Wondering got us to asking, so we asked around. And people like Ken Levine, Sid Meier, Gabe Newell, David Jaffe and Aaron Greenberg were kind enough to provide us with answers. Some wanted world peace. Others money. One wants to hear less Wham. Not sure Santa's the right person to be asking that of.

Anyway, without further ado, here's what some of the video game industries biggest names (and, uh...us) hope to find under the Christmas tree come December 25.

Pete Hines, Bethesda
"I'd like to see the USA make it to the semifinals of the World Cup, or Wake Forest make it to the Final Four. Or both. And I'd like enough time to get through the pile of new games I need to play and haven't gotten to yet. And money. And world peace. But mostly money."

Gabe Newell, Valve
"I decided I needed a hobby, so I started teaching myself how to be a machinist. I've got a CNC mill, surface grinder, heat treat furnace, and lots of other devices designed to launch various body parts across my garage at high velocity while on fire. Once you start going down this path, it makes putting together a Christmas list pretty easy as there's a near infinite amount of stuff that you can convince yourself you need. For example a year ago I'd never heard of Harvey Tool's 270 degree undercutting end mill (#23204-C3), and now I can't imagine how I'll be able to make it through Christmas day if I don't get it in my stocking. Band-Aids would also be nice..."

Sid Meier, Firaxis
"A Rickenbacker guitar! Playing and composing music is my second most favorite thing to do – next to making games of course! I've wanted one of these guitars for a while – hope Santa is reading this article."

Aaron Greenberg, Microsoft
"The Wire box set. Because you can never have too much knowledge about the how the game is played."

Hideki Kamiya, Platinum Games
"I would like lots of cute girlfriends for Christmas because I don't really have any cute girlfriends right now."

Todd Howard, Bethesda
"I'd like more time to sit in my basement and play video games. I don't know that I've been nice enough to my family to deserve that though, because I'm usually in my basement playing video games."

David Jaffe, EatSleepPlay
"As an agnostic who celebrates BOTH Christmas and Chanukah, my wish list includes: tickets to the Jay-Z concert at Staples center in March (I THINK my ex is getting them for me, but don't tell her I know, cool?!?), a fantastic time with friends and family over the holiday, for the spirit of God/the Universe/whatever you choose to call it to continue to flow thru me and the amazing team at Eat Sleep Play so we can provide fans a great deal of joy and happiness in the new year; great jobs for all my gaming colleagues who are out of work right now; and finally and most importantly: health, understanding, love, and much peace to us all, especially to those who are suffering. Much love, ya'll! Have a great holiday!"

Ken Levine, 2K Boston
"I'd like to get a working internet connection, Comcast! My guildmates need me! And damnit, I've been good enough to deserve a trip to the Scarlet Monastery."

Randy Pitchford, Gearbox
"All I want for the holidays is for single vendor DRM to die and be replaced by a global/universal identity and credential system that is loved and adopted by all. If that can happen, I guess it would also be cool to get one of those Taun Taun sleeping bags :)"

Frank O'Connor, 343 Studios
"Is it too much to ask Santa for a 50 inch Samsung LED TV? It's not because of the picture so much as it's the absolute, wafer-thin flatness of it. I have already been cheated, by life, out of a flying car. I just want a TV that looks like it would melt in your mouth. And then I could watch a documentary about world peace on it."

Ben Judd, Capcom
"If I could get anything for Christmas it would be a reduction in the amount of times I had to hear "Last Christmas" by Wham! in the various convenience stores, department stores, even the local pork cutlet shop. All of those not living in Japan, thank your lucky stars you this song doesn't have nearly the exposure in your country as it does in Japan. I have a very high threshold for pain... I even didn't mind Hanson. But hearing this song more than 100 times in a single 30 day span can break any man. Any man."

Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, Microsoft
"I need Bioshock 2 to be worthy of the first game. I need it to be great! Can't start next year with a broken heart."

Atsushi Inaba, Platinum Games
"I'd like a deserted island, surrounded by emerald green seas. I think even if I really shouldn't, having an island would make me feel like taking a vacation."

Luke Plunkett, Kotaku
"What do I want, readers? I want the complete Battlestar Galactica collection on Blu-Ray. I'll probably end up with something else, since that's so damn expensive, but we're talking about what I want here, not what I think I'll get."

Brian Ashcraft, Kotaku
"A weaker Japanese yen — way weaker. FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS GOOD PLEASE!"

Stephen Totilo, Kotaku
"I want all my comics to magically turn into trade paperbacks, my old cassette tapes to suddenly be on my iPod and all my video games accessible from harddrives instead of discs. And I want all of that to be indestructible and always accessible, please? Oh, and more time to read would be nice."

Michael Fahey, Kotaku
"I want to know how to read and speak Japanese for Christmas. It would be lovely if this was something you could receive in a box with a neatly-wrapped bow around it. See, I've imported Final Fantasy XIII, and while I am to the point where I can make out a word in katakana if you give me a few minutes, I am relatively sure that won't do in this situation. Other than suddenly having knowledge of a language that takes years to learn, my list mainly consists of harder-to-find games. Bust-A-Groove for the PlayStation (I own a Japanese copy I can't play in anything,) and Thousand Arms. I would kill for a nice copy of Thousand Arms, probably my favorite RPG on the PlayStation. I suppose killing isn't in keeping with the season. I'd...hug an orphan for a nice copy of Thousand Arms."

Amanda Glasser, Kotaku
"Well, since I didn't get The Hangover on DVD for Hanukkah, I'd like that for Christmas, as well as Family Guy's Something Something Dark Side. The holidays are usually a real drag at my house and I'm forbidden to play video games because it's not 'spending time with the family,' so I'll need funny stuff like this to watch while the family is in the same room with me.

"Also, I'm still holding out for that pony."

Owen Good, Kotaku
More than anything I want a conference championship in either football or men's basketball for North Carolina State University. That's all. Not a Final Four. I don't even care about the Orange Bowl. Just a fucking Atlantic Coast Conference championship, which I've won a thousand times on my Xbox 360 in NCAA Football and Basketball, but which my school hasn't seen in real life since Jim Valvano and Bo Rein. Both coaches died young, and tragically. My wish doesn't really have much to do with games, unfortunately. But you asked, and when I honestly think of something that would make me happier than I have ever been in years, if only for a day, that is it.

PIC via Matti Matilla's Flickr photostream

Some had guessed that the initial Spec Ops: The Line trailer was hinting at something more than just your standard modern day shooting affair. And hey, with strangely decomposed bodies and city-sized sand traps, it still is. But with an official name and now an official developer, it's not an X-Com game, and it has nothing to do with BioShock, either.

Instead, it's "just" a Spec Ops game. One with an interesting premise, yes, but still an entry in a series that's not exactly bouncing off the walls with a storied history and worldwide brand recognition.

The studio working on the game, Yager Development, are just as inconspicuous. Despite being formed in 1999, Yager have so far released one game, the "self-titled" Yager, an underwhelming shooter released on the PC and Xbox all the way back in 2003.

So, Ken...still waiting on that X-Com game reveal. What do you guys think 2K Boston are working on, if not this? Freedom Force 3? Two years is an awful long time to pass at a studio without even an announcement...

[Spec Ops, thanks Daniel!]

Because rumour has it - and has had it for a while now - that Ken Levine and crew are working on a new X-Com game. Whether they are or not, nobody knows. But if they are, that game is a shooter, with job ads for the company revealing that 2K Boston's "next big project" is "an unannounced shooter".

Who would have thought that the company behind one of the best shooters of the current generation would be working on another shooter?!?

2K Boston's 'next big project' is a 'shooter' [GameSpot] [image: VG247]

Levine tells game site Gamasutra, "And when we thought about the shipping date of the project... We needed a certain kind of length for the title, because we had a scope and ambition in mind which is more ambitious than anything we've ever done."

"Even more, substantially more ambitious than BioShock," he continues. "And we knew that was not going to happen overnight."

Sounds like this will be big, and it sounds like it's something we won't see for a long, long time. Be patient!

Ken Levine on Studio Culture: From Looking Glass to 2K Boston [Gamasutra]

Levine had just graduated from college and moved to San Francisco. The lady friend was a few years younger than him, and at the end of the summer, she had to go back to university.

"In our last day together in San Fran, I for some reason picked up The Legend of Zelda," recalls Levine. "As she stood by waiting for some romantic gesture to happen on our last day living together, she was instead treated to watching me obsessively plow through Hyrule for around 15 hours. By the time the cab showed up to take her to the airport, I realized if I had any hope of keeping her as my girlfriend, it was time to shut off the NES."

Needless to say, Levine adds, the next summer was not spent together. Good thing he had Link to keep him company!

Gaming Made Me: Ken Levine [Rock, Paper, Shotgun] [Pic]

The actual topic of discussion was whether hardcore gamers should fear the Wii. The answer? Good luck getting a definitive one from this vid. You could read it as a "No" with a "but" or a "Yes" with a "well" – your choice.

The bottom line for Levine and Howard is clarifying whether or not a Wii or DS release is by definition a non-hardcore game. Game developers aren't out to make games based on the platform; they're out to make games period, Levine says.

The highlight of the panel for me is the Teddy Ruxpin references. Anybody remember that toy? Why doesn't Levine make a game about him? For the Wii, of course.

Ken Levine And Todd Howard On Whether Hardcore Gamers Should Fear The Wii

Howard dropped the news of pursuing Apple's portable platform during today's "Vs. Mode Live" panel, in which he, BioShock lead Ken Levine, Newsweek's N'Gai Croal and MTV's Stephen Totilo flapped their gums about games to the delight of Comic Con masses. Croal dropped word of the reveal on his Twitter, offering no further info.

For all we know, it could be Fallout Touch. Bethesda is no stranger to portable development, publishing The Elder Scrolls Travels for Java-enabled cell phones and Nokia's N-gage.

Additional highlights from the panel can be reviewed at MTV's summary of the roundtable.

Ken Levine, Todd Howard Highlights From Our Comic Con Panel [MTV Multiplayer]

In an interview with Forbes, the 2K man speaks of his undying love for PCs, and his hopes that, in spite of "so many challenges" for PC gaming, the old warhorse can be made more successful.

Asked "What is the industry's biggest mistake?", Levine responds:

I'm a real believer in industrial Darwinism. It's hard for an industry to make a mistake because the market tends to be self-correcting...but I wish the industry could find a way to make PC gaming more broadly successful. There are so many challenges for PC gaming—the complications from systems specifications to the drivers—most people look at PC games and say, "What are you talking about?" It's a shame because as a gamer, I am never more comfortable than I am sitting with a mouse and keyboard two inches away from my monitor.

Good to hear, Ken.

'Games Are The Convergence Of Everything' [Forbes]

When you get a chance to work on something that was really creative you get the temptation to re-do things...We chose not to.

That means that the PS3 version will have the same final hours that the Xbox 360 does. Of course, developer 2K Marin is adding extra features to BioShock PS3, but the grist of the game is still the same. Mmmm grist.

‘BioShock’ PS3 Developers Chose Not To Improve Game’s Faulty Ending [Multiplayer]

My job there is to be a friend to Gore and John, be a resource for them and kick ideas around with them. At the end of the day John's the writer and Gore's the director. I'm not the traffic cop. They've been so respectful of the material and they're fans of the material — neither of these guys have to make any movie, they're both hugely successful in their fields, and for a guy like Gore Verbinski to go and make a Bioshock movie, that's a choice he makes. He's not in a place where he doesn't get to pick what assignments come to him. Same with John. So my job is not to watch over them, it's to say "hey guys, what can I do to help?" We've been talking some and it seems to me that these guys really are the right guys to be doing this.

Let's hope so, Ken. Let's hope so.

Ken Levine interview - Part 1 [OXM]

When we had the copy protection issues come out, I was out there talking about the product, I didn't run away from that. And frankly I got some nasty fucking threats... I think it's important that somebody takes responsibility, and at the end of the day my job as creative director is to sort of be the arbiter of taste... With great power comes great responsibility right?

Righto Spidey, righto.

Levine: "I got some nasty f***ing threats" [CVG] [Pic]

Levine, compatriot and family (including in his parents) are actually sitting right next to me. They're all very nice people. Hit up the jump to follow along as Levine wows us.

Levine on System Shock 3: “Would I turn my nose up at another round with Shodan? No” [VG247] [Image]

He is absolutely the most intense guy in the world... He’s like Rasputin, you know. He’s intense... But that’s how you make great stuff. You don’t make great stuff by wearing a nice sweater and drinking a martini: you make great stuff by digging your fucking teeth in... I know Sam now... I’ve been lucky enough to get to know Sam... Since BioShock’s come out — I was a huge fan of his, and I think he really liked the game, and he felt is was something that was greatly interesting. I can’t speak for Sam, you know, but that’s my interpretation of what he said.

Hey, the martini and nice sweater racket did wonders for Frank Sinatra. That guy was no slouch.

Houser made GTA by digging his “fucking teeth in,” says Levine [VG247]

You’re always going to be worried that in that first meeting they’re going to be, like, ‘OK, it’s Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey on a desert island hunting for pirate treasure,’ but it’s not going to go that way

My expectation at this time, from everything that I’ve heard, is that it will very much honour the dramatic and thematic elements of the game… They certainly understand the material and are able to provide a stamp of their own.

Thank goodness for that. But, now you mention it, that wouldn't be the worst Uncharted movie...

BioShock movie won’t be “Kate Hudson hunting for pirate treasure,” says Levine [VG247]

I think for us, we come out of our BioShock coma - from shipping that game, and how hard that was - and then making a determination. What's next for us, and how aggressive are we going to be?

And we all looked at each other, and these guys have worked together for maybe six or ten years, all the senior creative guys on BioShock, and asked what do we want to do? Do we want to do something a little more straightforward next time, or do we want to swing for the fences again? To paraphrase, we decided to swing for the fences.

So...if they're not doing BioShock 2, and have very good reasons for not doing BioShock 2, what are they doing?

I actually can't talk about it, without talking about the game itself. There are things related to story, gameplay and...I don't know how to describe it...people's relationship with the game over the long term. That's what we're thinking about, but it's about as clear as I can be.

So, not very clear at all, then!

Ken Levine - Part One [GI.biz][Pic: Hot Grill]

Self-deprecating humor at it's finest! Ken could have just called it a day right there and the video game press quote gods would have been appeased, but then he went and talked to the folks at Videogaming247, addressing rumors that members of the BioShock team left because the didn't like him.

“I think the thing that was the most damaging is that it’s not something I can respond to. There’s no point in it. Look at the BioShock credit list and see how true that rumour is. My personality? I don’t know. Maybe I am an asshole.

“Honestly, the people I respect? Maybe I’m the nicest guy in the world, maybe I’m the biggest asshole. I couldn’t tell you. I think people choose to work with me because I can work with them and make a game called BioShock.

So maybe Ken is a bit of a twat with a little asshole mixed in, but the point here is that he recognizes the fact and can live with it. Can't fault a man who knows who he is. Well you can, but it's more entertaining when he doesn't.

Ken Levine: 'I'm kind of a pretentious twat' [Videogamer.com]
Ken Levine: “Maybe I am an asshole,” but rumour doesn’t matter [Videogaming247]

What’s kind of curious is these rumors floating around, and we read them on the Internet.. Oh, there’s some rumor that like, after BioShock, everybody hated Ken and everybody left. And everybody’s in the office like ‘where did this come from? I didn’t leave. Are you leaving? No.’ The answer is, after BioShock finished, nobody left... We would love to know [where the rumor came from]... It’s rough for us, because we’re like, it’s the same old team, we’re still there, still like working with Ken, we’re doing great stuff... If you ever meet Ken, he’s the most unassuming guy. He’s the biggest nerd. But what you have to do in a game is go out there and get people excited about your project... What I think people like about Ken, or what’s made him an ‘icon’ is that he tells the truth... He takes his case to the gamer, and that really gets people excited.

You heard it here! Ken Levine: Nerd, icon, exciter.

The Truth About Ken Levine [Next Generation]

Ken Levine re-negotiating contract with Take-Two [Variety]