The over-hyped console wars are so last year.
In 2007, a bounty of actual games finally mattered more than nerdy debates over each system's technological merits. And for the first time since Pong bounced its way into our living rooms, it seems as if video games are again being relished by all sorts of folks.
That retired couple next door? They're probably better than you at Wii Sports.
Here's our annual look at the best and worst in video games, 2007 edition.
BEST GAME: "BioShock." A first-person shooter turned morality play, a thinking person's action game, a piece of electronic fiction with a soul. There are many positive ways to describe this gripping game and they're all true. There's just nothing else like this eerie vision of an undersea social experiment gone horribly wrong. Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows PC, $59.99, Rated M.
BEST DEAL: The Orange Box. For $59.99, the innovators at Valve Corp. have provided one of the best bargains in 2007. You get five games, and all of them are excellent. "Portal," in particular, seems destined for legendary status, having spawned a cottage industry for plush companion cubes. (If you don't know what that means, you're really missing out). Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows PC, $59.99, Rated T through M.
BEST GAME THAT INVOLVES GETTING OFF THE SOFA: "Rock Band." Close the windows, lock the doors and warn the neighbors before you blare the volume. "Rock Band" elevates music rhythm games to arena-filling levels in a game that gets better the more people there are. For a true rocking experience you'll at least need two guitars -- lead and bass -- plus a drummer and a singer to belt out the dozens of tunes. Groupies are optional.
WORST TREND: The annual holiday video game deluge. Please, video game makers, you're only hurting your most loyal fans here. We spend all year with hardly anything new to play, then October rolls around and it's like an avalanche. Suddenly, we're faced with tough decisions about which of the dozens of good games we can actually afford to buy. Why not release more of these gems in the winter, spring or summer doldrums, when we're really looking for -- and more able to afford -- something new?
Read more: WOAI
Looking to buy a child a video game for the holidays? We've got you covered. After reviewing the new releases in 2007, here's our list of best video games for kids ages 3 to 16.
The key to finding that perfect game is to know what systems the recipient owns, and then to factor in the child's age and interests. All of the games on our list are rated E, E+10, or T by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board so that you don't have to worry about inappropriate content.
Best for ages 3 to 6
"Guess How Much I Love You"
Not only does this game read Sam McBratney's beloved classic book ''Guess How Much I Love You,'' but it also animates all the beautiful illustrations and provides simple games for kids to play using the DVD remote.
Best for ages 5 to 6
"JumpStart World Kindergarten"
Kids explore an enchanting 3-D world, while going on missions to solve problems. The game is filled with talking animal friends and educational games, and as kids master the content, new vibrant areas open up. (Also good is ''JumpStart World First Grade'' and ''JumpStart World Second Grade.'')
Best for ages 5 to 10
"Animal Genius"
As one of the few DS games that talks to you, ''Animal Genius'' helps kids become animal experts, as they learn facts by playing four different animal games. Kids will also help place 25 animals in their correct habitats.
Best for ages 8 to 14
"Hannah Montana: Music Jam"
Join Hannah Montana to help her learn how to play guitars and drums. The game turns the DS into a guitar and drum set and enables you and your friends to jam to create music together.
Read more: Pacific Daily News
Nintendo has said it will stop advertising the Wii consoles in the UK in the run-up to Christmas because it cannot meet demand.
Demand for the Wii has reached such levels that shops are selling out in minutes, leaving parents stuck on what to get their children for Christmas.
A Nintendo spokesman told Marketing Week: " We have been running the campaign all year round, but we want to take a responsible stance this Christmas and not fuel demand."
Nintendo has been facing criticism from some that it was artificially restricting supply of the popular console; rumours that the company has denied.
The Wii console, which is the first to incorporate full movement recognition into a games controller, has proved this season's must have gift and prices on eBay are already double those of the equivalent units in the shops.
Sourse: Personal Computer World
