Black Friday - Gamer Boon or Bust?

---

I ask you dear reader, what could make the local paper grow 2 inches in thickness on a Thursday?


We're talking about Black Friday.

From Freddies to Frys, Kohl to Kmart, Target to Toys R Us, Amazon to Walmart, everyone is trying to separate you dear gamer from your hard earned cash. Even grocery stores are getting into the Black Friday madness. Some stores (Best Buy/Frys) open up at 5 am while others (Toys R Us) start at midnight and still others (The Shack) start at 10 am Thanksgiving day. And why not? The economy is down, and retailers are hurting.

Attack of the Advertisements

---

Here's the ads from my local paper. Click on the images to zoom in, they're big.

Best Buy



Fred Meyer


Fry's Electronics


Game Crazy



Game Stop




K-Mart


The Shack


Target

---

Not to mention the online sites with Black Friday Deals, such as Amazon or New Egg.

Sure, there's some deals in there. Who wouldn't want to save $10 on a SATA laptop hard drive. And some games are discounted (though one might note everyone has new releases like Uncharted 2 at $59.99).

But I ask, as you forget your turkey and ready your battle plans, is it worth it? Long lines, few real deals and lots of frustration. Might it be better to remember, Thanksgiving is a time to spend with your family, not shopping for them. Yes, everyone likes to get a good deal and yes, some may rationalize the time spent shopping as doing stuff for their family. That said, if you can, stay in bed, enjoy your Friday.

For those who just can't, well I guess I'll see you at Fry's @ 5 am.