The Bigs 2

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List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $28.89
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This is a great game. Once you get the hang of it, it's hours of fun. Perfect balance of arcade and simulation. A great game to play with friends or online. The mini games add another element of fun. I think that this is a game that is what it is advertised to be.

Not a lot of change since the last game, but there wasn't to much more you can do to top the last one and what was lacking was added. I mean there's New & improved story mode, picking up at the end of the "Rookie Challenge" mode from The Bigs. Where you Create a player and progress your career from a Mexican league to the Majors and, eventually, the Hall of Fame. Along the way, compete in boss battles against MLB legends.

I also like the batters wheel house which show you the batters sweets spot.

This game is not too easy and not too hard if you play it long enough you appreciate it. Don't think the first time you pick it up you're going to be a pro... lol takes a few times on the sticks to get good, but once you got you got it.

And you'll soon learn that strategy is key to winning in the BIGS!!!

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The game play is much better than the first, more exciting ways to catch a fly ball and more ways to play this game by season or becoming a legend. I guess that's a new thing they have and took out the Rookie Challenge from the first one. I highly recommend this to any baseball gaming fan.

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AMAZING GAME OVERALL-

con: online problems connection to games on the PS3.2k suggests adding these ports

PS3 Game Room is Currently Unavailable

Unlock all the following ports (please look online at your own router for info on how to get into this manual):TCP 80, UDP 88, UDP 3074, TCP 3074, UDP 53, TCP 53, UDP 3064, TCP 1795, TCP 1745, UDP 1795, UDP 1745

Other than this online problem.

Become a Legend mode is much better and improved from the original bigs. And i read that they are already working on a Bigs 3 So i cant wait to see the improvments hopefully by then they have this online ordeal sorted out and fixed.

Because yes we didnt buy the game just to play online but it is alot of fun to do playing against people not just the computer.

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The product arrived so quickly, the item was basically brand new. The packaging was nice and I was very happy with the product!

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I got this game for my 12 year old son and he loves it he plays it all the time I would tell everyone if u like baseball games get this one cause it a lot of fun

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PS3 Ear Force PX21 Gaming Headset

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List Price: $59.99
Sale Price: $57.87
Today's Bonus: 4% Off

....then you absolutely have to have this. The sound quality and the ability to adjust the different volumes is outstanding. I play Call of Duty about 90% of the time online and this just makes the entire online experience better. I use to get into games with kids making annoying noises etc. Now with the push of a finger I don't have to listen to it but I can still hear the game perfectly. In fact, a buddy and me went into a private match on shipment. I could hear him from across the map setting up claymore's, pulling grenade pins, moving and even swiping his knife. The only negative thing I have to say about this headset is that it's not wireless but I am sure that would add quite a lot of money to the price. They are also extremely light and comfortable and .................................................You know what, stop reading this and just go buy a set of these already.

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I was researching headsets that mixed chat and the game sound in stereo in the earphones, with the chat mic all as a single unit. I came across the press release of the PX21. Not available at the time, but coming soon. I almost didn't wait for it. I almost bought the P21. I'm glad I waited.

Features:

You hear chat and stereo game sound in the earphones.

Setup was easy for me and they provide all the cables and adapters you need.

The cable is looong. I play on a 58" TV and I wouldn't want to sit as far away as the cable

would let me.

A control cluster for mic and sound that gives you:

* Separate volume controls for game sound and chat volume

* Mute switch for the mic

* Bass boost

* Expanded stereo mode

What I liked:

The stereo effect is good especially with the stereo expansion mode turned on.

If there's an enemy behind me and to the left, I hear him behind me and to the left.

As noted in other reviews there *is* a hiss. More on that later.

The sound quality is good. And by that I mean for playing video games. I have a set of $120

Sennheiser can headphones I use for home recording. Music sounds great in them. Before the

PX21 I used those plugged into a Dolby 5.1 amplifier getting an optical sound feed. The PX21

is much better for playing video games because the sound is crisper. Music may not sound

great on them, but I can hear the enemy sneaking up on me.

Mic. The mic boom has a great range of movement and stays in whatever position I put it.

Other people tell me I come across good and clear. The mute switch is great, of course...

why would you make a headset without one?

Comfortable. Again, compared to my Sennheisers, these are much more comfortable. The earpads

are fabric covered and the headband isn't tight. You don't develop a headache or aching ears

after a couple of hours of play. The mic boom is long, flexible and comfortable to use.

And mostly what I liked... I play better. From the first time I used it, I consistently

scored higher.

What I don't like

Hiss. Yes, it hisses. A little in normal mode, significantly more in expanded stereo mode.

Again, it might be a problem listening to music or quiet passages in other games. But you

really only need expanded mode in games where directions of sound cues are important. Turn

of the stereo expansion when you don't need it and the hiss is negligible. If you want to

listen to music, get a pair of $120 Sennheisers and leave the headset for the games.

The clip on the control cluster is backwards. Hard to explain, but whenever I try clipping

the control cluster to my shirt, the wires hang awkwardly.

If you're a gamer, buy this headset. I researched before I bought it and it looked like the best thing on the market for what I was looking for. And I believe it is.

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I bought these headphones because I was sick of using a cheap blue-tooth devices and wanted a set of nice headphones. After doing much research (obviously not enough), I came across these headphones sold at a local retailer for eighty dollars. They seemingly had all the features I was looking for and purchased them in hopes of many hours of enjoyment. Little did I know how few hours of life the headphones had in them.

At first they worked exactly as advertised. I mainly used them for my PS3, but also hooked them to my 360 occasionally. I used them overall about a half-dozen times as I'm a very infrequent online gamer with select friends. I used them without incident for a couple of months and then set them aside, not using them at all for a few months.

The other day I hooked them back up in hopes of playing with some friends online. The very first thing I noticed was that the left speaker was crackling in & out. I thought it was a loose connection and diligently checked all connections to the console to make sure it wasn't just an operator error, which it was not. A few minutes later, I noticed that I had absolutely no sound from the left side at all and remained in this awful state since! The headphones went from working perfectly a couple of months ago to now not working properly without any use at all.

So I went to the Turtle Beach website in hopes that my replacement due to a manufacturer defect would be handled quickly and promptly, boy was I wrong!

The first thing I noticed was there was NO phone support whatsoever for Turtle Beach and I was at the mercy of only emailing support. I jumped through all their hoops, scanning my original receipt, which I luckily kept and emailing them my address and phone number (how ironic they wanted my phone number, yet had no phone lines). The very next thing I noticed was that my email took a VERY long time to receive an answer from support.

My situation finally was escalated to the RMA department.

As a side note, I should also mention that all of the emails that I mailed contained personalized questions about my situation and were only answered with very impersonal robotic responses. The agents handling my emails did not ONCE address my actual questions. They just kept pushing me along the escalation ladder.

One of the questions that I posed in my email had to do with the fact that I did not see why I had to pay for shipping on a device that was clearly still under the year warranty. It had been less than six months, well under their limited one-year warranty, and since the headphones had become unusable not due to any misuse or mishandling on part of the owner I believe the fault lies with the initial production at the factory.

I still have not received a response from the RMA department to my query and that was about two weeks ago.

I find it completely ridiculous that Turtle Beach expects me to pay for shipping the headphones back to their RMA department when the fault with the product clearly lies with the company. They issued a defective product and now will not stand behind their product to the extent of gaining back customer satisfaction.

I am writing this review in hopes that readers understand what they are getting into when choosing to purchase a product from this company and in hopes of making Turtle Beach change their policies with how they handle customer issues.

A professional company stands wholly behind their products with phone support lines, expedient responses and resolutions, and waiving return shipping fees due to faulty craftsmanship. These above components spell ultimate customer satisfaction and because of lack in all areas, I am a very dissatisfied customer with this company.

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My husband is a remarkably talented gamer. He's plays everything from "Ghosbusters" to "Little Big Planet," from "Modern Warfare 2" to "Rock Band" to NSMB. He's played almost every system available in the USA, but prefers the diversity of PS3. Out of necessity, he mastered the art of playing with the TV on mute (a courtesy to me, we all know how late things can go). But all that changed, this past holiday season when his amazingly thoughtful wife (that would be me!) bought him a brand spanking new pair of these! So far, he's had nothing but positive things to say. Specifically, he's mentioned the volume controls, overall flexibility and comfort, chat boost, the surround sound effect, and crispness of in game sound. So he gives it an A in gaming and I give it an A+ for letting me sleep :)

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First of all, with the correct setup, you can use HDMI sound. If your TV is equiped with a(n) "Audio Out" then you are in buisness. TV Audio out is almost always on, even if not being used. It transfers all sound on TV to the componant plugs so you can run your tv through a sterio or any other device yo want. If you run your PS3 on HDMI, than the sound is already being transferred to this componant plug. If you already forward this sound to a tuner, you can put the P21 RCA plugs in line and reconnect to your tuner. Now, sound will go to your P21 and you DO NOT need to turn your tuner on. If you dont have sound running yet, simply buy a small 3 foot length rca set, hook up to tv, put P21 plugs in line.. and Walla! you have game sound. Doing this, you do not need to re set up your ps3 sound, and you will run full HDMI all the time. ( just make sure the red and white plugs are not touching if they are dangling )

Now, the Headset themselves, they are awesome. the buzzing sound some people here is because the red and white sound connectors are close or touching. There is still a little ambient sound but it is gone during game play.

I am currently trying to get the rest of my MW2 team to get these. I was hiding in afgan and I heard footsteps a mile a way. I got the drop over and over again... SWEEET Setup!

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NASCAR: Unleashed

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List Price: $29.99
Sale Price: $25.94
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I bought this game for my 10 year old son for Christmas. He likes it and plays it quite often but originally when he opened it he said, "This is not the game I was talking about." He really wanted the more traditional Nascar racing game. The one where they race on the track. Apparently this game takes place off road, out of the track and throughout the city. You still race but it is very untraditional. My son finally told me the other day, "It's not the real racing game but you still race and it is still fun. Thanks Mom." Hope this helps when trying to choose between the Nascar games when you have no clue what you are looking at.

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My son absolutely loves the game, it was a great price, fast shipping and we received it the day it was released in stores. My son plays the game all the time......thank you!

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Definitely worth the money. It's fun to play with the kids. Takes a little getting used to because the controls can be sensitive when steering.

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This game is fun and entertaining. If you are looking for a real life/experience game this is not it. This game reminds me of Mario Kart but with a Nascar style which gives the gamer a better experience because you are attached to the real life drivers on the Nascar circuit.

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Didn't like it as i thought i would, it was nowhere near any other games of nascar i've played before.

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Virtua Tennis 3

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List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $32.09
Today's Bonus: 20% Off

This is the most polished Virtua Tennis in the series.

I played the older versions in PS2 and PSP. Game play wise, VT3 actually is the same as those older versions. You get the latest and greatest tennis stars and new mini games to power up your custom player. The interesting thing is in VT3 the computer AI is quite smart. You cant cruise through the game like before. Have to use some brain. Thats the nice part.

Other than part, its pretty much the same game as the previous versions with better graphics (1080p!)

If you never play Virtua Tennis before, then I highly recommend this game to you. Its easy to learn and play. Its fun and addictive.

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I already had the previous game on PSP and I loved it. Now, this one comes out on PS3 and it is soooo gooooood. Has excellent game play, very real movements, graphics are breathtaking. There is nothing wrong I can say about this game. If you like Tennis, this is a must have.

The best tennis game out!

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VT3 is a pretty neat game. I've never played a VirtuaTennis game before. I was expecting some neat gameplay and some tournaments and that's it. However, the "World Tour" mode is very engaging. It give you a calendar with tournaments taking place around the world. You go to the minigames to hone the skills of your player so that you can win tournaments and move up the rankings. Along the way, you get new gear from sponsors and other players. It doesn't do much, but it's something. The neat part is how you have to manage your stamina to make sure you have enough when a tournament comes around. Once or twice, I was playing so many mini-games I forgot to go to the tournaments. My character "got the flu" from playing so hard without rest that he was out for 4 weeks. Kind of interesting.

The graphics are great and the motions are spot on. Once you get to more skilled players the action really heats up and gets very engaging. I was just ho hum about tennis before, but this really made it seem interesting and engaging.

If you think VirtuaTennis might be interesting, download the demo and try it. If you like the demo, you'll LOVE the game.

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I've played this game for about 30 total hours now. It's very well done and addictive. Nice graphics, good depth in developing abilities with training games. The only gripes are about difficulty, Having mastered the gameplay, Hard is too easy, yet Very Hard is a nightmare. The CPU runs down EVERYTHING, and even when lunging returns shots at impossible angles to deny hard earned points. The volleying doesn't work like it should, also denying sure points with inexplicably weak returns. These "cheating" elements have now killed the game for me. The Chasm of Difficulty between settings really hurts an otherwise great title. With a friend it could still be very fun, but there's no online option. Worth the price, but could be better.

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Virtual Tennis 3 is easier to play than Top Spin 3. Virtual Tennis 3 also has a video game mode that you can hit a ball against a colorful wall or like a bowling alley. Characters also have a nicer demeanor than Top Spin 3 which is appropriate of good sportsmanship for kids.

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PS3 WiFi Key

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I have Vista Home Premium and the setup is easy. By following all the instructions, it took me about 10 minutes and we are ready to do a system update on the 40G PS3.

One warning that i got while setting up. The warning was telling me to change my default gateway address to 192.168.1.1 in order to work. Dont worry. Just close the warning sign and find the setup wi-fi application again and retry it. After 3 tries, we eventually got it working without changing the default gateway.

Hope this review helps. Good luck on setting up.

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For anyone who has a home network with one or more PCs connected to the Internet remotely by USB adapter -this PS3 WiFI Key WILL WORK with the remote computers that aren't directly connected (by ethernet cable) to the Internet! Your PC doesn't need to be hard wired to the web. And I get a 100% signal at all times using a D-Link Rangebooster N USB adapter that is two floors down from the main computer.

Setting up the correct network connections on the PS3 is easy and simple directions are provided. I've used this Key both with and without a router and it never fails to work. Somebody mentioned in an earlier review that you are asked to change the IP address of your router. The workaround mentioned does work! This is an amazing little gadget.

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I had a little trouble telling windows to let the PS3 WiFi key use my Alltel's WiFI USB card for networking, but once I figured that out, this product has not failed me once. I have my PS3 setup in the living room and my computer setup in my office about 25 feet away and the signal strength stays at a constant 100%. Never any problems or issues.

I'm using Windows 7 so this product didn't come with any documentation on how to get the networking to work, so I cant really take a star off of the rating for that.

It was my inexperience with Windows 7 that caused these issues.

If your looking for a cheap, and effective way to hook your PS3 up to the net without buying a router this is the way to go.

The fact that it works great with a wireless device such as my ALLTEL wifi card is also nice. I was worried that I would of had issues with this but ended up pleasantly relieved.

Effective, simple and worth the low price!

I cant recommend this product enough!

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Hello, I live in apartment complex that provides free wifi but my ps3 could never pick up the signal. Its very easy to install and works exactly as it should. I find it amazing how it takes and crappy connection and turns it into your own connection with excellent signal. This also works on the Nintedo Wii and Xbox 360(with adapter). I definitely recommend.

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fast, delivery very good for the value i intall it on my som psp and works great with out cable aroun the house

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IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey

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Best WW2 flight game for PS3 hands down.Control takes a little getting used to.Graphics are great and the AI is smart.

I find it more challenging than HAWX.If you like flying games buy this one.

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Great game. I love playing it and I'm glad I finally found a flying game that I really like. You won't be dissapointed, it's top rate.

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I Love this game the day after I got my PS3 I downloaded the demo I couldn't get enough I love the look of WWII planes and I love the dogfights this game was perfect.

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The Orange Box

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I have played the whole of the Orange Box on 3 systems: a midrange system from a few years ago (Pentium 4, nVidia 7300GTS video card), a brand new system (Intel Core 2 Quad, nVidia 8800GT video card), and the PS3. I have seen the XBox 360 version, but I have not played it myself, so I won't pass judgement.

I will say this: I hate all the complaining about the PS3 version, with everyone comparing it to the other versions. Yes, EA is a horrible game developer, with substandard ports, and Valve should not have handed the Orange Box off to them. Yes, because of this, the PS3 version suffers, both graphically (no 1080p options), and with some drops in framerate (most notably in parts of Episode 2). But the problem with this sort of reviewing is that it is not objective to this game on this system, and deters people from an amazing gaming experience.

The Orange Box is one of the most amazing gaming experiences and gaming values you can get. I don't feel any need to elaborate; most people have either already experienced it, or read any of many reviews giving details in depth. The PS3 version is still that amazing experience, no question. It has semi-long load times, but nothing nearly as bad as I have experienced with other games (in other words, about normal). There are a few framerate drops and graphical glitches, but most (I repeat MOST) people wouldn't notice or care. Again, they are really no better or worse than most other games out there. Normal. My only real complaint is that even with the PS3's capabilities, the screen resolution maxes out at 720p (but then again, that was my main complaint with Heavenly Sword, Uncharted, Motorstorm, and several other PS3 [and XBox] games). But honestly, it still looks absolutely amazing; 720p is still HD, and most people can't tell the difference between 720p and 1080p anyways. I can, but it's really doesn't matter. The quality of the game as a whole does.

A quick breakdown of the framerate issues in each part of the game, for those who care:

HL2: None

HL2, Ep.1: Some during the last levels

HL2, Ep.2: Some at the beginning, some during driving sequences, and at a few points during the last level

Portal: None

TF2: Here is where there is no excuse. ANY framerate problems during a real-time online fighting game causes huge problems. And there are a few.

I should note, the lowest I saw the framerate drop was to around 15-18 frames per second, which is noticeable for those who care, but NOWHERE near the slideshow that some reviews have been spouting. Also, there was a slight delay in gameplay during quick-saving and right after loading, but that's pretty normal for games. Nothing to kvetch about.

For those who need some comparison, I will now compare it to both of my PC experiences.

The PS3 version far outshines my gameplay experience on my midrange system. Load times, framerate, and VISUALS are far superior on the PS3. Would I have complained about the PC version? Not really, because even with the minute long load times, low resolution, and really choppy framerate on my PC, I still really loved the game. So the PS3 version was a huge step up.

With my new system, well, duh, it's going to look and feel better than the PS3 or XBox versions. And it does, very much so. That was expected.

So which way do I prefer, PC or PS3? Well, it's sort of split for me. The PC version is technically superior, and keyboard/mouse controls have always been better than using a console controller. But there was something that tickled me about being able to lie on my couch, watching the game on a huge screen, and hearing footsteps and action all around me with surround sound (I realize you can hook up surround sound on PC's, but how many people actually do? Most people put the money towards their home entertainment systems. And while I have a VERY large widescreen computer monitor, it's nothing like my television.). So I'm honestly split.

Final thoughts (sorry for making this so long):

If you have multiple consoles, and are choosing between this and the XBox 360 version, skip it. The 360 version was directly overseen by Valve, which is reason enough to spring for that as opposed to an EA port (again, I haven't actually played the 360 version, and I really don't like what EA does for games).

If you have the PC version, it's up to you whether or not you want to get it for PS3. Paying twice for the same game may seem a waste, but some people (myself included) like to have the option to play in front of a desk, or to relax on the couch and play. If you're still not sure, I suggest renting the game first to get the experience. That's what I did, and now I've made the decision to get the game for PS3 in addition to the PC version I already own.

If you don't have the Orange Box at all, shame on you! But if you're looking to get it, have a PS3, and your computer isn't mid-high range, the PS3 version is a good choice. (Plus you don't have to deal with Steam, and you can sell or return the game, which you can't do with the PC version)

Hope this helps.

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I bought this game despite some reviewers saying there were frame rate slow downs etc, and I'm so glad I did. This isn't the best PS3 game out (that goes to Uncharted in my book) but this is my number 2 PS3 game.

There are five games included in this package, and each one is mind blowingly good. Portal is the most unique game experience I've had in a long time, and Portal alone is something every gamer should experience.

Then there's the Half-Life 2 series, which includes three variations of that game basically, and countless hours of content. The atmosphere and story is excellent, and again unique. The nice thing about these games is that the story is all told by the things other people say to you, and the things that happen in the environment. This is true of Portal as well. The fact that your character doesn't talk makes it feel more like it's you in the game, and it allows you to have your own thoughts/reactions to what's being said and done, without anyone telling you what your character feels. It's wonderful.

There are some frame drops and the occasional hitching, but this honestly didn't bother me very much at all. It happens rarely, and honestly games in previous generations suffered much worse and didn't stop anyone from buying them, and nor should it stop anyone here. For the most part the game is smooth, with gorgeous graphics, anti aliasing. Most home computers would probably run this game at less detail offered here, and STILL have far worse technical problems. I had my second best gaming experience of the year with this game (Uncharted being number 1) so clearly I think it's a superb addition to any PS3 library.

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Frame rate issues are sooooooo overexaggerated! This is one of the best titles available for PS3, buy a copy without doubts!

There are always ways to perfection, and that's what all the complaints are about, because other releases of this game-set are slightly better, but the improvements are VERY insignificant, and if there were no other editions no one would even complain about the performance of this one. It's all about the fanboy war of XBOX against PS3, so PS3 fanboys feel betrayed by Valve because XBOX release is slightly better. Please, just ignore this silly war, or you'll miss such an outstanding release.

A must have!

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A good game overall, I had owned HL2 for my Xbox a few years ago, beat it, and started playing Orange Box on PS3, overall it is a better experience.

so far I have encountered no framerate problems or anything to keep me from enjoying the game. There are load times but they are not as frequent as the Xbox version and they are not as long as some people say they are.

Plus, you don't have to worry about Steam, like you do for the PC version.

HL2 = 10/10

HL2 EP 1 = 8/10

HL2 EP 2 = 9/10

Portal = 9/10

TF2 = 10/10

Orange Box = Greatness, no matter what system you buy it for.

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There seems to be this undercurrent that "The Orange Box" --a collection of five exceptional videogames --could only be played on the PC. For one reason or another, the X-Box 360 and PlayStation 3 discs haven't been given their fair praise. The PS3 version, especially, hasn't been given a fair shake.

"The Orange Box" is as perfect an experience on the PS3 as it was on a PC, if not better. I don't say that because it's 100% perfect, mind you. After all, "Portal" is very short, "Half-Life 2" is a bit unevenly paced, the "HL2" Episodes unfortunately don't have a definitive ending, and "Team Fortress 2" was always a strange bird to me. I am declaring that "The Orange Box" is a superior product over the PC version because, guess what?...It's guaranteed to work 100% of the time. A personal computer can't guarantee that for you. If your computer's too old, then some of the more epic sequences might be too choppy, or you'll have to sacrifice high-res graphics for smooth gameplay, or the loading times might be too long because your computer's doing some background operations. And if your computer's supernew, Valve's Steam support is here for you, but will it last? Think about that for a moment...will Steam go away some day? Now ask yourself, will the PlayStation 3 and a carefully used BluRay ever fail you?

The PS3 version of "The Orange Box" seems to be picked for inferior graphics and slightly longer loading times. First off, all 5 of these games look very good and run very well on Sony's system. Do they look worse than a PC or 360 version? Perhaps a little, but you're comparing a 9.9 to a 9.6....are you really gonna lose sleep over this? As for the loading times, naysayers have picked on this way too much. So I have to wait 10 seconds for a game to reload after I die instead of 4 seconds; Give me a break!

Maybe "The Orange Box" was a vastly inferior product on the PS3 before the mandatory one-time software update (now THAT is annoying). But as I play these 5 games, this BluRay has only frozen on me one time. And quite frankly, every PC disc and PS3 disc I own has done that to me at one point in my time.

Why not focus on the important story here? "The Orange Box" includes 5 terrific video games!

"Half-Life 2" is a true pioneer in the first-person action genre, and its quality hasn't diminshed since 2004. The two sequel "Episodes" continue that gripping story, with a shocking conclusion that understandably has fans begging for either "Episode Three" or "Half-Life 3". And as if "HL2" wasn't enough of a first-person, just take a look at "Portal"! I don't begrudge fans who call it one of the all-time greats, because its brilliant concept doesn't let up for the 4 hours or so that it gives you. To me, it's a little too short, but it's a true original. "Team Fortress 2" is one of the more unusual multiplayer experiences I've encountered, with its diverse classes and matches. But it's very entertaining should you choose to explore its intricacies.

"The Orange Box" is a steal, even for the full asking price that most Amazon sellers are charging for this hard-to-find PS3 disc. It's worth the investment if you don't have the confidence that your computer can run the games. To be fair, my 2007 Dell computer runs "Portal" and "Team Fortress 2" just fine, while the three "HL" games have some framerate and loading hiccups. The games are playable if you want to go for the less expensive route and risk it.

You want my advice? Play the original "Half-Life" on PC, and get "The Orange Box" on a console. If the PlayStation 3 is your only option, I'm sorry Amazon sellers are taking advantage of your predicament. But after forking the cash, the superior product will put your worries at ease. All will be forgiven. So take the dive --"The Orange Box" is a most valued treasure!

GAMES

Half-Life 2 (2004) = 9.5 / 10

* This is a game that just keeps on delivering, even though it has some pacing issues. But the genius is that it trusts you, the gamer, to figure out its puzzles and story without spelling it out for you. It ends on a strange note, but I believe the intrigue will win you over enough, especially now that some follow-up Episodes have been released.

Episode One (2006) and Episode Two (2007) = 9.0 / 10

* Aside from being shorter and only introducing a few new gameplay concepts, the stories and action set pieces are equally as exhilerating as the epic "Half-Life 2". These sequels step away cut through the Orwellian backdrop, and finally force the gamer to feel the impact that the interdimensional rift has caused the human race to endure. Episode One ends with a bang; Episode Two ends with your heart wrenched.

Portal (2007) = 8.5 / 10

* I wouldn't be surprised if people bought "The Orange Box" just to play this nifty little gem. While I think that's overkill, "Portal" is one of the true defining steps in videogame history. Like other Valve titles, it trusts you the gamer to use your first-person intuition to solve the mysteries and puzzles laid before you. GlaDOS is one of the most quotable, unforgettable characters in games, and the physics & logic create some truly amazing moments. The game's pretty short, but then again, it always meant to be more of an experimental bonus.

Team Fortress 2 (2007) = 8.0 / 10

* To be honest, I haven't spent a ton of time with this one, because the only multiplayer shooter I truly enjoy is the more recent "Call of Duty" titles. But I will credit Valve for not only thinking outside the box when they assembled this game, but for creating a new one. The strategies you can implement with the different classes and match types really make each match a unique experience beyond the fragfests of shooters today. I guess I admire "Team Fortress 2" a lot more than I enjoy it. It simply wasn't a game meant for me, and after spending about 6 hours with it, I don't think that's gonna change. But honestly, I always loved "The Orange Box" for the other 4 games on the disc, so having a less appealing 5th one is just a bonus.

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Battlefield Bad Company 2 Ultimate Edition

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $21.48
Today's Bonus: 46% Off

Battlefield Bad Company 2 is an excellent game. The single player is spectacular and the multiplayer is more addicting than Call of Duty games. For anyone who has played a previous "Battlefield" title, there's a familiar formula here that has been reworked for an even better online experience. Since the majority of players will be playing online most of the time, I'll go into some detail on the multiplayer aspects. The maps are large and the gameplay is challenging. Unlike some other first person shooter games, you have to really employ some strategy and you must work as a team if you really want to win. In Bad Company 2, your team consists of squads, up to 4 people in each squad. You can create objectives for you and your squad memebers and you can "spot" enemy team members by putting them in your cross-hairs and pushing the "select" button instantly showing your entire squad where this enemy player is located (it puts a large orange triangle over their head and shows their location on your squad-mates mini map.) Bad Company 2 also has 4 awesome multiplayer modes: Conquest, Rush, Squad Rush, and Squad Deathmatch. Most everyone knows the object of a deathmatch, get your team as many kills as you can and make sure your team has more kills that the other team if you want to win. Well Battlefield 1942/1943 were both known for their "Conquest" mode and Bad Company 2 brings it back. The objective is for your team to capture and hold flag points scattered along the map, as long as you own these flag points, you and your entire team can spawn on them. In the Rush game mode, there are M-COM stations scattered throughout the map. One team defends these stations, while the other team tries to destroy the stations by either planting bombs on the stations or tearing the building down (yes, you can blow buildings apart and watch them crumble to the ground smashing any player still inside!).

Ok, now for the benefits of the "Ultimate Edition". The Ultimate Edition includes Battlefield 1943 and Onslaught mode. Battlefield 1943 is a downloadable game from the PS Store that usually costs $14.99 and it is a fun throwback that was built off of the original hit Battlefield 1942 that was released on the PC. There are only 4 maps in BF 1943 but it is still a great World War II game. The other extra is Onslaught co-op mode. The Onslaught mode is a downloadable add-on to Bad Company 2 that usually costs $9.99 at the PS Store but is now included with the Ultimate Edition. Onslaught is a co-op online game mode in which you and 3 other squad mates can take part in. It is a very fun game mode that is sure to add even more re-play time to an already addicting game.

Now for the negatives about this game... Actually, I have very few complaints about Bad Company 2. A few people have complained about getting randomly booted from online matches, I have never had this happen and I have logged over 45 hours in the multiplayer modes. I do wish that there was an option to play 4 player (or even 2 player) split-screen online. I also think that the helicopters are way too dominant. They are very hard to take down once an enemy player gets in one.

All in all, Bad Company 2 is a GREAT game! If you are looking at this game and considering it, you should buy it, or at least checkout the full professional reviews at some other websites. I downloaded the demo before the game was even out, and I knew it was going to be good. I pre-ordered it and paid $60 for it, then bought this version for the Onslaught mode and Battlefield 1943 and gave my old version to a friend so he could play online with me. This Ultimate Edition is a great value at only $40, you get the Onslaught mode free (usually an extra $10) and Battlefield 1943 (usually $15)! That's $25 worth of free content, not to mention the VIP code that comes with all new versions of Bad Company 2 giving you access to some FREE map packs.

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I loved COD4, and MW2. I spent so much time playing those games. But I got to a point where I was just SICK of it. I didn't play a shooter for a good couple of months. I didn't want to spend a whole bunch of money on Black Ops either. I recently got the itch to play again and plugged in MW2... still tired of it. Oddly enough, the day after that, this game went on sale for 27 dollars, and I picked it up without hesitation.

It is an entirely different experience from the COD games. There is a bullet drop on sniper rifles... totally awesome. Now when you make a longshot with the sniper, you have to aim higher to account for this. I fricken love it, because now you feel accomplished when you get that long distance headshot. Plus, you actually have to work as a team. If you run around trying to be a badass, chances are you will get killed. The emphasis here isn't team deathmatch. Its all about capturing enemy bases, or destroying enemy objectives. I love the fact that you can tag an enemy, and said enemy is instantly visible to all your teammates.

Theres a lot of guns here, different equipment, and the expected perks and attachments of most FPSs right now. The inclusion of vehicles adds a lot as well. Boats, land vehicles, and various air vehicles make for an exciting match. I will admit though, it gets annoying when every single person hops into a tank or a helicopter.

A quick warning that was already stated by another reviewer: being new to this game right now is rough. Be prepared for that.

Plus, this edition gives you sooo much extra stuff. BF1943 is alright, and I havent played the other mode that you download, but what I can attest to is the greatness of the extra maps you get.

I recommend this, especially for people who are finally tired of COD and want a different type of game.

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I'm not here to provide a lengthy review about the gameplay, if you want that I recommend going to gamespot, gametrailers, and IGN, for a professional review instead of getting countless skewed biased reviews from fanboys. I will say, however, that this is a great deal on a very good game. Bad Company 2 has a thriving online community that rivals that of Modern Warfare 2, so if you're looking for a fun shooter to play online, you've come to the right place.

People seem to be a little unsure just what is included in the package. You get the original Bad Company 2 game (40 dollar value), the VIP code for the map packs (if you buy the game used you have to purchase a VIP code for 10 or 15 dollars to be able to download the map packs), you also get BC2's DLC Onslaught mode (a 10 dollar value) and Battlefield 1943 (15 dollar value). If you do the math, it's easy to see why I consider this to be a great value.

I can't tell you whether or not you'll like the Bad Company 2 or Battlefield 1943. Both games are a lot of fun and have very unique FPS personalities. Check out professional reviews to see if it's up your alley.

Note: I purchased this game when Amazon had it listed at 40 dollars. If you can get it for that value, it is a must buy. 60 is still a good deal though.

If you are a parent concerned about the violence in either game please be aware that it is Rated M (17+). The game does have minimal violence/blood (no where near the most violent games on the market) and some harsh language. Also playing online always increases the chances of running into other players swearing.

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I bought this game so that I could have a feel for Battlefield for when Battlefield 3 comes out. I never played this game before, but once I did, I could not stop playing it. This game overall is better than all the FPS shooters out there. I was a huge fan of Call of Duty; I played MW1, MW2, BO, and I was going to preorder MW3. After playing Battlefield Bad Company 2, I will not even waste any time or money on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Everything that I hated about COD (campers/noobtubers/claymores/TRYHARDS/quickscoping/etc) was not seen in Battlefield. Overall classes and playing is more even so its up to a person's real skill rather the gun and the perks they have. (For example: my friend has a 2.0+ KDR on Black ops and when he switched over to this with me, he has about a .01 KDR while I have a 1.14 right now.) This game takes tactics and real knowledge/skill to play, not just run and gun to build up killstreaks and then let those do the work for you. Plus it is a team based game, so you do not have to worry about 5-year-old kids screaming that they just got noobtubed or listen to a guy you just owned scream at you because you have no life. This game is a MUST, or at least until Battlefield 3 comes out.

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Don't buy this edition!

Let me start by saying that items like this really get me mad. Buyers have the choice of whether to buy the standard edition of a game like this one (Battlefield Bad Company 2) for a lot less money...or they can pay more to get the "ultimate" edition with all of the extra content. I have always been a person that likes to get everything for a game...so I bought this. However, what no one tells you (especially Amazon) is that the code you get to download all of the extra content EXPIRED 2 YEARS AGO! So I essentially paid a lot more money for a game with a code that was no good after August of 2011.

There should have to be some sort of disclosure about expiration dates if they continue to sell these types of games. It is false advertising to say that it includes tons of extra content but then you cannot get any of it. As a lawyer, I may file a lawsuit over this issue. I should not have to worry as a consumer about getting screwed by false claims like this.

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Wire Wraps Wire Management System - Green

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $19.98
Today's Bonus: $0.01 Off

This review will be direct to the point and short.

***This product is cream colored, not white as pictured here as well as on their own website. I am a little disappointed and will paint later.

***This product is flexible and neat, for which allows easy customization. This is the only main reason why I bought it. I love this. I have bought a couple of other wire management sets from Home Depot and just find plastic ones a pain in the ass to deal with and usual too small to handle the wires I want to put in it as well as requiring me to cut them and measure all these spaces between tv, sound bar and other things..The short section flexible rubber extensions are the selling point for this product. There's nothing else out there like it.

***This product is rather expensive for what the product's maximum length is. Although I bought 3 of them, I still wish I had a bit more after spending 60 bucks. If I had say perhaps...50 more inches from all of them combined I wouldn't complain.

***The screws included make absolutely no sense including. You cannot screw them to the wall in any way other than ghetto style by just passing directly through the front of the wall and through the wires. Stupid.

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New - PS3 LITTLE BIG PLANET GOTY - 98208

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I've been playing video games since mid-1990's and I love this game! I like the cheerful character and diversity of levels to adventure through. Parents can relaxit's a great game for all ages. I'm 53! Buy it.

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TRITTON Pro+ 5.1 Surround Headset for Xbox 360 and PS3 - Red

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $199.99
Sale Price: $197.12
Today's Bonus: 1% Off

As a previous owner of the original version 1 of the Ax Pro I am glad to be back with Tritton with this much improved Ax Pro+. I also previously had the Turtle Beach x41. It's been a while since I've had an on the ears gaming headset and I had been anxiously awaiting the Warheads for what seemed like forever, but when they announced the AX Pro+, I decided to go with the them instead mainly for the $100 price difference and the fidelity of having 4 speakers + sub in each earcub versus the virtual 7.1 of the Warheads. There is also the issue of whether or not the Warheads will be compatible with the next generation Xbox and obvious lack of support of chat for other platforms.

----------------------------

IMPORTANT ITEM NOT INCLUDED:

The USA version of the AX Pro+ DOES NOT include the PC Analog Adapter, item "J" cable for use with PC's that ONLY have analog audio out on the soundcard. You need to have a PC soundcard that has a digital Optical TOSlink output connection. It's worth nothing that the European release of the AX Pro+ includes this cable. The USA version is specifically NOT including this cable for who knows what reason.

UPDATE Sept 13, 2012: I have since been informed by Tritton/Madcatz that they DO NOT have item "J" available for purchase seperately, but that it may be available in the future. So, you are pretty much screwed if you ONLY have a soundcard with analog audio output.

You can try using the Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Micro II USB Analog & Digital Audio Adapter, item B0036VO4X4 as a segway between your computer and the AX Pro+ Decoder Box. No idea if it'll work, but it ought to.

----------------------------

You power the control box via the included AC Adapter. Audio is sent to the decoder box via the Optical TOSlink input or via USB. They give you a Optical TOSlink adapter for those with NON-slim Xbox 360 consoles that DO NOT have an HDMI and thus Optical Audio output. You get 2 different chat cables, one with the Xbox 360 controller puck on the end and another which is simply a 2.5male male to 2.5mm male audio cable. The puck fits securely to my OEM controller.

As with the previous version, the control box has the ability to supply 2 seperate AX Pro+ Headsets. The connectors for the headset to the control box are a lot easier to connect than on the original AX Pro, almost looks like an HDMI connection. There is a volume control knob and power button on the decoder box as well as buttons for the various audio options and 5.1 analog audio output for passthrough to an AV Receiver. The volume rocker has the ability to individually adjust the front, center, rear and sub speakers or adjust them altogether. These controlls are backlighted so you can see at which level they are set to, red being the highest.

The SVM, Selective Voice Monitoring, feature is really nice as it allows you to hear your own voice and surrounding to make sure you aren't too loud or have any distracting noises going on (music, fan, other people, etc). It took me a few minutes to figure it out, but to turn SVM on/off you have to click down on the chat volume control rocker on the in-line volume controller for the headset. Turning off the audio to the headset can also be done by clicking down on the main volume control rocker. The back of the in-line control has a belt/shirt clip.

The earcups can swiviel 45 degrees outward to the side and about 1/3 of this in the opposite direction. The earcups can also swivel up and down slightly.The headband is adjustable with 7 different lengthes on either side. I usually keep it at about 6 or 7. The removeable microphone now comes out of the front of the Left earcub and has a built-in locking mechinism. The microphone itselt is very flexible and able to be positioned in any direction. The material used on the earcups is the same as on the previous model and are nice and compfy. The earcubs are also slanted slightly to take the shape of your head, I don't remember this on the previous model. There is some nice padding on the underside of the top of the headband to keep your head from rubbing againt the headbad itself.

After using the headset for the first day, I did get a bit of a headache and kink in my neck but that was gone by the next day and it most likely related to my NOT having been using a gaming headset like this in almost a year.

Overall, I'm very satisfied and feel that Tritton has improved upon the design of the Original v1 Ax Pro. It's nice NOT having 2 sepreate AC Adapters.

So far I've used this with my Xbox 360 to play some Arcade games as well as Battlefield 3 and Ghost Recon Future Soldier, in addition to my DVR and TV using my TV's Optical TOSlink output. Playing Battlefield 3 makes you feel like you are realing on the battlefield and it's VERY INTENSE. For Ghost Recon, it's more laid back but things like grenades and other explosive items are definitely more robust in sound compared to the built in speakers on my flat panel tv. If you like FPS shooters I think you are going to have a lot of fun using the AX Pro+.

In addition, since I have a TOSlink Optical digital audio output on my Desktop Computer's soundcard I was able to listen to some music as well as listen to a snippet of a Blu Ray movie as I have a BD drive on my computer as well. All sounded quite nice.

PROS:

1. $100 less than the Warheads

2. It's NOT wireless, so better audio quality compared to simulated 5.1-7.1.

3. 4 Speakers + Sub in each earcup for True 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound, NOT virtual or emulated.

4. Improved design over the original AX PRO

5. Large adjustable headband with plenty of cushioning.

6. Earcups can roate side to side as well as up and down.

7. No more having to use generic mp3 player headphones or PC headsets to listen to stuff without disturbing others in the house.

8.SVM Selective Voice Monitoring

9.Includes all the cables you need.

CONS:

1. $200 might be more than people are willing to spend on a gaming headset.

2. It's NOT Wireless.

3. USA / North American version DOES NOT include the Analog Audio breakout cable for use with a Computer. If you want to use this headset with a computer then your soundcard will have to has a Optical TOSlink digital audio connectin. This cable is NOT included and must be purchased seperately, if possible (not listed on the parts page as of this posting). It's NOT listed on the Parts page of Tritton's web site and supposively you can get it if you contact Tritton Support via their web site. The European version of the AX Pro+ includes this Analog PC Audio cable listed as item "J".

4. The headset didn't include any instructions other than a basic Quick Setup Guide. Had to visit Tritton's web site to download a full manual, there are 2 versions one for UK one for USA. The UK version is how I found out about the Analog Adapter cable for the PC.

5. Still no power button on the in line controls or on the headset itself. A bit annoying to have to get up and power off the headset from the decoder box. Especially late at nite.

6. No analog audio input (3.5mm) on the decoder box.

7. LEDS on the headset for the Tritton logo on the earcups cannot be turned off while the headset is powered on. I don't notice it while using the headset. However, it makes me have to get up and turn off the headset. Otherwise, I have this glowing headset while trying to go to sleep.

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This headset is very good for FPS games, especially Call of Duty.

Playing MW3, you can hear the enemy footsteps accurately.

I recommend everyone playing FPS.

Buy TRITTON Pro+ 5.1 Surround Headset for Xbox 360 and PS3 - Red Now

Pros:

SOUND AWESOME, I am not an "audiophile" but I know dang well when something sounds good, and when it sounds like crap. I was worried they would be gimmicky, over priced and sound like crap especially since I could not try them before I bought them. The lows are low and the highs are high, everything is crisp and nothing is blatty or sounds like it is being played out of a potato.

I thought the selective voice monitoring would be a gimmick, not useful and just an excuse to increase the price. I do not use this headset with SVM turned off. It has to be on I love hearing my own voice (not narcissisticly) when chatting with others it makes it feel like the people I am talking to are in the same room and it makes chatting more natural.

The look and feel of the whole system is very good. They feel sturdy, look quality, and just awesome overall.

Sound amazing while watching movies. I streamed Thor and Captain America through Amazon's Instant Video and the headset really made it an immersive experience both because the almost-real-surround sound and the quality of the highs and lows. Things that boomed, boomed, things that chimed chimed. I could hear when people were whispering, and when they were shouting very clearly.

Cons:

The headset can get uncomfortable after a while since it does clamp your head quite tightly. I wear glasses and this makes the problem somewhat worse. However, it forces me to take breaks from playing which is not a bad thing for my health or the quality of my gaming since standing up and taking a breather improves your blood oxygen level which improves your reflexes and ability to think strategically.

The inline remote already has two cracks in it. I do not know where or how they formed. I have only had the headset for 1 month and have been careful with it. They do not affect the function of the headset but nevertheless it is annoying.

The quality of the USB audio is terrible. So make sure that you only use it for voice chatting when hooked up to a PC. So if your PC doesn't have an optical out get an adapter or a sound card that does have it.

I have had the headset for some time now and so feel I have used it enough to write a decent review of it. The surround sound is kind of meh I have a hard time still pin pointing where an explosion in Black Ops 2 came from, but the quality of the sound overall makes playing a much more pleasurable experience. This has two audio chipsets, one digital and one usb, the usb is detected natively even by Windows XP. However, the quality of the audio through the usb is quite low. The quality of the audio through the optical/digital is very good so make sure when it is used on a PC that it is plugged in and configured correctly or you will not get the best experience.

--Edit: 3/18/13

I just bought a second one so that I no longer have to swap the headsets between my PS3 and PC. I also can now have a friend use the second headset with me (since the digital box has two display port ports for the use of two headsets) if we are playing co-op or watching a movie together. No more having to turn off my headset to use the crappy tv speakers!

Read Best Reviews of TRITTON Pro+ 5.1 Surround Headset for Xbox 360 and PS3 - Red Here

This definitely gets 5 stars. I got these right after Halo 4 came out and have been using them for multiplayer and campaign. They work brilliantly! Nice fit over my ears,and comfortable. I like the removable mic. When playing multiplayer I'll plug in my ipod to my xbox and jam out while playing. You can still hear in game and music at the same time. The bass on these isn't bad, it'll vibrate your head a bit. Though I am one to really like a pounding bass. haha. :)

Each sound, 'front, center, rear, bass' is adjustable on the volume control thingy. So you can kinda customize it the way you like, it's color coded so you know what level your at.

As a avid female gamer, I wanted the best and these are clearly it. Totally worth the price!

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Seriously this is the best headset. I brought the 720+ before and wasn't happy with them so took them back and got these. And the difference between the two is huge! These are much better. The directional sound is amazing on these can easily hear footsteps and where gun fire is coming from, I just didnt get that with the 720+. Most probably because these have real 5.1 as opposed to virtual 7.1 on 720+.

So if you can't decide between the two then I hope this review has helped.

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PlayStation 3 Power Dual Pack

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List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $12.99
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Working well for us. I ordered this long charger so we can charge and play. They have been working fine.

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Two great USB's for one Great Price. Works with everything it fits with. Also has great length which is important when it comes to USB cables. You get more Bang for your buck here. Don't shop anywhere else.

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Very nice to be able to keep playing while recharging. The blue color is nice looking also. Works just like it should.

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Very long cord length and I can easily charge remotes while I play. Would highly recommend this product to anyone.

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I've been looking for a cable to charge my ps3 controller and didn't want something that was too cheap or too expensive. This set works great and I like the colors too. I also like the gold plating on the tips. You don't see much of that these days.

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Guitar Hero World Tour Band Bundle for PlayStation 3

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List Price: Price Unavailable
Sale Price: $299.95
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I preordered this game from Amazon, but impatience got the better of me, and I bought it from Wal Mart on opening day. My review is based on that band kit, but I will be taking it back today. Why, you ask?

I played this game through two songs (Sweet Home Alabama and The Joker) and realized something wasn't right. I'm normally a 95% player on medium (On Rock Band 2) and a 90% player on hard. Yet I was scoring in the 60's on medium. After checking my calibration settings, I went over into the training mode, and realized that I couldn't even make it through the basic training because the red pad was not registering every time, and was not registering hard hits at all!

I switched over to the song recording mode, and it verified that the red pad was intermittent at best, thus the reason it's going back, and I will hope the one from Amazon is a better copy.

Now, let me say, overall, I give the feel of the drums two very big thumbs up. The pads felt much better, and they were much quieter than I was used to. However they get a thumbs down on quality. And before you think that this is just one bad experience, check around. There is a very big issue, first with the sensitivity of the pads (Apparently a program is coming out to allow you to change the sensitivity using your home PC) and second with the pads working intermittently. This second issue (Which I experienced) seems to be the most concerning, and from other sites, it looks like I am just the tip of the iceberg. I'm reading about people having to go through 2, 3, even 4 drum sets to get a good one. Many of the stores are not sold out, but are returned out. And this apparently stems from the wires to the drum pads simply being held on with silicone which is not holding everything together.

I really really can't wait until they get this set completely fixed, but since Activision is requiring YOU to pay for shipping if it's broken out of the box, might want to delay, at least for now.

Also, since I bought this game based on the promise of cross-compatibility, it should be stated that the drums do NOT work with Rock Band 2 at this point! Hopefully it's just a matter of a patch coming out, but it's a little disconcerting.

*******EDIT 11/10/08*******

As I was still having problems with a cymbal, I did contact the nice support people, who sounded quite exasperated, but immediately sent me out a tuning kit. This kit allows you to modify the sensitivity of each drum pad (Or cymbal, or pedal) to where you want it to be. Too sensitive, it may trigger when you hit another pad. Not sensitive enough, it may not trigger it all.

Now, I previously stated that some sites had talked about loose wires causing problems. In an effort to be thorough, and since my cymbal wasn't working, I did take apart the cymbal to look at the sensor. At least for my cymbal, I noted that the wires were definately SOLDERED. I was relying on information previously supplied by someone else in stating that the wires were not soldered, and I still do not know the condition of the wires on the drum pads themselves. As I said, this was my individual yellow cymbal. Since then I have sent it back through the RMA process, which, yes, did require me to send it (insured and traceable!) at my own expense.

Also, as of this date, the GH:WT drums are still not working with Rock Band 2, which is still a bit frustrating!

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Let me say that I own Rock Band 2 as well as purchasing this first thing Sunday..I used to be a bigtime Guitar Hero fan.

However, I soon round out, like many others, that the drum kit doesnt work well. Not only that...it does a HORRIBLE job at letting you know how other people are doing, so you may randomly fail while playing through a song and you could be thinking that you were doing awesome. Not so. Dissapointment...now I'm stuck with this broken drum and they are asking that I pay shipping charges. Not going to happen. I'm going back to Rock Band 2 and never picking this up again.

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So we were out yesterday and we found a local store that was open late and they were selling GHWT on the day of release and we thought we could pick it up, so we did and then when we got home we started thinking wether to open the box or not?!

First this is maybe our 4th or 5th rythem/music game. we have GH3 RB1, and some other karoke games. Our greatest concern was that we dont need anymore instruments than we already have (3 plastic guitars, 5 mics and 1 wired drum set)

RB2 or GH-WT? it really depends how much your willing to spend because you can always get both!! but I think if you already have RB1 just pick up the RB2 standalone game the instruments though much improved dont warrent the investment from my point of view. GH-WT instruments on the other hand especially the drum kit have something relatively new to offer.

So the big question for us was do we open it or not? should we get RB2 instead? we decided to go ahead and open the box!! and we are glad we did, very positive experience so far.

The actual handson review broken down to diffirent sections:

1. standalone game: GH-WT is a great addition to the GH series with a lot of really great tracks, graphics are cleaner but cartonish as usual( which has some kind of special appeal to it). There is also the compostion mode which allows you to creat your own playble tracks, I looked into briefly and I would say it has a lot of potentialin it. There is also the added bonus of publishing your tracks online which may help uleash your inner composer.

I still havn't tried online play so maybe I'll update this section later.

Overall the game alone is really worth getting but the important part is wether to get the band kit or not?

2. Instruments:

A. The Guitar has a nice feel to it, it has been redesigned with removable face plates which can make it really customizable. they also added a slide bar which could be helpful for nailing some of the difficult solos.

B. Drum set: You get a wireless drum set that feels and looks really well made, its heavier than RB1 set(which makes it feel even more solid) but not too heavy though, and it Looks better than the new RB2 drum set. The presence of cymbals also adds a nice touch of authenticty and enhanced game play. I tried it with RB1 and until now its not compatible with it( treated like a regular controler not as a drum set)

c. Microphone: its your standerd wired rythem game mic nothing fancy here.

RB Vs GH instruments compatibility:

I only tried the GH kit on RB and doenst work, ill be cross testing soon and updating this review.

So overall its highly recommended if your into rythem games and if your not then maybe its time to get started! its really great for when you have friends or relatives over or maybe a family activety with your kids.

what are you waiting for? add to cart :)

Update: I faced some issues with the performance of the drum kit so I contacted activision and they sent me a cable to adjust sensitivety, now its working great no issues, so beafore you take it back give it a shot.

Read Best Reviews of Guitar Hero World Tour Band Bundle for PlayStation 3 Here

Having enjoyed Guitar hero for ages, and Rock Band since its release, I found myself looking forward greatly to World Tour, in large part due to its new drumset peripheral with dedicated cymbals and an extra input. The infusion of a more party-centric set of instruments sounded good on paper. Thus, my pre-order of this game with early and full of anticipation.

Unfortunately it really failed to live up to most expectations I had, and in the end came across as a poor copy of the original Rock band. A lot of my dislike is preference based, but was enough so to sour me on the experience quite quickly.

The good:

--The drumset is solidly made, and sets up easily. Dedicated cymbal notes really are a nice concept as opposed to Rock Band's optional take. The pads have good bounce, and are much quieter than Rock Bands first set.

--Guitar looks great, and is setup well in terms of standard controller input, whammy bar, strum bar, etc.

--Open Bass notes, ability to change difficulty and skip songs mid-setlist, family friendly beginner mode. All good concepts for the genre.

--Stages. Each new stage was an interesting experience, and though the art style made me appreciate them less, they tended to be rather neat. Having the stage change shape for an encore made that energetic extra act all the more fun.

--Guitar continues to be fun as always, though since it's a group game they aren't always center stage anymore. Still got the best parts in my opinion.

--Vocals. Can't complain, works pretty much like Rock Band, but you can set off Star Power when you feel like it!

The bad:

--Both new instruments were not working right out of the box! Drums (red and yellow inputs dropped a lot of hits) and guitar (green fret did not work) being the focus of the game, should hopefully be good to go on arrival. Red Ocatane what happened!? Sure this will be fixed eventually, but it's not a limited problem right now.

--Cymbals. I thought I'd love these, but because they are locked in place with only a limited amount of adjustablity, it was hard to find a comfortable position to strike them, and I often found my shoulders hurting after a few songs. Still a nice concept, but could use work.

--Menu system. It looked rather slapped together in general, but most importantly was very hard to read on a regular television screen, with text often being so small I thought I was playing Dead Rising again.

--ShAkInG FrEtBoArD on the drums when you miss a note! This is VERY distracting. I have to pay attention to six commands spread over three limbs going in multiple directions, as well as armored notes broken by strong hits, and a fairly complicated method of setting off star power. I don't need more distractions making it hard to see what's coming at me if I slip up.

--Overcharting. On the drums even! It's the new Guitar Hero style, combined with more forgiving timing. I felt more like I was playing to keep the noise going, rather than contributing music. Obviously you're actually doing the first, but the game shouldn't make that obvious.

--Art direction. The character models, animation and lighting made this game look less appealing than the publicity stills led me to believe. Everything tended to be lit unattractively, and the animations were robotic and distracting. I couldn't really create an avatar that looked like me given time and in game money, whereas RB1 had me mostly good to go in minutes.

--The Tool levels. I wanted to like them, really, but they screamed of trying way too hard to be...whatever they were trying for, and just didn't pull it off with the engine. Some of the lighting effects worked well with other songs, but it was odd to have this stage pre-empt the avatars for the entire setlist. Another concept that was neat, but not that well done.

Having taken more to singing and drumming of late, I also didn't care for the more guitar friendly setlist, but that in particular is too much my own preference to hold against the aptly GH:WT.

In the end, I just couldn't get the kind of fun out of this series that I used to. Perhaps with updates and revisions they can get a new shine, and actually one-up Harmonix at their own game, but it's going to take a LOT of work to get there.

In the end, I had to return the game for a new set due to the instruments, only to find the same issues affecting my new drums, which inspired me to return the whole set for a refund and wait for the hardware problems to be resolved.

Want Guitar Hero World Tour Band Bundle for PlayStation 3 Discount?

I purchased the band pack from best buy the first day it was released and was disappointed that the guitar would randomly strum and didm't work correctly. also the red drum pad had to be hit much harder than the others to respond, which was throwing off my game.

Then i get a new guitar and game but keep the same drums because the reason didn't "qualify" for new ones even though I'd purchased the extended warranty. The new guitar worked fine but soon the drum's symbol's stopped working all together no matter how hard or soft i hit it. I then decided to return the whole thing and try out rock band 2. I'll have to see how it works.

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