8. Dragon Age: Origins Collector’s Edition - Speaking of gorgeous graphics, there were a lot of amazing games coming out this Holiday Season and while some got bumped to next year out of fear from the threat posed by the notorious juggernaut that is Modern Warfare 2, this was one of the games that was not bumped, thankfully. Anyone who hasn’t had a chance to sink the fifty to one-hundred hours of their lives that this game calls for, at minimum, is missing out. If there is one company that I have the utmost faith in when it comes to epic RPG titles, it’s Bioware. They have consistently offered immeasurably glorious titles that do what some games only hope to achieve, sucking the player in for hours, if not days on end. To sweeten the deal, an unlockable item comes in the package for the anticipated sequel coming out next year, Mass Effect 2. Add this on top of the irresistible metal case that the collector’s edition comes in and I hate to admit just how much I’m sold on owning this game. Admittedly, it’s at the top of my Christmas list and hopefully will destroy many a free weekend in between Christmas and the release of Mass Effect 2.
7. The Beatles: Rock Band - For those of you who own every single plastic instrument that has ever been released to the gaming community, I feel bad because you have a heaping mound of plastic instruments. For those of you, like me, who don’t feel their free space being invaded by a small army of easily recyclable toys can completely understand where I’m coming from on this one. Having hated the music genre up until I started playing games like Rez and Amplitude, the experiences I had with Guitar Hero 2 and ultimately Rock Band turned me on to owning a special edition. I listened to The Beatles a lot growing up and they were one of the first introductions I had to real music. So, I think it only appropriate that this is the bunch of plastic instruments I end up owning. After all, I can always get Rock Band and it’s sequel to get the previous songs along with a proverbial ton of downloadable content that is available. So, in the end, I don’t think betting on The Beatles is ever a bad move, unless that bet involves a comeback tour of some kind.
6. Microsoft Points - You would think this is a no-brainer, but for some people, they totally forget that sometimes you just need the points. Avatars have given everyone at least one reason to buy something from the marketplace. College and video game apparel as well as toys that your avatar can just have for a small price has actually reminded us all as gamers that vanity is alive and well along with the fact that points are never usually there when we need them. On top of it, I’m sure there is an arcade game, independent or otherwise that you’ve been dying to buy. I know I have a demo or two sitting on my hard drive, serving as a reminder that I’ve been meaning to buy Marvel vs. Capcom 2 or Mega Man 9 for a very long time. Then of course, with games on demand, it never hurts to have points for the sheer sake of downloadable content for titles like The Saboteur, Borderlands or Fallout 3, just to name a few. But let’s face it, nine times out of ten when we really need a few points is that moment when we realize we don’t have any, so don’t forget to ask for those for Christmas!
5. DJ Hero: Renegade Edition - I’ll keep this one short since I’ve already made mention of plastic instruments already. I know I’m apart of a minority that enjoys remixes and the art of being a DJ, because that’s just a style of music I came to relate to growing up. While I’m not really huge on supporting Activision in their never ending quest for the almighty dollar, this set seems genuinely interesting to me. All the gameplay features as well as the tracklist, which includes one of my favorites being Daft Punk, I know I’ll eventually add this to my collection. However, the steep price tag has prevented me from doing just that, so I’ve nestled it into the appendices of my Christmas list in the hope that maybe someone will notice and have the jingle bells to drop the necessary money, even if it allows me to rock out as a fake DJ on a fake plastic turntable. But then again, is rocking out on a fake guitar really all that better?
This feature list continues on the next page, please click below to reveal the next things Xbox 360 owners want for Christmas 2009.
