eBay Testing ‘eBay Bucks’ Rewards Program
April 2, 2009 by tcgames · Leave a Comment
Shopping on eBay just got a bit more rewarding, at least for some users of the online auctioneer’s site.
On Wednesday, eBay Inc. launched a "beta" test version of eBay Bucks, a program that lets participants earn a 2 percent reward on certain items they buy through the site and pay for using eBay’s online payment service, PayPal. Rewards come quarterly as gift certificates, which can be used to buy other items through eBay within 30 days.
Unlike many other "beta" tests, this one is open by invitation only; eBay is randomly selecting buyers to enroll. Kurt Apen, head of eBay’s loyalty marketing team, said the company will likely expand the program to everyone over the next several months.
The arrival of eBay Bucks marks the company’s latest customer-retention move — something the company is focusing on as it works to improve its online marketplace, at a time when consumers also have cut back on spending because of the dismal economy.
Other efforts eBay has undertaken include distributing coupons to users and offering discounts on referrals from Microsoft Corp.’s Live Search site.
Program participants will be able to earn up to $200 in eBay Bucks per item purchased on eBay and up to $500 per quarter. Because the reward rate is 2 percent, a $100 cell phone would earn $2 eBay Bucks, translating to $2 in gift certificates at the end of the quarter.
Apen said eBay Bucks users will be able to collect rewards on most types of items sold on the site, but real estate and many items sold through eBay Motors will be ineligible.
EBay, based in San Jose, Calif., initially tested eBay Bucks as a smaller pilot program last year. Changes since then include making it easier for users to redeem their rewards and allowing them to spread them out over various transactions….
Steam Update Adds In-game Web Browsing
Valve today released an update to Steam that includes the final version of the in-game web browser from December’s beta patch.
A "Web" tab at the bottom of the in-game overlay opens up the generic browser. Highlighting, copying and pasting is supported, but right-click is apparently disabled.
The rest of the update adds random fixes to various games and Steam systems.
The full patch notes follow:
- Updated game overlay web browser to support generic web browsing, including web sites that use flash
- Fixed games list scrolling behavior with pageup/pagedown and mouse wheel
- Fixed GTA4 backups not restoring correctly
- Fixed several cases where matchmaking …
Source: ShackNews.com
Nvidia Debuts GeForce 3D Vision Glasses
January 9, 2009 by tcgames · Leave a Comment
Nvidia today released a new line of wireless shutter 3D glasses–another revival of a technology long perceived as a gimmick.
The real shocker? These things might be worth a look.
“The visual effect is more than simply cheap Hollywood-style 3D flash,” writes CNET in its positive preview. “In Left 4 Dead, we had the sense of a much more immersive depth of field than you get from standard 3D games on a 2D display.”
The GeForce 3D Vision glasses use battery-powered, active stereoscopic technology to create its 3D effect at 60 FPS–different from ATI’s passive iZ3D pair. …
Read the rest on these cool new toys at ShackNews.com
Microsoft expects PS3 price drop ‘in the next couple of months’
January 7, 2009 by tcgames · Leave a Comment
Now that the PS3 costs less to make, shouldn’t Sony be passing on its savings to you? That’s what Xbox 360 product manager, Aaron Greenberg, expects will happen via a price cut before summer.
Speaking to Edge Online, Greenberg said that, “We [Microsoft] absolutely expect the PS3 price drop to happen in the next couple of months,” adding, “We’re frankly surprised it’s taken this long.”
Sony isn’t surprised; it’s poised to turn a profit on the system for the first time … in the next couple of months. SCEI president Kaz Hirai very much wants this to happen — no doubt even more so given the fine mess Sony currently sees itself in — but the pleasing of stockholders just might have to take back seat to making sure PS3 stands a fighting chance with consumers.
Source: Joystiq
Earthrise MMO Now Accepting Beta Applicants
The upcoming sci-fi MMO Earthrise has just begun accepting applicants for beta testing, according to a news blurb on the game’s official site.
Though it may not have the cachet of Champions Online, Earthrise is one of my most anticipated upcoming online games simply by virtue of its gorgeous art style. Everything I’ve seen so far perfectly balances dystopian and futuristic in a really appealing way.
I’m withholding any firm support for the game until I actually play it, but as the beta is free I will certainly urge any of you with an inkling of MMO affection to sign up. The worst you’ll lose is a few minutes of your time, and you might find yourself engrossed in the next big online world.
Beta Sign Up[Earthrise]
Source: GameLife
