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Welcome to The 4th Annual Cheapy Awards, the only awards that recognize the best (and worst) in video game retail, voted on by the Cheap Ass Gamers, the most knowledgeable video game shoppers in the world! The CAGs voted in 10 different retail related categories and 3 CAG community categories. Congratulations to dmes65, GF_Eric, flybrione, SDMeslow, who have each won $100 for participating in the Cheapy Awards voting. Read on for the results!

Note: Pay no attention to the italicized words in the graphics below.

Best Online Game Retailer: Amazon.com

Best Online Customer Service: Amazon.com

Best Retailer Website Design: Amazon.com

The EBgames.com dynasty is officially over. After wearing the crown for the last 3 years, their acquisition by GameStop was just too much to overcome. After the acquisition was complete, EBgames.com was reduced to being merely a mirror of GameStop.com. Luckily for the CAGs, Amazon was able to take over where EB left off, offering lots of great deals, an easy to navigate website, and great customer service. There were many concerns when Amazon and Toys R Us (their primary seller of video games) parted ways, but clearly Amazon did not disappoint. Amazon started selling video games directly and the deals continued to blossom. Congratulations to Amazon on your three prestigous Cheapy Awards!


Best Brick & Mortar Game Retailer: Best Buy

Despite many people's dislike of Best Buy, the strength of their Gamer Gift Card coupon is probably the reason they were able to pick up the Cheapy for Best Brick & Mortar Retailer. It was a fairly close race, but $5 off any $19.99+ video game (or accessory) is tough to beat.


Best Independent Online Game Retailer: Play-Asia.com

The biggest landslide in this year's Cheapy Awards is Play-Asia's 71% victory for Best Independent Online Game Retailer. Considering their weekly deals, seasonal sales/contests, cheap region free Xbox 360 games, CAG friendly coupons, and great web design, their runaway victory shouldn't be much of a suprise. Play-Asia also was the runner-up for Best Online Game Retailer and Best Retailers Website Design, losing out to Amazon both times. Congratulations to Play-Asia for a great year!


Online Deal/Sale of the Year: Google Checkout Discounts

It's always satisfying to take a good deal and make it great, and that is exactly how the CAGs were able to make use of Google Checkout's $10 off $30 promotions. Many deals from multiple retailers (especially Buy.com), were born from this promotion.


Brick & Mortar Deal/Sale of the Year: Circuit City $8.97 Summer Sale

The list was long and the games were cheap. Many CAGs were able to eliminate the usual Summer game drought by picking up lots of games on the cheap during this sale.


Biggest CAG Shopping News: Death of EBgames.com

Worst Online Game Retailer: EB Games.com / GameStop.com

Worst B&M Game Retailer: EB Games / GameStop

2006 was a year of big changes in the world of video game shopping, but, as the above voting indicates, GameStop's acquisition of EB Games, and the subsequent death of EBgames.com was the Biggest CAG Shopping News that affected CAGs the most. EBgames.com is still alive, but it now merely acts as a mirror for GameStop.com. All the great deals, inlcuding the daily morning update of used game inventory, now seem to be a thing of the past. After winning Best Online Game Retailer for 3 years in a row, it is very sad to see EBgames.com in such a sorry state. Apparently, the CAGs don't hold their Brick & Mortar stores in such high regard either. Better luck next year, EB Games / GameStop!


CAG Hero of the Year: speedy1961

Congratulations to speedy1961, aka, the bringer of the Weekly Ads! We know you didn't do it for the glory of the Cheapy Award, but for the benefit of CAGs everywhere. An honorable mention goes to runner-up marten, who donated lots of prizes to our Child's Play Charity Raffle.


Most Memorable CAG Villain: JuanDDixon

JimmieMac is starting to become the Susan Lucci of the Most Memorabile CAG Villian award as he loses his 3rd consecutive nomination. It's just hard to compete with scum like JuanDDixon, who rip off CAGs and other video game traders all across the Internet.


Best CAG Forum Thread (non-deal): The Official "PS3 Ebay Scalpers Wall of Shame"

It's a known fact that CAGs hate hoarders and scalpers. So what better way to show their disdain than to create a thread filled with pictures of eBay PS3 scalpers and lots of comments making fun of them. Hopefully they lost money on their auctions too. Don't feel bad for them, they deserved it!

Well, thanks for joining us for The 4th Annual Cheapy Awards, the better late than never edition. Thanks to all the retailers who provided us with great deals and service in 2006. We look forward to an even better 2007.

Previous winners:
1st Annual Cheapy Awards
2nd Annual Cheapy Awards
3rd Annual Cheapy Awards

once again, well put together. Bravo to all winners (and top losers)!

let's hope for a similarly good year.

I'm still laughing about my spitefully created cat thread being a very very distant second.

It's a sad day on CAG when Best Buy wins an award for best retailer.

Other than that I agree with all the other choices. Much more satisfying than the Oscar or Grammy winners.

Sweet, everything I voted for. And only 3 months late!

this will be the start of gamestops fall....

seriously them... there is rarely any reason to pick up new releases there.. and there sales usually suck ass..

atleast bb and cc have decent sales

Thanks chaepy d. I am as giddy as a school girl.

thats crazy, i just read it 2 secs before you put this on the main page.

sorta disappointed with the results

Best Buy??? WTF?

The bad news about the 'PS3-eBay' thread winning is that it reminds me that the next one is probably a good five years away, if ever again. It's a lot easier to fork over the ransom to your tormentor when you can't see them, it would appear.

the italicized ones are the ones cheapy picked, right?

best buy best retailer? if theyre the best then nobody is good.

I voted for BB, so sue me.

The fact of the matter is, they don't screw things up in store, and more often than not I've been able to sweet talk them without much of a hassle. Plus, other than games, they're great in-store deals on DVDs and stuff especially at release. Also, their locations are extremely convenient to me, and the free Rewards Zone is better than any of the other places.

Congrats to Speedy, he deserved it.

Finally, I agree 100% with the Amazon is Best and EB/GS sucks that these polls dragged out. Amazon is just a superb site, and other than the prices that are mistakes and then they end up charging you for, I ALWAYS feel confident ordering from them that there won't be a problem. Bravo to Amazon for setting the standard. Also, why is it sites like Bestbuy.com don't allow you to combine or even change or cancel orders online? It's ridiculous. Everyone should take a cue from Amazon on how to run a business website.

That's all for me.

Originally Posted by xmrblondex the italicized ones are the ones cheapy picked, right?

Yeah, but keep in mind that some of them I just voted as a test to make sure permissions were working properly...pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

I liked the podcast presentation last year. Still the awards are pretty good across the board.

Originally Posted by MaskedPlague I liked the podcast presentation last year. Still the awards are pretty good across the board.

For this year, I figured I would write up the awards, and then we can talk about them on the CAGcast too, but not dedicate an entire show to them.

Funny -- I don't see anyone from EBgames here to make an acceptance speech this time around. I hope those bastards sit up and take notice, but I know they won't. There is only one thing they are tunnel-visioned in on, and that's profit margins on used game sales.

Well done!! I agree with every outcome. Even BB as the best, since they do make it easier for me to get the best prices all the time.

So sad that ebgames managed to go from the most popular site to most hated in such a short period of time. Amazon is a good site....but I dont think it or anyone else will ever manage to compete with ebgames old 26% off plus free S&H.

I just wanted to say thanks to CheapyD for selecting me as one of the winners for participating in the Cheapy Awards voting. I really appreciate it and love being part of this community!

Thanks again.

the cheapy awards the only award show in.................