The (old) GameRush/Blockbuster Thread

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Welcome to the Official CAG Gamerush/Blockbuster video game deal thread.

First and foremost, please check out the
GameRush Trade-In Prices Wiki.

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What is this thread for?
The primary function of this thread is to discuss current trade-in and sale promos and to post any trade-in values you have obtained. Please post trade-in values with the date of the trade (or quote) and system. One of the CAG Wiki editors will then add them to the Wiki.

It is also permissible to discuss system availability, credit issues, etc. As long as it is related to game trades or sales at Blockbuster it is generally OK to discuss it here.

Unlike more tightly focused clearance threads, it is OK to discuss more general Gamerush/Blockbuster issues here as well as trade requests as long as they are kept to a minimum (and usually just during specific deals, of which there are none currently).

Due to the questionable stability of the Gamerush brand, it is also permissible to discuss ways of converting credit from Blockbuster to other stores (ie, which games may be used for trading in to other stores such as Gamecrazy or EB/GS). As of right now, we have no indication of Gamerush's imminent demise, but given Blockbuster's ongoing financial difficulties we need to be aware of the possibility.

What is this thread NOT for?
There will be absolutely NO DISCUSSION of the recent doctored coupon. Do not discuss what you bought, what you traded it for, or anything else - all such posts will be deleted. Any discussion of that should be done here.

Also, it is bad form to discuss the flipping of games from one Gamerush store to another should another such opportunity arrive (through trade-in deals which we haven't had recently anyway). It is one thing to "play the market" with trade-in values from one chain to another (GR to GC to EB) - free market buy low/sell high and all that. But taking advantage of loopholes in a single store's policies/promos is frowned upon and has, in the past, led to trade-in bans from GR.

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General Info
- Trade-in credit can be placed onto your store account or onto a "Value" card
- Credit on store accounts can only be used at that one store
- However, credit can be transferred from the store account to a card at any time
- Value cards can be used at any location
- Gamerush stores often do not get new game stock until the Friday of the release week, thus a few days later than most retailers

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Gamerush vs. regular Blockbusters
All Blockbuster game-related discussion belongs here. Most threads created in the Deals forum will be merged in to here. There seems to be the impression by many CAGs that if they don't have a Gamerush store near them then this thread does not apply to them. However, regular (non-GR) Blockbuster stores often run the same promos and generally have the same trade-in values.

The key differences:
- Only Gamerush stores sell new and used video game hardware, with the exception of the occasional new controller/memory card spotted at regular stores. (Edit - Some recent exceptions have cropped up: many regular BB stores had a PS3 bundle available over Christmas and a few stores have been reported to sell DS Lites).

- Only Gamerush stores allow for preorders of new games (though, it seems, many of those have even stopped taking preorders).

- While many Gamerush stores have cut back on their new game stock, some regular (non-GR) Blockbusters have started selling new games. They usually have a very limited selection of top-selling new 360, PS3, and Wii games. I will be maintaining a list below here for those with Blockbuster credit but no access to a GR store.

- Trade-in values are controlled centrally and are uniform across all Gamerush and Blockbuster locations EXCEPT if the Blockbuster is a franchise location. You can tell from the receipt if your store is a franchise store. All Gamerush stores are corporate-owned so they will have uniform pricing.

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New games that may be available for purchase at select non-GR Blockbusters
For those with access to only regular Blockbuster stores but wanting to take advantage of the decent trade-in values Blockbuster offers, this is the list of new games being sold by some regular Blockbuster locations. Note that they will generally not get new games on the release date. They will most likely have them a few days to weeks later.

:ds:
Legend of Zelda Phantom Hourglass

:360:
Bioshock
Blue Dragon
Call of Duty 4
Guitar Hero III
Halo 3
Lego Star Wars TCS
Mass Effect
NBA Live 08
The Orange Box

:ps2:
Guitar Hero III
Spiderman Friend or Foe

:ps3:
80GB PS3 bundle for $600 (PS3, Surf's Up Blu-Ray, HDMI cable, 20-week rental card)
Assassin's Creed
Lego Star Wars TCS
NBA Live 08
Ratchet & Clank Tools of Destruction
Rock Band bundle
Uncharted

:wii:
Guitar Hero III
NBA Live 08
Mario Party 8
Mario Strikers Charged
Super Mario Galaxy

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Current Trade-In Deals

There are no trade-in deals at this time. The trade 3 get an extra $5 per game is still in affect at some (very select) locations.

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Reported Trade-In Prices

Trade-In Price Wiki
 
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I'm up to $450 in credit, and I've got about ten Madden 06s and three more Beowolfs in the car.

I'm thinking about trying to PM one of each Beowolf at GC, since that credit is generally more useful...but regardless, I'm on my way to a 360! Wootsauce.
 
[quote name='chargeup45']Flipwatch: Red Steel and Call of Juarez will both be $8 at Circuit City in next week's ad (12/16).[/QUOTE]

How much does Red Steel get?
 
[quote name='Slim Gatsby']Okay, I'm now up to $500 on one ValueCard and, since that means it is maxed out, I've got $40 on a second one...and about 8 Maddens to go...[/QUOTE]

You should spread out your credit on multiple cards, because if they find out that your flipping they might not allow you to use the card on any gaming systems.
 
[quote name='RandyTsai']You should spread out your credit on multiple cards, because if they find out that your flipping they might not allow you to use the card on any gaming systems.[/quote]

What do you mean? How does the card have anything to do with it?

Additionally, I have no GameRush in 500 miles. I'll have to mail the card to my dad in FL, he's going to pick up a 360 at a local BB/GR and ship it.
 
[quote name='Slim Gatsby']What do you mean? How does the card have anything to do with it?

Additionally, I have no GameRush in 500 miles. I'll have to mail the card to my dad in FL, he's going to pick up a 360 at a local BB/GR and ship it.[/QUOTE]

Because the card is linked to your account and you were flipping multiple copies of the same game. They can be pricks and not allow you to use the card to get a system. But since your sending it out of state, you shouldn't have any issues.
 
[quote name='RandyTsai']Because the card is linked to your account and you were flipping multiple copies of the same game. They can be pricks and not allow you to use the card to get a system. But since your sending it out of state, you shouldn't have any issues.[/quote]

Really? That's weird; I specifically asked today about the Value Card and they said it wasn't linked to my account. o_O Maybe you're thinking of credit built at the store account?
 
[quote name='Slim Gatsby']Really? That's weird; I specifically asked today about the Value Card and they said it wasn't linked to my account. o_O Maybe you're thinking of credit built at the store account?[/QUOTE]


trust me. if you flipped the games in the same district they will find out in a few days. and when you try to use the card on a system they wont allow it. But like i said since your sending the card to another state you have nothing to worry about.
 
[quote name='RandyTsai']trust me. if you flipped the games in the same district they will find out in a few days. and when you try to use the card on a system they wont allow it. But like i said since your sending the card to another state you have nothing to worry about.[/quote]

Wow, that sounds all kinds of illegal. o_O
 
[quote name='Slim Gatsby']Wow, that sounds all kinds of illegal. o_O[/quote]

QFT. The trade is a contract- you give them games, they give you credit. Once a trade is completed, GR cannot "undue" it or not allow you to use the credit they gave you (which would be stealing on their end, since they took your games without giving you anything). They CAN refuse to sell you a specific item (right to refuse service, etc.), however a value card is never linked to an account. You can use a value card without having an employee look up your account. Also, there is no way to stop someone using a value card unless you report it as missing or stolen and give them all those numbers on the back of the card (which are not printed onto receipts AT ALL).

Also, I kunaied the 8 :360: copies I had and picked up another 4 :ps3: and 2 :360: copies which will be kunaied soon enough. Kind of odd, the :360: copies I picked up from CC don't have the movie cash inside.
 
[quote name='jkircos']How much does Red Steel get?[/QUOTE]

I dunno, I was hoping someone else would pipe in with a quote. As of the last wiki update, it was 15. I have a feeling it's gone down since then, but who knows.
 
[quote name='djkunai']QFT. The trade is a contract- you give them games, they give you credit. Once a trade is completed, GR cannot "undue" it or not allow you to use the credit they gave you (which would be stealing on their end, since they took your games without giving you anything). [/QUOTE]

Well, I'm not so sure how it stands legally. You may remember my little incident last Fall with the last $5 bonus trade-in deal. It was not supposed to work with GBA games, but on one transaction one of the employees gave me the bonus on them. A few weeks later I discovered after going through all my receipts that I was $15 short on my credit. It turns out a few days after my trade, the GR manager deducted $15 (the bonus for 3 GBA games) from my account (and didn't even bother telling me about it). I eventually got it back but he had discussed it with loss prevention and they said it was perfectly acceptable for him to remove the credit (or so he told me). I would have been fine with "undoing" the transaction because I only got 75 cents or so for the games otherwise but he did even worse than undoing it since I didn't get the games back and would never have made the trade without the bonus credit I was quoted (without asking for it by the way). Anyway, so, yeah, possibly I could have sued over it (had I not gotten it back via persuasion ;)), but who's gonna bother with that.
 
[quote name='pcktlnt']Just curious, if I use the value card or whatever they put the store credit on, would I have to pay tax?[/quote]

In cash? No, its treated as a gift card. But there is tax on your purchase, yes.
 
Okay, guys, as I said, I have no GR near me at all. What are there prices like?

I'm assuming the consoles are standard retail. I'll have $600 to spend on a 360 and games. How do you guys think I should divvy it up?

I have a year of free game rentals from BlockBuster, so more expensive games are out -- I'd much rather just rent a $60 game and, if I still like it down the road, pick it up for $20 or so used next year.

I'm either getting a Pro or an Elite, but I'm still undecided. If they only have Pros in stock, that's what I'll be getting.

So, here's the scenario: you have $600 to spend at GR on a 360 and accessories and games. What do you buy to stretch it the farthest while still getting quality games?
 
[quote name='Slim Gatsby']Okay, guys, as I said, I have no GR near me at all. What are there prices like?

I'm assuming the consoles are standard retail. I'll have $600 to spend on a 360 and games. How do you guys think I should divvy it up?

I have a year of free game rentals from BlockBuster, so more expensive games are out -- I'd much rather just rent a $60 game and, if I still like it down the road, pick it up for $20 or so used next year.

I'm either getting a Pro or an Elite, but I'm still undecided. If they only have Pros in stock, that's what I'll be getting.

So, here's the scenario: you have $600 to spend at GR on a 360 and accessories and games. What do you buy to stretch it the farthest while still getting quality games?[/QUOTE]
There's a ton of great launch-era games you can score relatively cheap. Dead Rising, Oblivion, LOTR, Fight Night, Gears, etc. Most of them can be had for $20-ish used, with the probable exception of Gears. Still, if you're planning on renting all of the blockbuster new games, buying the greats from last year cheap isn't a bad way to go.
 
didnt' know gc matched either. the bb around here hardly sell any games. ill have to look into this. thanks for the heads up
 
[quote name='ghozt']didnt' know gc matched either. the bb around here hardly sell any games. ill have to look into this. thanks for the heads up[/quote]

My GC didn't match, so YMMV highly on this.
 
I still have to pick up a few more today hopefully to flip. I only actually traded in ONE PS3 copy....that was it. I may get one more of each, but the time available is just not there....OT at work is keeping me away from shopping for games.

I wonder if Beowulf will drop tomorrow ;)
 
[quote name='Slim Gatsby']My GC didn't match, so YMMV highly on this.[/quote]

It shouldn't be, per their website:

Best Deal on Trades


DO believe the hype, gamers. We WILL give you the best deals on trades. It's a guarantee. Trade in, trade up, trade upside down—at our fine game establishment, you will get more games for less cash by trading in your old titles. NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, Dreamcast, PSOne: if you still got 'em, WE WANT 'EM, BABIES! If you have questions on a particular game or price, stop by or give a ringy ding to your local Game Crazy store.
 
[quote name='Slim Gatsby']Okay, guys, as I said, I have no GR near me at all. What are there prices like?

I'm assuming the consoles are standard retail. I'll have $600 to spend on a 360 and games. How do you guys think I should divvy it up?

I have a year of free game rentals from BlockBuster, so more expensive games are out -- I'd much rather just rent a $60 game and, if I still like it down the road, pick it up for $20 or so used next year.

I'm either getting a Pro or an Elite, but I'm still undecided. If they only have Pros in stock, that's what I'll be getting.

So, here's the scenario: you have $600 to spend at GR on a 360 and accessories and games. What do you buy to stretch it the farthest while still getting quality games?[/quote]


Oblivion Game of the Year (saves you from buying a couple of seperate, major, download add-ons); Dead Rising is hellafun for under $20; Rent COD4 if you have BlockBuster rentals free: I did, so glad I did- no co-op story mode, no co-op online, sucks. Bioshock is lots of fun; Viva Pinata for under $20...

My local EBgames has a ton of release-era Limited Editions, the ones in the tins, in perfect condition, real cheap. Like, Perfect Dark, Prey (both $14 in perfect condition), Gears of War (limited edition, perfect, was $29).

Orange Box is 5 games in one, including the game everyone is gushing over: Portal (nevermind you get a full version of HL2, HL2: Ep. 1, and Ep.2).

Guitar Hero 2 can be had cheap cheap too.
 
[quote name='meesterjojo']Oblivion Game of the Year (saves you from buying a couple of seperate, major, download add-ons); Dead Rising is hellafun for under $20; Rent COD4 if you have BlockBuster rentals free: I did, so glad I did- no co-op story mode, no co-op online, sucks. Bioshock is lots of fun; Viva Pinata for under $20...

My local EBgames has a ton of release-era Limited Editions, the ones in the tins, in perfect condition, real cheap. Like, Perfect Dark, Prey (both $14 in perfect condition), Gears of War (limited edition, perfect, was $29).

Orange Box is 5 games in one, including the game everyone is gushing over: Portal (nevermind you get a full version of HL2, HL2: Ep. 1, and Ep.2).

Guitar Hero 2 can be had cheap cheap too.[/QUOTE]

thanks... Any idea how much these cost at GR, as I'm not going to be able to shop in person?

And should I buy XBL there? I do have a ton of 48 hour codes, and I can't envision myself playing online more than once a week
 
I buy alot of microsoft points using my GR credit, it's the cheapest consistent way I've found (Considering the fact it's almost free money after all the trades)
 
Last 2 copies of Beowulf going 2 GR in a few minutes. Heres hoping for it lasting a bit longer which it should since the game is so new. Haven't flipped that many but I started with just my Halo 3 disc only at GS and have flipped it into over $200 in credit total at both stores.:D
 
[quote name='Slim Gatsby']thanks... Any idea how much these cost at GR, as I'm not going to be able to shop in person?

And should I buy XBL there? I do have a ton of 48 hour codes, and I can't envision myself playing online more than once a week[/QUOTE]

You are only allowed 1 48 hour. You cannot stack them unless you keep creating new gamercards. I would HIGHLY suggest XBL...especially if you have $600 to spend.
 
[quote name='Slim Gatsby']so should I have him pick up Xbl and points for me at a GR then? Sorry for the noobness, but how much do they run?[/quote]
They cost the same as everywhere else. ;)
 
Live Gold subscriptions and MS points are pretty flat pricing everywhere, random Target clearances aside. BB/GR's as good a place to get them as any.

Had some more Beowulf fun on Saturday... four more 360 versions + two more PS3 versions.

$120 in Gamestop credit -> $224.72 in BB/GR credit + $20 more movie cash to throw at my brothers-in-law. Woo.

Hopefully the price bottoms out tomorrow so I'm not tempted to do this again. Turning $240 in GS credit into Rock Band and enough credit for both me and my wife to get DS Lites has been quite a haul already.
 
Same here, I'm feeling a little cheap after trading 10 in 2 days. I did spread them out to 4 different locations, but my EB credit is shot and I don't want to start using cash, so I think I'll wait for the next big thing.

I do plan on preordering a bunch of games today however, as I hate having 300+ credit on a little card that is easily lost.

I wish GR would have a B2G1 Free sale :)
 
Moved some games between GameRush and Gamestop over the weekend. Thanks for the heads-up on the movie cash in the 360 version, I picked up a few more. I finished with what I had, but if the trade value holds tomorrow I doubt I can resist.

I actually went and saw Beowolf in Digital 3D over the weekend. The person at the box office couldn't figure out how to apply it properly, so just comp'ed the entire ticket at $12. That alone was movie, popcorn and drink for $5 cash, and moved $38.32 in GS credit to $70 GR credit. Nice.

In spotting news, I found at least one GR that had a Wii zapper with Link's Crossbow Training.
 
Apparently my GameRush had a box of the Wii Zappers when I got mine. I'm upset at myself that I have not had time to flip games. Oh well....one was ok, a small boost in my credit.
 
Happy Dump Day everyone!

I still have 4 copies of Beowulf that I need to kunai (which will happen in a little bit), and then I may stop by another CC to see if there's any way to squeeze the last bit of toothpaste out of the tube.
 
[quote name='kojubat']Moved some games between GameRush and Gamestop over the weekend. Thanks for the heads-up on the movie cash in the 360 version, I picked up a few more. I finished with what I had, but if the trade value holds tomorrow I doubt I can resist.

I actually went and saw Beowolf in Digital 3D over the weekend. The person at the box office couldn't figure out how to apply it properly, so just comp'ed the entire ticket at $12. That alone was movie, popcorn and drink for $5 cash, and moved $38.32 in GS credit to $70 GR credit. Nice.

In spotting news, I found at least one GR that had a Wii zapper with Link's Crossbow Training.[/quote]

I took the family to see it over the weekend. Not a bad movie, was especially happy to see a NAKED!! digital 3D Angela Jolie. I saved a but load using those movie cash tickets, especially if you count the Free refills, and sneaking into watch Golden Compass as well :)
 
was able to get game crazy to pm bb beowulf's trade in value. traded in 1 ps3 and 1 360 version and came out with $71 store credit. looks like my copy of unreal tournament 3 is going to cost me $40. not bad at all.

wondering if i should go for another 2 copies. anyone know if gamecrazy allows multiple copy trade ins?
 
Traded in 4 Beowulf's this weekend for $38.75 apiece after taxes. That equals about a 45% discount off anything at BB. I think I may buy a couple DS Lites at BB and donate them to my local Child's Play Charity.
 
Arggh... Would you people stop saying you are going to buy DS Lites or 360 Elites or whatever at [highlight]BB[/highlight]. Please say GR! 99% of BB stores don't carry such things (ie, those that are not also GR stores). Yeah, yeah, I know they are BB's too, but this is just a pet peeve of mine ;). Plus I feel like you guys are rubbing it in with your crazy flips and wonderful ability to actually purchase stuff with said flips as opposed to having credit sit on cards for no good reason (of course I know that you aren't - especially you pinebarrens as you say you are donating them to charity). At least if you say "GR" then I can gloss over those posts... I mean, maybe in your area every BB has a GR in it. If so, appreciate it and think of the rest of us without a GR within 600 miles of them :lol:.

I will probably be donating $150 of my credit to a charity (of sorts). I did this last year. My son's preschool has a charity auction and parents are required to come up with $150 in merchandise from local retailers. Since I find it MUCH MUCH easier to flip games than solicit donations from stores (and get rejected over and over), I just used my own BB credit. They make gift baskets out of all the little donated items that people can bid on - so I assume they just added the $50 gift cards I bought to those. That was better than 2 years ago when we just forked over $150 in cash. The only issue is if you get a cashier who won't issue gift cards using Value Card credit. Note that I wasn't doing this during the promo where you got an extra $10 (or whetever it was) for buying gift cards - just a straight up transfer of one card type for another.

Whatever happened to GR stores getting shut down or scaled back dramatically? It seemed that was imminent but now they seem to be back to getting new games in a timely manner (as far as I can tell from your posts - Rock Band coming in and all that). And weren't they going to convert the GR sections either to Fedex packing stores or delis or something? I swear someone mentioned both of those as rumors from their local stores.
 
There's been a separate thread going for a while about an upcoming Playstation 3 bundle package at Blockbuster. The OP of that thread (which can be found here: http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162647) said a store near him (which was not a GR) store was offering this: $600 for the 80GB PS3, Surf's Up Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray remote, HDMI cable, extra controller, extra game of your choice, and a 20-week rental card. That would have been a pretty good deal. Now, however, it is on the Blockbuster web page and is not nearly as good a deal: all of the above except the extra controller and game. For whatever reason they claim you save $135 with this which seems overblown to me. By my calculations is seems you are paying about $60 for the rental card, which given that it is most likely a use-it-or-lose-it type of thing may or may not be worth it (I'm going off my personal sense of "value", not MSRP - so $10 for Surf's Up, $10 for the HDMI cable, $20 for the BR remote, then $60 extra to pay for the rental card).

http://www.gamerush.com/promos/promo_ps3Bundle.php

Still, a good deal for those with BB credit to burn, especially if non-GR stores carry these (there's some mention on the DVD Talk thread that stores that rent Blu-Ray movies may carry this in addition to GR stores). I guess I'd consider this if I could find such a store, though I don't have nearly that much credit - I'd need to get serious with the Beowulf kunaiing ;).
 
[quote name='io']

Still, a good deal for those with BB credit to burn, especially if non-GR stores carry these (there's some mention on the DVD Talk thread that stores that rent Blu-Ray movies may carry this in addition to GR stores.[/quote]

That's pretty much accurrate from the stores I've been to and employee's I've spoken to.
 
[quote name='pinebarrens']Sorry, I didn't know you were so sensitive.:)

Ahem, this is all going down at GR![/QUOTE]

Well, just look at all the wonderful kunaiing going on and people buying PS3's and DS lites and Rock Band bundles left and right and consider that some of us can only dream of spending our BB credit that way ;).

Here I am considering buying Harry Potter on DVD this week for $22 or whatever they charge for the handful of new DVDs they carry at my local BB.
 
I wanted to get a DS with my credit, but they didnt get any Zelda bundles and I'm not paying $20 less for a gameless system in a color I don't want. They did seem to have some decent newer games though, like Revenant Wings, Mario Party DS and Contra 4

Dave
 
kunaied 4 Beowulfs this weekend at my local GR Bonus store (same one that djkunai goes to). Went to a different GR today to kunai two more copies. Some girl was doing my trade ins and told me I wasn't allowed to trade in two of the same games. Gave her a weird look and made her call a different GR. Got my credit and bought :360: Scene it and still have credit left over. Oh yeah, I also bought my Beowulfs from CC and it seems that the CC Beowulfs do not include the $5 movie cash.
 
[quote name='abducted vision']kunaied 4 Beowulfs this weekend at my local GR Bonus store (same one that djkunai goes to). Went to a different GR today to kunai two more copies. Some girl was doing my trade ins and told me I wasn't allowed to trade in two of the same games. Gave her a weird look and made her call a different GR. Got my credit and bought :360: Scene it and still have credit left over. Oh yeah, I also bought my Beowulfs from CC and it seems that the CC Beowulfs do not include the $5 movie cash.[/QUOTE]

Nobody wants to play Scene It with you. Let's get drunk after finals.
 
A head's up: the EB/GS 30% bonus coupon is back for 12/11-12/13 so there's another opportunity to flip those Halo 3's back to EB/GS (assuming the $32 base value has held). I may have to venture out to the further BB as my local one only has scratched to hell copies left (I bought the only 2 good ones last week). Hopefully Beowulf holds up this week as well because I could swing by EB first. So who's going to report the first Beowulf price tomorrow? ;)
 
[quote name='io']Arggh... Would you people stop saying you are going to buy DS Lites or 360 Elites or whatever at [highlight]BB[/highlight]. [/quote]

Ok I love my half price Wii and PS3 (and DS Lite) which GR got me. :D

Thanks for the heads up on the 30% trade credit coupon I hadn't saw that yet! Looks like i'll be getting UT3 tomorrow after all thanks to moving GR credit to GS assuming the Halo 3 credit holds. I was planning on waiting till friday at GR since I dumped all my GS credit into Mass Effect the other day so I could trade it for a Halo 3 Legendary Edition. :D

I love this site where else can you learn how to start with a disc only Halo 3 and kunai it into a pile of new releases plus the ultimate edition of the game you started the whole process with. :lol:
 
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