Adam Creighton, Computer and Video Gaming: Christmas 2006 shopping for gamers

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Adam Creighton, Computer and Video Gaming (Subscribe)

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Christmas 2006 shopping for gamers

OK, I'm getting this out late, but with Christmas falling on next Monday, you've still got this week and weekend to make the little gamer in your life happy. A lot of the things on this list are things I have or would want (*cough*).

And, yes, this is Christmas list. It's a holiday in this country. Deal with it.

CONSOLES:

PlayStation 3 ($500-$600) -- Good luck finding one, but Sony's behemoth has got hardware moxy -- and built in Blu-ray, if you want to spend $500-600 to get a game console and a Blu-ray player, rather than $1,000 for just a Blu-ray player. Realize, though, the PS3 Blue-ray is not going to be the same caliber of player as the $1,000 unit. And, there's a dearth of PS3 games (especially non-sucky ones), and all them are pretty much $60 a pop. But, you can play many PS2 titles on your PS3. I'd recommend the $600 SKU (what's an extra $100 at Christmas?).

Nintendo Wii ($250) -- Almost as hard to get as the PS3, but a bit better. Plus, it's got Nintendo innovation (in the form of the wireless "nunchuck" controller), a decent bevy of launch games, and a great back catalog (of Nintendo, Hudson, and Sega titles), largely via its Virtual Console ("VC") implementation. Also plays GameCube games. Check out my first impressions of the Wii here.

Xbox 360 ($300-$400) -- Here's a now-gen console you can actually buy (imagine!), and Microsoft has a great catalog of games, over 300 playable orginal Xbox titles, a proven, robust online service, and recently added movie and television purchase and downloads -- many in hi-def. Plus, you can get online even with the free version of the service, and download around 40 playable game demos, to whet your gaming whistle. Oh, and get the $400 "Pro" or "Premium" SKU -- don't waste your time with the $300 version Microsoft won't acknowledge was a bad idea.

Previous-Gen Consoles ($79-$149) -- You can save yourself a chunk of change on consoles and games by going with a last-gen system (Sony PS2, Nintendo GameCube, or Microsoft Xbox). Not only are the consoles cheaper, but most of the games run from $10 on up new (as opposed to $60 for now-gen titles), and there's a huge selection of cheap titles on the used market (GameStop/EB Games) as well. Check out used/refurbished consoles and used games from that chain for the biggest bang for the buck, and guaranteed product.

GAMES:

It's not the console or the brand that defines a winner, per se -- it's the content (which, I hear, is king). I'm going to focus on the Xbox titles, because I know those best.

Fighting ($10-$60) -- For the Xbox 360, go with Dead or Alive 4 -- especially if you're a Halo fan (unlocking a playable Xbox 360 Spartan is pretty wicked cool). But you can also get Soul Caliber II, a gorgeous original Xbox fighter, with Spawn as the Xbox-exclusive character. And, Soul Caliber II is now playable on the Xbox 360, too.

Shooter ($30-$70) -- Halo and Halo 2 are playable both on Xbox and the 360. I don't think you're allowed to own either Xbox without owning both games. Gears of War is the new Xbox 360 hotness, and is so incredibly well worth it it's not even funny. No, it's not perfection on a disc, but it's damn close. Both Halos and Gears have great online components. Also, BLACK is a loud, destructive, single-player guilty pleasure.

RPG ($20-$60) -- This is a diverse field. Keeping it simple, I recommend Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion for the Xbox 360 and Fable for Xbox (and playable on the 360) for the single player experience, and Dungeons and Dragons: Heroes on the original Xbox (one of the most fun, gorgeous and under-rated games on the big black 'box; with better water than Gears of War).

Actioner -- This is kind of vague, overlapish category, but my recommendations are Hunter:The Reckoning (original Xbox), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (playable on both), Ninja Gaiden/Black (playable on both), Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel without a Pulse (both), Max Payne/2 (both), and Chromehounds (360).

Comic Book -- Good stuff for comic fanboys here. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance has Xbox and 360 versions, and is arguably the best comic book game out there, with single player and online/offline multiplayer. X-Men Legends and X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse on the original Xbox are fantastic, and Ultimate Spider-Man (an Xbox game now playable on the 360) and The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (ditto), are under-rated, fun romps. And there's some cool stuff on this front coming out in 2007 ...

Platformer -- Just original Xbox games, but both are playable on the Xbox 360: Psychonauts and Metal Arms: Glitch in the System. And Maybe Kameo: Elements of Power (Xbox 360). But I would play those first two, first.

Racing -- Project Gotham 3 (360), Project Gotham 2 (Xbox), or Forza Motorsport (Xbox, but playable on 360).

Sports -- Um, go outside and play them for real. But if you must play on a console, I'd recommend Fight Night: Round 3 on the Xbox 360 or PS3, or the Wii Sports title packaged with the Nintenod Wii (at least you're getting a workout with that one).

TELEVISIONS:

Honestly, I don't think I'd buy a TV right now. If this article is any indication, Hi-Def TVs are going to drop 40% in price in 2007 (and sooner than later). The article doesn't go into detail, but big reasons for the drops include Wal-Mart-instigated price wars (where they dropped ~$500 per HDTV), new technologies competing with LCD and Plasma, innovations in DLP technology, the availability of 1080p droping 720p- and 1080i-"only" displays, and the general availability of cheap consumer projectors.

PROJECTORS:

($200-$10,000) --Speaking of projectors, if you've got the space, projectors have become really affordable. Gaming at 107" in Gears of War or Dead Rising (at 1080i) is a sight to behold. You can get deals on SVGA projectors sometimes for as low as $400 (Fry's, Best Buy, Circuit City and CompUSA). I recommend at least an SVGA (800x600), that scales to more, and at least supports 720p, if not 1080i (I don't think 1080p on a projector is cost efficient yet). I'd also recommend at least 1000 lumesn for light output, a contrast ration of 2000:1 (on DLP proejctors), and flexibility to do standard (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) projection. ProjectorCentral.com does a far better job of comparing technologies and projectors than I can do here, so check that out.

An interesting option is Hasbro's Zoombox, an ultra-low end DVD/projector combo, that you can get on sale for under $200. It works OK at night or super controlled low-light rooms. Given the price, easy 8-foot throw for a 60" image, built-in speakers, RCA video/audio ports, and a DVD player, it's not a bad option. Given Wal-Mart's generous return policies, I'm demoing a unit now to see if it's usable or not. More later.

AUDIO:

Surround sound systems -- Seriously, if you're gaming without one, your missing out. Dead Rising has one of the best (and often missed) surround sound mixes out there, and if you're playing Halo without surround sound, you're missing out.

Like projectors, do your research, because there are a lot of options. I'm a fan of the Spherex Xbox 5.1 Surround Sound System (the one I use), because the omnipolar design is way less picky than other setups, the built-in amplifier rocks, the subwoofer thumbs decently and is robust enough to double as a second seat, and it has a ton of input and tuning options for its price. And you should hear BLACK on this thing ...

Headphones -- The set I wish I had is the Tritton Audio Xtreme 360 Headphones. These give you true 5.1 surround sound, and built-in Xbox Live microphone capability. These things list for $130, so I'm bummed I didn't take advantage of the accidental Fry's one-day sale of $70. Live and learn.

FURNITURE:

OK, I don't have these, but stuff from Pyramat is pretty nifty, and I'd like a couple. They've now got two wireless offerings -- the S2500w ($149.99) and the PM440w ($199.99). But get this: You can get these two items at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club (respectively) for the same price -- $130. Obviously, the PM440w is a better deal, but I sat in both, and the PM440w is markedly more comfy. Plus you can daisy chain up to 4 of these things. And they fold in half to make a nice ottoman. Which I also need. "Need".

GEAR/ACCESSORIES:

Wireless goodies ($40-$150) -- The Xbox 360 makes for a wireless world. At the least, you should have wireless controllers, but there's a bunch of other stuff you should get. Like the wireless Xbox Live headset ($50) (though beware, they're having issues with up to half the product. I haven't had any problems, and the thing is suh-weet). The wireless network adapter ($100) -- cut that Cat-5/6. Or the new, wireless, force feedback enabled racing wheel ($150) (with a specially enabled copy of PGR3).

But the biggest in this category is probably the reasonably priced Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver ($19.99), which lets you use your wireless controllers, headsets, and racing wheel -- on your PC. Snazzy, thought these things are hard to find.

Xbox Live Vision Camera ($40) -- Yeah, now you can video chat over live. Better? Take pict of your face and get it mapped to your guy in Rainbow Six: Vegas. And hopefully more inovation is coming. And I don't have this. Yet.

Xbox 360 HD DVD Player ($200) -- The Format Wars (HD DVD versus Blu-ray) are far from over, but Microsoft is backing HD DVD, and in smart way -- with an add-on for the Xbox 360. Thanks to a dashboard update, it supports 1080p, comes with an HD DVD version of Peter Jackson's King Kong, and a full media remote. I really want this. And if Blu-ray wins out later, you won't have to throw away your 360.

Quick Charge Kit ($30) -- This has become my favorite accessory. Keep charged batteries on hand at all times, and don't worry about flaky alkalines, rechargables, or that rediculously tempermental Play & Charge Kit. I have one, but could use another; I have 4 controllers.

Logitech Harmony Advanced Universal Remote for Xbox 360 ($130) -- This is number one on my "I-don't-have-it" accessory list. I have 6 separate remotes for my gaming setup. This programmable from the Web jobby works with all 6 of my components -- including my projector. Somebody buy this for me. Oh, and it's $130 with a $30 mail-in rebate, but you can find it at Circuit City and other places discounted to $100, because that stock has an expire coupon on it.

That's it for now. I'll add items if I think about them, but this'll give you a bunch to start on for the gaming addict in your circle or giftage.

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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)

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Christmas 2006 shopping for gamers

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