As many of you may have seen today there are numerous reports about Walmart launching the G1 from T-Mobile in select markets on October 29th.  As sometimes happens in retail...bumps occur.  Due to the tremendous preorder demand for the product our rolling launch of this product will be delayed slightly.  Instead of today, October 29^th, as we originally thought… it is looking more like Tuesday, November 4^th.  With this launch is our belief that we will be able to fulfill demand with fewer gaps with the belated launch. 

Although we have to push through a delay, I am overly excited to be able to offer this phone…and offer it with a value to our customers.  I had the opportunity to have a hands-on review with the G1 and it is a pretty neat device.  If you have a Google account and use their services already the experience is even better.  I am enthralled to deliver this great device on a great T-Mobile service.

Stay tuned for more details tonight or tomorrow on store tracking and other details as we continue to work diligently to deliver this product to our customers.

By now you have probably heard of Fallout 3 for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

The game is getting rave reviews from just about every reviewer. Dear readers, you also heard about this game earlier in the year when we brought you some images from E3. Yes, that was your author standing next to the huge Brotherhood of Steel Statue in Bethesda's area. Very impressive.

We got to play the game for about a half of an hour and were properly enthused. Some friends of mine who picked up the game yesterday and started playing it tell me that they cannot put it down. No surprises there. This highly anticipated game from Bethesda was on my personal short list. I purchased the PS3 collector's edition from my local club last night. 360 Owners, we are not left out. There is a collector's edition for the Xbox 360 as well. The bobblehead put me over the top. Neat idea!

So, now you are probably wondering what we have to tell you today. Here it is. After all of the really cool exclusives you have seen here at Checkoutblog recently, AC/DC, Dragon Controller and the 360 Bundle, we promised you more. Well, here is one more. That massive Brotherhood of Steel statue, all 7' 10" and 120 lbs of it, is up for auction on our website! 

That is right. Just like the Metal Gear Solid 4 Solid Snake Statue we did earlier this year, we are at it again. This is one BIG statue.

So, if having something really cool and unique is on your list of things to do, you may be interested in this item. We only have ONE for sale. As we understand it, Sam's Club will be the only retailer in the US offering one on auction. We worked really hard with the folks at Bethesda to pull this off. We are so very pleased to be able to offer it to our Members.

Fallout 3 released yesterday across the US. It is at a Sam's Club near you as I write this. As the Fallout 3 website describes it: Fallout 3 - America's First Choice in Post Nuclear Simulation. This game has been rated "M" for Mature audiences.

Who is looking for something really unique this holiday? Does this make the cut as something incredibly unique and special for the gamer in your life or for you?

Walmart & Sams' Club will be the exclusive home for the limited edition "dragon" designed controller. The new Xbox360 wireless controller will be bundled with a black headset. Retailing for under $60 this unique design will introduce a little edge into the XBOX360 family of products. The bundle saves you $10 and is the only direct way to get a black headset--unless you spend $399 on an Elite Xbox360 hardware system. The monochromatic design is the first exclusive that Microsoft has created for Walmart but maybe not the last (we are waiting for Santa Gates to see if we were naughty or nice). The new controller earns additional style points by incorporating a blend of colors on the thumb pads (apologies to the core--we couldn't fix the d-pad this holiday). The image you see provides a little teaser of the design, to see the rest you will need to make your way to Walmart this holiday season.

If you are looking to find other retailers that offer something similar you will be disappointed as this item will only be found in Walmart and SAM's Clubs (also available on Walmart.com and Samsclub.com).

What a great time to be a gamer! There is so much launching this month and the next, it really becomes a question of how to best spend our time and money. So many choices and they all look great. May need to take a little vacation to get through all of this.

That said, I would like to add to this excitement by throwing in a little something that we have been working on. We have LOTS more coming, and we have been busy putting together deals with our valued suppliers to ensure that the holiday season starts off and finishes right for you, our Members. You have not seen a lot of blogs from the Sam's Gaming team recently as we have been busy ensuring we have done all of the proper work to make it seamless for our Members. We know you want your holiday to be special, and we want to be the place you choose to satisfy your needs.

Without any additional delay, Sam's Club will be the only physical retailer in the nation with this special bundle that is sure to create new gamers out there.

So what is all here and why am I blogging about this? Well, it is a special bundle we were able to put to gether with the good folks at Microsoft. It contains an Xbox 360 PRO, Lego Indiana Jones, Kung Fu Panda and Guitar Hero III INCLUDING the guitar! We are going to have this across the nation and on our website by Mid November. This bundle, suitable for new or existing gamers sell at Sam's Club for $349.00. That is not a typo, Three Hundred Forty Nine Dollars. As you know, the Pro alone typically retails for $299 at most other retailers. Do the math, this is pretty slick.

It really pays to have a Membership at Sam's Club. There is so much more coming in gaming very soon. We have lots to fill you in on. So, stay tuned.

What are you looking for this holiday? 

How does this value stack up for a new gamer?