GB Package with Game and Movie

$400 at Best Buy, according to Bfads.net

Best Buy is obviously very pleased with this deal and it’s the first product seen on both of the Black Friday ad scans that I’ve previewed. The Playstation 3 is Sony’s premier video gaming console, with features that some would say exceed those of the Xbox 360, including a built-in Blu-Ray disc player, a built-in wireless adapter (Microsoft charges $100 for its adapter) and free membership to its live network (Microsoft offers free membership for the privilege of buying and downloading games, but you have to pay to play against others over the Internet). The addition of “Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction,” a highly rated, Playstation exclusive game and the Blu-Ray version of the James Bond hit "Casino Royale," will make this a very sought after Black Friday deal. Best Buy will begin handing out tickets at 3:00 a.m., with stores opening at 5:00 a.m., and a minimum of 16 packages per store.

Note: There is an unconfirmed rumor spreading that Dell has a coupon for 15% off its software, which can be applied to its Black Friday gaming console packages. This would appear to be in conflict with typical licensing agreements, and we cannot confirm its validity. The coupon code is 8BM53TB8R1DXC0.