Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Nintendo DSi Color Variants - Preorder

«©NCSX» Three new flavors of the Nintendo DSi are winging their way to market to join the black and white versions which are already available in Japan. The Nintendo DSi will soon be available in Pink, Lime Green, and Metallic Blue. Pricing is set at JPY18,900 or US$219.90 from NCS and preorders are welcome to ship on March 20, 2009.

In other news, the USA version of the Nintendo DSi will be released on April 5 in black and blue color variants to kick things off stateside. The blue for the US market isn't a conventional blue but more of an aqua blue. Since shortages will likely accompany the USA NDSi launch, we'll refrain from accepting preorders until the week of release.

Playstation Portable Carnival Colors - Preorder

«©NCSX» How does a company sell more of a product without radically changing it or investing in more R&D? They colorize it. Paint it in new hues that are sure to capture the attention of consumers who eschew vanilla and chocolate. Sony attempts to sell some more PSP-3000s with four new "Carnival Color" variants which ship during the month of March as follows:

Vibrant Blue | Bright Yellow | Spirited Green | Radiant Red

We think the green color is a keeper but we might keep a blue as well in our PSP hardware collection. Preorders are welcome to ship on March 5 (Blue and Red) and March 19 (Green and Yellow). Pricing is set at JPY19,800 each or US$239 from NCS.

Aliens vs Predator 2: Chestbuster Real Sofubi - Preorder

«©NCSX» In the American vernacular, the term "chest buster" may hold a number of different meanings or connotations. Using the term in an office setting may potentially get you reported to human resources. For NCS' purposes however, "Chest Buster" refers to an alien creature which gestates inside a human host before eventually eviscerating said host at the moment of birth. It's a wicked awakening which made for a cinematic fireworks exactly three decades ago when the Alien movie bowed.

Japanese manufacturer Omron hopes to recreate the terror of Alien this summer when they release the Chest Buster Sofubi toy which measures 70cm or 27.55" in length. Preorders are welcome to ship in June 2009.

Cheburashka Okashi Mascot Strap - Import Preorder

«©NCSX» Never underestimate the power of a plush. Never. NCS has watched sales for certain plushes beat the sales volume for our top selling games over the years. It was a revelation as to the potential audience for certain products. One such sales winner was the Cheburashka plush from a few years back. We even sold them to customers in Mother Russia. When the summer rolls around, Omron will release a new set of Cheburashka plushes which are tethered to straps. Each plush is accompanied by a replica pastry or candy. NCS' preorder offer is for the complete set of four Cheburashka Okashi straps at US$25.90 to ship in late June 2009.

Milk Blu-Ray - Released Today, Ships in 24 Hours

From the Publisher
MILK is director Gus Van Sant's riveting biopic about slain gay rights activist and San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk. Based on the politically resonant and thoroughly timely screenplay of documentarian Dustin Lance Black, Van Sant follows the arc of Milk's political awakening, from closeted Brooklyn insurance executive to doyen of San Francisco's Castro district's burgeoning gay mecca in the 1970s.

Sean Penn portrays the film's hero, melting into the role with an affable flamboyance that is both spirited and eminently engaging. James Franco plays opposite Penn as Milk's supportive and easygoing boyfriend, Scott Smith. The couple's cheerful and loving rapport lends buoyancy to the film's overall message of hope as Milk ascends from grassroots community organizer to a galvanizing figurehead in the push for gay civil liberties. When Moral Majority crusader Anita Bryant forms an initiative to root out gay teachers and their supporters from public schools (Proposition 6), Milk is pitted in a bitter battle against fellow City Hall supervisor Dan White, played by Josh Brolin.

General Updates

Death Smiles Limited Edition Shortage?
One of our primary Japanese vendors in notified us last night that there may be a shortage of X360 Death Smiles LE. We're assuming they're getting the information from the publisher but preorders for the game just closed on Monday so it's confusing why they would notify everyone just two days after the closing of preorders. What's the point of accepting preorders if reservations aren't going to be honored? The whole gist of the preorder process is to gauge demand and produce quantities accordingly.
Until we receive corroboration from a second vendor, we'll keep preorders open but we'll update again if the shortage turns out to be true.
Transformers Disney Label Mickey Mouse
NCS didn't accept preorders for the Transformers Disney Label Mickey Mouse toy mainly because we thought it was corny. However, when a Japanese toy supplier told us that they had surplus stock last night, we ordered a few cases on a whim. Maybe we'll regret the purchase but they're on the way and should be delivered on Thursday. We'll post photos once they're in stock and ready to ship. NCS has an idea for a new business model: Selling stuff we think is corny. Orders are welcome.