Play Asia Coupons: Who needs 'em?

Wow, with a sale like this, who needs coupons? Until Sept. 6th, items at Play-Asia (except the ones released in the last 30 days) are 20% off. Yeah, I said TWENTY, and not just for some clearance junk. This is just regular, in-stock items. What's the catch? The catch is that you have to use your VISA card. Yeah, you were probably going to do that anyway, so what's the problem?

I did steal some text from their site, so if you want to read more specifics, keep reading. Otherwise, if you want more details or just want to start shopping, head over to Play-Asia.com and claim the discount that is so rightfully yours!

In partnership with VISA, from now until September 6th, all in-stock items except those that have been released during the last 30 days, are discounted by 20%. Please be reminded that this is a VISA exclusive promotion, only valid for orders paid with your VISA card directly at Play-Asia.com. Make sure to watch out for the 20% off discount logo on the final payment page.

So go badger the bank or latch onto a friend who has a VISA card if you don't have one already! All products eligible for the discount will be marked with a VISA icon. The icon will remain on the product page for as long as the item is in stock. Some products are restocked steadily so the icon comes back every once in a while, others have limited availability and might not get restocked.

To avoid disappointment, have your VISA card ready and don't hesitate, you might be not the only bee out in the garden.

Weekly Special - Golden Axe: Beast Rider for Xbox 360

This week we have another great Xbox 360 special. Yes, it's a huge bargain like last week. Remember the Golden Axe games on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive? The first one being awesome and each one a bit worse than the last but still enjoyable? Then there was the spinoff title on the Sega Saturn, which I never had the chance to play unfortunately. I did have a Saturn, but never found the game, it was a rare launch title.

Anyway, the Golden Axe franchise was unfortunately ignored for many years and now returns with Beast Rider, which is also very different from the original brawler titles. You can grab yourself Beast rider for Xbox 360 for the bargain price of just $14.90. A whole 50% slash off the listing price. The game is region free and works on any 360 console worldwide. Only one per customer, so get in quick to grab yourself this special now.

"One of SEGA's most popular franchises storms onto the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system with Golden Axe: Beast Rider™. As the unstoppable Tyris Flare, engage in vicious melee combat both on foot and atop massive mythical beasts, savaging enemies with blades and magic on a quest for vengeance."

Weekly Special - Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 for Xbox 360

This week we have a great Xbox 360 special, which is a nice break from all the DS games. Now Real Time Strategy games have a tough time on the consoles, missing the keyboard and mouse and all, but Red Alert plays pretty well on the 360 and its a pretty darn fun RTS. It's always fun building a big army of troops and crushing the opposition and did I mention the B-grad live action movies inbetween? They're a whole lot of fun as well. It would be cool if more games used them.

You can grab yourself Red Alert 3 for Xbox 360 for the bargain price of just $14.90. A whole 50% slash off the listing price. The game is region free and works on any 360 console worldwide. Only one per customer, so get in quick to grab yourself this special now.

"The desperate leadership of a doomed Soviet Union travels back in time to change history and restore the glory of Mother Russia. The time travel mission goes awry, creating an alternate timeline where technology has followed an entirely different evolution, a new superpower has been thrust on to the world stage, and World War III is raging. The Empire of the Rising Sun has risen in the East, making World War III a three-way struggle between the Soviets, the Allies, and the Empire with armies fielding wacky and wonderful weapons and technologies like Tesla coils, heavily armed War Blimps, teleportation, armored bears, intelligent dolphins, floating island fortresses, and transforming tanks.
Limited to three copies per customer, while stocks last...you know the drill."

Optional Installs the Mandatory Standard?

Isn't it strange that both Microsoft and Sony don't have any rules when it comes to installations of game data on the hard drive? And isn't it even stanger that all games don't let you play the game with and without installations on the PS3, just like the Xbox 360? Why is it mandatory in some games on the PS3 to install usually GB's of data?

I can understand if for multiplayer the data isn't installed, then everyones game will load differently and require synching, but there's no excuse for the single player part of the game. I'm on the 40GB HDD PS3 and it's definately not much space to work with, I know that 80GB is the standard now, but even that can get filled up quick when many games install more than 4GB onto the HDD. Add in downloadables from the PSN store, some, like the ones you buy which take up permanent space on your hard drive and it will fill up quick. Bought a new game with a mandatory install and your hard drive not have enough space? Tough, you'll have to delete something to play it. Then wait while it installs and finally get to play the game. It reminds me back to the old days when I used to play PC games and the waiting for the new game to install...

So what if it takes longer to load? Let me install the game data if/when I want to. Then there's the opposite end of the spectrum, being unable to install any data to make the experience more enjoyable. Let's take Killzone 2 for example, what the hell is up with that? There's no manual install option and what's the result? When playing the single player game, the checkpoints often stutter and the game needs to load the next section off the disc. If installing data on the hard drive would have made it a seamless experience (which I'm sure it would!), then why wasn't the option there? I think this is even worse than a mandatory install. At least let us have the option, if we want faster install times.

Weekly Special - Shining Force Feather for Nintendo DS

There's been one Shining Force weekly special for the DS before and now here's another! Shining Force Feather is another RPG in the Shining Force series of games and as the wielders of the Shining Force, you'll be fighting hollows. Sounds a bit like Bleach eh?

It's a Japanese RPG and most likely has no english option, but as all DS games are region free, it will work on all systems. Only one copy per person and at the very big reduction of $33 to just $19.90, you're getting a real bargain so get in quick!
"The battles between the hollows and the wielders of the Shining Force were fierce eons back, however all power dissipates in the course of time, and soon the Shining Force is replaced by newer technology.

Although the wars between humans and hollows have ended, strife between countries never did. Within this chaos, treasure hunters reaped the benefits.

During an expedition in one of the Shining Force historical sites, the hero Jin unsealed the artificial life form Alfin from her sleep and gained her powers. Yet, he is not the only one, for the ambitious second prince of the empire has also awakened his own source of power.

To prevent the claws of evil sinking into the land, think strategically during battles and employ your forces wisely."