RPG Deals for 11/16 - 11/22
Disclaimer: Deals may not be available in all stores. Prices in each store may differ. You can try different stores to mitigate this, and always ask if a store has it before writing them off. You might be able to get a raincheck. A lot of these deals are in-store only, except where specified.

I cannot get enough Valkyria Chronicles. It's trumping all other games. The only reason Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia gets played is because I have to leave the house every now and again, or use the bathroom. Portable gaming - for when you gotta GO.

The holiday season rapidly approaches, holding hands with a bad economy. Circuit City has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but ensures that they will honor all of their services until told otherwise. They still have some decent deals this week, just nothing on RPGs.

However, their new release selection is not to be trusted. They are receiving brand new release product days later than usual. Last week's ad featuring Valkyria Chronicles for $45? Rubbish. The title could not be found at any Circuit City location near me. I did get a very grudging raincheck for the price - good for 30 days - in the hopes that they get it in before said 30 days (the grudging part is representative of the store I received it from, not all Circuit Cities). This means for you, dear customer, a lot of stuff is going on sale. It also means you should not hold on to any gift cards for too long, or wait to do returns. While Christmas is a magical time in which retailers earn money, it remains to be seen if such magic can touch Circuit City again. This is a shame, too - Circuit City's deals tend to be much better than those of their competitors.

Also, when shopping at Circuit City this holiday season, be nice to their employees. Circuit City has hired many seasonal employees in order to up their customer service potential - this means quicker service for you.

This week sees the releases of Luminous Arc 2 and Rune Factory 2 for the DS, with Last Remnant hitting later this week for the 360. Last Remnant looks good - possibly great.

Toys R Us wins this week with a Buy 1 Get $20 off another towards all Wii games currently in stock. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World came out last week, and Castlevania fans take note: Castlevania: Judgement releases Wednesday. Not that Okami, Opoona, Fire Emblem, or Dokapon Kingdom would be bad, either.

Speaking of Dokapon Kingdom, Atlus and Amazon team up again to have an Atlus sale. The sale does not have an ending posted, and it's unclear which of Atlus' games are on sale, so there's a handy list after this paragraph. Click on the Amazon link to your right to order, and help out The RPGO! All of the titles are $20, unless specified.

Trauma Center: New Blood - Wii
Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2 - DS
Dokapon Kingdom - PS2/Wii
Etrian Odyssey II - DS
Izuna 2: Legend of the Unemployed Ninja - DS
Operation Darkness - 360
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story - DS
Yggdra Union - PSP
Master of the Monster Lair - DS
Baroque - PS2/Wii
R-Type Command - PSP (Whoot! This one's $10, baby. Game's not too shabby, either)
Rondo of Swords - DS
Drone Tactics - DS
Zoids Assault - 360 ($30)

Man, seeing Brigandine on the PS for $73 makes me regret passing that one up. Oh well. I dropped $90 myself for some of the other things.

Amazon.com is also offering a ton of other upcoming RPGs at discounts, but the Valkyria Chronicles discount did end. The PS3 version of Eternal Sonata is $51, though. It looks like you can get free shipping on all orders over $25, by the way. Order soon - no word on when the deal ends.*

This week's Holiday Survival Guide is all about returns. That's right - I'm going to tell you exactly what you need to do to avoid a hassle at the register.

For shoppers: This is the second hardest tip I will give to shoppers this Holiday season - If you opened it, broke it, damaged it, or just plain don't like it after breaking the seal and want a full refund; tough. No store has to return anything opened for a refund, and almost all of them have a prominently placed sign explaining why. Once you use it, it becomes used, and therefor unsalable. Retailers work on the same principle as car dealerships. The moment the vehicle is driven off the lot, the value decreases significantly. It decreases totally if there's a scratch, dent, or other damage to it. And let's face it - cars don't dent themselves. The same applies to other merchandise. If the item is damaged during shipping, that's one thing (And don't worry about that part; stores have way to check if damage was done prior to the box being opened. I know of several, and many of them rely on how clean the damage is or how the scratches are aligned). I'll be honest - it's pretty annoying to have someone come in who has obviously messed the product up (360 circle scratches come to mind) and is trying to pass it off a something else. That's not the store's problem. That's a user error.

The point is, know that they do not have to give you back your money for the above reasons. But they still might be able to help you out.

Before anything, check to see if there's a warranty through the manufacturer and contact them. Fact is, this time of year the store simply may not have your item. Many times the receipt can only be done for the exact item, and sometimes equivalent store credit. If you want the specific item in your hands, then check the warranty first. All the console manufacturers have better warranties than the in-store ones, but the catch is the item will be out of your house for a few weeks.

To start, always, always have the receipt on you. No receipt; no return. Big stores like Best Buy and Target, and smaller chains like GameStop absolutely need the receipt in order to do a return. Why? Because this is how these stores prevent themselves from losing money. A lot of people come in every day making claims that cost these stores money - and that affects you. Retail works on another principle - one bad apple ruins the whole damn bunch.

So, you have your receipt in hand. Now read it. Really read it, and make sure that your item can be returned as per the fine print. If your item is still sealed, no problem. Any place that does not take a sealed item with a valid receipt is full of crud. Heck, a lot of places will take a sealed item with a receipt that is out of date. That's another thing - ensure the date is still in effect. And check the price! The store must refund you the money that was paid for item. If the item has dropped in price, that's too bad for the store. You paid $50, you get $50.

If the item has been opened, double-check the fine print. Be ready in case the item is not in stock, and think about something else at the store you might want. Offering to take either the exact item or store credit will often make your transaction a breeze. Stores will let things slip so long as you get store credit. Surprisingly, despite my rant above, a lot of electronic equipment in perfect working order can be returned for a restock fee (typically 5 - 10% of the cost). While that's still $50 at a price point over $1,000, it's also a negotiable point to swap out an expensive purchase, like an HD LCD TV.

Be nice. At least, be humane. Going in angry and demanding returns is a sure-fire way for it not to happen. Stores do not have to service petulant customers - most stores have a clause that allows them to refuse any business they wish. They just don't use it in order to provide customer service. There's another side to anger, too. All the customers behind the angry person are going to think you're lame and get angry because of the problems being caused. Anger not only leads to the Dark side, it also holds up the line.

Stores will provide a gift receipt this year if asked. A lot of times they will ask you if one is wanted at the time of the purchase. Gift receipts are store-credit or replacement only. Make sure you get the original receipt if you want money back.

Gift Cards are 99% of the time non-refundable. Keep that in mind when you buy them.

Finally, store are instructed to be lenient with returns after Christmas. As horrible as it is to go shopping during that time, it is the best time to return things. You've heard the joke about Boxing Day, right? It's the day after Christmas, when you box up all the gifts and return them to the store.

For retailers: Be understanding and patient. Sometimes, they just got a bad gift. Sometimes, it really was broken before it came out of the box (and you should know how to check for that). If they suggest store credit or a replacement, it typically is a legitimate transaction.

Don't be intimidated by angry customers. If the item cannot be returned, politely state why and that you cannot accept it. Refer them to a manager if you are not one, and take care of the next person in line. If you are the manager, think about either customer service or shrink, and decide which one is more important to you. It should be customer service, but I know that there are times when people who are problematic returners need to be stopped.

That's all for this week. E-mail me with ideas, or tell me I'm being too harsh on returns. Just bear in mind next week is all about surviving Black Friday.

Good luck - we'll all need it that day.


* - Thanks again, Phil!