Busy Times

Life has been a bit busy and I've been doing my writing elsewhere. I shall return!

Another Week Ends

I am presently waiting at my computer for a message to join a game of Left 4 Dead from a friend of mine. I'm waiting for a friend to join because I've grown tired of joining games that are filled entirely with strangers. As the frags rack up in my profile the fun is starting to notch itself down. It stings me a bit to speak poorly of a game I have championed from a developer I believe in, but I'm not here just to point out the positive aspects of the games I enjoy, and Left 4 Dead is quickly topping my list of personal disappointments in $50 titles. The longer Valve takes to fix the patches, exploits, and quirks, the less community we'll have left to host and play our games when it finally occurs.

It had to be the holiday rush. Valve has a spectacular record of releasing fully fleshed out games, some of which have been delayed for well over a year for polish. Half-Life 2 wasn't released until six years after its older brother, and was lauded by critics as a masterwork for its time. I'm worried that with all of success Valve has had in the titles succeeding that sequel they've started to lose their focus on what used to sell their games. Releasing something as unfinished as Left 4 Dead and charging a full $50 for what might amount to a complicated Half-Life 2 modification is uncharacteristic of the company. The game still stands on its own as a unique and entertaining cooperative experience, but novelty alone wont carry a game far beyond the holiday season, and I hope the team comes back strong in January to pick up the pieces.

Christmas Is Over! Tougher Times Ahead?

Merry the-Holidays-are-Almost-Over! Six days to go until we're all wrapped up and retail tanks back into the ground again. Video games have been fairly resilient up to this point, but will it last into the new year? I suspect we're going to see the economy affecting sales more next year than they have this year, especially on the lower-income side end of the spectrum. Less hours at work coupled with higher food prices means those of us riding the poverty line aren't going to have the luxury of disposable income until some time later in the spring. What am I supposed to do without a new toy every two weeks? Flash games!?

There is one demographic of gamer out there who wont find themselves aching for entertainment over the course of this crisis: The Wii player. For the third year in a row I find my mind boggled by how incredibly entertaining a friendly gathering can get when Wii Sports is involved. My aunts, grandparents, and cousins all manage to take something away from the experience, whether that is derived from the observation of a relative fumbling with the Wii-mote or in the demonstration of their bowling talents in front of the family. Our obsession with a two year old bundled title isn't doing much for Nintendo, but it keeps my faith alive in their ability to keep this new market entertained. How does one truly topple the giant we now know as Wii Sports? I don't think you can. I think you have to add games to it, upgrade it graphically, and re-release the thing on the next console if you want your new audience to come along for the next console. Oh, and keep it under $300!

I don't get much out of the Wii myself... I did own one, at one point. It lasted about six months before I pawned the thing off for rent money, and I think I may have only turned it on about ten times from the day I bought it. Nintendo isn't appealing to an action-oriented demographic with their library, and they aren't doing much better with story-telling. Tales of Sympohonia was to RPGs as Castlevania: Judgment was to Action Adventure titles; Both were strictly passable in play through. All the same, Nintendo is holding on strong in the sales among those of us who aren't necessarily looking for an incredible single player experience. As wonderful as Mario and Zelda are, there aren't so many first party Nintendo games out there that we can justify purchasing a Wii over either of its technologically superior counterparts. No, it isn't the single player titles that keep Nintendo in business, it's the party games.

One console, one extra controller, two years of continuous entertainment. The Wii has earned our investment and our hearts through its ease of accessibility, and even in times of economic distress is still selling as quickly as it can be stocked onto shelves. Maybe the lesson here is that good things should come in smaller packages, in that they make happier customers who aren't stuck at the store looking for the next best thing every two weeks. Maybe it's that the family-focused party games spread the interest in a console faster than all the hype and marketing of a Halo title. Whatever it is Nintendo has demonstrated that a small number of fun games can outlast more than two years of hype and technological advances. $250 isn't a lot to bring the family together for the holidays, and the memories are priceless.

Merry Christmas

I hope none of you out there are having a dreary evening. I've had enough sad Christmases to last me through until my untimely but inevitable demise. Appreciate what you have, and don't dwell on whatever you don't. January starts another year, and with every near year comes new hope. Use it.

And for God's sake, put down the video games and talk to somebody! Anybody! Just get out there and give some love to somebody who deserves it.

Peace and love, all.

A Personal Post: Christmas Eve- Turning a Critical Eye Inward On Myself

Catchin' up- An Older Post

I hate and love Christmas at the same time. I'm not an especially large fan of the holiday season because I'm not an especially social person at festive gatherings. Or any gatherings, for that matter. I usually find myself dreading the thought of running into relatives I haven't spoken with in a while, or being drawn away from things I would normally be doing if not for scheduling around with the holidays; however, when they finally do arrive, I usually find myself enjoying their company. Christmas is an opportunity for our family to come together and share how we've been with one another; Thanksgiving seems to be there more for people who might not make it come Christmas time and want to log their hours early.

I dread meeting with family because I haven't grown into the guy everybody thought I would be. When I was younger it was widely accepted by the family that I was bright, and I was buried in honors courses with serious plans for college; unfortunately, it takes more to make a person successful than a high Intelligence Quotient, and I haven't lived up to becoming everything I could have been. Fear, depression, anxiety, and anti-social tendencies have retarded my progress since I left school. It's taken me nearly five years just to stumble across an activity I enjoy enough to make the attempt to shape into a career at some point in my future. In all of those years I might have made fifteen friends, and of those friends I presently only keep in touch with two. I haven't returned to school, yet, and although I still maintain the intention of returning, I find myself intimidated into submission by the very school I plan to attend. So many young, busy, social people, all in a very academic and prestigious establishment, the majority of whom are coming right out of high school... It all scares me to death. I never attended a graduation for high school and some small part of myself still feels as though I'm still trapped in it. The idea of being back around people of that age and state of mind frightens me dreadfully. One step at a time I'm making an effort to poke out of my shell just long enough to figure out how to deal with the every-day-world outside of my apartment; from there, we'll see if I can deal with my social anxieties effectively enough to accomplish my aims.

I enjoy writing because I can do it on my own. Until I get an editor involved my work and my thoughts are my own, and I don't need to ask anything of anyone if I don't choose to do so. When I write, I can take my time to present the thoughts I want to present in the way I choose to present it; there is no bumbling of thoughts or awkward pauses for forgotten words. Through writing you can be judged by the quality of your argument rather than your charisma or confidence. It's the ultimate anti-social format for communication and it's the only medium I feel confident communicating through. That is to say, that I would feel confident communicating through if I had confidence in my writing abilities... but skill comes through learning, and confidence through practice. One day I'll be strong enough to take on the real world with my writing, and on that day I hope to come out of my shell long enough to meet the world I am writing for.

Also Reserving This One

Taking a brief Christmas break. Content incoming.

Excuse Me While I Reserve This Date

Post is on the way presently.

Titles Worth Your Time

In the interests of time this evening, I'll present three games I feel anyone who appreciates video games should invest some time into.

• Planescape: Torment

No surprises here. When Role-Playing games were still in top-form in the late 90's Planescape: Torment came rolling off the heels of Fallout 2 and Baldur's Gate. The late Black Isle had taken many different approaches to their Role-Playing titles, testing a new technique with each franchise. The Fallout franchise was about having total freedom to make difficult decisions, and witnessing the results of those choices play out in the story; Baldur's Gate was a linear character-driven storytelling experience driven with some heavy action elements; Icewind Dale was a tactical action-driven game which went lighter on the narrative elements Baldur's Gate pushed forward. Planescape, which would likely have gone on to become a franchise if it had sold more successfully, focused almost entirely on narrative. Dialogue reigned over combat as the most effective means through which to proceed through the game, and every character in your party filled a meaningful role in the story. With a script of over 800,000 words, Planescape: Torment still sits near the top of the heap as an example of what RPGs have been and could be again.

• Deus Ex

When it comes to the First Person Role-Playing game hybrid most people refer to System Shock 2 as a ground breaker, but in my eyes, Deus Ex did more less. As Deus Ex had no prequel to set up the story from the start, the setting and characters had to explain themselves as they went along. This feat wouldn't have been especially noteworthy if this game had been light on narrative or a pure-bread Role-Playing experience, but as a hybrid, Deus Ex delivered exposition on the go, with first person shooting sequences broken up by quick character interactions, giving the player a difficult or ambiguous decision to make on a number of separate occasions. The story was long and intricate, with several interlocking plot lines and surprising reveals along the way. In many ways, 2k-Boston's "Bioshock" has refined the First-Person Role-Playing genre in its integration of action with storytelling, but Deus Ex still stands alone for its gameplay and moral ambiguity.

• Indigo Prophecy

In 2005, Developer Quantic Dream unleashed Fahrenheit onto the world. Fahrenheit, shipped as Indigo Prophecy in the United States, was a third-person adventure game designed to play out as a movie in which the player served as both the director and the actors. The gameplay is split between quick time event action sequences and the interactive dialogue that presses the plot along. The film format allows the player the opportunity to see the game's mystery unfold from the perspectives of the protagonist as well as his persuers, and to somewhat alter the progression of their investigation through the interactive encounters. The storytelling is cinematic and its tale plays out as one the best of the B-movies this generation has to offer. Although it starts to fall apart towards its ending, Fahrenheit offers a unique storytelling experience that hasn't been reproduced or revised to date. Until Quantic Dream's next project, Heavy Rain, comes to fruition, Indigo Prophecy will remain the most compelling attempt at a cinematic expression through a video game on the market.

The Transition from Gamer to Game Critic

The first console I was introduced to was the Intellivision, and the first game I can remember playing on it was Burger Time. I later made the transition from what I can only classify as primitive platformers into a more modern iteration with the Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Mario Bros. I made the jump from platforming to strategy when I later acquired a Macintosh and a copy of Syndicate, and from strategy to scrolling shooters with a copy of Biohazard for the Sega Genesis. From the Genesis I transitioned into the Super Nintendo and Role-Playing Games, starting with Final Fantasy IV and carrying on into Chrono Trigger (both of which have been recently re-released on the Nintendo DS). Out of the Super Nintendo, I moved into first person shooters with an early PC and a copy of Quake II, and from that I came back to the now legendary Sega Dreamcast with the action-adventure platforming hybrid of Sonic Adventure 2. For all I've experienced over the years I eventually settled on the Windows PC as my gaming platform of choice, and I've never looked back. Well, outside of this and every other instance of my writing where I recount my experiences with classic games.

I've been a gamer for 18 years now across eleven platforms on top of the PC. I took an inventory of my PC games as I was cleaning my apartment last month and discovered that I own more than 150 games. From Quake, to to Planescape, to Thief, to Rainbow Six, to Warcraft, to Indigo Prophecy, I've seen just about all the PC has had to offer. As technology improves I find gameplay has remained startlingly similar from one iteration of a genre to another. I've played Quake I and Quake IV, compared Doom I against III, seen Diablo turn into Titan Quest, and watched Warcraft evolve into Supreme Commander, and smoothly transitioned from each to the other. Outside of the more innovative titles this year like Mirror's Edge, there are patterns to find and tropes to retread in all of the newer titles of this generation. One of the less desirable consequences of having so little to learn in jumping from one game to another is simply my disenchantment with the medium. How does Rogue Trooper differ from Halo? Or Thief with Splinter Cell? A different setting and different weapons. A handful of gameplay mechanics and a new spin on an old trope doesn't get me quite as excited as it used to so I find myself approaching newer games now with a more critical set of eyes than I once would have, and I've started to appreciate video games in an entirely new way.

Being critical of a game doesn't mean you have to dislike it; quite the contrary. I've recently returned to a number of older games like Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader and Thief: Deadly Shadows with new eyes; an expedition into weaker graphics on antiquated engines in search of whatever it was that made them magical - or perhaps simply passable - when they were new. I derive just as much pleasure from the critical analysis of an older game today as I would have had playing them when they were totally new to me (and often times far more pleasure than I would have had attempting to find the 'fun' in some of these 2 star titles) and it allows me the opportunity to see the industry attempting to innovate in retrospect. Not every old RPG is Planescape: Torment and not every Adventure game is Psychonauts, but every game is built from the ground up by a development team with their own ideas and unique implementations. Being able to appreciate the finer details and squeeze the fun out of a stone is a part of what makes gaming such an entertaining hobby for me, and is a definite factor in providing some of my perspective on the industry.

The transition from a gamer into a critic was an organic one. Once any person acquires enough experience in a particular field to start seeing trends he finds himself linking them together to find patterns. It's natural to become curious as to the 'how' or the 'why' of those things we enjoy to observe around us, and it's only one small step from a casual observation over to a critical one. With so many derivative titles stocking the shelves this year I find myself experiencing a greater sense of satisfaction just explaining what it is I enjoy about games than I would have playing them. To some, sitting around and writing up an analysis for a video game might be interpreted as a rationalization wasted time, wasted to the game at hand and lost to games overall. There's some truth to that, but ultimately that isn't the way I see it. I see it as an opportunity to embrace something I have a passion for; an opportunity to roll up my sleeves and dig deeper into an art form I have an intense appreciation for. It allows me to break down all of the little details that make a good game great and a deficient game defective. If I should ever enter into the industry and attempt to channel my excitement into employment, the knowledge I glean from my critical observations and the secrets I uncover from my late night play sessions will prove invaluable to me. We'll see if it all amounts to much in the end, but for now, it's a hell of a hobby, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Welcome to the Symposium: A Discourse on Game Ratings

When you're out looking to purchase a video game, do you ever find yourself looking for reviews online? If you do, is there a specific rating underneath which you simply wont spend your money on a game? Shawn Elliott of 2k Boston, formerly of 1Up.com, has recently coerced a number of his colleagues to participate in public disquisition regarding a number of curiosities that have been raised over inside of the games journalism field, from how hype affects reviews to how those reviews affect consumer purchases. Shawn recently supplied the first piece of his symposium for public consumption here on Blogspot. Weighing in at just over 13,000 words (and still incomplete!) it's an enlightening, if a bit beastly, read.

Opinions are primarily divided over the issue of whether or not review scores detract from the reviews themselves. Are the scores there just to give readers something to complain about on the boards as they attempt to leverage that rating against another game in comparisons?

Jeff Gerstmann, Giant Bomb: Well, I won't deny that scores stir up message boards and social networks and such. But to claim that's the only reason they exist is a pretty narrow, jaded view. I think scores are primarily there to serve as shorthand for folks that won't or can't read the full review. They're meant to serve as part of the summary. A deck, a score, and, depending on your publication's review style, some pros and cons or whatever.

I don't believe there is any denying that those of us actively seeking out a score for a game we're deciding whether or not to purchase are looking for "the jist" of the review, and will, at times, use those scores as a buyer's guide for those of us in a rush to figure out whether our favorite websites agree that a game is worth the $50 or $60 down. A question becomes raise, then, as to whether we actually read reviews on games we aren't already certain we intend to purchase from the get-go.

Shawn Elliott, 2K Boston: Some of us suggest that our audiences sees scores as buyers' advice. Actual sales rarely correlate with review scores in cases where games are not also heavily hyped and marketed. Increasingly, gamers pre-order games prior to the publication of reviews. Interactive demos allow our audiences to decide for themselves whether or not a game will be worth their dollars. In addition, word of mouth and message board discussions inform our potential audiences' purchasing decisions with an intimacy and directness that we cannot provide. Finally, review aggregation sites such as Metacritic mute the bias of individual reviewers and provide a bigger picture.

I suspect these circumstances suggest that our self-perception is, well—a throwback to a time when magazines and websites were gaming's gatekeepers.

The strong correlation between a video game's hype and sales provide a window through which to view an unfortunate reality of modern games journalism; regardless of just how well-received your Psychonauts or Planescape: Torment is, no one is even going to know it exists without the marketing to support it. If the only players reading your review are the ones who intended to purchase it from the beginning your influence only reaches as far as that particular game's advertising.

When scores come into play there is more at stake than reader opinions. Pay bonuses can be determined by how well a game scores on metacritic, marketing coverage can be restricted from websites that provide low scores, and development teams can be broken apart in part based in perceived performance. When games score well, everybody gets a piece of the pie. When games do poorly, everybody aches.

Dan “Shoe” Hsu, Sore Thumbs: Shawn, that’s why this business is so messed up! Publishers want good reviews. Editors want exclusives. Magazines and websites want advertising. Advertisers want good reviews.

The read is an entertaining and informative one, and I would strongly suggest that anyone with even a passing interest in games or games journalism glance over it. For what it's worth, I'm of the opinion that scores should remain as a part of the review process, but could afford to be revised to provide a more qualitative analysis. Examine 1up.com and note that they use letter grading rather than number crunching to summarize their impressions of each game. I have an easier time understanding a B+ in the context of a review than I have trying to figure out whether a 7 is supposed to be 'fair' or a 'good.' When I review video games for my blogs I tend to assign two letter grades per title; I gave Spore a C for gameplay, which would be directed at the hardcore gaming crowd, and an A for its innovative and attractive features which provide more appeal to the casual crowd. Far be it for me to tell anyone how they should be reviewing their video games, but I can't help myself in feeling as though they're getting something wrong. Perhaps Shawn's symposium will result in an addendum or two to the way popular gaming websites handle their analysis. I look forward to reading more of this discussion as it unfolds.

Presenting the Presents: A late 2008 Video Games Guide for the Unassuming Consumer

If you're having a spot of difficulty finding something to get for that gamer in your life this year, don't fret; there are a dozen or so holiday guides out there willing to help you get started (see IGN, 1Up, or Gamespy).  This one in particular isn't so much a 'guide' as an eyeglass through which to view a few of the games that have come along this year which I feel merit some attention.  There's a lot out there to choose from this year; so much, in fact, that might even be able to get away with taking a blind stab at an offering, though I wouldn't recommend it.  Here's a short list of titles to keep an eye out for, and the platforms they've been released for.  Do note that not every platform has a big contender for every category, and you should never purchase a video game just for the sake of purchasing a video game.  It doesn't have to be in the all time hall of fame to warrant a purchase, but be sure to do your research whenever you're trying to decide on a title.

First thing is first, determine what they want.  If you'd prefer not to ask them directly, take a look into their video game collection.  Do they have a lot of shooting titles like Halo and Resistance?  Do they play strategy games on their PC like Supreme Commander and Civilizations?  Determine what systems they own.  If it isn't a Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, DS, or PSP, I can't help you.  Go ahead and note down what they already own, and, if at all possible, determine which of those games they actually like.  Just because they own Quantum of Solace doesn't mean they enjoy it.

(Note that these links will take you to actual reviews for the game from Gamespy, not a metacritic page.  I feel it is more important to be informed than to simply be correct, and it's important to understand the contents of the games you wish to purchase for those other than yourself.  Come to think of it, you should probably understand what you're purchasing for yourself too.)

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If you're looking for an Action title for the player who enjoys a firefight (See Halo, Resistance, Call of Duty 4) for that special somebody I'd advise you to take a look into the following:

• Gears of War 2 (Xbox)
  
• Dead Space (Xbox/PS3)
  
• Resistance 2 (PS3)
  
• *Left 4 Dead (PC/Xbox)
  
• Call of Duty: World at War (PC/Xbox/PS3)
  

From zombies to Nazis these games will all have you unloading ammunition into your enemies, but take special note that *Left 4 Dead is designed as a four player cooperative experience.  If your target gamer doesn't have online capabilities (Steam for PC or Xbox Live for Xbox) skip it.  Resistance 2 and Call of Duty are both war games, and Dead Space is a survival horror action title which may be too scary for younger viewers.  Watch those box ratings and stay informed.

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What about the gamer who prefers to spend his days wandering around in every world but his own?  For gamers who enjoy a Role-Playing experience (See Final Fantasy, Gothic, Ultima, or Chrono Trigger) this year has offered up some serious contenders:

• Fallout 3 (PC/Xbox)
  
• Mass Effect (PC/Xbox)
  
• Valkyria Chronicles (PS3)
  
• Fable II (Xbox)
  
• The World Ends With You (DS)
  
• Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP)
  
• Chrono Trigger (DS)
  

While Fallout 3 tops my personal picks, the Wii has had a rough year for role-playing.  It's also worth nothing that Mass Effect was released on the Xbox 360 in 2007, but it wasn't released for the PC until this year.  If they haven't picked up a copy of the game for either system they're in for a cinematic treat.  Chrono Trigger stands out ahead of the pack as well, a classic reconstructed from the old SNES role-playing adventure.  If he hasn't played Chrono Trigger before, and he enjoys role-playing games, he requires this game.

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How about an Action Adventure game?  A running, jumping, sometimes hacking and slashing kind of action game (See Psychonauts, Prince of Persia, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed):

• Prince of Persia (Xbox/PS3)
  
• *Mega Man 9 (Wii)
  
• No More Heroes (Wii)
  
• Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (DS)
  
• God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP)
  
• LittleBigPlanet (PS3)
  

There aren't too many killer Action Adventure games that I can draw to mind this year, but the ones that are out there are incredibly solid.  LittleBigPlanet is by far the most innovative title of the year, allowing its user base to create and produce their own content to publish up into Sony's catalog, and to pull content created by other users into their own experience. Unfortunately it should also be noted that while this content is frequently reviewed by Sony administrators, questionable content can at times slip through the cracks, so some light parental guidance may be in order for children with online access through their PS3s.  It's also worth nothing that*Mega Man 9 is throwback to the Nintendo Entertainment System more than a modern Action game, and I have experienced great difficulty in trying to locate a copy up to this point.

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Do your loved ones love strategy games?  Bright over brute, as they say; commanding armies while juggling the natural resources (See Warcraft, Command & Conquer, Rise of Nations, Civilization):

• Spore (PC)
  
• Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift (DS)
  
• Sins of a Solar Empire (PC)
  
• Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Colonization (PC)
  
• Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution (Xbox/PS3/DS)
  

Spore is a unique and fascinating title, supporting user created creatures, 5 uniquely designed phases of gameplay, and expecting expansion packs to be released fairly regularly for some time now into the future.  Not a game I would recommend for the players out there who might identify themselves as the 'hardcore' but an entertaining diversion for casual gamers who enjoy the creativity the game affords.  Civilization is designed for the hardcore turn-based strategy game crowd while Sins of a Solar Empire floats somewhere in the middle and enjoys a lower price tag either its more ambitious brothers.

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And lastly we come to the miscellaneous and 'difficult to define' classification of video games; the open-ended, rhythm-based, brawling, racing games of which there are too few to merit their own category in listing.  Titles that may apply to everyone or to no one in particular, casual and hardcore.  Games such as:

• Grand Theft Auto IV (PC/Xbox/PS3) - A free-roaming, bloody, sexualized, story-driven drama.
• World of Goo (PC/Wii) - An innovative puzzle game using Goos.  Yes.  Goos.
• Rock Band 2 (Xbox/PS3/Wii) - A family-friendly group-centric rhythm game.
• Burnout Paradise (Xbox/PS3) - An arcadey racing game with loads of free extra content available from Xbox Live (Sorry PS3!).
• Soulcalibur IV (Xbox/PS3) - A bloodless arcade fighting game featuring swords, staves, sabers, scythes, and other tools.
  
• Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) - The final installment in the Metal Gear saga.  Not suggested for those new to the series.
  
• Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - A fun family racing game.
  
• Boom Blox (Wii) - Where Steven Spielberg meets Electronic Arts, we find a physics based block-buster.
  
• Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) - A bloodless brawler featuring your favorite Nintendo characters.
  
• Wii Fit (Wii) - Keep yourself trim by tracking your exercise.  Comes with a weight-sensitive balance board.
  
• Professor Layton and the Curious Village (DS) - A point and click casual adventure.
  
• Patapon (PSP) - A rhythm based, side-scrolling, tribe-like... experience.
  

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There are plenty of games out there on the market right now, and if you know what somebody wants, shoot for it.  No matter how well it reviews or what you've heard about it some people are always going to hate it and some are going to love it.  Never shop uninformed, and never pick up a video game just because of its box art.  Familiarize yourself with each game's rating, which can be located on the cover of each box, and familiarize yourself with the gamer as well. $50 to $60 is a lot of money to be planting into somebody's hands come Christmas time and you want to be sure they'll get the most out of your investment.  Also, if you aren't sure what to get, don't feel pressured to get a gamer a video game.  He might appreciate the fact that you were willing to drop $60 on a brand new copy of Barnie Bedrock's Rubble Racing for his Playstation 3, but he'll feel fairly irked off when he realizes Gamestop will only offer him $30 of store credit for his trade-in.

If you absolutely have to get something game related but you have no idea what to decide, consider a subscription to Gamefly.  Gamefly is like Netflix for console kids, allowing you to recieve up to two games at a time through the mail, play them until you're finished with them, then send them back in to get two more.  There is presently no equivalent service for PC games, so if your resident computer tech comes up on your giftlist, try a best buy giftcard, or maybe an audio book to listen to while he frags his friends.