That time of year has rolled around once again where shopping for the holidays is going to be the thing everyone thinks about. Last year GDN made a holiday gift guide which proved extremely popular, so of course we’re doing it again. This year though, we’ve decided to extend our offering.
The Staff guide will include gaming items and staff recommendations that are under the $100 mark.
The Game Guide will feature all the hottest games of the year, plus the highest rated games that were reviewed this year at GDN.
The Non-gaming Guide will feature items that aren’t exactly gaming-related but that would appeal to a wide range of gamers and fall into common interests or just downright cool gear.
The Dream guide will include the fantastic, the outrageous and the downright expensive. Mostly just for fun since few of us will be able to afford many of the things on that list.
We polled the GDN staff to see what they thought should be included in the gift guides or what might be on their own gift-giving or wish lists.
Jim Cook Lead US Xbox 360, Wii and DS Reviewer
took on a different approach to the gift giving with his suggestions:
Pre-Paid Cards or Point Codes (Wii/DS, Xbox 360, PS3)
If the game system has an internet connection, then chances are it can access a huge library of things to download. Ranging from re-releases of classics to the latest games developed for this format, or even add-on packs for favorite titles, there is a lot of fun to be had. Point cards or codes are a great way to acknowledge someone’s interest in these things, while still letting them pick out exactly what they want. The cards/points even come in a variety of denominations and even the smallest of them can buy at least one game, so you can give as much as you want. There are even cards that allow gamers to buy in-game items, extend their playing time and more in MMO (massive multiplayer online) games with some examples being World of Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online, Aion, City of Heroes and Warhammer online.
FightPad Controllers (Xbox 360, PS3, some PC functionality)
This gift requires a special kind of recipient, someone who enjoys old-style games that don’t need an analog stick but rather a good d-pad and feels the one on their system’s first-party controller isn’t quite right. But if you know someone like that, these ’FightPads’ are a pretty good design based on the classic Sega Saturn controller, and they work great with games like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, Mega Man 10, etc. They come in a variety of character art designs, but all of them work and cost about the same; expect to find them new in box for about $25 to $40. Some users even report they have been able to make these work on the PC with just a little tinkering on the software side of things, making a nice bonus for the right kind of player.
Red Dead Redemption (Xbox 360, PS3)
This game has been described as "Grand Theft Auto in the Wild West" but that’s both not a bad thing and somewhat understates the scope of Red Dead Redemption. Taking place in a large, incredibly detailed ’old west’ world, RDR lets you explore the range, get into bar fights, shoot it out with outlaws, play poker, and more. The single-player content alone could keep you busy for quite some time, but a variety of online modes can make it even more enjoyable. If you know someone who hasn’t played it yet and typically enjoys ’structured sandbox’ play along these lines, Red Dead Redemption would be a solid choice. Expansions and special editions have joined the available options for this game as well, so if you know the gamer you’re shopping for already has the standard game, you might still find something they’ll like.
John Tanguay US Contributor
John gave us the following two suggestions:
Halo R/C Warthog
An RC replica of a Halo Warthog complete with the master chief. If you don’t know HALO, it is one of the best-selling video game series of all time. It has spanned two generations of console (Xbox and Xbox 360) and continues to satisfy fans with its third-person shooting war between Humans, the Covenant and the Flood. If there’s an Xbox HALO fan on your shopping list, they’re sure to love something like this.
Saitek R.A.T 7 gaming Mouse
This premium gaming mounse is a must for any PC gamer in your life. Everyone that plays games on the PC needs a good mouse and the Saitek offering is about as crazy as they come. Looking more like a futuristic weapon than a computer mouse the R.A.T. 7 offers 5600 dpi (dots per inch, and that’s a lot), adujustable height, width and length, custom weights (some gamers like lighter mice, others heavy), programmable buttons (great for many PC games that have lots of keyboard commands), and three modes allowing for quick changes in button usage (very important to gamers for a variety of reasons).
2 days ago
I totally want that RC Warthog!