Holiday Gift Guide for Gaming 2013

This year it seems quite obvious what everyone wants, in the wake of new systems, of course that will be on the top of everyone’s list. So let’s get it out of the way, what to get your significant other and/or friends for the holidays! Now obviously this is just my opinion of some of the goodies out there and I’m sure that other writers on here would disagree but here is what I feel would make for a good holiday season.

For starters, the Xbox One was just released, and trust me, you want to get one! At a steep $500 price point, it most definitely lives up to its name. The ONE is the one device you could ever need for entertainment needs. It plays games, movies, music, has all of the apps you need to enjoy subscription services like HBO, Hulu, and Netflix. It also includes a Fitness application not many people are aware of but everything on there is FREE until the end of 2014. Everyone sets that New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, well, thank Microsoft and the Fitness app for giving you a head start and I saving you money on all of the programs they offer.
For those doing some hardcore gaming, I would highly recommend picking up a Xbox One Play and Charge Kit.Avoid spending money on batteries and just pick up a rechargeable battery! At a $25 price point, any gamer would appreciate this if they haven’t picked it up by now!

Xbox Live Gold or Microsoft…credits? It is known that to get gold you are expected to pay around $60 for a Xbox LIVE 12 Month Gold Membership Card.Granted, this is often placed in bundled deals or discounted. You’ll have no problems finding a card at $50, and on occasion down to $40. Now, don’t forget if you are buying this as a gift, you don’t have to get them a year, go lower, 3 month cards go for as low as $25, now, this I might avoid as you are getting a better deal for getting the year, so as an alternative, every Xbox gamer could use credit. Think of it as a gift card, where they have the ability to buy games, movies, and even extra digital content. Most games now cost $60, but also come with a purchase option of a Season Pass, typically going for $30 on top of the original cost spent on the game itself. For those with many friends on Xbox Live, I recently saw they make little bundle packs of $10 cards, you simply buy them in packs of three and they would make wonderful gifts. Granted its just $10, but that’s better than nothing during the holidays! I mean after all it is the season of giving is it not?
Of course you could always purchase games! My only issue with this is when buying for someone you don’t know. They might already have the game, or not enjoy that type of game, so honestly I would avoid this unless were hinted to what they wanted. If unsure, you could always get them a Microsoft gift card mentioned above and remove any doubt.
[divider] The 3DS! This is questionable as not a lot of people have the privilege of enjoying gaming on the go now days. If they can game on the go, someone who takes public transportation for example who has a lot of downtime while waiting to get to their next destination. I would recommend getting this. Now there are two versions of the system, my personal favorite though is the XL version.It offers a bigger screen and fits much more comfortably in your hand. For $200 could make someone’s ride home much more enjoyable!

Of course you’re going to want to get games with this too, my personal favorite game on the 3DS, and a new release has to be The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds.The good thing about this is that you could find a bundle and an exclusive limited edition version of the system for ~$260 at the time of writing this post. If you’re just looking for the game, that would make for a great gift itself! Running you a cool $40 for one of the best games on that system.
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Let’s say you have someone in your family who plays video games through their computer. I would recommend getting them a Steam card. In a similar fashion to the Microsoft gift card, this works on the Steam platform. Most people who play games on PC use this software to purchase their games. Now these cards I have only seen in grocery stores and pharmacies, I don’t think you can get them online. But if you’re interested, I believe they start off at $20.

If you found this post helpful in finding something for the gamers in your life, and would like to get me something as well, click here to donate through paypal!