Yet when you get to your destination, either in your parents' basement or your uncle's old room at your grandparents, inevitably there's some underpowered relic PC that still manages to work. Rather than suffer with Minesweeper or Solitaire when you can't sleep on Christmas Eve, GiantRealm put together a handy list of six good PC titles that will work on most any machine still in service today. Some of these are available via digital distribution channels. Others, you might have to do a little advance planning and snake a copy from an Amazon or half.com reseller.

Six Titles That'll Work on Nearly Any Machine [GiantRealm]

There are five titles on the list right now, and all of them are relatively safe choices. Kung-Fu Panda, Lego Indiana Jones, and We Ski certainly fit the bill nicely. Guitar Hero On Tour for the DS is a bit of an odd choice, seeing as the inclusion of Skid Row's "Youth Gone Wild" could possibly make youth go wild, but I suppose as long as parents are willing to take the risk. Rounding out the list is NCAA Football 2009, because every list of family-friendly games needs a football title for some odd reason, perhaps in hopes that children will drop this video game nonsense and become multi-millionaire pro athletes.

I'd list my personal choices for games to be included in the list, but let's face it - if you're on Kotaku looking for shopping ideas for your child, someone has played a horrible prank on you.

The Best Kid-Friendly Video Games of 2008 Holiday V, Toys of the Season

—(BUSINESS WIRE)—By Mike Bruno, Parents.com Contributor

We played until our fingers ached, but it was all worth it — we found five of the best kid-friendly video games (no violence or mature themes here). Whatever your kid's age or interest, you'll find the perfect gift for this holiday season.

We Ski- Wii

Age: 5+

Finally, a second game that uses the Balance Board you bought to use on Wii. We Ski uses the device to navigate the game's snow-covered mountain playground.

Why We Like It

“We Ski does an admirable job mimicking the arm movements (pull the numchuk and remote toward your body to tuck poles and increase speed) and balance techniques you actually use on the slopes,” says Bruno contributor, for Parents.com. “Plus, it supports up to four players with a split-screen multiplayer mode.”

Kung Fu Panda- Wii, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, PS3, PS2

Age: 6-12

Po, the imaginative young panda from the computer-animated movie, takes you along on his daydream journey in which he is a kung fu warrior wielding "mad skills."

Why We Like It

A fighting game without violence, if you can believe it. Detailed graphics aptly reproduce the fanciful world that was so beautifully rendered in the film. And the Jack Black imitator is pretty spot on, too.

LEGO Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures- Wii, Nintendo DS, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360

Age: 10+

Our favorite archaeologist — in LEGO form! — runs through adventures from the first three Indy movies. Why We Like It

Once you've racked your brain figuring out the decently challenging puzzles, you're rewarded with humorous asides from the movies, like a cocky Dr. Jones reaching back for his fedora, nearly being crushed by a giant stone door in the process.

Guitar Hero on Tour- Nintendo DS

Age: 10+

The Guitar Hero franchise hits Nintendo's portable DS console without sacrificing too much of the fun game play that made the original game.

What We Like About It

The appeal is definitely in part the novelty of a shrunken-down Guitar Hero you can pull out of your pocket. The hand-sized strap-on Guitar Grip controller slips right into the DS console, enabling you engage in the same challenging rock-alongs as the original.

NCAA Football 2009- Xbox 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PSP

Age: 7+

Just like fans of real-life football, there are gamers who insist EA Sports' college pigskin game is superior to their pro-football Madden franchise.

What We Like About It

In addition to some very cool additions to game play, '09 has also made some nice tweaks to the Dynasty mode, including an ability to enter a dynasty online and compete with up to 12 other players for the same pool of prospective students for over 60 seasons.

For more helpful tips on picking the right video game for your kids this holiday season, visit Parents.com.

Sony Computer Entertainment is not responsible for any damage done to your PS3 console by Dion's powerful fore claws.

Get into the Christmas Spirit with a Festive Fun SongPack from SingStar! [ThreeSpeech]

The holiday games market is under threat this year from actual, proper Somali pirates who are preying upon cargo ships off the Horn of Africa and beyond. Sadly, this lot seem to be eschewing Cornish accents and peg legs in favor of AK-47s and huge ex-Soviet trawler ships.

Shipping firms are now faced with the choice of braving pirate-infested waters or taking costly detours that can delay goods by several weeks.

"Despite all the publicity over piracy it will really hit home when consumers in the West find they haven't got their Nintendo gifts this Christmas," said Sam Dawson of the International Transport Workers' Federation.

No Nintendo Game This Xmas? Blame Somali Pirates

If only there were some kind of entertainment product on the market that could address these simple, human needs!

Cynicism aside, the survey - into people’s holiday entertainment activities, behaviors and trends - does turn up a few interesting nuggets. On average, those surveyed plan to spend around 16% less on gifts this year and 64% of parents would like to play more games as a shared family activity.

Check after the jump for some more numbers.

XBox 360 Holiday Entertainment Survey 2008

60% plan to stay at or close to home to save money

71% are looking for one gift to bring the family together

89% hunt for gifts that keep on giving

81% of adults in households with children are looking for gifts that provide entertainment in the home

86% of young adults hope for at least one video game

40% of adults will visit movie theaters less than last year

23% plan to watch more films at home

Among all this unfettered consumerism, Wal-Mart will showing off its nicer side by donating an estimated $20M to local charities around its stores including a $1.25 million grant to The Salvation Army.

As well as the promised discounts, Kotaku readers might wish to know about the $100 Wal-Mart gift card up for grabs when you buy an 80GB PS3 for $399. If that sounds like you kind of thing, the 'series of initiatives' will run for seven weeks from November 8th across North America.

Wal-Mart Launches Aggressive Holiday Price Cut Promotion [TWICE]

“We have new games and new experiences for every kind of player this holiday season, and that will certainly fuel increased interest in Wii and Nintendo DS,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “While there’s no way to gauge total demand for our hardware systems, we’re trying to satisfy as many of those players as possible.”

My suggestion? Buy them early anyway. Don't let promises of increased supply cause you to wind up crying in front of a Toys R Us video game counter because your child's holiday is ruined. You're a bad parent, and that's okay. The book they write one day will pay for your nursing home.

Special thanks to Kevin for reminding us of this special day!

[Thanks, Adam]

January: Nightopians ring in the New Year by setting off fireworks once every hour beginning at midnight on January 1.

February: Nightopians revisit the New Year theme to celebrate the Chinese New Year. This time you can catch them holding a giant dragon and throwing firecrackers.

March: March is the month of carnivals, and as such many Nightopians will don a mask for the occasion.

April: For this month the Nightopians show off their passion by wearing a Flamenco-inspired rose.

May: The Japanese celebrate the Boys' Festival on May 5, and so do your Nightopians. This month they can be seen flying a carp streamer.

June: Acknowledging the tradition of June weddings, Nightopians will appear with a boquet or flower basket.

July: Nightopians equip themselves with bull armor and a red cape to celebrate the Bull-Running Festival.

August: Nightopians turn to music, performing with various instruments during this month.

September: The Nightopians transition into fall with full moon paper fans.

October: Nightopians will dress up as witches for Halloween and will also carry pumpkin lanterns throughout this month.

November: Autumn leaves and fruit make for a perfectly nationality-free Thanksgiving for the Nightopians.

December: Here's where the Nightopians really go nuts. Throughout December, the Nightopians will dress as Santa and join together under a Christmas tree. They can also be seen carrying around cake, wearing a tricorn, and letting off fireworks. On December 24 and 25 specifically the Nightopians will sing a special Christmas song.

More like the year before Christmas, actually. An entire year where not a day went by that hundreds of electronic and gaming retail employees didn't have to negatively answer the same nagging question. "Do you have any Wiis in stock?" Even though the console sold relatively briskly in the year following its launch, getting your hands on one meant you either won a contest, knew someone who worked for a retailer, shadowed UPS trucks or were just plain lucky.

As the holidays season started heating up, things looked bleak for parents and gamers looking to get their hands on Nintendo's tiny, motion-controlled console. Rumors of chip shortages ran rampant, and I personally was certain that the eBay grey market price for the hot gift item would far meet if not surpass the highest numbers seen during the initial late 2006 release window.

Miraculously that never happened. At the very last moment, in a series of moves that gained them criticism from fans, Nintendo managed to pull together enough supply to curb the often ridiculously inflated eBay demand before it was too late.

Rising...Slowly

As you can see from the chart, back in early November the Wii was selling for a relatively modest price on the world's largest online auction house. While $350 is still $100 than the retail price of the system, the markup isn't quite as painful as it could be. Then the Christmas panic sets in.

By November 21st the price had spiked to $459...nearly double the retail cost of the system, and with a few fluctuations the price stays solidly about the $400 mark. Perhaps consumers hoping to avoid the Black Friday rush 2 days later were trying to get a leg up on things, causing the price to reach this high of a point. Either way, things were looking pretty grim for parents and fans hoping to get their hands on a Wii without getting fleeced by eBay resellers - until one day.

Reggie Spreads The Word.

On December 14th, Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime held a conference call to address the growing problem of Wii shortages, detailing the companies plans to get customers matched up with systems by any means necessary. First came the raincheck system, which allowed customers a chance to pre-purchase the machine at GameStop stores across the country, with the understanding that they would be guaranteed a system by the end of January.

Then he announced that seven retail outlets - Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Kmart, Toys R Us and Circuit City - would have the coveted consoles in stock that weekend, revealing that stores had been stockpiling the systems for a massive, last-minute flood.

While the rainchecks met with varying success due to limited ability, the flood of systems that weekend had a huge effect on the eBay market.

Bursting The Bubble

On December 17th, according to my data seen on the chart above, 11,016 Nintendo Wii consoles were sold on eBay, for an average price of $368 - the first time the price had dropped below $400 in a month. As Crecente noted in a previous post, eBay was positively slammed with Wiis, bringing the average price down and significantly lowering the normally high auction success rates on the console. Folks looking for a huge payoff still made a little dough of course, but nothing like the windfall they were expecting when they rushed out over the weekend to snag the systems for profiteering purposes. By the time Christmas Eve hits, the consoles are dollars away from the lowest price since November started.

Conclusion

As of this writing I cannot say if this was a calculated move by Nintendo to thwart the profit-hungry eBay grey market or simply a happy side-effect of a last-ditch effort to save face in the eyes of consumers worrying about where the product they wanted to purchase was, but Reggie's press conference and the subsequent console flood neatly nipped in the bud what could have been a terribly expensive Christmas for families looking for a little motion-controlled joy. Whatever the case may be, the end result is a small victory for the hardworking folks out there more worried about the smiles on their children's face than the thickness of their wallet.

Nicely done Nintendo.

While Nintendo declined to comment for this story, back during Fils-Aime's December press call he did address the issue of Wii gouging.

"We are always very disappointed if we see retailers that are pricing the Wii or any of our products above the MSRP price."

How I collected the graph data:
To track eBay sales for the Wii I once again used a website called Terapeak, which is of of the most trusted eBay market research tools available. I looked at data for the US eBay site each day utilizing the keyword "Nintendo Wii" in the Video Games/Systems category. I set the price range for $200 through $10,000 to weed out any artificially inflated auctions as well as any fake buying guide auctions. Keep in mind that the results are still in part tainted by systems including games and extra controllers, but I believe the method I used obtained the most accurate results, all things considered.

As for the numbers sold chart, I used the same data, taking note of the "Items Sold" statistic for each day in the period.

Hickey said the GameStop's holiday period typically represents 75 percent of Q4 reported sales, which means that "the street is looking for $2.027 billion in holiday sales, or +17 percent year-on-year."

Analysts: Buy GameStop Shares Now [Next Gen]

Personally, I'm going to make the effort to play more with my friends, wherever they may be. A multi-hour session of Team Fortress 2 that's due to happen as you read this with two of my best friends will make sticking to that one a bit easier. I'm also planning on spending less, buying only exactly what I plan to play and leaving nothing in the shrinkwrap. There will be more downloadable gaming in my future, more online gaming and more attention paid to indie and homebrew wares.

Let us know what you've got planned for a self-improved 2008, whether it's less fanboyism, more time with your SNES or even the shedding of that unsightly 80 pounds gained at college.

Amazon is just giddy with excitement. The holidays are over and they are bursting at the seams with money spent on presents. Their annual "We made a shitton of money during the holidays" press release went out this morning and in it the the Wii as their top selling console and Call of Duty 4 as their top game.

While they don't release any specific numbers for their video game sales, they do say that Amazon sold Wii system "at approximately 17 per second when they were in stock."

Here's the top ten current lists of video game and hardware sales on Amazon:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare for the Xbox 360
Super Mario Galaxy
Wii Nunchuk control
Wii Play with Remote
Wii Remote
Wii Charging Station
Wii
Assassin's Creed for the Xbox 360
Wii Zapper with Link's Crossbow Training
Playstation 3 Wireless Sixaxis Controller

The PSP 2K, in the number 12 spot, was the next best-selling platform after the Wii

Amazon.Com Best Sellers [Amazon]

Wow, those folks over at Massive Entertainment have issues, Christmas issues! But who doesn't. I mean who hasn't wanted to take out the neighborhood with a flood or tanks and barrage of mortar fire?

The Triforce Tree [GnatOnline via MAKE]

Guild Wars Holiday event includes 5 free hours of Eye of the North and Triple XP

Starting today at noon, and lasting for 10 days, Guild Wars players can try out Guild Wars: Eye of the North for free for five hours. Also, the level requirement to play Eye of the North has been lowered from 20 to 10 to make it easier for players to access the exciting content in Guild Wars first true expansion. To help players be competitive in the level-20 plus world of Eye of the North, players at levels 10-19 will be buffed up to in order to go toe-to-toe with the new content.

Additionally, to help celebrate the holidays, players in Eye of the North will receive:

- Triple experience from all primary storyline quests in Eye of the North.

- Double the chance to receive rare items from chests, and triple the drop rate of Lockpicks in Eye of the North.

- Double gold and experience rewards for vanquishing Eye of the North explorable areas while playing in Hard Mode.

In addition, all weekend long, three special items will be added that can drop from all creatures in Eye of the North: Sparklers, Hunter's Ale, and Honeycombs.

For more information on the event and to receive a "universal access code", go to http://guildwars.com/products/eyeofthenorth/trial/.

New features to Feast of Winter Veil 2007

- The Preserved Holly - http://www.wowhead.com/?item=21213 - that players can get from completing special holiday quests can now be used on flying mounts. This will temporarily turn their flying mount into a flying reindeer that trails sparkles as it flies through the air

- Handful of Snowflakes - this is a new item you can obtain by /kiss -ing a Winter Reveler NPC. It will create a light snowfall above any targeted player.

- Burning Crusade Holiday Bosses - as in past years, certain bosses will be dressed in a festive fashion and will drop seasonal hats when defeated. The holiday versions of the bosses will begin on Dec. 25 and end on Jan. 2. These bosses include:

o Grand Warlock Netherkurse (Shattered Halls)

o Grandmaster Vorpil (Shadow Labyrinth)

o Exarch Maladaar (Auchenai Crypts)

o Captain Skarloc (Durnholde Keep)

o Nethermancer Sepethrea (Mechanar)

o High Botanists Freywinn (Botanica)

- Mechanotoy - This is a new gift that can be obtained from under the Winter Veil tree in Ironforge and Orgrimmar. It lets you summon a Mechanotoy non-combat pet to follow you around.

"I wanted to donate it to the foster care so other kids could have a really special Christmas," Brandyn Waterford said. "My teacher said foster kids don't really get toys."

Child Sacrifices To Make Holiday Merry For Foster Kids [KQCA Sacremento]

December 5 - Annual Day of the Ninja [Official Page]

They're quite tiny, measuring 2" by 3.25", and feature real Swarovski crystals. A Khorium Ore-nament will set you back $9.95 US for one, $24.95 US for three. Quite an adorable little spawn, isn't it?

Khorium Ore-naments [Paul Pape Designs via Wonderland]

Dice have been around for more than 5000 years and have been part of the popular roleplaying game, D&D since its inception more than 30 years ago (though current gamers likely use dice made from plastics rather than oxen ankle bones like early forms of dice).

Intentions aside, many of us older gamers carried bulging dice pouches long before we toted game controllers about. I'm sure more than a few table top D&D players first got into computer gaming thanks to games like SSI's gold box series of PC titles. Besides, as any RPG fan can tell you, dice make for some pretty excellent mini-games.

*hums patriotic music* This Tuesday, remember our numbered, geometrical friends the dice. Be they 4-sided, 6-sided, 20-sided, or even the ever-rolling 100-sided, gaming wouldn't be the same without them. *stares off into the sunset as an eagle lands on his shoulder*

"Mark?"
"...Yes?"
"Why aren't you playing me, Mark"

"Sorry, I just have a lot of work to do, and the house is a mess and we have company coming."
"I wish you would play me, Mark."
"Seriously, it's not personal."
"...that's fine."
"We'll play soon, I promise."
"...I hope I'm not missing anything."
"What?"
"You haven't even opened my box yet. I could be missing something. Maybe the drum sticks...maybe even the game."
"Is that a threat?"
"No, I'm just saying, maybe I'm missing something. It's possible. It happens sometimes."

And then Rock Band went quiet.

Okay, fake pleasantries aside, why do they keep releasing these right after I buy a DS? I got the crimson and black Brain Age edition, and while it is indeed splendid, these two make it look like complete shit in comparison. The kids at the playground are going to pick on me! Well, at least until their parents call the cops to report a strange bearded man crying on the monkey bars. Then the other prisoners will laugh at me. *sniff* Damn you, Nintendo.

NINTENDO KICKS OFF THE HOLIDAYS WITH TWO NEW NINTENDO DS BUNDLES

Limited-Edition Gold and Metallic Rose Become Must-Have Gifts

REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 20, 2007 - Starting Nov. 23, Nintendo gives the holiday season a fresh blast of color with the launch of two special-edition Nintendo DS™ bundles. Each pairs a custom-color Nintendo DS system with one of the platform's hottest titles. The new Gold edition comes with The Legend of Zelda®: Phantom Hourglass, while the Metallic Rose Nintendo DS comes with the "Best Friends" version of Nintendogs™.

"Nintendo DS remains the portable system of choice for gamers," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "Our new bundles will be collector's items for current gamers while offering an attractive way for people new to video games to play with style."

With its dual screens, touch-screen, amazing franchises and innovative games, Nintendo DS has been a cornerstone of Nintendo's efforts to expand the world of video games to new audiences and to get as many people playing as possible. According to information from the independent NPD Group, Nintendo DS sales in the United States:

* topped 458,000 in October.
* are nearly 4.5 million for 2007.
* exceed 13.6 million since the system launched three years ago on Nov. 21, 2004.
* boasts 14 different million-unit sellers in North America, including Brain Age™: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day, Pokémon® Diamond Version, Pokémon® Pearl Version, Yoshi's Island DS™, Pokémon® Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team, Big Brain Academy™, New Super Mario Bros.™, Animal Crossing®: Wild World, Mario Kart® DS, Super Mario® 64 DS and four versions of Nintendogs™.

The new bundles will build on this legacy as they offer shoppers something new for the holidays.

The glimmering Gold edition of the Nintendo DS shows the world your passion for excellence and grandeur, since it comes bundled with The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - the year's biggest hand-held adventure game - and is emblazoned with the series' signature Triforce logo. It's a shiny nugget that any gamer - girl or guy - would be proud to show off.

For those looking for a different kind of dazzling color, the new pretty-in-pink Metallic Rose edition puts a futuristic sheen on your color scheme. It's bundled with Nintendogs, the acclaimed puppy-interaction software that lets players select, train and play with their own canine companions. And the hardware comes accented with a distinctive pink puppy paw print.

Whichever DS bundle you choose to complement your look, don't let the stocking-friendly size fool you: These packages are big on style and fun. For more information about Nintendo DS, please visit www.nintendo.com.

Folks living outside the States may want to research their regional options at the Child's Play charity site or simply make a donation online. Other helpful charitable options are certainly welcome and encouraged in the comments.

TOYS FOR TOTS SAN DIEGO ANNOUNCES 2007 HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE EVENTS

San Diego, CA November 19, 2007 - The San Diego chapter of the United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program today announced the 2007 Holiday Toy Drive schedule of events. The organization has teamed up with a variety of local companies this year including the Chargers, Wal-Mart and Sony Online Entertainment. Collection events will kick-off in November and conclude with the 18th Annual Chargers Toy Drive at their home game on December 16th.

The Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program is a nonprofit charity which collects new, unwrapped toys and distributes them to needy children in the community as Christmas presents. The toys are collected by Reserve Marines at various community fundraisers and civic functions, sorted according to age and gender, and then distributed to local social and welfare agencies, churches and civic organizations. In 2006, the Toys for Tots program in the San Diego area collected 171,125 toys reaching more than 49,000 children.

This year, the Marine Corps Reserves has set a goal of collecting more than 185,000 toys to reach at least 53,000 underprivileged children in the San Diego community. While the Marine Reserves organize, coordinate and manage the nonprofit charity program, the ultimate success depends on the support of the local community and the generosity of the people who donate toys.

2007 Calendar of Events:

* November 23-December 16: Wal-Mart Charity Toy Drives Every weekend at Santee, Shawline, Poway and Murphy Canyon stores from 9am-7pm.
* November 28: NBC 7/39 Toys for Tots Charity Kickoff Celebration at the NBC Studios San Diego. Toy collection and Live Coverage. www.nbcsandiego.com 619 231-3939 5pm-9pm
* December 2: Del Mar Village Association Holiday Wonderland Camino Del Mar and 15th Street. Toy collection. www.delmarmainstreet.com 858 755-1179 10am-6pm.
* December 7 & 8: NBC 7/39 Charity Toy Drive at the NBC Studios San Diego. Toy collection and Live Coverage. www.nbcsandiego.com 619 231-3939. Dec 7th; 5am-7pm / Dec 8th; 6am-5pm.
* December 16: 18th Annual Chargers Toys for Tots Drive at Qualcomm Stadium. Chargers vs. Lions game. Toy collection. www.chargers.com 11am-2pm.

New, unwrapped toys may be dropped off at any Toys for Tots collection box or may be brought to the events listed above. Furthermore, financial donations may be made to the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation www.toysfortots.org.

The site currently favors Need for Speed ProStreet 11-10—in their eyes, it's pretty much a sure thing. Fifa 08 comes in second at 2-1 and The SImpsons game is third at 3-1. (All listings appear to be cross platform). The best odds on the list? Balloon Pop. Yup, 250:1 on that longshot...which trust us, isn't even worth the 50-cent bet you have in mind. And that 50 Cent album that just streamed into your consciousness? Also worth ignoring.

No.1 Christmas video game? [via gamelife]

"For the first ten months of the year, our community makes, plays and breathes games." said Kristin Lindsay at Child's Play. "Our holiday drive is not only an opportunity to share that joy with those that need it, but it's also a great way to show the strength of our culture."

I couldn't have said it better myself (hence the press release quoting). Every year the gaming community grows, and it has shown in the growing amount of donations the Penny Arcade-spawned charity has drummed up. Gamers love topping their high score, so this year is sure to be the biggest one yet.

Child's Play has also announced the date for their annual charity dinner, an amazing event that features live and silent auctions of unique gaming items as well as food, which is a pretty nifty combination, especially for a charity dinner. Last year's event raised over $200,000, and this year I've heard rumors that Tycho and Gabe will be auctioning off internal organs from their actual bodies, which may or may not be a complete lie.

Kotaku is going to do our part. Make sure you do yours, or we will find you.

World's Largest Game Community Charity Launches Dates for Seattle Charity Auction Dinner Announced

Seattle, WA - November 2, 2007 - Child's Play (www.childsplaycharity.org) is proud to announce the opening of its charity drive. The organization, which started as a fundraiser for the Seattle Children's Hospital, has since raised over two million dollars in toys, games and cash through its online toy drive and annual charity auction to over 45 hospitals worldwide.

"For the first ten months of the year, our community makes, plays and breathes games." said Kristin Lindsay at Child's Play. "Our holiday drive is not only an opportunity to share that joy with those that need it, but it's also a great way to show the strength of our culture."

Now in its fifth year, Child's Play has expanded its network of beneficiary hospitals to over 25 states and five countries across the globe with additional partner hospitals being added each month. Child's Play works in conjunction with Amazon.com to create wish lists for participating hospitals. Individual donors can choose to give new items ranging from toddler toys to music CDs, videogames, game consoles and accessories. Gifts are delivered directly to hospitals in need and are tax deductible as denoted by law.

The annual Child's Play Fundraiser Dinner Auction will be held Tuesday, December 11, 2007 at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington. The semi-formal evening features a silent auction, dinner and live auction. In 2006 the dinner raised over $200,000 in one night, with all fundraising proceeds going directly to the Child's Play network of hospitals.

Child's Play is seeking corporate donations for giveaway at Children's Hospitals as well as auction items for the fundraising dinner. For information on how to become a corporate or individual donor or how hospitals can become involved please contact Kristin Lindsay at klindsay@penny-arcade.com or 206.274.0024.

UBISOFT ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR HOLIDAY 2007 LINEUP

Q3 2007-2008 Lineup Showcases Some of the Industry's Most Anticipated Games

SAN FRANCISCO - September 21, 2007 - Today Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced that its holiday 2007 lineup will feature an exceptional selection of titles. Covering all segments of video games - from hardcore to family titles, as well as games based on some of the most popular films and television series - the rich offering also includes some of this year's most anticipated new brands along with exciting new games from Ubisoft's multimillion-unit selling brands:

• Assassin's Creed(TM) - One of the most anticipated video games of the year comes to the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system in November, and to PC in early 2008.
• Beowulf(TM) - The video game, based on Paramount Pictures' and Shangri-La Entertainment's "Beowulf," the upcoming feature film from Academy Award®-winning director Robert Zemeckis, will be released in November on Xbox 360, the PLAYSTATION 3 system and PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system.
• Blazing Angels® 2 Secret Missions of WWII - Currently available on Xbox 360, experience World War II on the PLAYSTATION 3 system coming this holiday. Play as an elite pilot in the follow-up to the successful Blazing Angels® Squadrons of WWII.
• Brothers In Arms Hell's Highway(TM), previously expected to be released for holiday 2007 will be released on next-generation platforms and PC in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007-08. Brothers in Arms Road to Hill 30 for Wii will be released in December.
• CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION(TM) Hard Evidence - For the first time, CSI fans will be able to play CSI on Xbox 360 and the Wii(TM) home video game system from Nintendo this holiday.
• Haze(TM) - Legendary development team Free Radical Design teams up with Ubisoft to deliver the mind-altering, technologically superior game Haze, exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3 system this holiday.
• Heroes of Might and Magic® V: Tribes of the East - Enjoy the dramatic evolution and conclusion of the Heroes® V experience this holiday on PC.
• Nitrobike(TM) - Navigate rocket-propelled motorcycles in this arcade-style game exclusively for the Wii(TM) home video game system from Nintendo.
• NARUTO(TM): Rise of a Ninja - In a game exclusively developed for Xbox 360 from the ground up and for the first time ever, in October, gamers will experience Naruto starting from the series' beginning.
• Rayman Raving Rabbids® 2 - The bunnies are back and crazier than ever in this new game specially developed for Wii and Nintendo DS(TM) this holiday.

This holiday, Ubisoft will also release games that appeal to all audiences, with its innovative and appealing Games for Everyone lineup:

• Chessmaster®: The Art of Learning for DS and Chessmaster®: Grandmaster Edition for PC - In both games, Josh Waitzkin, International Master and eight-time National Chess Champion, coaches players to grasp the basic fundamentals of chess and to master the game through exciting courses and tutorials taken directly from his groundbreaking book, The Art of Learning (Free Press).
• Cranium® Kabookii - Designed specifically for Wii, Cranium Kabookii is an all-new game where families jam, draw, act and puzzle as they collect points and take center stage in the Kabookii Arena to win. Special Kabookii Decoder Glasses reveal secret answers for added fun!
• Imagine(TM) - The Imagine line allows girls to explore their favorite interests and hobbies - as indicated by extensive lifestyle research on this audience - in an interactive and entertaining way with titles such as Fashion Designer, Master Chef and Animal Doctor for Nintendo DS.
• My Coach - Play and learn with this suite of entertaining training coaches that will teach you languages (My French Coach, My Spanish Coach) or help you to improve your expression (My Word Coach) for DS and Wii.
• Petz® - This holiday will see the return of Horsez®, Catz®, Dogz® and Hamsterz on the DS, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, PC - and for the first time on Wii!

In the spirit of the holidays the festival is being extended for a week, now ending on January 11th in part to give Taiwanese players affected by the earthquake last week time to enjoy themselves. Sounds like a perfect time for lapsed players to stop by and check things out. Say, players who bought the collector's edition at launch, played for a month and then uninstalled the game because they were bored. *whistles innocently* Michael Fahey

Players Flock to Guild Wars in Record-Breaking Numbers and Rack Up 20 Million Hours of Gameplay

Extended Wintersday Festival a Smash Success!

January 8, 2007 (BELLEVUE, WA) — The annual Guild Wars Wintersday Festival kicked off on December 20, 2006, drawing new and existing players into the game in record-breaking numbers. Players racked up more than 20 million hours of gameplay during the Wintersday Festival alone as they participated in holiday-themed quests, festive events, competitive snowball fights and received unique Wintersday gifts. This year's Wintersday Festival was the fifth major holiday festival to be celebrated in Guild Wars, the hugely popular online roleplaying game developed by ArenaNet and published by NCsoft Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games.

In keeping with that spirit of giving, the festival has been extended for a week, now ending at noon PST (8 p.m. GMT) on January 11, 2007. This extension allows Taiwanese players affected by last week's earthquake and countrywide Internet outage a chance to revel in the festivities. In an additional show of holiday spirit and goodwill, Guild Wars players have offered to share their Wintersday gifts with those affected. Plans are currently underway for a massive in-game gift donation.

Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions , and Guild Wars Nightfall are online roleplaying games in which millions of players from around the globe explore a rich fantasy world, acquire skills, build personalized characters, and compete in fierce player-versus-player battles. The Guild Wars games have garnered numerous awards, including Billboard Magazine's DEMMX Award for 2006 Multiplayer Game of the Year, GameSpy's Best PC MMORPG of 2006, Play Magazine's 2005 PC Game of the Year, 1Up's 2006 Best Roleplaying Game, and IGN's 2005 Best PC Game, among others.

For more information, please contact Jenny Bendel at ArenaNet at 206.979.2202 or jenny@arena.net.

About ArenaNet
ArenaNet, located in Bellevue, Washington, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NCsoft Corporation. ArenaNet has built a state-of-the-art interactive game network and develops premier multiplayer online games for dedicated game players. ArenaNet's titles, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, and Guild Wars Nightfall are global online roleplaying games that allow gamers to play with anyone, anytime, and anywhere in the world. More information about ArenaNet can be found at www.arena.net.

About NCsoft Corporation

NCsoft North America is headquartered in Austin, Texas and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation. NCsoft, with its own development and publishing offices in Texas and California, also works with other NCsoft subsidiaries and third party developers throughout North America to develop and publish innovative online entertainment software products. The company has successfully launched multiple online titles in the last three years and continues to support its franchises, which include Lineage /Lineage II, City of Heroes /City of Villains , Guild Wars/Guild Wars Factions/Guild Wars Nightfall, and Auto Assault . More information about NCsoft can be found at www.plaync.com.

NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, PlayNC, Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions, Guild Wars Nightfall, Nightfall, ArenaNet, Lineage, Auto Assault, and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. City of Heroes, City of Villains, and all associated logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cryptic Studios, Inc. and NCsoft Corporation. Cryptic Studios is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

—-—--

The extent to which Pokemon is branded in Japan and abroad never ceases to amaze. Neither does the extent to which my family buys that Pokemon branded crap! Here's a bottle of "Shan Meri—," short for "champagne" and "merry." During the holidays, adults in Japan like to knock back bottles of champagne. And not to make the kids feel left out, alcohol-free soda pop that is packaged in beer, wine, champagne-type bottles. We picked this up at the neighborhood liquor store, marked down after Cmas. Hit the jump for the exciting unwrapping as well as my taste test! Brian Ashcraft

Ah, it's Pokemon Diamond & Pearl Shan Meri—. New software tie-in. Clever!

That's the other side. Can you feel the excitement?

The back. Nothing to see here, move along.

Ooooooh, the top. With packaging this shiny and a top like that, this soda pop should have a killer label.

Nope. Nothing. And the drink tastes like green grapes.

Non-sequitur, but here is what I had for lunch, I shit thee not.

Mission #4: Speaking of counting, we had a shin dig. With booze. And retro games. How many cone hats were in appearance? Count carefully. (Tip, this pic pops up in two places. Find the one that is NOT in an embedded slide picture player.)

It's been a lucrative holiday season for video games to say the least, with retailers reporting huge leaps in both consoles and software sales across the board. So which console sold the most systems during the two months leading up to Christmas in North America? According to preliminary findings by market analysts IDC, Microsoft came out on top, selling 2 million 360s during November and December, with the Nintendo Wii a close second with 1.8 million sold. The Playstation 3 brought up the rear at a mere 750 thousand.

Things to keep in mind as you take those figures in. First off, I'd say a fair share of 360s were purchased because the PS3 and the Wii were hard to find. Between that, the Xbox 360's two-week head start, and the fact that the newer consoles had limited availability you can't really take the findings as a measure of console popularity.

What the numbers do mean, however, is that 4.5 million next-gen (or is that current gen now?) consoles were sold in North America in 2 months, representing over $1.5 billion in sales. To put that into perspective, that's a lot more money than I have in my pocket right now. Michael Fahey

Xbox 360 topped US hardware sales chart over Xmas - IDC [GamesIndustry.biz]

(edit) After we ran this story, GamesIndustry.biz corrected theirs, noting that IDC was the company that provided the estimates, not NPD. Our story has been corrected accordingly.

Ever wonder how Santa Claus manages to work his way down chimneys way too small for him? Or how he seems to stop time in order to visit all of the world's good boys and girls every Christmas morning? LucasArts and TT Games know the answer: Santa Claus is a Jedi Knight whose amazing Force powers allow him to pull off such spectacular feats. A long time ago, he came to us from a galaxy far, far away to exile himself from the Jedi purge led by Darth Vader. (No... that's not official canon.)

Step 1: At the Mos Eisley Cantina, enter the following two codes:

CL4U5H (for Santa hat and red clothes)
TYH319 (for white beard Extra)

Step 2: Go to the Character Customizer and create the proper costume. Use a human head, the appropriate red clothing...and don't forget the red cap! Santa can wield the weapon of your choice — we recommend the green or red lightsaber to seasonally complement his shiny red duds. (Remember, the color of his lightsaber decides whether his Force powers are naughty or nice.)

Step 3: In the Extras menu, activate Disguise 3.

Step 4: Enter the character-based level of your choice in Free Play.

Step 5: Spread holiday cheer to a galaxy in pieces.

San Francisco Chronicle writer Peter Hautlaub makes an excellent suggestion for those too poor or too unlucky to acquire a shiny new next-gen system for the gamer in your life. Go retro. The article lists several financial situations, and the perfect classic gaming system to satisfy both wallets and game cravings.

Scenario 1: I'm poorer than Joey on the first season of "Friends" but not quite as poor as Gary Coleman when he got that job as a security guard:

The Nintendo 64 and Super NES are both great systems from the 1990s, when video game development was arguably at an artistic peak. You can buy either system with extra controllers and a shoe box full of games on eBay for about $60.

PS3 too pricey? For video game gifts, go retro. Sega Dreamcast, underrated and underpriced — and under your tree [SFGate.com]

CNN Money's Chris Morris asks himself (and answers) the question: If I were shopping for video gaming execs, what would I buy them for Christmas?

One of the overpriced, luxury items we've previously covered, which Morris finds perfect for retro gamer Peter "Petah" Moore, is the DreamArcades 100-inch video arcade center.

I'm sure Pete will adore it, Chris, I know I love mine!

But what to get Nintendo prez Reggie Fils-Aime and recently promoted Sony exec Kaz Hirai? I'll keep it spoiler free, as you may want to find out what to drop $70,000 on your millionaire loved ones, too. Michael McWhertor

Gifts for the video game elite [CNN]
The 100-Inch Arcade Set Up [Kotaku]

Moore told news outlet Bloomberg yesterday that:

All indications are that we came off a very strong Thanksgiving holiday. They key is we're in stock, we're available, we're delivering well to retail. Certainly the consumer is recognizing the fact that we have a great price point as well as 160 games available and that flies in the face of our competition.

Guess that just about wraps it up for Sony and Nintendo! Have your desk cleaned out by five, Reggie. You too, Tretton.

The only bad news for MS is that Bill Gates said that they'd have a ten million console headstart when the competition launched. Close enough? Michael McWhertor

Microsoft May Top Forecast to Sell 10 Million Xboxes [Bloomberg]

Is there a special nerd on your Christmas shopping list, one who will sniff at snowflakes and candy cane stripes and shit? If you're looking to up the nerd factor this holiday season, why not wrap up your gifts with Whimsy's Paper Invaders? Dad will be so pleased up until he discovers you've given him a copy of Dead or Alive Xtreme 2.

Part of the "Dude Wrap" series, a single, double-sided sheet will set you back $4.50. But if you go all in, bundling in the Bugz, Burnin' Rubber, and Sticks and Bones sheets for a handsome $36, you'll also nab some bonus themed stickers.

C'mon, class it up a little, would ya? Michael McWhertor

Whimsy Dude Wrap [via Cool Hunting]

As I struggle to stay afloat in the sea of new games, prepare for two console launches and read through the neverending press releases, it's nice to get the occasional bit of fun PR fluffery.

Last year, Nintendo wrote up a little carol to promote their holiday offerings and even hired people to sing it at one of their events. This year, they've got a new carol, sung to the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Heat up some wassail, hit the jump and sing along. Brian Crecente

On the first day of gaming, Nintendo sent to me
A remote with a new Wii

On the second day of gaming, Nintendo sent to me
Two DS Lites
And a remote with a new Wii

On the third day of gaming, Nintendo sent to me
Three Elite Beat Agents
Two DS Lites
And a remote with a new Wii

On the fourth day of gaming, Nintendo sent to me
Four Excite Trucks
Three Elite Beat Agents
Two DS Lites
And a remote with a new Wii

On the fifth day of gaming, Nintendo sent to me
Five Wii Sports Games
Four Excite Trucks
Three Elite Beat Agents
Two DS Lites
And a remote with a new Wii

On the sixth day of gaming, Nintendo sent to me
Six Nintendogs playing
Five Wii Sports Games
Four Excite Trucks
Three Elite Beat Agents
Two DS Lites
And a remote with a new Wii

On the seventh day of gaming, Nintendo sent to me
Seven Links a Swording
Six Nintendogs playing
Five Wii Sports Games
Four Excite Trucks
Three Elite Beat Agents
Two DS Lites
And a remote with a new Wii

On the eighth day of gaming, Nintendo sent to me
Eight Brain Age trainings
Seven Links a Swording
Six Nintendogs playing
Five Wii Sports Games
Four Excite Trucks
Three Elite Beat Agents
Two DS Lites
And a remote with a new Wii

On the ninth day of gaming, Nintendo sent to me
Nine Kirbys eating
Eight Brain Age trainings
Seven Links a Swording
Six Nintendogs playing
Five Wii Sports Games
Four Excite Trucks
Three Elite Beat Agents
Two DS Lites
And a remote with a new Wii

On the tenth day of gaming, Nintendo sent to me
Ten Clubhouse Games
Nine Kirbys eating
Eight Brain Age trainings
Seven Links a Swording
Six Nintendogs playing
Five Wii Sports Games
Four Excite Trucks
Three Elite Beat Agents
Two DS Lites
And a remote with a new Wii

On the eleventh day of gaming, Nintendo sent to me
Eleven RPG adventures
Ten Clubhouse Games
Nine Kirbys eating
Eight Brain Age trainings
Seven Links a Swording
Six Nintendogs playing
Five Wii Sports Games
Four Excite Trucks
Three Elite Beat Agents
Two DS Lites
And a remote with a new Wii

On the twelfth day of gaming, Nintendo sent to me
Twelve Yoshi's Islands
Eleven RPG adventures
Ten Clubhouse Games
Nine Kirbys eating
Eight Brain Age trainings
Seven Links a Swording
Six Nintendogs playing
Five Wii Sports Games
Four Excite Trucks
Three Elite Beat Agents
Two DS Lites
And a remote with a new Wii

CNN/Money's "Game Over' column by financial reporting stud Chris Morris leds us to believe that Sony will take a price hit on the PSP this holiday, lowering the MSRP of the handheld to $149 USD. In fact, analyst P.J. McNealy is quite sure of it.

There is a price cut coming in the second half of the year. [The PSP] has lost momentum. Nintendo has had a great run since it launched the DS Lite and Sony needs to regain some ground.

Analysts point to Sony's stockpiling of PSP hardware as an indicator that the company may make a revived retail push with new stock at a new price, combined with heavily promoted releases like Loco Roco and GTA: Vice City Stories. Add to that Sony's forthcoming online store with digital content and original PlayStation titles, and Sony could have a very healthy Christmas. Michael McWhertor

PSP price cut might be imminent

Happy Holidays from Lucas Arts. It's kinda hard to make out, but they really packed a lot of nostalgia in this one Christmas card. (CLick on the picture to see a larger image.)

Can you name all of the movies/games represented?

Vinnie over at UKFast sends word of a cool little Christmas-themed Space Invaders game he created. The flash game lets you blow up attacking stockings, gifts and what looks to be a bow-festooned tiny pile of reindeer leavings. I found it slightly disturbing that you get to take down the big fat man for the bonus 50 points instead of a saucer.

Christmas Invaders [Official Site]