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Last Minute Video Game Gift Ideas for the Holidays

By on December 18, 2014

It’s time to buy things you don’t quite understand for people you really, really don’t understand. That’s all gifts, to be clear. But when it comes to video games, there are lines you might cross and disappointments you may muster with even the smallest misstep. It’s a holiday minefield we’re here to help you navigate. We’ll begin with the only console recommendation on the list.

For the Entire Family

This is a public service announcement. Nintendo released a home console after the Wii. They really did. It’s called a Wii U and, compared to the Xbox One and PS4, it’s intensely outdated in the graphical department and woefully unsupported by third-party developers. Most good games on the Wii U are Nintendo games and there aren’t all that many of them.

The thing is, they’re almost universally great games and they do this weird thing that other game makers seem to have completely forgotten. They let people play in the same room together. There isn’t a console on the planet better suited for groups of people, now or before, than the Wii U. It also happens to be the one console that works with those amiibos everyone’s going nuts about.

wii-u-deluxe-black

  • Pros: Let’s you play together. Cheapest “new” console on the market. Runs Nintendo games, which are still the best games.
  • Cons: The library is a bit thin. Lacking as a multimedia player.

There isn’t a developer more apt at touching in on that family and friends dynamic than the people who made Mario. They’re still doing it strong as ever, just don’t ask the so-called “hardcore” gamer about specs and advantages. Shut your earholes and read this: the Wii U is the console to buy right now, in 2014.

It may not be so in 2015 and it sure as hell wasn’t so in 2012 when the thing first came out. But in 2014, the Wii U is the most worthwhile new console on the market. At a time when families convene in their gift-giving holes, a console with games that support four, five or even eight people at once – that’s the one you want. It’s the one the family needs. If you do take the plunge, here’s a quick list of some great play-together starter games:

Search Ben’s for Wii U Deals

For the PC Loner

It’s okay. We all have our solitary hobbies. If it’s video games, well, that unfortunately doesn’t narrow down the spectrum of potential gifts. Your best bet isn’t to get a specific game for a specific console. No, your best bet is to go for something a little more generalized or universal.

Gaming chairs, headsets and other physical products are nice, but you also run the risk of poor workmanship or design. In the end, the best video game gift you can get for the lone gamer is choice. And choice, of course, comes in the form of a Steam gift card.

steam gift card

  • Pros: Affords choice. The Steam library of games is as vast as it is diverse. Small games can run on small computers.
  • Cons: Okay, it’s a gift card.

Multiple times over the course of every year, Valve’s Steam storefront, the go-to place for just about every worthwhile PC game on the market, goes into a frenzy of ridiculous sales on everything from the biggest AAA games to the smallest adored indie games. It’s called a Steam Sale, and PC gamers pretty much lose their sanity when it happens.

The best thing about a Steam gift card: the only requirement is a mildly powerful computer, since so many of the smaller games really don’t require all that much computing power to run. If your recipient needs a little help in that department, here’s a quick list of 2014’s best games that don’t demolish hard drives and graphics cards:

For the Addicted Teenager

So your kid has chosen virtual people over real people. Don’t worry. It happens. It’s time to accept the way things are and look at this hobby in a new way. It can be a great segue into the inherent creativity and edification of video production. Watching other people play video games might seem a bit drab to the non-gamer, but within the community it’s a driving force of interaction and socialization across the entire planet, literally.

The first step is to get your kid a capture card so he or she can take all those wasted hours in front of a TV and turn it into a Youtube or Twitch channel. Some of the most popular “streamers” on the web aren’t even out of high school. It’s a bit of a technical, jargon-filled jungle getting through the capture card market. One of the simplest and most reliable devices right now, however, is the Elgato Game Capture HD.

elgato game capture hd

  • Pros: Turns a hobby into something more. Let’s you remember all those great gaming moments. Engages the desire to create.
  • Cons: Pretty expensive. Not for everyone.

Search Ben’s for Elgato HD Deals

For the Couples

There’s a bit of crossover with the Wii U on this one, but some games are just better suited for two people than others. In fact, some are even designed specifically for it. How quaint! Here’s a quick list of some of the best 2014 co-op games, particularly for their likelihood to end all arguments and cause spontaneous world peace.

Click below to open in Amazon.

garden warfare cover

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare

Destiny cover

Destiny

far cry cover

Far Cry 4

lara croft cover

Lara Croft and the Templs of Osiris

  • Pros: Win together, lose together. Life is better this way.
  • Cons: Destiny and Far Cry 4 can’t be played together on just one console. Destiny isn’t half as good alone.

Best of luck with your gift giving and happy holidays from Ben’s!

About Trevor Ruben

Though I contribute to many online publications on a regular basis, including The Checkout, the crux of my writing lies in video games. When not writing, I'm often streaming a variety of games on Twitch.

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