Geekscape Roundtable: Our 2016 Holiday Wishlist!
The holiday season is here, and regardless of the exact holiday that you plan on celebrating this year, we know that you’re just in it for the presents (well, and the family/friends, and the food, and some other things too, but mostly the presents).
Instead of doing a traditional gift guide (if your giftee likes x, get them y, etc), we thought we’d take another route: tell you what we‘d want for our holiday gifts. You know our writers, so chances are that if you need to pick up a gift for someone similar, they’ll probably be into the same stuff!
Here goes! Enjoy, and be sure to let us know what gifts you’re hoping for in the comments below!
Natalie Kipper
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (for the Nintendo 3DS)
Now technically, this game comes out just after the holidays (January 20, 2017) but I am so excited for this baby that I would happily take an IOU. Truth be told, I never managed to finish the original PS2 version of the title so I am especially excited to get another chance to tackle it with the new release’s extra features. I eagerly look forward to playing the game on the sofa. And in bed. And on planes. God, I love my 3DS!
Hashtag Collectibles’ Water Bear Plush (available at ThinkGeek and directly from Hashtag Collectibles)
Bizarre critters are kind of my thing. That is actually how I became acquainted with the makers of this adorable plush. I met Hashtag Collectibles through their Stuffed Blobfish years ago and I have been a fan of theirs ever since. Their stuffed Water Bear just looks so soft and huggable. And just look at those big, shiny eyes! I want one so freaking bad.
Yes, I have more than one plush on my list. If you know me personally, than you are probably surprised that they aren’t all plushes. Anyways, back on topic. I am hooked on Pokémon Sun and Popplio was my choice for a starter. Who wouldn’t want a life-size plush of this lovable water-type?
Kitties Draped Ladies’ Hooded Cardigan
I am a sucker for cats and cardigans. Combine the two and it is love at first sight. And dude, it even has a hood. You can’t beat that!
The Art of Fire Emblem: Awakening
Fire Emblem has some damn pretty art and I would love to have them in a book to admire, preferably over a nice cup of tea. Not only are there illustrations but there are story boards and even scripts for every piece of dialogue. When you consider all the options you have during conversations and situations, that is really very impressive. This book looks to be not only yummy eye candy but fun reading.
Adam Lemuz
NES Classic Edition
While the Nintendo Switch is still 3 months away from release, that’s not stopping Nintendo from releasing a new(ish) console for the holiday season. Enter the NES Classic. While it may just seem like a simple plug ‘n play, it’s a much better investment than if you were to buy the included games on Nintendo’s Wii U Virtual Console. The game selection is very varied, and has even been color corrected from the Wii U’s dark and drab color palette. That’s if you can find it in stock. Yes, just like Amiibo back in 2014, Nintendo has “underestimated” demand for the product, causing a nationwide storage and many MANY people in hysteria. Still, for what it’s worth, Definitely pick this up if you find it.
We can’t really link this one, because it’s sold out everywhere forever.
Uncharted 4 PS4 Slim 500GB Bundle
2016 has been a pretty awful year for most things in general. Everything except for video games. Weirdly enough, this has been a pretty great year for games such as Street Fighter V, Uncharted 4, The Last Guardian, and many more. What do all of these have in common? They’re all PS4 exclusives. Sony has been on fire with their games division (One of the only parts of the company that’s actually profitable and good), and their recent showings at E3 2016 and PSX 2016 show that the company shows no signs of slowing down the hype train! Right now you can even get the 500GB Uncharted 4 Bundle for only $270 instead of $300 on Walmart’s website right now! So if you already have an Xbox One, it’s never been a better time to join the Playstation nation.
Gravity Falls Journal #3 Collectors Edition
While we had to say Goodbye to Gravity Falls as a TV series this year, that doesn’t mean you have to say goodbye to gravity falls as a whole. While Disney did release a Journal #3 earlier this year back around Comic Con, they have decided to release a special collector’s edition of the item for hardcore fans. This new edition includes invisble blacklight ink, a monocle, and much more to give the book a more authentic feel than the current hardback version. Right now, it’s going for over $100 pre sale, but you can currently pre order it on amazon for only $90! If you’re a fan of Gravity Falls, you NEED this in your life.
The first Watch Dogs is pretty notorious by now. While the final product ended up being just an alright game, many people were disappointed by how limiting and underwhelming the full game actually was compared to its original E3 debut. A big graphical downgrade coupled with very limited hacking, and too serious of a story completely turned people off of the first game, leaving them with a very sour taste in their mouth. Not so much with Watch Dogs 2 though. The devs over at Ubisoft really took the criticism to heart, and in return, created a goofy, over the top, adventure where the only thing you can’t hack is the game itself. Watch Dogs 2 is a fine example of game devs listening to fan feedback in order to create a better product for both sides. The game is even going on sale for only $40 at Target on December 18th. So if you’re looking to catch up on any fall games you may have missed, Definitely take the offer, and hack into this deal.
Let’s be real. 2016 was pretty bad for movies in general. Bad Summer blockbusters, boring Oscar noms, etc. The only real good movies this year have really been the animated movies, but that doesn’t mean all live action movies were bad. Enter The Nice Guys, a movie that’s a love letter to 70’s buddy cop films. Directed by Iron Man 3’s Shane Black, The Nice Guys stars Russel Crowe, Ryan Gossling, and is a smart, and clever take on the once popular genre. This has got to be one of the best overlooked movies this year. The crazy part is that you can get the Blu-Ray for only $13 at some stores! So if you’ve been burnt out by blockbusters like me this year and want something new, take this film for a spin.
Karson Braaten
Last year, I raved about Audible, and I’ll do it again this year. For me, audiobooks have essentially replaced reading books of the non comic book variety. At the very least I listen to a book on my commute to and from work (which totals 40 minutes/day). So multiply that by 20 days and you have 13 hours of reading/month! Get use to listening on the 1.5x setting to burn through even more books!
Some of my favourites this year include:
Off to be the Wizard by Scott Meyer, narrated by Luke Daniels
Replay by Ken Grimwood, narrated by William Dufris
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, narrated by Nick Podehl
Think of ComiXology’s service as the Netflix for comic books. They have some great content available and starting to get into the production game. Take a look at the available titles and see if you’ll get your money’s ($5.99 a month) worth from it. If you like Image Comics this’ll be up your alley.
I like retro (SNES era) video games, this will let me play them all! Well, hopefully. I’ll be using this kit and following the instructions from Lifehacker. Any suggestions, let me know!
Derek Kraneveldt
Yeah, I’m a sucker for new stuff.
That said, I’ve been pretty enamoured with the Playstation VR (and VR in general) since the very first time that I put on one of the headsets. I don’t own a gaming PC, and likely never will, so the fact that I already have a PS4 sitting on my shelf makes biting the bullet for a PSVR a little easier.
The Playstation VR is by far the most comfortable VR headset that I’ve worn (which is fantastic as a glasses-wearer), and I’m enthralled by the promise of being able to play full titles like Resident Evil VII using the headset. PSVR already has so much more support coming down the pipeline than any of Sony’s previous peripherals, and with some of the slick games that have already been released (Arkham VR, Until Dawn, etc), it’s seriously hard not to just throw this on a credit card.
Again, I like new stuff.
I was looking forward to picking up a pair of Apple’s new, wireless AirPods at the end of October. The earphones weren’t quite ready for consumers at that point, and saw a delay that had them completely unavailable until earlier this week.
These things look slick as hell. Apple’s new W1 wireless chip ensures that there’s none of the annoying pairing-with-every-device-all-the-time annoyances of standard Bluetooth headsets, and the fact that there’s no wire connecting the left bud to the right is super cool.
You’ll get about five hours of battery life from the AirPods, and the clever little floss-sized carrying case will stop you from losing them, as well as give you another ~19 hours of charge. Damn.
This is a staple on my yearly wishlist. Philips Hue is a smart, heavily expandable lightbulb system that lets you set automation patterns for your lights, turn them on and off with your phone (or even Siri), and much, much more.
The Hue website will tell you all about the science of the colour of light and why it’s important, and as much as I love all of that stuff, Hue is just convenient as hell. When I leave the house, my lights turn off. When I come home, they turn back on. When my Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock app wakes me up in the morning, my lights simulate a sunrise. I sit down for a movie, and turn off or dim them via Control Centre on my phone, or just ask Siri to do it for me.
Also, using the slick Ambify app, you can have them pulse and change color to the beat of any music.
Really, I’m barely scratching the surface of what Philips Hue is capable of (just look at IFTTT), but I have been absolutely in love with these light bulbs for a year now, and would love to add more to my collection.
The Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment
Last December my fiancé and I decided to give the award-winning WWE Network a try. “Just for a month,” we said. A year later we’re still hooked, have friends over for every PPV event, and the Network is probably the most-used streaming service of the several we’re currently paying for.
I watched professional wrestling briefly as a child, and now that I’m back, I’m very aware of the decades and decades of incredible characters, gripping storylines, and dearly missed superstars that the industry holds. I’d love to learn all about them, and the recently released Encyclopedia of Sports Entertainment seems like a great way to do so. The book contains “over 400 full-color pages and over 1,200 Superstar and event profiles. The WWE all-time roster in this book has been expanded to unprecedented proportions, and now features all your favorite heroes from the modern era.”
Sounds pretty awesome to me.
The Last Guardian: Collector’s Edition
I (well, more so everyone) has been waiting for this game forever (and ever). It needs no introduction, as we’ve been hearing people begging for it for the better part of ten years.
The Last Guardian finally released (to fairly divisive reviews) earlier this month, and I’m so excited to finally learn about Trico whenever I can get my hands on the title. I was just out of high school when The Last Guardian was first announced, and it’s hard to believe that all theses years later, it’s finally here.
The Collector’s Edition of the game includes a slew of extras, including a Premium statue, Premium Steelbook game case + Blu-ray game disc, 72-page art book, Digital sountrack (10 songs), Sticker sheet, Collector’s box. I’m in!
Alexandra Gallarza
Have you ever lost your phone in your house? Or put your wallet somewhere? Or left your keys in an obscure place? There is a thing called a Tile . You attach it to your keys, your phone, slip it in your wallet and you can track your items. It’s a little thicker than a credit card so it’ll fit into your wallet perfectly. And it’s cheap!
Donations to the Sunshine Kids
Every year, or almost every year, I try to donate to a new charity that I’ve found. This year it’s the Sunshine Kids. The Sunshine kids was established in 1982 and the non-profit organization is dedicated to children with cancer. What makes them different from say Make-A-Wish? Once a sunshine kid, always a sunshine kid. So if you had cancer when you were 8 and are now 30? You’re still part of the organization. Based out of Texas, there are two chapters in Los Angeles and the kids are just full of life.
It’s a vintage inspired projector for your smartphone! Easy to assemble and easy to use, not only does it project against a wall, it also amplified the sound. Another ‘cheap’ item for Christmas courtesy of Urban Outfitters. I’m sure there are other places you can get smart phone projectors, but I’m a fan of vintage things.
As someone who likes Star Wars ( I love it and I blame my mother) having the power to control a BB8 unit from my wrist is pretty damn cool. Having played with my light saber, pretending I was a young Jedi when I was well, young, having the power of the Force now, I think would be pretty awesome. Do I sound like a nerd yet? No. I could continue, but we don’t want to go there. Anyway – having this would be amazing.
I like knowing how things are made. I like knowing how a director figured out how they’re Oscar winning movie was going to be made. What processes they went through, how the script jumped off the page and onto my screen, what costumes were picked and how they were picked, things like that. I know the basics, but I like to see how other people do it. It could be for anything, movie, TV, theater – all of it interests me. I’m a nerd for that kind of thing. If I know how one piece of the puzzle works, then when I see the finished project, it’ll make more sense.
Adam Korenman
Due my work as a billionaire playboy philanthropist movie star (or something) I travel pretty regularly. In order to stay true to my roots, and to stay connected with the little people, I fly coach. As I’m sure you all know, flying coach is about the same as riding a Greyhound bus through a tire fire factory.
Fuel today is so prohibitively expensive, airlines have to cram in every last passenger in order to make any flight financially sustainable. They pack in people like insulation, shrink down the aisles to fit more seats, and remove anything but the bare minimum of amenities to keep us from—God forbid—consider taking a train instead.
And babies? I think they hand those out instead of headphones nowadays. It seems that every flight I’m on contains at least a bushel of newborns, still swaddled in hospital rags, screaming at the world for having the audacity to exist!
Enter the Bose QC 35. Bose has been the leader in noise-reduction/cancellation headphones for years now, and this current model only improves on the old formula. The over-the-ear design, combined with a plush leather cushion, effectively silences even the most egregious noises. Once you turn on the active cancellation tech, the world dissolves into a muted paradise, where you could vanish from the horrors of manned-flight into your escape of choice.
“But Adam,” you cry from your cramped middle seat. “Those cords are so invasive and tangly.”
First of all, how dare you speak to me when I’m in the middle of a rant? Secondly, the QC 35 is wireless. That’s right. They’ve done away with the most annoying part of the headphone.
Yes, this means you have to connect via Bluetooth, but the battery lasts 20 hours on a single charge. So even if you’re flying to Fiji, you’re covered.
And, as a final bonus, the headband is made of Alcantara. “What is Alcantara?” you ask while fumbling with your peasant food. Alcantara is the luxury material used by only the fanciest manufacturers of yachts and impractical automobiles. Why is that important?
Because if you’re dropping $300+ on headphones, you’d better be getting something worth bragging about.
I’ve only recently started dabbling in home brewing for beer, and already I consider any other form of beverage unpalatable and plebian. How dare I sully my taste buds with anything so uncouth? Surely only the hand-crafted ales of a red-bearded god (me) should ever pass forth between my lips!
But beer is so carby, and living in California means I have to counter every intake of carbs with violent stretches of—shudder—exercise (because we’re all very vain here). So instead, I delight my senses with barrel-age, peat-soaked scotch.
Until recently, I’ve been forced to accept the substandard distillations of the aged families of the Highlands, Speysides, and Isles. Sure, they have hundreds of years of history making whiskey, and sure they are objectively the greatest distillers of our time, but certainly a 30-something millennial can figure out how to make the same amazing concoctions with nothing more than cheap wood and grain alcohol. Right?
Enter the Whiskey and Rum making kit. It’s pretty simple, really. You dump about 750ml of pure, unadulterated poison (grain alcohol) into a barrel made of cheap wood, drop in a powder of “flavors,” and wait a few weeks.
That’s got to be just as good as taking the time to culture a drum of 21-year-old nectar of the gods?
Take my love, take my land. Take me where I cannot stand…
Firefly ran for just half a season more than a decade ago, and yet I can recall every detail of that show even now. Sure, that could be because I have a bimonthly marathon of every episode + Serenity (the fan-driven movie that changed an empire), but I choose to believe it is due to the enduring legacy of Joss Whedon’s greatest epic.
Like all Browncoats (a term us Firefly fans use lovingly), I am often depressed by the sheer lack of available tools for acting out my pages of fan-fiction. Season 8 is when things really heat up, when a pulsar launches Serenity into an alternate reality and Mal and the crew face off against Admiral Adama and the crew of the Battlestar Galactica!
But alas, in order to fully realize that dream, I was forced to use my poorly constructed cardboard version of the iconic ship. This often led to my characters (repurposed G.I. Joes, if you’re wondering) falling through the vessel enroute to places unknown.
No longer, with the new Film-Scale Artisan Replica from QMx. This faithful and gorgeous reproduction of the Firefly-class starship features an incredible amount of detail. It’s a steal at under $10,000, and who can put a price on being able to FINALLY film my award-winning short: Mal and the Anger Bunnies.
Let’s all be honest for a minute. Let’s stop with the games and facades and let it all be real for just a moment.
LA traffic sucks donkey stones.
There. I said it. And you know what? There are few out there who would argue with me.
So how do you survive the literal HOURS you have to spend going from point A to point B in the godforsaken town?
Some people choose to text and drive, but that’s basically becoming Hitler on wheels if you ask me.
Others listen to books on tape. You know what, you might as well beat puppies with rolled up copies of Harry Potter for all the evil you’re bringing into the world.
For me, maintaining my sanity while living inside my gas-guzzling money pit only takes one thing: A Baby Groot Car Charger.
The best thing to happen to cinema since the first talkies has to the be the all-encompassing Mavel Cinematic Universe. And the best thing to come out of the MCU has to be Guardians of the Galaxy. And if we’re all gonna lay out some truth today, we can agree that the best part of GotG has been Groot. Given how amazing the teaser for Vol. 2 has been, I think we can safely assume Baby Groot will cure the misery that has been 2016.
So now you can have a tiny, plastic version of Planet Earth’s favorite sapling. And better yet? He’ll charge your useless electronics.
You’re welcome.
I don’t know about you, but I count Zombie Apocalypse (Zompocalypse) as one of my top 3 priorities for preparing for the future. If you’re dying to know, the other two are Robots Gain Sentience and Being Abducted by Sexy Aliens. No, building a dependable portfolio nor investing in land are not on the list.
When I think about the ways the eventual undead uprising could occur, I grow concerned that our (not-so-subtle) craving for the shambling dead may be for naught. Given how well the rest of this year has gone, it’s a safe bet we’re in for a Game of Thrones style army of the dead.
Since Bran the Builder has yet to seal off Canada with a great mountain of magical ice, I think we’re going to all need to get our hands on an authentic Valerian-steel sword, and I call dibs on Long Claw.
Made famous by the late Commander Mormont of the Night’s Watch, and then wielded by the perpetually ignorant Jon Snow, Long Claw is a song of metal and leather. It cuts through undead flesh like a…well, like a magic-infused sword through rotten flesh. If you’re up against White Walkers, Wights, or even White Supremacists*, then you can’t do better than Long Claw.
Then again, if we end up with a Dawn of the Dead (remake) style Zompocalypse, where the dead are Olympic-level sprinters, we’re all dead in five hours anyway.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
*Hey. Don’t be a dick and use this prop to hurt people. That would be a dick move. You dick.
Gary M. Kenny
Loot Crate Socks (lootwear): I have had a few of these subscriptions and as a man who wears a lot of suits (for work), these socks are amazing. They tend to use great quality fabric ranging from hiking to dress. All of Loot Crate’s socks are exclusive prints; check out their backlog, my legend of Zelda 8 bit socks are a hit when I show them off. Plus, as an “adult” with a wife and 2 kids, owning geeky socks lets me keep my fanboy membership. Just like most online subscriptions you can do yearly or 3-month or monthly. Their customer service is top notch as well, I received a hole in one of my socks, within a week I had a brand new pair, no questions asked. Loot Crate itself tends to have some quality boxes but I’m telling you for a cheap (depending on the plan), fun, stylish subscription- this is the one I recommend.
Triad Trike Bikes: Adult Big Wheels! I’ll repeat: Adult Big Wheels! They are almost custom made, with bullet proof – oath free wheels, oversized handle bars with lock grips, and a groovy color scheme. They cost a hefty price tag of over $300 but if you want to be king of school yard (as an adult), sometimes you have to shell out the green. They are built to drift and do they! Triad has put a few videos up of how they handle, you owe it to yourself to go on Amazon and watch. Even if outside activities aren’t your thing; acting crazy and drifting on an oversized trike should be tried at least once (especially if you missed out as a child). So, relive those Big Wheel glory days and buy a triad. These toys are a sure fire bet for fun.
Shane O’Hare
The 12 Bottle Bar: A Dozen Bottles.
I’ve always fancied myself a wannabe bartender, and the art of making cocktails has always interested me.
The inherent problem you run into when trying to start your own home bar, is the sheer amount of stuff you need to buy and stock to have a competent selection for your drinks. I’ve read plenty of bartending/home bar guides that say you need to shell out a lot of money to start. Then I came across the 12 Bottle Bar Book.
This book has over 200 recipes in it that only need access to 12 bottles in total. That includes stables like bitters and vermouth. This is a fantastic book for someone starting into their own home bar experience, and when you get down to it. Cocktail making is BASICALLY just alchemy, and we all need that level 1 tome to start our training.
Grado Labs is one of the most prestigious companies around when it comes to audio gear. They’ve been independently owned and operated for over 60 years, making top shelf headphones and cartridges (turntable needles) in Brooklyn. They are the epitome of the American dream, and their care for their product comes through.
When this article was originally a gift guide I was going to suggest their SR80e Headphones. Since this is all about me me me, I want to get a pair of their DJ needles!
Their DJ cartridges are designed to take a beating. They resist heavy tracking forces, have top notch channel isolation and incredible frequency responses. I’ve had an opportunity to hear their Prestige Series cartridges in person, and I was blown away.
They lay slightly on the pricey side, $100 a cartridge, but they have user replaceable styli and are sure to take a beating any DJ will throw at them.
I will admit it. I am an AMD fanboi. I will always have their CPU’s and GPU’s in my rig. My first gen R9 290X dual is starting to struggle a bit, so it might be time for an upgrade.
The RX 480 series is the latest and greatest from AMD, and delivers incredible performance for the dollar. Fully supports Direct X 12, so you know this card will be future proof for some time.
This particular pressing from ASUS and their Republic of Gamers line of products is fashionable to boot. Featuring full spectrum RGB lighting and intelligent cooling, this will look fantastic in any gaming case.
FiveFour Club is probably one of my most favorite things I’ve discovered over the last few years. The one thing that us Geeks usually fall short on is fashion. Dressing well is something we kind of ignore, we’re way to busy being occupied with D&D campaigns, Kill-Death Ratios, Uber Micro, Sick Vids, collecting toys, gaming, Comic-Con, and finding that perfect raid group. So obviously when it comes to getting nice clothes and dressing like “ADULTS” (disregard the fact that I dress as Rarity from MLP at SDCC) falls to the wayside. Now, there isn’t anything inherently WRONG with those #lit graphic tees, but your sister in laws wedding ins’t the place to show off your Killing Joke shirt you got signed by Alan Moore in 2004.
FiveFour’s beauty is it’s simplicity. You fill out a style guide and every month a stylist will put together some clothing options for you. That’s it! They show up in your mailbox ready to wear. After having it for a few years, half my wardrobe is FiveFour. They run a tad SMALL. I have a big belly and big shoulders, so I have to size up a tad.
Physical Release from Dreamcatalogue
Vaporwave is a very divisive thing. People either are completely absorbed in the ａｅｓｔｈｅｔｉｃ, or hate it. I am in the former camp. I love everything about it. The music, the vibes, the essence, the art, the clothing, the anachronistic nature of it all. It’s something I extremely enjoy. Dreamcatalogue is my favorite record label publishing some incredible artists such as 2814, COCAINEJESUS, and telepath just to name a few. Dream is putting the time and effort in making incredible physical releases of music that tries to be a lowfi and retro as possible. The cassette tape releases are works of art and I would LOVE to get my hands on one eventually.
That’s it for us! What are you hoping to see this holiday season?
