The holidays are around the corner and the elves here at C&G have gathered up their recommendations of what is hot and what is not for this holiday season!
Check the blog every Friday to see more recommendations!
1. Wayne – The EB/Gamestop/Amazon Gift Card
Yes, I know this is an incredibly uninspired choice, but at the same time, this is the single safest, most useful gift you can give any gamer you know and love. If you’re not a gamer yourself and/or don’t diligently track the purchases of the gamer in your life, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of getting the forced, polite smile and thank you. You know the one; the one that says through the eyes, “It’s great that you got me Call of Duty: Black Ops II, but I’ve actually had the game for over a month.” Do NOT be the unhip gift giver that gives the game or accessory already owned, and don’t try to dodge the issue entirely by giving socks. Socks, while useful, merely warm the feet in that moment of banal disappointment when the recipient sees the wooly token of esteem. A gift card is one of the classiest, most graceful surrender ways to surrender. It’s like throwing your arms up (with jingle bells!) and saying “I have no clue what you want, but I’m sure you do,” and who doesn’t appreciate that kind of loving ignorance?
2. Melanie – Batteries/Rechargeable Batteries
I remember ripping into a gift from under the tree when I was nine. The excitement was intense and I couldn’t wait to see what it was. I tore off the wrapping paper to find a 
pack of rechargeable batteries and a charger. I was so disappointed, it’s the thought that counts, but when your nine, that really doesn’t cross one’s mind. Well now I’m an adult and realized how much I need the batteries. Rechargeable batteries really are a great gift for console gamers. They can be used in both Wii Motes(for Wii or Wii U) and X-Box controllers. In our household we keep enough rechargeable batteries around so we never have a dead controller, batteries die, just switch them out with the ones in the charger and continue playing, no lives lost. The market offers a wide variety of batteries excellent for gaming. Both the Duracell NiMH and Energizer Advanced Lithium batteries work well in controllers and are perfect stocking stuffer sized. I don’t recommend stopping by your local dollar store for batteries, they will not last very long, sometimes they can’t even make it through a week of gaming! If you give your teenagers batteries and they just stare at you blankly, know next time their X-Box controller dies, those batteries will seem pretty useful. Can’t play without the controller..
3. Tim – Portal 2 sentry turret
Think Geek has hundreds of gadgets and gizmos for the nerdy person on your list ranging from genre interests from Algebra to Zork. There was one item in particular that stood out to me as a great gift for anyone with a desk. It’s this totally cute, totally deadly Portal 2 sentry turret. It plugs into your computer via USB and will stand guard over your workspace preventing those arrant coffee cups from landing on your desk. How you ask? When someone approaches your desk the turret will activate and deliver it’s “target acquired” line for the popular puzzle game. This little darling is programmed with around ten different pieces of dialogue that will send coworkers running for the nearest companion cube. This Portal 2 desk sentry would make a delightful addition to any gamer or geek’s workspace and costs $39.99 which is far cry price wise from the pricey yet equally awesome Portal 2 Replica Portal gun which goes for $139.99.
Check it out here.
4. Brendan – Nokia Lumia 920
This holiday season with such a wide array of phones to pick from the Lumia 920 can be a great pick. Sitting at just 99.99 on contract the phone packs top level features that on paper blow much of the competition out of the water. The X-Box integration and build quality make this a perfect addition for anyone in your family that loves gaming and needs a phone. Nokia has crafted a fantastic package for the contract price. Packed with a 4.5 inch touch screen, 1.5 GHz processor, 8.7 MP Camera, uni-body polycarbonate body and 32GB of storage it is the most capable smartphone in the market today. All these features push the 920 to the head of the pack in features and overall performance for the money. The Lumia 920 is a great phone that does stand to be one of the best Windows phones on the market. The camera is amazing and the overall build quality is second to none. Once Windows Phone grows the app library it will be a must for all people looking for an upgrade. Right now it makes a great gift for someone looking to enter the smartphone world and at just under $100 it is a top of the line phone at a killer price. Ensure you go in knowing the flaws and it will make someone very happy.
To read Brendan’s full review of the Lumia 920, check it out here.
Check back next Friday for C&G’s next set of recommendations!
