Adam Creighton, Computer and Video Gaming: AAAHH! You haven't bought anything for your gaming loved one!

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Adam Creighton, Computer and Video Gaming (Subscribe)

Saturday, December 23, 2006

AAAHH! You haven't bought anything for your gaming loved one!

Relax. I'm here to help.

First, read this post. Then, remember Sunday is a pretty full shopping day for most places.

Now, there are couple of items outside of this list for you to consider.

GIFT CARDS/CERTIFICATES:

Seriously. Best Buy. Circuit City. GameStop/EBGames. All of them have gift cards. They fit in stockings. It's not as nice as something physical, but you did wait until the last minute, yo?

MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS:

You can go with a platform-specific rag, like the Official Xbox Magazine (great periodical with a disc, and a subscription makes the price reasonable, rather than the $10 shelf price).

You can also go with something like Game Informer, a multiplatform (including PC) magazine. Best bet is to get a GameStop/EBGames card for something like $15, which gives you a year subscription cheaper than you can get it through the magazine, a card that gives you discounts on used games and higher trade-in on games, and access to the "Unlimited" section of Game Informer Online, with exclusive screenshots, videos, articles and interviews not in the magazine, and only available to Unlimited members. Not bad.

VIRTUAL CURRENCY:

For the Xbox 360, you can buy Microsoft Points, either from your loved one's Xbox dashboard, or from brick-and-mortars like Best Buy. The game freak in your life can use the points to buy full Xbox Live Arcade titles, picture packs, customization themes, and now even TV shows and full-length movies through Xbox Live.

You can do the same for the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console, and they're claiming 32 games before the end of December -- including seminal classics like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario 64, Mario Bros., Golden Axe, and Donkey Kong/Jr.

If you go the Wii route, just make sure you also buy them a Wii Classic Controller, too. In theory there is a Classic Controller package that also gives you a ton of Wii points, but I haven't seen that, yet.

In theory, the Sony PlayStation 3 has something for the PlayStation Network, but their site sucks, shows two games that may or may not be available, no details on how you pay, and PS3 owners are busy mugging each other in alleys for the hardware to care about virtual currency.

OK, that's good for now. I had a list of other stuff, but between this and the last post, you're good.

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SOURCES: Gamespot.com, joystiq.com, kotaku.com, Xbox.com, IGN, GameInformer, Official XBox Magazine, CNN, gamesindustry.biz, and others.

Adam Creighton, Computer and Video Gaming (Subscribe)

Saturday, December 23, 2006

AAAHH! You haven't bought anything for your gaming loved one!

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