As somebody currently duking it out with two separate companies concerning replacing items under warranty (one Westinghouse HDTV and one Gateway Business Class Laptop) I know how frustrating it can be to get your stuff fixed or replaced.

Sometimes the warranty folks make you wait a month or more before agreeing to replace things  (my current case) and other times they flat out refuse (as was the case with this dusty PLAYSTATION 3.

Patience netted me a replacement laptop thanks from Gateway.  Their taking their sweet ass time to send it right now but at least they agreed to give me a new laptop.

Best Buy I'm still tussling with over the Westinghouse - they want me to wait for a month to get a replacement part.

As for the Dusty PS3?  Turns out the owner had it on a Visa card that offered an extended warranty for electronics.  Check out the whole story at The Consumerist and learn a lesson.

Yeah - extended warranties can be pricey but if you've got a Visa or other Credit Card that adds a warranty to your purchases you might be in luck.

I'm already hunting for a similar card to start using for my own big ticket purchases!

It's safe to say that Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is THE most anticipated PLAYSTATION 3 game for 2008. In fact it may also be at the top of our wishlist for games to make the XBox360 jump too!

Problem is we know relatively little about when the game will actually be released. Currently Konami and Kojima Productions have only hinted at a Q2 release and that's a pretty big window.

A more specific date might actually be hinted at, though, thanks to some listings on both Amazon and GameStop which share a June release date with about a week's discrepancy. Of course June is the last month of Q2 so it might just be a placeholder in both cases but who knows. While we're excited to see Snake back in action we're still more interested in an Xbox release - but that's just us.

As part of their Holiday Deal of the Day promotion Amazon has got Time Crisis 4 for the PS3 available at a major discount. For $49 you get the game AND the GunCon 3 controller - that's 44% off.

While Time Crisis 4 only scored a 61% according to Meta Critic it did get a decent range of scores from between 88 - 35 which implies that some hardcore Time Crisis fans probably won't be too disappointed.

If you're at all interested in the deal sure to act quickly because this is another one that only lasts today!

If you're thinking about buying a PLAYSTATION 3 I recommend giving it a few days.

Right now the internet is abuzz with rumors, started by GamePro France that a major announcement is set to come from Sony On October 11th. While we know relatively little about what the announcement actually will be word is that Sony is referring to it internally as the "Big Bang."

With the holiday season fast approaching you can bet that this "Big Bang" has something to do with moving units. Could it be a price cut?

Interestingly enough ars technica is reporting that a $399 PS3 is in the works.

In the meantime, you can see what Sony has done: the company has focused on reducing the cost of building the PS3 while also closely watching how sales of lower-priced units are doing. The time is ripe for a new PS3 model to hit the scene, and we strongly believe that the company is about to launch a $399 PS3 in time for the holiday season.

Are the rumors related?

If you're considering buying a PS3 I highly recommend waiting til the 12th just in case - no need to spend more money than you have to.

If you were at all worried about the recent confusion surrounding the Rock Band release rest assured that a firm street date has now been set. This November 23rd Rock Band will be shipping for the PS3 and XBox360 consoles with a PS2 version following December 10th.

The MTV Multiplayer blog is also reporting that the next-gen versions have been set to retail for $169.99 while the PS2 version will be $159.99. If you've missed previous announcements both PlayStation versions will sport a wireless guitar while the 360 version will be tethered (a separate wireless guitar is rumored to be in the works for future release.)

FYI: November 23rd is the day after Thanksgiving and is also known as "Black Friday." If you're dying to get your hands on Rock Band be ready to brave one of the busiest shopping days in the US.