Game Previews, Online Game Previews, Game News, Game Reviews

Raymond Padilla: Sony is going to kick off a new affinity program in hopes of generating loyalty from its PlayStation customers. The program is called “P.S. Thanks”…and it has already worked on me. I just have a thing about affinity programs. Whether it’s racking up miles on United Mileage Plus, gaining points on my Starwood Preferred Guest account, or watching my discounts accumulate on my Ralph’s Reward card, I love affinity programs. At the very least, they nudge me into spending more money with certain companies. At worst, they lead to unnecessary purchases. I already know I’m going to be a sucker for P.S. Thanks. How about you guys and dolls? Will the program lead you to make more PlayStation purchases? Is it enough to nudge you towards PS3 in a multiplatform scenario?

Patrick Klepek: Microsoft is launching its games on demand service on Xbox 360 soon. You’ll be able to purchase full-fledged Xbox 360 retail games in download form. The pricing isn’t expected to be any different, but I’m actually pretty excited to have these games at my fingertips. In fact, ever since Microsoft suggested Assassin’s Creed would be one of the launch products for the service, I set aside some money for it. I never played Assassin’s Creed, so the chance to check out Microsoft’s new service and play a game that passed me by two years ago seems like a win-win. Well, assuming I like Assassin’s Creed.