My July 4th Celebrations

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

After a day of painfully slow uploading my 4th of July videos are finally ready for viewing!

First up is Boise’s firework celebration at Ann Morrison Park. It was a lot of fun and a really good show. It was my first time viewing the fireworks in Boise so the only thing I have to compare it to are the celebrations from back East and I’d say it was right on par with those.

After the fireworks at Ann Morrison we walked back home (so glad we walked, traffic looked painful) and collected our fireworks before heading to another park where we set off a variety of rockets, mortars, fountains and roman candles. I have to say I definitely bought too many fireworks and we didn’t use them all (not sure what to do with the rest at this point).

Xbox Live Ultimate Game Sale Day 3 offers still valid

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

So as of 9AM Mountain Time the Day 3 Xbox Live Ultimate Game Sale games are still available at their sale prices, along with Day 4’s titles! If you missed any of the great deals from yesterday you still have a little time to take advantage of the incredible prices!

Day 3:

Witcher 2 – $9.99
Forza Horizon – $14.99
Left 4 Dead 2 – $9.99
The Orange Box – $4.99
Crysis 3 – $19.99

Day 4:

Bioshock Infinite – $39.99
Tomb Raider – $19.99
Gears of War: Judgement – $29.99
Metal Gear Rising: Revengence – $29.99
Hitman Absolution – $9.99
XCOM: Enemy Unknown – $19.99

Some people feel the Day 4 sale prices should been lower, but when you compare to GameStop’s used prices they’re still great deals, especially when you consider the convenience of owning a digital copy. Bioshock Infinite currently sells for $54.99 used, while XCOM sells for $37.99.

Grab Far Cry 3 at $19.99!

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

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If like me you missed Far Cry 3 on sale for $19.99 during Day One of the Xbox Live Ultimate Game Sale don’t kick yourself too hard. Right now both Best Buy and Amazon are selling the 360 version of Far Cry 3 for $19.99! The digital version has gone back to it’s $59.99 price on the Xbox Live store, while new copies are currently selling for $59.99 at GameStop and other retailers (it’s $39.99 used right now at GameStop).

I would’ve greatly preferred the digital version (I HATE physical media, I want all my games available to play at any time on my Xbox’s hard drive) but the disc version is still a steal at $20.

Today The Witcher 2 is on sale for $9.99 through the Xbox Live Ultimate Game Sale and Forza Horizon is a bargain at $14.99. Keep your eye on Major Nelson’s blog as more AAA titles will be on sale this week including the recent GOTY candidate, Bioshock Infinite!

UPDATE:

I ordered my copy of Far Cry 3 for in store pick up at Best Buy via their website. While I was in the store I noticed Far Cry 3 is still priced at $59.99. I’m not sure if the sale price would take effect in the store, but if you want to save yourself the hassle I’d recommend ordering online for in store pick up. It only took about 15 minutes to receive the e-mail that it was ready for pick up (ensure it’s in stock at the store first, otherwise it’d have to be shipped there). Or just order Amazon if you prefer.

I’ve just had bad experiences with Best Buy and sale prices…Like a few years ago when there was a sign in store advertising FIFA World Cup 2010 for something like $15 but when I got to the register they insisted the sale was over and no such sign existed in the store (after they went and saw for themselves I eventually got the advertised price).

Borderlands 2 just $9.99 on Xbox Live!

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

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Expect to see a ton of sales on games later this week as both Steam and Xbox have July 4th sales, and starting things off just a bit early is Borderlands 2.

Starting today Borderlands 2 is available for digital download through Xbox Live for just $9.99. Of course it would go on sale just a few weeks after I bought two copies at around $26 each (used) for my girlfriend and I… I’d much rather have a digital copy on my hard drive instead of having to insert a disc every time I want to play. I’m half tempted to attempt to trade in the used disc copy I have, as it’s still $27.99 used at Gamestop ($29.99 new).

 

XCOM: Enemy Unknown released for iPad / iPhone today!

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

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Firaxis Games’ 2012 award winning (to include many GOTY awards) game XCOM: Enemy Unkown has released for iOS today. For $19.99 you can get the both the iPad and iPhone version of the game and both sync to the cloud so you can start a game on one platform and continue it on the other. From what I’ve seen so far it seems the superior experience will be had on the iPad / iPad mini, but the iPhone version is just as playable, just with a bit more zooming and scrolling.

I loved XCOM on the 360 and also on PC, but it always felt like a tablet version of the game would be more enjoyable. I haven’t fired the game up yet on my iPad but I’ll be sure to post some thoughts and screenshots when I have a chance. I’m just incredibly excited that I’ll finally be able to play this AAA title on the go!

Some are complaining about the “steep” price, but realize that XCOM was a $60 console / PC game that can occasionally be bought for less when it’s on sale. The PC version currently sells for $39.99 on Amazon, while the Xbox 360 version is selling for $32.65. The iPad version currently lacks multiplayer, however it is said to be coming in a future free update to the game.

Increase your password security with Dashlane

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

This morning while reading the New York Times I came across David Pogue’s article, “Remember All Those Passwords? No Need“. In the article Pogue speaks about the benefits of  using a password manager and specifically the benefits of using Dashlane. I had never heard of Dashlane until I came across this article, but I had heard of and considered using 1Password.

Pogue’s article on Dashlane sold me, however. Not only did it convince me I should use a password manager, it also convinced me that Dashlane was the one for me. One of the big draws? It’s free! (though I chose to subscribe via the $20/yr option). It was incredibly easy to set up and once you have a secure “master password” you’re practically good to go.

Dashlane will automatically gather your saved passwords from your web browsers and analyze them for you, making you aware of passwords you should change.

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I initially found that I had a TON of reused passwords and at first I was unwilling to change them, but Dashlane made it a breeze. It’ll take you right to the change password screen on most websites, automatically fill in your old password and generate a random, strong password for use on the website. It’ll automatically save this new password for you and use it to log you into your account the next time you visit the site.

The Dashlane mobile app is free and after you login with your master password (and PIN if you choose to use one on the mobile app) you can view all of your passwords. This makes it great if you need a password on another computer where you can’t install the plugin. It will only reveal your passwords after you login using the master password and PIN so you don’t have to worry about someone gaining access to all of your passwords if they get ahold of your phone. You just want to make sure your master password is as strong and secure as it can be.

Dashlane can also store your ID information (ex: Driver’s License) and Credit Card information making your web browsing experience as convenient and secure as possible.

If you want to learn more about Dashlane and how it (or any password manager) can benefit you, I suggest you read Pogue’s article, it’s filled with a lot of good advice.

Dashlane is available for Windows, Mac, and iOS and is completely free. The subscription option gets you a few more bells and whistles, listed below. Try it out today: https://www.dashlane.com/

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This blog post is not an endorsement or advertisement, I simply love the product and wanted to share!