The calm before the annual storm. It was the last normal week before the holiday shopping season begins and the mass media enforces your civic duty to agonize over what to buy mom, and whether Walmart sold enough of it.
We stepped in with our 2010 Gift Guides on five platforms so far, with more to come in the run-up to Black Friday – which seems to be more of a holiday than Thanksgiving itself. Also check out our roundup of the major retailers’ game deals in the Black Friday ads – we’ll be updating that throughout the weekend. (And, for online shoppers, The Moneysaver is always a reliable source of bargains.)
Increasingly it seems this ’tis the season not for giving, nor for receiving, but for something not as satisfying as either: buying. Hunker down, there are only 34 more shopping days left until sanity is restored.
Kotaku’s 2010 Gift Guides
Kotaku’s 2010 iPhone Gift Guide
Top Stories
These Gaming Deals Are INSANE!!!
Sorting Fact From Fiction In Call Of Duty: Black Ops
Columns
Well Played: Killing Castro
Stick Jockey: The Original Violent Spectacle Gets Its First Mature Rating
Reviews, Previews, Hands-On and Impressions
Frankenreview: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns Is Hypnotic, Hard Fun
Review: Guwange Is Bullet Heaven
Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Stupefies
Review: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Is The Best Assassin’s Creed
Review: The Fight: Lights Out Swings & Misses
Review: Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 Improves With Age
Marvel Pinball: From Comics Page To Silver Ball
Features
News
Totilo Talks The Top Games Of 2010 On Fox’s Strategy Room
Would You Like Some HDMI To Go With Your PSP Gaming?
From Boobs To Beef And Back To Boobs
Off Stage, She’s Pretty, On Stage? She’s A Nazi
Help! I Swallowed My World of Warcraft Authenticator!
Deus Ex: Human Revolution’s Remote Killing and Elbow Sword
Dead Space, Figure, Doopedy-Do
The “Future Of Video Games” Goes On Sale Tomorrow
Rumor: BioWare’s New Mass Effect Is A Multiplayer Spin-off [Update]
Call of Duty: Black Ops GPU & CPU Performance In-depth
Sony: Gran Turismo 5’s European Release Isn’t Changed
A Glimpse At Bioware’s Next Game… Could it Be Mass Effect 3?
This Isn’t “Character Creation”, It’s More Amazing Than That
In 2010, Japan Went Mad For Game Addiction, Dog Politics and Outer Space
Why The Hell Does The PS3 Need Another Movie Service?
The Tester 2: Episode 3: “Can You Hear Me Now?” Liveblog: Communication Is Key
Ex LucasArts, Budcat Staffers To Also Have A Lousy Christmas [Update]
Are The PlayStation 3-Exclusive Assassin’s Creed Missions Worth It?
Bizarre Devs Took a Chance, May Get Closed
Which Call of Duty: Black Ops Accessories Are Worth Buying?
What Consoles Japanese Gamers Own, Which Ones They Play
Shenmue Creator Keen For Overdue Shenmue III
Stormtroopers Wanted, Enquire Within
PS3 Racer Gets In Touch With Its Musical Side
Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 Makes A Jill Sandwich
What Do Harry Potter, Toy Story And Final Fantasy Have In Common?
Can Microsoft’s New Online Store Compete With Steam?
Argue For A Virtual Boy Store On the Nintendo 3DS, If You Can
Pushing Forty In A Maid Outfit
No, This Isn’t Wii Fit For Babies
How An Australian Man Nearly Ruined Black Ops For Me
GoldenEye Cheats Resurrect Big Head Mode [Updated]
Sly 4 Teased In Sly Collection Trailer
Numbers
The 20 Most-Loved Wii Games, Breaking The 80-Hour Barrier
iTunes Chart Toppers: It’s a Smurfy Day
Reactions
What’s The Easiest Game You’ve Ever Played?
Press Play
Unboxing OnLive’s Streaming PC Gaming Console
This iPhone Game May Make You Forget You’re Playing on a Phone
Is This The Year’s Most Liberal Video Game?
Rage On iPhone Is In Our Hands And Looks Damn Good
They Really Need To Stop Making These Mega Man Online Trailers
Great Shot Kid, That Was One In A Million
LEGO Universe MMO Log Three: A Dark Hero Rises
The PS3’s Raunchiest Game Gets A Raunchy Trailer
Your First (And Last) Look At Mercenaries 3
Don’t Know Your Noir From Your L.A. Noire?
Screengrabs
One Reason I Liked The New Assassin’s Creed
It Is Real, This Is Actually Happening
