See, if you read the site regularly you'd probably know I only write posts on the hour and that since I'm in Australia, I don't usually wake up and starting writing "live" until 1 p.m. Denver time, or so.

For those of you finalists who figured it out, good for you. Now the first person to answer the question found on the jump in the comments for this post will win the $500 gift certificate.

Question: What items from the 2007 Gift Guide of Obscene Nicety and Sublime Naughtyness would you spend your $500 if you won. Remember it has to be on our gift guide and equal $500. It also doesn't have to be just one item.

I'm sure by now most everyone has heard of the one laptop, one child program. Back in 2002 an MIT professor traveling in Cambodia was struck with the idea of getting affordable, durable, low-energy laptops into the hands of every child in the world. To do this he helped found One Laptop per Child, which worked to create a cheap laptop which met those needs.

The XO is that laptop. The XO is hard drive free, has a very low power consuming screen and super powerful Wi-Fi antennas, but the neatest this is the XO's design, which features a "transformer hinge", allows it to function as an educational laptop, and e-reader and even a gaming device. The laptop features what appear to be a D-pad and perhaps a thumbstick of some sort built into the front of the case on either side of the screen, according to the site.

The XO laptop features two sets of four-direction cursor-control keys, built into the display frame. These keys act as game controllers that can be used when the screen is up, or when it's folded down into e-book mode, creating a self-contained game player.

The laptop runs Linux and has some unique interface designs which I'm sure will quickly lead to some game coming out for it. From now until the end of the year the One Laptop, One Child organization is running a special promotion. For $400 you can donate one laptop to a child in a developing nation and receive one XO for your own child. (Turns out the laptops run about $200 a pop to make.)

Seems like a very neat idea for a holiday gift.

Laptop Giving

This week's Sunday Telegraph Magazine, the Sydney Telegraph's weekend magazine, includes a Tech Guide which gives readers a chance to "Eye up this year's latest and greatest, from all singing and dancing mobile phones to the mod squad of gadgets."

Only one video game console made the cut to be included in the five-page special feature. Listed under the category "Beyond" with a laptop, digital weather station, keyboard and wireless mouse and home digital media player is the Playstation 3.

Game consoles have come a long way, and so too have the price tags. For those among us who winced when Sony released its PlayStation 3 with a $1000 price tag, the company has wiped $300 off just in time for Christmas. The new 40GB model doesn't quite match the 60GB model that was released earlier this year, but should provide enough storage and features to keep gamers happy, pumping out exceptional gaming experience at a more affordable price. And don't forget, it connects to the internet and plays music and high-definition Blu-Ray DVDs, too.

Nothing against the PS3, certainly not now that its dropped its price and is getting some amazing games for the holidays, but it does seem weird to not include the 360 and Wii, especially without any explanation.

Every year the holidays roll around and every year I promise myself, the rest of Kotaku Tower and sometimes even the readers that we're going to get off our collective asses and actually write up a gift guide. But the thing is, I hate gift guides. The hate, I think, comes from spending 12 years of my life working at newspapers where the list, the gift guide, the annual must-write-story was a thing to dread and hate. This was because as a newspaper writer you weren't allowed to buck any trends or come up with neat ideas for things like gifts, instead you had to roll out the list of things people already knew about and polish them up to make them sound new and interesting.

While I suppose you could say the same about this, our first real gift guide, I'd like to think that it holds some surprises and delights. Personally, I've already started bugging everyone I know to pool their money together and buy me Pigeon Island (Fahey's find) for my next 50 Christmases and Birthdays rolled into one.

If a $400,000 private island in the Caribbean isn't your cup of tea (and it better not be because it's MINE, ALL MINE), you're still bound to find something that tickles your fancy among this list of goodies complies by all of Kotaku's writers, be it a Japanese Gesture book or a life-sized Gundam.

Mandatory Secret Santa (Under $20)

8-bit Tie ($19.99): Nothing says "I don't care about this church ceremony" as much as a polyester, clip-on tie that's pixelated all to hell. It's the perfect way to show the gamer in your life you don't care how they dress.
Super Mario Stylus Pen ($8.59): This is the thickest DS stylus on the market. Two words: bragging rights.
Halo 3 Original Soundtrack ($12.99): Because if Bungie got one thing right with Halo, it was the music. And maybe Halo.
Animal Crossing Mugs ($10) - Coffee and Animal Crossing, what better combination?
Dot-Pin Toys ($9 - 19): For those of you like to make stuff but have better things to do with your time than start from scratch, I've always loved the dot-pin toys. There are a number of different types floating around, but vintage video games are especially suited to the low-tech peg and board sets.
FINAL FANTASY Series Plush SANTA CHOCOBO ($19.99)Nothing says holiday spirit like a Chocobo plush in a dashing Santa cap and cape. Bonus mistletoe garnish makes it irresistibly perfect for practicing your gamer's first kiss.
70 Japanese Gestures ($8.99) Learning to speak Japanese is hard. Learning Japanese gestures, not!
McFarlane Spartan Soldier Mark VI Armor (White) ($12.99) Sure, it's a pre-order, but just like with Halo 3: The Game, you must wait patiently for Halo 3: The Toy.
Altair Figure ($19.90) For those without a 360, PS3 or DS, buy this, then use it to sneak up on your Transformers before dropping quietly from the roof to slip a knife between their metal ribs.
Masters Of Doom ($7-8) Great book about the early days of id. Strange kids. Bonus appearance by American McGee.
NAMCO Sound Trading Figure ($7.49): Screw Pokemon, you gotta get all of these. Pressing a button plays a nostalgia-inducing playback of some in-game music. You can also set up the little pixel art to pretend you're playing. Pew, pew, pew!
Mass Effect: Revelation ($7.99): Not only is this probably the best video-game-themed paperback to hit stores, it also provides a much needed introduction into the world of Mass Effect.
Contact Harvest, Hellgate London Exodus ($8 to $15): Video game novels make excellent gifts as well as being an introduction to certain games for the uninitiated. There are some great reads out there this holiday season, including Mel Odom's Hellgate: London - Exodus, which I am currently reading, or Joseph Staten's new Halo novel, Contact Harvest. Note that younger gamers might need to be introduced to the concept of books.
Cake Decorating For Dummies ($13.59): Another book, I know, but you've got to do your part if you want to keep Kotaku in cake-themed posts for years to come. If you've got a friend into cooking, pick up this book from Amazon, wait a few months, and then begin seeding their minds with your idea of the perfect video game cake. It's sneaky and underhanded, but in a good way.

Relative You Don't Particularly Care For But Will Probably Bring A Gift For You ($21 to $50)

The Adventures Of Super Mario Bros. 3 & Adventures Of Sonic The Hedgehog ($46.99): Seven DVDs packed with Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog cartoons? Perfect for a post-Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games bender wind-down session.
Pac-Man Collectors' Shot Glass Set ($29.99): Now all you need is a bottle of moonshine and a drinking game with rules designed to make someone in your circle of friends go blind. Idea: someone takes a shot every time Pac-Man eats a dot. Irreparable liver damage ahoy!

I Am 8-bit Wall Decals ($40): Your friends will think you are so cool and never know that you wake up in the middle of the night having wet the bed from "another alien attack."
Final Fantasy VII Fenrir ($29): The sexy Fenrir motorcycle was once Cloud's. Now it's yours...and he has to walk.
WoW Action Figures ($49.99): FOR THE HORDE...and the Alliance too, but only grudgingly. ThinkGeek has the full set of four World of Warcraft action figures. Statistically speaking, you have to know at least a couple of people who play the game, and if you can line up a Horde player and an Alliance player, you can split the set up and let them stage battles together. Then you can blackmail them with the pictures. Everybody wins!
Comic Books (About $24): The video games of literature. I have no comic book stores that aren't a good half-hour drive away from my house by crappy Nissan standards, so I personally would love to get a year worth of comic books delivered to my door. Cartoons, movies, video games - show someone you care about where they all started.
Bomberman Exploding Bomb ($24.99) What's better than a game of hot potato? A game of hot potato with bomberman bombs.
Medicom Metal Gear Solid 20th Anniversary Snake ($29.90): Delays suck. But playing with this Snake toy is kinda like playing MGS4.
Art of Midway ($24.95): Packed with more than 160 sketches and 200 illustrations, this book is a must have for fans of Mortal Kombat, Area 51, Psi-Ops or just art.
GTA Vice City Kubrick Box Set ($35.99): Nothing says Christmas like mini-fig alcoholic porn stars, gun-toting thugs and scruples-free attorneys.
Katamari Damacy t-shirts ($24.95): I love my Katamari shirts- game related and geeky without being over the top. The comments about the shirts from cranky Katamari designer Keita Takahashi just makes shopping for them that much more fun.
The Expressive Power of Videogames ($35): Ian Bogost's book on ...serious games! I don't always agree with him, but I love reading what he has to say about the state of games as a whole.
Okami Art Book ($20-40) It's a gorgeous book full of concept and in-game art from Okami. Lots of very pretty pictures from a very pretty game.
360 Quick Charge Kit ($30) Batteries cost money, and also kill dolphins when they explode in the ocean when you throw them out. Save money, and dolphins, with one of these.

The Sweet Spot - Not too 'spensive, Not too cheap ($51 to $100)

I Am 8-Bit Art Prints (prices vary): Limited edition prints of famous Nintendo or Namco characters can liven up the study, dining room or bathroom in your home. Framing these prints may push the cost above the $100 limit, but it's the thought that counts, you cheap son of a bitch. Some good stuff is *still* available.
Six Month Gamefly Gift Ceritificate ($95.70): An "of the month" club not involving fruitcake.
Jawbone Bluetooth Headset ($99.48): For the PS3 owner who wants the best micro headset around.
Ultimate Bumblebee ($80): I am a bit of a Transformers fan. Okay, that's a bit of an understatement. I've got a room in my apartment called the Transformers closet, filled floor to cieling with them, and this Christmas I plan on adding another to my collection. The priciest Transformer ever at $80, Ultimate Bumblebee is totally worth it, with lights, sounds, music, and an animatronic system that lets the figure move. All this, and it transforms into one bitchin; Camaro to boot. Yum.
Imation Disc Stakka ($100): As a avid PC gamer for years now, I have drawers chock full of game CDs and DVDs. I can't tell you how many times I've gone hunting through boxes for disc 3 of 4 while trying to reinstall an old favorite. The Imation Disc Stakka system holds 100 discs and connects to your computer via USB cable that allows you to search and retrieve via PC or Mac database. Best of all? They're stackable, so it's a present that you can repeat. Woot!
Doki Doki Majo Shinpan Boob Pad You've read about it on Kotaku, now you too can have your very own Doki Doki Majo Boob Pad.
16 Final Fantasy Potions Cans ($72) Nothing says delicious like Final Fantasy Potion. Nothing.
Legacy X Nintendo 07 Shoes ($120):These limited-run shoes come packed with serious Nintendo heat, featuring Mario and Yoshi insoles and the ability to make you want to do some serious head-stomping.
Get Ready Outrun Shirt ($50-70): Just in case you need to remind people that no matter how many palm-tree-lined roads you're going to race down in life, there's only three radio stations you'll ever need to accompany the journey.
Edge Magazine Subscription ($75): Magazines are dead. All except this one. Great editorials, great reviews, great studio access with their preview features. Overall, 9/10.
Xenosaga Legend Episode 2 ($65): KOS-MOS - the blue haired, ass-kicking robot from the Xenosaga series - is one of my absolute game character favorites, and I have a pretty impressive figurine collection kicking about. This is a complete set of well-made and beautifully finished KOS-MOS figures.
The Video Game Explosion: A History from PONG to PlayStation and Beyond ($75): For those who are bookworms as well as gamers -The Video Game Explosion is an academic but 'readable' tome, and the first to do an serious history of games and gaming industry.
Three Port HDMI Switch ($99): It may not sound sexy, but believe me if you have one HDMI in on your television and more than one HDMI device (like a PS3 or 360 and a cable box) it's a life-saver. This one features a remote control and crystal clear signal all at a pretty low price.
Logitech G9 Laser Mouse ($99.99): With interchangeable grips, weight tuning and customizable LEDs, you're sure to have a better game using this mouse. Add to that the 3200 dpi laser engine that drives this bad boy and you will be hard-pressed to find a better gaming mouse at this price.

Person You Are Or Hope To Be Sleeping With ($100 to $500)

Human Touch Ottoman 2.0 Calf & Foot Massager ($259.95): After a day of intense schooling or an grueling talking down to from The Boss, gamers just want to come home and ignore you for hours while consumed by the hypnotic glow of the TV. Make the experience even better with a luxurious mechanical foot massage. Comes in black and "cashew."
One Laptop Per Child ($399): Empower a child in a developing nation while giving your gamer a dedicated Linux box on which to flirt with hacking. If he or she fails to get MAME or Quake to run on the ultra-budget PC, there are always a couple of built-in games to play. Do it for the kids.
Portable Atari ($350+vintage 2600): Own Ben Heck's masterpiece, a 2600 that fits in your hands.
Colorware Console($99+console): Get a industrial quality paintjob on the console of your choice. Because warranties never got anyone laid.

The Ultimate Gaming Chair ($300): Gamers always need a place to keep their ass while gaming, and if you are looking for a gaming chair, why not go for the self-styled Ultimate Gaming Chair? ( The Renegade model has got 12 vibration motors, game-activated lighting effects, 3D stereo speakers mounted in the headrest, audio inputs, USB support, a pull out storage compartment, and even a cup holder. Most importantly? Tons of gamer friendly ass storage for the low price of $299. My ass would destroy this, but I can dream.

Square Enix Final Fantasy Jewelry ($105 - $122): Nothing says I love you like fine jewelry, and nothing says I love you but I'm still the geek you fell in love with like Final Fantasy jewelry, direct form Square Enix.
Gamepark GP2X F-200 ($169) Open source, Linux running PSP alternative from Korea.
Ceramic White PSP Slim and Lite ($195) Make your Christmas a Ceramic White one.
Kotobukiya Shadow of the Colossus Statue ($100+): Either the best gaming statue you'll ever own or the world's greatest ever paperweight, the choice is yours.
Logitech Harmony 670 Universal Remote ($150): Not that exciting a choice, but it's practical. A nice compromise in Logitech's range between affordability and awesomeness, it'll free up room on your coffee table for coffee, beer steins and dead hookers.
Crimson
& Black DS Lite ($129.99): I'm behind the times and slightly ashamed of my old school, clunky DS. It would be nice to have a sleeker model to toss into my bag for those long days on campus.
Infinity
Home Theater Speaker System ($199.99): I'm not an A/V geek, so anything would be a step up from the external speakers I currently have (which would be non-existent ones). My Infinities sounded good in my car, I'm assuming they'd sound good in my house.
Sennheiser PC166USB Headphones ($150): I've got a family, which means when I game, I have to game quietly. I'm also a huge Sennheiser fan, which makes these headphones a perfect match for my late-night PC gaming sessions.
G15 Gaming Keyboard ($100): If you're going to have a top-end mouse for gaming, you should probably do the same for your keyboard. I still haven't taken the plunge on this board because I'm slightly annoyed that it's pricier than its predecessor, but I probably will break down one of these days.

Our Prices Are Insane ($500 and up)

New Discovery of Akihabara Tour ($2000): Send the gamer in your life on a pilgrimage to the mecca of otaku. The tour of Akihabara, running until January 19, 2008 and covering Akiba hotspots, is actually free. We've just factored in the international airfare and lodging that will make the trip possible.
Dream Arcades 100-inch Home Video Arcade Center ($4499): If you have over four grand to spend on gaming gifts, you have the room for a 100" display and stand up arcade gaming station. It may not have the built-in glow of the CrystalCade, but it definitely wins in the battle of the inches.
Classic 13' Skee-Ball Machine ($4775): Remember when Chuck E Cheese was Show Biz Pizza? Then you remember these bad boys.
Gateway XHD3000 Extreme HD Monitor ($1699): Proud of your 1080p console? Upscale it to 1600p with this incredible 30" monitor. Available Dec 12th.
Dream Authentics Arcade ($4,000): Back at GDC I got some hands-on time with a custom arcade cabinet from DreamAuthentics, and ever since I've been keeping a special corner of my apartment free just in case I can ever afford one. I've got my eye on the Excalibur cabinet, which is fully customizeable with tons of options, including the coveted stainless steel joystick and arcade spinner for hot Tempest action. It comes preloaded with over 200 arcade games, and with a little creativity you could even hook up your console to the beast. The price? Depending on the options the Excalibur and run you in the $4,000 range.
Your Own Island Lair ($395,000): Lord British has the whole mansion riddled with passageways and secrets, but why not take it to the next level? For less than the price of some of the homes in my neighborhood, you can own your own 7.5 acre island in Nicaragua. About $400,000 buys a tropical getaway for you to share with someone you care about, or perhaps play your very own version of The Most Dangerous Game.
CrystalCade (Email for pricing): Retro arcade gaming doesn't come cheap! Especially when it's in a glowing cabinet.
1/12 Hyper Hybrid Gundam Model ($2,764): Would it be Christmas without a Gundam as big as you? No, it wouldn't.
80GB PS3 ($500): Never been a better time. You'll have backwards-compatibility, a big HDD and by Christmas there'll actually be a couple of decent games (Rathcet & Clank, Uncharted) to play on the thing.
Atari ($??): Don't know just how much it'd cost you, but man, it can't be much.
Apple MacBook ($1099 & up): I love my last gen, pre-Intel PowerBook, but being able to run Bootcamp would be nice. Not that I need something for PC gaming, as I don't have time for the platforms I have.
A plane ticket to Taipei ($800+): Because I would kill to go hang out in my favorite game-related stores in Ximending for an evening (or several) and this time, have room in my suitcase for all the games, toys, and random crap that you can't help but acquire. Never mind the food!
Dell XPS M1730 Laptop ($2700 to $4600): Weighing in at nearly 10 pounds and sporting a backlit keyboard and case lighting effects, this high-end keyboard is really more for carting to LANs than onto a plane, but once you get it to where you are going it's sure to supply the muscle you need to pwn in any title coming out this year.
Child's Play donation (Any amount): Since 2003, Since 2003, more than two million dollars in donations of toys, games, books and cash have been given out to sick children in children's hospitals across North America and the world. How about giving in the name of a friend or relative? I know I'd love that as a present.

This year, the problem isn't finding a game to give, it's figuring out which of the more than 50 or so top-tier titles you should pick to hand out or ask for. So instead of compiling a list of the 50 games and saying, go make up your own mind, we decided to mix things up a bit. Each of the Kotaku writers were given $300 in fictitious Kotaku Kash to spend on themselves. We figured that way the writers would be completely honest about which games they would buy or ask for if they were limited to a still rather high budget.

Hit the jump to see the lists and explanations, then feel free to join in with how you'd spend a $300 gaming gift card.

Crecente
Rock Band (Game Only) ($60)
Uncharted Drake's Fortune ($60)
Super Mario Galaxy ($50)
Mass Effect ($60)
The Orange Box (PC) ($40)
Everyday Shooter ($10)
Total: $280

The truth is, if I had the budget I would have jumped at the Special Edition Rock Band, but when you start to think Rock Band or two other top-tier games, it's not that hard to pick which one has to go. Besides that, I'm pretty happy with my choices. Sure I would have loved to have an extra $40 to be able to pick up Ratchet and Clank Future, but given the choice between R&C and Uncharted I had to go with the latter because it was such a fun experience. I love Ratchet and Clank, but I've also played Ratchet and Clank. And Everyday Shooter? That's no stocking stuffer, it should probably be third on my list, right after Uncharted and The Orange Box.

Maggie:
Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon (DS, $29.99)
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Zombie Ninja Pro-Am (PS2, $29.99)
Blue Dragon (360, $59.99)
Wild ARMs 5 (PS2, $39.99)
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 (PS2, $49.99)
Viva Piñata: Party Animals (360, $49.99)
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (DS, $39.99)
Total: $300

I'm always running behind on my game list, and a year and a half in a foreign country didn't help matters (despite my boyfriend being great about shipping me my most lusted after games), so my list is mostly old(er). I'm also appallingly busy in my life as a grad student, so money tends to go only towards games I am really, really, really dying to play and can budget time for, which means I don't buy a lot of games for myself. But if other people are doing the buying, I don't feel guilty about letting things languish! Most of this is stuff I'd love to have on my shelf to pick up at my leisure, a couple of DS titles that can go on the road with me, and the piñatas only because I love the damn things so much.

Fahey
Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness (PSP, $39.99)
Eye of Judgment (PS3, $69.99)
Scene It (Xbox 360, $59.99)
Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, $49.99)
Mass Effect (Xbox 360, $59.99)
Total: $280

I realize that I'm all over the board here with my list, but there is a bit of method to the madness. More of an organized chaos, really. Disgaea for the PSP waged a massive battle in my head against Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions and just barely scraped by as my portable game of choice. Eye of Judgment has proven itself to be entertaining both offline and on, plus the addition of the PS3 camera makes it even more of a great buy. My list also leaves $30 unaccounted for, which can easily be filled with some EoJ decks and booster packs. Scene-It? makes the list because I'd like to get my family more involved in gaming, and the easy to use controllers make it an excellent gateway drug of sorts. A Wii without Super Mario Galaxy is a Wii that isn't meeting its full potential. Finally we have Mass Effect, for the simple fact that BioWare has never done me wrong.

Ash
Call of Duty 4 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, $60): Sure, shooting Nazis is old hat, but developer Infinity Ward did a fantastic job with that tried and true FPS genre convention in Call of Duty 2. Good to see them moving out of WWII and bringing on the night vision googles!
Uncharted (PS3, $60): Fell in love with this title at E3. It's got a "Romancing the Stone" meets "Indiana Jones" vibe to it. There's shooting and puzzles! Fantastic.
Wii Fit (Wii, $85): Wii Sports was fun and got me moving, but I'd like to move more. Wii Fit is less a game and more an exercise peripheral.
Time Crisis 4 (PS3, $90): Arcade shootin' fun at home! And comes packaged with the Guncon 3. Rad.
Total:$295

Luke
The Orange Box (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, $40/60): Santa needs to get me my own copy, because I'm lazy and have been making do with playing the shit out of this at friend's houses. Yeah, you get Half-Life 2. And Half-Life 2: Episode One. And Half-Life: Episode Two. And Team Fortress 2. But really, they're just the icing on Portal's cake. There is cake, right?
Rock Band (*Software Only*, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, $50/60): So the bundle's hard to come by and won't even be out in Australia til 2008. Cry me a river. I'll just get this! It'll work with a 360 guitar, and I've already got USB mics from SingStar. Remember, even without drums, this thing's still got a better tracklist, and far better DLC, than that "other" popular music title. And no, I don't mean SingStar.
Osu! Tatakae! Ouendan 2 (Nintendo DS, $40): Like Ouendan 1, but with new songs, I imagine. Which should make it just a new kind of perfect.
Zack & Wiki: Quest For Barbaros' Treasure (Nintendo Wii, $40): Despite falling madly in love with this game every time I've played it, it's still not out in Australia. So I get to ask Santa for it! And if it's not out by December 25, well, he can leave a little pre-order receipt in my Christmas stocking.
Pro Evo 2008 (Xbox 360, $60): Like Madden, but actually quite good. This is the "next-gen" version we should have got last year, with new ball physics, new animations and loads more polish. Best sports game I played all year. And, for some reason, I've played loads of sports game this year.
Skate (Xbox 360, PS3, $60): Never got around to picking this up. Shame, since every time I play it I'm tickled a happy shade of Classy Pink. Those thumbstick controls should win some kind of award.
Total:$280 to $310

Mark
The Orange Box, Xbox 360 ($60): I'd strongly recommend Half-Life 2, Episode 1&2, Portal and Team Fortress 2 all as standalone titles. But Portal is an absolute must play. Seriously, stop reading Kotaku if you haven't played it. Come back when you have.
Mass Effect, Xbox 360 ($60): Heh...uhh...he he...did you know you could...like...be a chick...and uhh...hook up with another...chick...and it's also the most ambitious RPG we've seen in ages. And it's the finest space opera to hit the 360 yet.
Twisted Metal 2, PS3/PSP ($6): Download the best Twisted Metal title now for your PS3 and PSP over PlayStation Network. The game hasn't aged a bit and it fits great in your pocket.
Super Mario Galaxy, Wii ($50): I watched as my wife trudged through Super Mario Sunshine, appreciating the experience, but not necessarily enjoying it. Then she smiled, laughed and played obsessively as New Super Mario Bros. awoke the slumbering 2D Mario franchise. It looks like Galaxy will do the same for 3D and her.
Every Extend Extra Extreme, Xbox 360 ($10): Honestly, I played this game once...and the hours began to melt away. I woke up two weeks later in Mexico to a donkey licking my face. It was awesome. Consider E4 the video game equivalent of biting the top off a cupcake and throwing the rest out.
Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, PS3 ($60): If you're looking to point to one title to define the "next-gen" jump, you've found it. Now go and buy the HDTV so you can really appreciate those visuals. And then thank the gods that you weren't born 100 years ago when people entertained themselves by reading and were forced to number 2 in outhouses.
Toy Home, PS3 (TBA): With no specific price or launch date, and having never laid eyes on the game in person, I can only hope for my dreams of Re-Volt 2 and a racer that doesn't require me to actually be able to drive.
Total:Under $260

McWhertor
Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (PS3, $60) It's looking like Uncharted may be the best exclusive PlayStation 3 game of 2007 and I'd hate to show up at the cocktail party not having known the ins and outs of Drake's fortune.
Dead Rising (Xbox 360, $30) Remember this? I never played it as my Xbox 360 ownership came far too late for me to join the party. I've been knee deep in zombie films and literature this week and I don't want this dreadful feeling to stop.
God of War II (PS2, $40) Here's another top-tier game that I'd never gotten around to, despite loving the original. Most interesting is trying to unlock the mystery of the God of War series' ability to shed producers.
Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360, $60) What? I still want it. I fully intend to get the required amount of kicks during my incomplete play time with Ubisoft's hype machine.
Contra 4 (DS, $30) Since I rarely get to shirtlessly hunt boar with nothing but a pocket knife, I figure this will have to fill the void. Testosterone on the go.
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords (Xbox 360, $15) The puzzle RPG genre is embarrassingly underrepresented in my current library.
Pac-Man Championship Edition (Xbox 360, $10) More Xbox Live Arcade remakes should be like this.
Everyday Shooter (PS3, $10) You can never be too rich, too thin or have too many shooters.
Game Center CX (DS, $45) It's an import-only retro video game collection based on a Japanese television show about playing retro video games.
Total: $300

Look, I'm already in possession of some of this season's greatest games, from Zack & Wiki to The Orange Box to Super Mario Galaxy. But there are plenty of holes in my gaming library that won't make my backlog any smaller. That's why you won't see many hundred-hour games on my list and loads of pick up and play, short session titles in the midst of one's that focus on action and adventure.

Tristan
LEGO Star Wars the Complete Saga (DS, $35): Not only is my son totally addicted to this game, he convinced me to buy a second copy so we could play through the entire campaign co-op... and now I'm addicted.
Cosmic Family (Wii, $50): Tristan has spent an inordinate amount of time sitting thoughtfully in front of the television with the Cosmic Family's child-appropriate brain teasers.
Zoo Hospital (DS, $30): Think Zoo Tycoon meets Trauma Center. A bit too simplistic for adults, perhaps, but loads of fun for kids, especially if they like first diagnosing and then treating animals.
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Xbox 360, $185): My son is a full blown Guitar Hero addict. He spent a bit of time with Rock Band before we left for Australia on vacation, but it's Guitar Hero that keeps him coming back for more.
Total: $300

Never mind that my 6-year-old son, upon discovering that he didn't have enough Kotaku Kash to buy all the games he wanted, tried to convince me I had said that he had $800 not $300 to spend... and then stormed from the room after calling me a liar. He still was mostly content with his picks. He didn't even blink when I told him that more than half of his cash was going to Guitar Hero. But then again he's been stomping around the house singing We Will Rock You for most of Thanksgiving morning.

This is it, the last day of the last contest of the year. Hit the link below, vote for your favorite game and fill in the email box to be entered for a chance to win a $500 gift certificate. Only enter once or receive the eyebrow of ridicule. Wow, 2005, going, going, gone. I’ll announce the winner of the contest New Year'’s Eve, if I'’m sober enough.

Oh, and if you'’re interested, it’s still a neck-and-neck race between Resident Evil 4 and Mario Kart DS.

The $500 Contest [Kotaku]

This is it, the last day of the last contest of the year. Hit the link below, vote for your favorite game and fill in the email box to be entered for a chance to win a $500 gift certificate. Only enter once or receive the eyebrow of ridicule. Wow, 2005, going, going, gone. I ll announce the winner of the contest New Year s Eve, if I m sober enough.

Oh, and if you re interested, it s still a neck-and-neck race between Resident Evil 4 and Mario Kart DS.

The $500 Contest [Kotaku]

Slashdot directs readers to a Firing Squad article that looks carefully at eleven mistakes that FS feels Microsoft made designing the Xbox 360. The complaints at Firing Squad aren't at all "omg, the games lock-up!" and instead look at issues like how Microsoft could've changed its own music distribution system to compete with the iTunes' model while using the Xbox Live infrastructure. It's an interesting read, to say the least.

Xbox 360: Back to the Drawing Board [Firing Squad]
11 Design Mistakes of the Xbox 360 [Slashdot]

As goofy as I feel typing its name, this TwonkyVision technology is pretty handy for Mac users. Because Microsoft's Xbox 360 was made by well, Microsoft - Mac users probably don't expect liquid smooth media interaction like 360 and PC users can get. The Twonky app kind of solves this, you'll be able to get photos and music running between your 360 and your G5.

Thanks Steve

Twonky Vision [Official Site]

"You know what this little bad boy can do?" the Gizmondo guy asks, not even looking up from the portable he's playing.

Yeah, I do. The Gizmondo guy behind the counter finishes his game and finally gets off his duff. His baseball cap is decorated with holly. Its four days before Christmas, and nobody else is in sight.

"Can I take a look at it?"

The guy hands me the handheld. It's small and fits snug in my palms, even if it does look like some wack alien steering wheel.

"When did it go on sale in the US?"

"About a month ago. How do you know this device isn't American?"

"I like videogames," I say, holding back. "What do you think of the product?"

"I wouldn't trade it for the world," the guy says. He tells me all the things the Gizmondo does. The handheld plays games, music, takes pics and some other stuff. His voice is metallic, and I tune him out.

The handheld itself ain't so bad. And the guy's right, it can do a lot of things. The demo I am playing (a ball spinning through a maze) sucks, though.

"What were you doing before?"

"Contract labor, working on a dock," the guys says, stroking his goatee.

"How do you like working here?"

"Wouldn't trade it for the world. I got my music, my games. I love it."

"Is the Gizmondo sold only via kiosks like this or in stores?"

"Like this. In fact, this is the only shop in all of Texas."

Here I am at the sole Gizmondo outlet in a state larger than Japan. What an honor.

"Are all the titles third party?" I ask.

The guy looks at me puzzled. Crap, I'm showing my hand.

"Does Gizmondo make all the games?" I try again in English.

"There's other companies making games. In fact, we're gonna have Mario and Sonic."

"Software?"

"Yeah, or online for download. That's what everyone's been asking about."

"How do you know this?"

"Oh," the guy says, "I know people and got everybody's number on my speed dial. So I get all the juicy details."

Mario and Sonic on the Gizmondo? Geez, I don't know whether to smile or cringe. I hand the guy the handheld back, adding a "Merry Christmas." Hope I see him next year.

Gizmondo [Official Site]

It looks like our reader poll for best game of the year is shaping up to be a two horse race with Resident Evil 4 and Mario Kart DS duking it out for the top spot and God of War trailing a distant third.

Make sure to get over to the link and vote, besides having an impact on a completely meaningless award you can also enter to win a $500 Circuit City gift certificate.

Personally, I think the best game of the season, and perhaps the year, was Indigo Prophecy. While I loved God of War it was in many ways perfection of the status quo and while Shadow of the Colossus is also a stupendous title, it was a fantastic experience punctuated by moments of repetitive tedium. (I'll pause for a second to let you shout at me.)

The thing about Indigo Prophecy is that it delivered a genuine cinematic experience to gaming. If you haven't played it, make sure you at least rent the title. I'm going to post a review of the game in a bit.

I guess it all boils down how you define game of the year. Should it be the title you had the most fun playing or the one that you think got closest to tipping what you consider gaming on its ear?

Discuss among yourselves.

The $500 Contest

Major Nelson, in his never ending effort to get a 360 into your living room, points out a blog with a somewhat foolproof (in theory) method to acquire an Xbox 360 via online retailers. Blogger Sean Alexander suggests bookmarking Ben's Bargains and then download URly configure it to warn you when three words change on a page (i.e., In Stock or Out of Stock) and have the whole shebang check for new information every minute or so.

Now that it's all set up, I'd suggest prayer of some kind, because I think if you don't have one by now - it's going to take a miracle to get a 360 by Christmas.

Tips for How to Score an Xbox 360 Online [Major Nelson]
How To: Score an Xbox 360 Online [Sean Alexander]
Ben's Bargains
URLy Warning Download

The $500 Contest [Kotaku]

Keeping up with other games that released holiday map packs, Star Wars Battlefront II on the Xbox has released some new treats via Xbox Live. There's a premium download coming in January, but to tide fans over until then, LucasArts added an Assault mode Hero Free For All to Kashyyk — which lets the game's heroes (the stars of Star Wars) run around and own dudes. The update in January will bring some new Jedi into the fold as well as some full-featured maps from the original Battlefront, all with the required makeover for the sequel.

Battlefront II Xbox Content [Eurogamer]
New Multiplayer Pack for Quake IV

Need more Quake action for the PC? Happy Holidays from id Software, Raven and Activision - they've just released three free maps for download over at the official site. Complete descriptions of tne new maps, Railed, Tremors and Campground Redux are readable after the fold.

Quakemas Map Pack Available for Download [id Software]

Railed Set in an abandoned, rusting Strogg facility, the environment in Railed produces fast paced frenetic tournament action. This new map is all about close-quarters combat and hair-trigger reflexes as players hustle through the winding, multi-tiered corridors. Designed particularly for tournament play, Railed also supports Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch game modes, and is guaranteed to provide some thrilling fast-action gameplay.

Tremors Built within a twisting underground cavern and peppered throughout with pipes, bridges, and catwalks, Tremors demands tactical expertise. Enemies attack from above and below in the enormous, multi-tiered environment, making team-play invaluable. Tremors is perfect for huge Capture-The-Flag games, and also supports the Arena Capture-The-Flag gameplay mode.

Campgrounds Redux With QUAKE 4 s updated technology, Campgrounds Redux now has a fresh look and feel, revitalizing this QUAKE III classic. Excellent for any number of players, this updated version supports Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Tournament modes, where hard-core QUAKE fans can get crazy with this throw-back to one of their old favorites.

Planning on getting someone a PSP for the holidays, but you want to make sure it's one of the ultra-hackable versions? PSP Hacks has a tip - the secret is in the label. Apparently, the firmware version of the enclosed PSP can be figured out from the label on the back of the box (see image).

Here's the coding breakdown:
A-1.50
B-1.51
C-1.52
D-2.00 Unconfirmed
E-2.00 Unconfirmed (likely 1.52)
F-2.00
G-2.01

Hack away.

Is It a 1.5? How to Tell From the Box [PSP Hacks]
PSP 2.01 Already Hacked

Finally, the last contest of the year. Instead of making your hunt through our site or send in pictures of cool items you've created I've made this about as simple as possible: All you have to do is vote.

To enter our contest, just vote for your favorite game of the year. It's a cross-platform selection, so it might be hard picking. After you have voted, there will be a box in which you can enter your email address, this is what actually enters you in the contest. If you don't put in a valid email address you won't have a chance at our cool gift pack. As always we won't sell (or give away) you're email to porn stars or spam lords. It's just to keep things fair and make it easier for me to track you down after you win.

The contest runs through Dec 30. I will be using a randomizer to select the winner on Dec. 31 and hopefully announce it that Saturday.

The Prize Pack poll was a real knuckle-biter. The Control Freak Pack (a $500 Circuit City gift certificate) took an early lead, but the Super Happy Go Go Nintendo DS Pack (A tonnage of DS games and goodies) had a strong came back.

The final winner, and the prize you are vying for, is the Control Freak Pack, winning with a scant 17 votes. If the winner lives outside the country we'll find a respectible electronics chain to buy the same amount gift certificate from, so don't worry.

Now hit the link to vote on the best game of the year and to be entered to win the shweet prize. Only enter your email once, multiple entries will be disqualified.

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Official Rules

Gawker Gift Guide

The "Best of" polls are in and for the most part the winners for best game of the year by platform were blow-outs. But there was one amazingly close vote.

God of War won for best Playstation 2 game of the year by a mere 15 voted, with Shadow of the Colossus taking a close second and Guitar Hero pulling out third.

Hit the jump for a list of all the winners.

GameCube
Resident Evil 4 81.6 percent (796 votes)

Playstation 2
God of War 31 percent (239 votes)

PC
World of Warcraft 29.8 percent (95 votes)

Xbox
Psychonauts 32.2 percent (147 votes)

Xbox 360
Call of Duty 2 35.6 percent (284 votes)

Portable (DS, GBA and PSP)
Mario Kart DS 46.6 percent (449 votes)

You can see all of the colorful bar charts and votes for all of the games at the link, if you're anal or interested.

Best of the Year [Kotaku]

I'm going to be shutting down the other "Best of" polls now, but I'm leaving the Prize Pack Poll open for a few more hours so make sure you vote for what you want our giveaway to be. I hope to start the contest this afternoon, right after I tally the vote to figure out what prize we are giving away.

Since we are nearing the end of the year and no one wants to do any work, I'm going to make entering this contest a breeze, so don't worry about any heavy lifting.

What Do You Want From Us For the Holidays? [Kotaku]

An online chat over at WoWWarcry with some of the WoW development crew is pretty informative. They mention plans to add some new armor sets from five man instances (likely in the expansion pack), admit the despawning design of the Nefarian encounter was "wonky" and plan to make Greater Heal a more useful spell for priests.

That all sounds really "inside baseball" - but anyone who is spending hideous amounts of time in Azeroth knows what I'm talking about, check the chat out for more.

Warcry Blizzard Developer Chat [Warcry]

By Brian D. Crecente

I have been hoist by my own high-definition petard.

For the past few months my wife and I have been in talks with a contractor about having our 1,000-square-foot basement finished. The plan is to have an office and bathroom added to one corner and to use the rest of the space for entertaining. While my wife has been preoccupied with the wet bar and built-in bookcases, my entire being has been obsessing over the entertainment center, a behemoth that will take up one wall. At its center will be what I consider the crown jewel of the entire room: an HDTV.

I've been putting off researching which TV to get like some kids put off eating that last bite of dessert. I couldn't wait to pour over specs, check out resolutions and compare prices. I wanted to savor the hunt.

What I didn't know is that what I was hunting is as elusive as the yeti and just as fictional.

If I were buying for just an Xbox 360, I would be set. The 360 supports 720p resolution and may — may — one day stream that through an HDMI connection. No problem.

The Playstation 3, which I hope to one day have sitting next to my 360, is an entirely different story.

If Sony is to be believed, the PS3 will fully support 1080p resolution with an HDMI connection. The problem is that there isn't a single television on the market that does as well.

Trust me, I checked. A lot.

The closest thing is Hewlett Packard’s 58-inch Pavilion MD5680n Microdisplay TV. And unless you do your research, you'll think you've found the yeti.

But breezing through a CNet review of the TV I noticed that the Pavilion in fact doesn't have a chip with 1,920 x 1,080 physical pixels on it. Instead it has 960 x 1,080 and uses a technique called wobulation to trick your eye. That's fine with me, but the technique apparently lowers the frame rate, and that's the last thing I want on a PS3 game.

So I find myself stuck. I could wait six months to fill the big hole in my entertainment center and buy a true 1080p television when they come out (probably in time with the PS3), or I can buy a TV that I know will be obsolete sometime next year.

Being weak-minded and inpatient, I decided to take the consumer road and buy a TV one step down from my ultimate goal.

With the help of my brother I did a bit of HDTV research and came up with a little chart of the pros and cons of the different types of HDTVs out there.

(See chart)

I settled on a DLP Rear-Projection television because it has fast refresh rates and I don't have to worry about burn-in. On the negative side they can suffer from something called the rainbow effect, but it doesn't sound like a major issue.

Since the Xbox 360 only supports 720p and 1080i (with a 16:9 widescreen ratio) I was able to avoid the whole 1080p issue.

I decided to shoot for a TV with 720p native resolution because it has a faster frame rate than the 1080i — twice as fact, to be specific. (The p in 720p stands for progressive, which means the lines that compose a TV image are painted on the screen one after another. The other standard, which is usually denoted with 720i, means the device paints the screen by skipping every other line in the first pass and painting the others in the second pass. Generally, a 720p display is considered better than a 720i.)

Next I had to decide on the size. Despite the urge to purchase the largest TV that would fit through the door, I know that there is a rule buying televisions. Get one too big, and it will hurt to look at and overwhelm the room.

I'm expecting to sit about 10 feet from the television, so I could easily get a 42-inch or 50-inch. I went with the fitty. (Mostly so I could say that.) Since I don't need to worry about how deep the TV is, I'm not forced into buying a thin LCD or Plasma. I also wanted to make sure the TV has HDMI input (so when Microsoft starts supporting it I'll be ready) and component inputs for what the 360 currently supports.

I ended up narrowing down my choices to two models: Magnavox's 50-inch DLP HDTV (50ML8105D) and Samsung's 50-inch DLP HDTV (HLR5067W).

I had worked myself into a near buying frenzy when two things dawned on me: First, our basement won't be finished until March. Second, CES is in one week and my money is on some true 1080p television announcements followed by lots o price drops.

I'll let you know when I finally drop the cash, but unless there's a real steal it probably won't be until late February. If you have any recommendations feel free to comment them.

(Quick Guide for HDTV and the 360)

According to the flier, the 360s will arrive sometime this week (we heard Dec. 22) and will be put on sale the day after it arrives. Store managers have been warned not to put out any signs and not to hold the inventory any longer than necessary to staff adequately for the sale.

On the day of the sale the manager on duty has to do door duty. He or she has to ask every customer as them come in "What brings you in today?" at which point if the customer replies "The Xbox 360" they get a ticket to the fabled land of high def gaming. What? No secret handshake?

Once you get the ticket an employee walks you to the "controlled sales area" where the employee will try to get you to buy everything in the store.

Best Buy corporate says there will be absolutely no rainchecks, no holds, no wait lists, no lines and absolutely no employee sales until after Jan. 1. (That's on and off-duty employees bucko)

It sounds like Best Buy is finally starting to get it's collective shit together. Now lets hope they have enough 360s on hand to avoid riots.

Insider [Put File, thanks Josh]

GameGal put together a "Real Girl Gift Guide" by asking three "real-life gamers" for their holiday gift picks.

Donatella Pereira, Graphic Designer; Carol Orsini, project manager; and Jenni Miller, Web Producer, all contribute their favorite picks for this petite guide.

GameGals Real Gift Guide [GameGal]

The Rocky ran a story about the Geek Gorgeous 2005 calandar, a collection of pictures featuring geeky hot Colorado women. What drew me to the story, besides the fact that it's on the paper's front page, is that the woman features is a gamer too.

The tiny text in the picture reads, in part:

Lilac, who started working as a programmer at age 16, is now a senior software engineer with an acronym-rich skill-set that includes Java, J2EE, EJB, JSP, JMS, PHP, ASP, ADO, SQL, XML, UML, J2ME, MIDP and more. As an independent consultant, Lilac has worked on numerous business applications on various platforms, from home-automation systems to portfolio optimizers based on genetic algorithms.

Lilac also owns three video-game stores in Colorado.

Three? I wish they'd say where, because I didn't know there were any locally owned game store in the state that were bigger than a ma and pa joint.

I love the juxtstaposition of the NES lightgun in her hand and the PS3 display behind her.

The calendar would make a great gamer gift and the proceeds go to a scholarship for girls interested in studying computer science. Nice.

'Gorgeous geeks' get some exposure [Rocky Mountain News]

This very short-lived poll will determine what we give away. (It'll be ending tomorrow afternoon.) I'll post the contest details, but don't worry, the winner will be picked by a random drawing on New Year's Frickin' Eve.

So get to voting and tell your friends to join in. May the best prize-pick win.

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The Xbox 360 only had a dozen or so titles, so picking the top six wasn't that hard. Picking the top game, however, might not be so simple. Make sure you also check out our Xbox, PS2 and GameCube polls.

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Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

Help pick the best Xbox game for 2005. Make sure you also check out our polls for best PS2 and best GameCube.

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In case you aren't tethered enough to technology, Microsoft is planning a system that will let you send messages to your friends' cellphones from your Xbox 360. "Hey, Luke, hurry up and get home — we need you for this Dark Ops match at 11 p.m. - Crecente"

Great, just what I needed.

Xbox 360 to let you send SMS to mobile phones [Phoneyworld]

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What's the best title of 2005 for the Playstation 2? Make sure you check out our GameCube poll and check back later for the Xbox and Xbox 360 polls.

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Reuters via Financial Express is reporting that Sony's PSP is on track to double its user base by year's end. SCEA president Kaz Hirai predicted exactly that from the handheld back in October. The sleek portable is expected to sell six million units in North America in 2005. That's more than I would've expected.

Sony on Track to Double Video Game Sales [Financial Express]

Game Set Watch points to the PongNation's collection of vintage, legit, Atari T-shirts. The shirts are listed as "priceless" but their actual e-pricetag reads $64. That's a ton of dough for nostalgia.

Thanks Chilly Hollow

Authentic Atari T-shirt Awesomeness [GameSetWatch]
Vintage Atari T-shirts [PongNation]

Here's our first of our polls for the day, check back frequently as we will be putting out polls for all of the major consoles today as well as a portable gaming poll.

Tonight I will have a super cool poll that will help us decide what to give away for our year end wrap-up contest.

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They showed the faceplate on its own a few months ago, but here's the final packaging for FF IV GameBoy Micro Pack. I will admit, it looks pretty slick.

First GameBoy Micro Pack (Japan) [British Gaming Blog]

UbiSoft's King Kong game has already had its price cut Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube. The price was hacked back to $29.99 for those versions. The Nintendo DS version remains $39.99 and the 360 is still standing guard at $59.99.

Send in your suggestions for the best GameCube, PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, GBA, DS and Playstation Portable games of the year and I'll whip up a series of polls a bit later today.

Also, let me know what you think the best game of the year is. My personal favorite, at least for the holiday season, is Indigo Prophecy.

We'll also have a cool contest to announce by the end of the day. All I can tell you right now is that it will run through Friday and feature the most expensive prize we've given away to date.

The Regginator will shake some hands, sign some stuff and then kick some ass in Mario Kart DS. Nintendo will also be giving away some cool stuff after the tournament. You have to be in-person to win, but you may be lucky enough to catch Reggie in-game on your own DS as well. Make sure you do some racing tonight and keep your fingers crossed. I'm told that you will definitely know if you are racing Reggie. Here's a rough schedule (all in PST):

o 3:45pm start signing players up for game play
o number of players will determine tournament structure
o 4:00pm start tournament play
o 4:15pm Reggie arrives
o 5:00pm finalize tournament (championships)
o 5:15pm award prizing

I love the Christmas cards from publishers and developers that make the rounds every year. Blizzard's is particularly neat what with the demonic snowballs and ice skating dark elves. It reads: Happy Holidays to All and to all a Good Fight!