Soul Calibur IV is due out tomorrow (if it hasn't already made its way to shelves on the sly), and if the idea of paying $100+ for this gorgeous fighting title makes you want to cry or throw pieces of chair at your dad, Ecogamer recommends you drop into K-mart or JB Hi-Fi. Both stores have the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game, with the former platform going for $79 and the latter $89.

If you're of the trade-in persuasion, I'd suggest hitting the jump. I don't know about you, but I don't want to pay top-dollar for bouncing 3D norks jubblies chesticles breasts. Damn.

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Reader Brendan says that a friend of his has had a great deal of trouble getting his hands on a PS3. In preparation for the release of Metal Gear Solid 4, said friend tried EB Games to preorder the console bundle. Not only did the friend have no luck with the preorder, but it was a no-go on a standalone console. Calls to Big W, K-mart and GameTraders were met with similar failure, with GT going as far as to say that the MGS4 pack may miss its release date due to shortages of the console.

So, I gave a couple of JB Hi-Fi and EB Games stores a call in Sydney and was told that they had units in stock, though EB Games said it was only a few and the GTA IV bundle was sold out. Given the success of Rockstar's title, I wasn't surprised.

Even though it was looking like there wasn't much to Brendan's rumour, I fired an email to Sony's local branch. Here's the reply I received:

Due to the success of the latest GTA IV and GT5 Prologue bundle offers, stock has been flying off the shelves and also, hand in hand with their success, we've seen an increase in consumer demand for standalone PS3 consoles. We're very aware of the demand and are working closely with retail to ensure good stock supply.

Well. Going by this response Sony might have some issues on its hands with some stores, but it's doing its best to keep retailers in supply. I know things are swell in Sydney, but let us know what the situation's like around you!

An Xbox 360. Viva Pinata. Forza Motorsport 2.

These three products could be yours for just $499. That's only, like, $100 more than a Wii!

Anthony over at EcoGamer sends word that K-Mart is offering this exact bundle for that exact price. The catch? It's only valid for today.

Here's what Anthony had to say:

It seems extremely cheap and when looking at other deals from other retailers I noticed [they] have Viva Pinata OR Forza 2 bundles at similar prices, but not both.

I guess November must be the month of awesome Xbox 360 deals.

Kmart 1 Day Sale 15'th November [EcoGamer]

You know, this whole broken street date is starting to become old hat and normally I wouldn't give it too much thought. But, when the game in question is a title as big as Mass Effect, it bears some looking into. Emails have been coming in over the last four or five hours from happy gamers with attached photos of them delightedly clutching their prizes, their eyes bulging with excitement. Personally I wouldn't even take the time to snap the picture or send the email because I would be too busy playing, but I thank them for their enthusiasm in doing so so we could bring the news to the masses.

So, if you live near a K-Mart and can get there before the word spreads and Bioware makes them yank it of the shelf, you could be playing Mass Effect this afternoon. A check at my local K-Mart saw me leave empty handed, but who knows, you may get lucky.

CAGs Score Mass Effect Early at Kmart [CheapAssGamer]