I have a special place in my heart for handmade things that are slightly off the beaten path. Knowing the passion and creativity that often goes into designing and creating these pieces make them extra special, and you can often get them at more than reasonable prices. I took a stroll through Etsy (my favorite website that specializes in handmade items) looking for stocking stuffers perfect for the gamer in your life. This isn’t your typical holiday gift guide full of video games and accessories (that one’s coming later). This gift guide is full of inexpensive handmade treasures (everything is $30 or less) that are sure to bring a smile to someone’s face during the festive holiday season. Enjoy something a little different, and perhaps give something a little different this year as well.

The Cake is Not a Lie - Slice of Cake
Description: Replica of the Cake from Portal, cut into individual charms. Comes with a cell lariat.
Price: $4
Purchase here: GeekToys’s shop
Check here if sold out

Rock Star Soap
Description: Microphone-shaped soap. Totally looks like a penis, lul.
Price: $6
Purchase here: Robinosities’s shop
Check here if sold out

Sackboy Charm - Pendant
Description: Comes with a cell lariat to use as a cell phone charm.
Price: $7
Purchase here: GeekToys’s shop
Check here if sold out

Space Invaders Set x 39 Pieces Fridge Magnets
Description: White, red and green aliens. Also guns, super rays, and special magnets for “score”, “game over” and more. 39 piece set.
Price: $9.99
Purchase here: PinMoonStore’s shop
Check here if sold out

Four Holiday Teabag Cards
Description: A set of four teabag-themed holiday cards made by yours truly.
Price: $10
Purchase here: bsangel’s shop
Check here if sold out

Polymer Clay Black Xbox Readjustable Ring
Description: The pendant is about 3/4″ long and attached to a silver-toned adjustable ring.
Price: $12
Purchase here: skybluebunny’s shop
Check here if sold out

Pac-Man inspired Nose Stud
Description: The length of the stud is 4.5mm. The head is 2.5mm squared. Available in a screw, L-shaped or barbell/ bone form.
Price: $15
Purchase here: Khristinne’s shop
Check here if sold out

Space Invaders Keychain
Description: Made of between 120 and 150 little tiny cubes of walnut and maple hardwood and measure roughly 1 3/8″ X 1 1/8″ by 1/8″ thick.
Price: $15
Purchase here: 1337motif’s shop
Check here if sold out

Polymer Clay Black PS3 Controller Necklace
Description: Pendant is about one 1″ long, 1/4″ wide, 3/4″ tall, and coated with sculpey glaze
Price: $16.50
Purchase here: skybluebunny’s shop
Check here if sold out

Mini Weighted Companion Cube Earrings
Description: Handmade with polymer clay, sterling hooks with matching glass beads
Price: $18
Purchase here: GeekToys’s shop
Check here if sold out

Piranha Plant
Description: One little red and white plant (needle felted from corrie dale wool) in a painted and varnished terracotta pot
Price: $20
Purchase here: poorlulu’s shop
Check here if sold out

Nintendo Controller Pouch - Large
Description: 3 3/4″H x 6 3/8″W, Nintendo DS holder
Price: $22
Purchase here: BraveMoonman’s shop
Check here if sold out

Health Wristlet
Description: Silver and red Zodiac Naugahyde, lined with cotton ticking. Zipper closure, fully lined. 7″w, 4.5″h.
Price: $25
Purchase here: Flamestitch’s shop
Check here if sold out

Christmas Tree Ornament - Xbox 360 Controller
Description: 2″H x 1.5″W, available in white or black
Price: $25
Purchase here: TheClayCollection’s shop
Check here if sold out

Christmas Tree Ornament - Nintendo Controller
Description: 2″H x 1″W
Price: $25
Purchase here: TheClayCollection’s shop
Check here if sold out

Christmas Tree Ornament - PlayStation 3 Controller
Description: 2.5″H x 1.5″W
Price: $25
Purchase here: TheClayCollection’s shop
Check here if sold out

Rock Band Set Hand-Etched Shot Glasses
Description: Set of four hand-etched Rock Band shot gasses.
Price: $30
Purchase here: Placidrain’s shop
Check here if sold out

The ones that own a NES that still functions can probably make a hefty profit if they sell it 30 years from now (or 150 years if we’re able to stay alive for that long in the future). However, not many could have guessed that you could make a profit from selling your Nintendo Wii on eBay on a Black Friday. The shopping day following Thanksgiving in the US, 3,171 Wiis were sold in 24 hours. The average price was $349 — $100 above the recommended retail price.

The situation sounds quite strange to me. Nintendo doesn’t get five stars for their range of consoles compared to the demand, but the situation isn’t all that bad compared to a year ago. From eBay, you’re possibly getting a used console and the cash/product exchange is rather slow. All that turkey and jelly must really have got people’s cravings going for sitting down on the couch and playing de Blob.

By the way, the Wii and Wii Fit are the most searched for products across eBay in all categories. That basically means that Nintendo is losing a lot of money because they can’t keep up with what the consumers want.

Halo 3’s extra special Spartan Recon multiplayer armor will finally be available to any player willing to crank out some Achievement points in both Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST. The latest issue of Game Informer spells out the process involved. First you'll need to complete the four Vidmaster Challenge Achievements included in the last update. After that, you'll have to complete the three additional Vidmaster Achievements in ODST.

If you aren’t an avid Halo 3 fan, you may recall the Recon armor from the news generated by it. Bungie only gives it out to those it deems cool enough to have it. This bunch is usually composed of awesome players and journalists. A few isolated Xbox Live account hackings have occurred because of the rarity of the virtual item.

At least now those who have the armor don’t have to look over their shoulder constantly because of it. For those of you who are dying for it, you’ll finally get your shot. It just might take a good deal of (legal) effort on your part.

Everyone needs a break now and again -- I know I do, after having written about what seems like 20,000 magazines over the years here -- so for this holiday, I thought I'd cover a couple electronics-themed mags I picked up earlier in the week, one of whom I love with all my heart and two I at least enjoy a fling with now and then:

Make Issue 16

If there is hope for print media about video games, or for that matter any kind of very nerdy topic, then this is it.

Make is a lot more than a technology/do-it-yourself mag. It's a snappy and visually interesting introduction to modern nerd-dom, with the '70s definition of nerd ("I wired my S-100 bus machine with an extra 4K of RAM over the weekend instead of going to the company picnic with my wife") used instead of the modern one ("I used an iPhone to split up the bar tab"). The "visually interesting" phrase is important here; unlike other electronics periodicals, the emphasis is on ideas, concepts, and neat pictures over tech details.

And even when tech details are required, the light, airy, Edge-like visual design keeps attention spans engaged. Photos and diagrams are everywhere. You can flip to any random page and find something interesting to read. Try flipping through a modern US game mag. You're guaranteed to stop on an advertisement of some sort, whether a pull-out poster or subscription card. The sense of curiosity is lost.

But Make still has it, and a lot of that is because of its smaller dimensions, I think -- the tinier size allows for 200 pages an issue, and you feel like you're getting a ton, even for the premium price.

That's the watchword there -- "premium." Yeah, Make is a luxury item. But it's not that expensive, and the unique size, look, voice and design of it makes the buyer feel like he's getting something special. Compare that to game mags, where subs cost pocket change and only crazy coots like me keep any issue longer than a few months.

Nuts and Volts December 2008

I confessed in this column a while back that I bought an issue of Nuts and Volts sheerly because of how silly the cover looked. I must sheepishly admit that I did it again. Sorry. I was standing there at the bookstore wondering what was up with Santa's right arm, and I... I... I just couldn't help myself. Forgive me.

Nuts and Volts, along with its main competitor Circuit Cellar, is among the only hardcore electronics-hobbyist mags left in the US marketplace. They survive chiefly thanks to their diehard readership and an even more dedicated base of advertisers, some of whom have been doggedly supporting both mags since their launches in the '80s.

In terms of content, both mags are kind of amateur in style, a term I don't mean to sound offensive. Articles are mostly submitted by enthusiasts who snap their own pictures of parts, and schematics and step-by-step circuit instructions are de rigeur. It's a hobbyist rag, in other words, while Make is meant more to read for its own sake. Both approaches have their charms, but N&V wins out in cover design, no contest. Ahem.

Popular Communications December 2008

Another hobbyist mag I bought mainly for its cover. Damn, this looks exactly like any computer mag from the early 1980s! And as this index shows, neither the logo nor the visual design has changed appreciably since the title's launch in 1982.

PopComm is a mag about shortwave radios and police scanners and that sort of thing, a companion volume to its big brother, the amateur-radio mag CQ. Like N&V, it's mostly supported by diehard (and old) radio buffs and suppliers, and in many ways it looks like something from a bygone era inside and out. And yet...it's oddly readable.

I have no interest in amateur communications, but I still dig reading this, especially the article on the soon-to-be-dead art of TV DX, enabling people in Massachusetts to receive stations from South Carolina and Venezuela. I have a thing for "subversive" tech like that, the sort of thing Make or 2600 might cover. If only there were a little more of that...

[Kevin Gifford breeds ferrets and runs Magweasel, a site for collectors and fans of old video-game and computer magazines. In his spare time he does writing and translation for lots and lots of publishers and game companies.]

Grand Theft Auto IV, like most videogames in Australia, received edits in order to get its MA15+ rating from the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification. However, in a rare case of PC gamers getting a little extra love, it turns out that the home computer version of GTA IV is to hit store shelves without edits.

"Grand Theft Auto IV PC has been rated MA15+ strong violence, sex scenes, coarse language, and drug references by the Australian Classification Office. The PC game is unedited in any way and identical in content to the international version," confirmed a Rockstar rep. 

Quite why the PC version gets off the hook is unclear. We do know that the edits made to the console version were wholly voluntary on the part of Rockstar, so maybe it turns out that those edits were unnecessary. It's also not been announced whether console versions will be updated to match their international counterparts, but I imagine it won't be worth Rockstar's time after all these months.

F.E.A.R 2, however, was recently refused a rating and will not be available to Australia gamers, just in case you thought the country had suddenly grown some balls in terms of game classification.

Gallery: Weekly Webcomic Wrapup logo designs

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Hopefully all of you out there have gotten your fill of turkey and all the fixings and are ready to sit back and relax now that the family mayhem has subsided. What better way to do that than to play a couple of PC demos or patch some of your current games? If this sounds good to you, FileFront has plenty to offer this week. They may not help you lose the extra pounds you gained, but they will at least get your mind off of the left overs that your mother sent home with you.

Demos

• Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: This single-player demo features the game’s cinematic opening, one full campaign mission from both the Soviet and Allied campaigns, and an interactive tutorial. The full game features 3 full campaigns (all playable solo or co-op online), a skirmish mode pitting you against nine formidable commanders, and competitive online multiplayer.

• StuntMANIA!pro v3.0.0: Fast paced 3D car stunt driving game, where you get to perform the most amazing tricks and stunts in some really cool environments. You can select any of the NINE amazing stunt cars and play either timed games, challenge games or just go crazy and have fun. Are there any limitations in the demo version? Yes.You are limited to playing only one stunt car (Razor), you can only play one environment (Trixter Park) but in both Daytme and Nighttime modes, you cant play AIR SPEED FREAK or BONUS ROUNDUP games, you are unable to save your scores and stunt rankings are not kept for you. (Mac version is can be found here: StuntMANIA!pro v3.0.0 Mac Demo)

• Zombie Shooter 2: In the sequel Sigma Team strives to put all the best features of Zombie Shooter and Alien Shooter series, player’s needs and suggestions have been listened to, as well as improved gfx, larger variety of enemies, more vehicle types, and more than 50 weapons and accessories.

• Professor Heinz Wolff`s Gravity: Deep Silver has released a demo for Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity. The demo contains a tutorial, as well as five attractive levels with varied degrees of difficulty and gorgeous, hand-painted backgrounds. Just like in the real game, virtual professor Heinz Wolff will provide you with helpful hints. The aim of Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity is to place various building blocks correctly in each level, in order to move a ball to a given target point. To that end, players must take the force of gravity into consideration and cleverly place differently shaped objects, so that their physical connection will trigger forces of leverage and chain reactions. The steadily rising learning curve introduces PC and console puzzlers to the easy-to-learn, entertaining principle of the game, and helps them to familiarize themselves with physical and mechanical effects. Various possible solutions and beautiful hand-illustrated themed backgrounds make for plenty of variety.

• Geneforge 5: Overthrow - Mac: Spiderweb Software brings you Geneforge 5: Overthrow, the final chapter in their fantasy epic. Return to the world of the Shapers one final time. Explore a vast, war-torn world, create and mold your own army of strange, powerful monsters, and choose a side to help lead to final victory.

• Qwak Demo: Experience super-playable coin-op style action, in this cute platformer, available NOW on your PC.

As always, for the full list of demos and patches, click here and here.

Patches are listed after the jump.

Patches

• Zu Online v1.5.07 to v1.8.0: In contrast with the previous version, there is a lot of new content in version 1.8.01, which will make the game even more fun. Boundary Hill, the second instance zone of Zu Online has been added. The monsters, especially the boss-level monsters in Boundary Hill are extremely tough, but they drop items that make it all worthwhile. Additionally, another two new high-level zones—Frozen Sea and Wei-Yang Palace have been added. What’s more, we have added several new systems, including Enchanting, pet combination, fashion improvement and the salary system. With the release of the new systems, players can improve their equipment by using the Enchantment function, attach a pet’s attributes to another, add extra attributes to fashionable items and get a weekly salary after meeting certain requirements. We also will improve the Commercial Travel system, add high-level Round Quests and improve some of the game settings. In a word, Zu Online version 1.8.01 will certainly bring players an improved gaming experience in Zu Online.

• FIFA Manager 09 Patch 1: Advice: It is possible to continue save-games with the Update, to get all improved features, you have to start a new game.Live Ticker:”big” Live Ticker, more space for text in the high screen resolution, match reports for the Live Ticker => after the match, in the stats section, in the line-up section, for the Reserves and for the Youth Teams; sound for the Live Ticker, including goal and stadium entry anthems; player positions are displayed optionally behind the player names; new text elements in Live Ticker; better “live” elements in Live Ticker (faster); “Text before Video” option in Live Ticker; new videos in Live Ticker (e.g. for own goals); additional text conditions in Live Ticker (more variation); Live Ticker: Slightly less goals, less injuries; Live Ticker: Reduced number of goals after corners and free kicks; Live Ticker: Improved goalkeeper ratings - full patch notes can be seen by hitting the game link.

• Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods v1.1: The most important changes:Some potential Main-quest blockers fixed; Pathfinding and quest issues and fixed missing texts; Gameplay elements have been improved; Graphical and performance improvements (including stability issues)

• Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods v1.06 (English): This v1.06 patch fixes the problem with marc when you`ve got Theodors Artefact Quest, as well as fixing some other minor issues. The patch must be applied to a Forsaken Gods Version with Release Patch already installed. Savegames that were made with FSG + Release Patch remain working.

• Shadow of Legend v0.9.16.0 to v0.9.17.0: A patch has been released updating Shadow of Legend from v0.9.16.0 to v0.9.17.0

• PRISM: Guard Shield v3.0: PRISM: Guard Shield is an updated version of this free military-themed first-person shooter first released two years ago. The new version of Rival Interactive’s game centered around the U.S. National Guard in near-future battles. This patch updates PRISM: Guard Shield to version 3.0.

• World War One La Grande Guerre v1.0.4c: Matrix Games has released a patch updating World War One La Grande Guerre to v1.0.4c. The update addresses some serious issues concerning the game including some crashing problem in addition to a few improvements.

---
Related Articles at Gaming Today:

• The Week in Demos and Patches: February 17 - 23
• The Week in Demos and Patches: January 27 - February 2
• The Week in Demos and Patches - December 16 thru December 22
• The Week in Demos and Patches: Feb. 24 - March 1
• The Week in Demos: November 25 - December 1

Hopefully all of you out there have gotten your fill of turkey and all the fixings and are ready to sit back and relax now that the family mayhem has subsided. What better way to do that than to play a couple of PC demos or patch some of your current games? If this sounds good to you, FileFront has plenty to offer this week. They may not help you lose the extra pounds you gained, but they will at least get your mind off of the left overs that your mother sent home with you.

Demos

• Command & Conquer Red Alert 3: This single-player demo features the game’s cinematic opening, one full campaign mission from both the Soviet and Allied campaigns, and an interactive tutorial. The full game features 3 full campaigns (all playable solo or co-op online), a skirmish mode pitting you against nine formidable commanders, and competitive online multiplayer.

• StuntMANIA!pro v3.0.0: Fast paced 3D car stunt driving game, where you get to perform the most amazing tricks and stunts in some really cool environments. You can select any of the NINE amazing stunt cars and play either timed games, challenge games or just go crazy and have fun. Are there any limitations in the demo version? Yes.You are limited to playing only one stunt car (Razor), you can only play one environment (Trixter Park) but in both Daytme and Nighttime modes, you cant play AIR SPEED FREAK or BONUS ROUNDUP games, you are unable to save your scores and stunt rankings are not kept for you. (Mac version is can be found here: StuntMANIA!pro v3.0.0 Mac Demo)

• Zombie Shooter 2: In the sequel Sigma Team strives to put all the best features of Zombie Shooter and Alien Shooter series, player’s needs and suggestions have been listened to, as well as improved gfx, larger variety of enemies, more vehicle types, and more than 50 weapons and accessories.

• Professor Heinz Wolff`s Gravity: Deep Silver has released a demo for Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity. The demo contains a tutorial, as well as five attractive levels with varied degrees of difficulty and gorgeous, hand-painted backgrounds. Just like in the real game, virtual professor Heinz Wolff will provide you with helpful hints. The aim of Professor Heinz Wolff’s Gravity is to place various building blocks correctly in each level, in order to move a ball to a given target point. To that end, players must take the force of gravity into consideration and cleverly place differently shaped objects, so that their physical connection will trigger forces of leverage and chain reactions. The steadily rising learning curve introduces PC and console puzzlers to the easy-to-learn, entertaining principle of the game, and helps them to familiarize themselves with physical and mechanical effects. Various possible solutions and beautiful hand-illustrated themed backgrounds make for plenty of variety.

• Geneforge 5: Overthrow - Mac: Spiderweb Software brings you Geneforge 5: Overthrow, the final chapter in their fantasy epic. Return to the world of the Shapers one final time. Explore a vast, war-torn world, create and mold your own army of strange, powerful monsters, and choose a side to help lead to final victory.

• Qwak Demo: Experience super-playable coin-op style action, in this cute platformer, available NOW on your PC.

As always, for the full list of demos and patches, click here and here.

Patches are listed after the jump.

Patches

• Zu Online v1.5.07 to v1.8.0: In contrast with the previous version, there is a lot of new content in version 1.8.01, which will make the game even more fun. Boundary Hill, the second instance zone of Zu Online has been added. The monsters, especially the boss-level monsters in Boundary Hill are extremely tough, but they drop items that make it all worthwhile. Additionally, another two new high-level zones—Frozen Sea and Wei-Yang Palace have been added. What’s more, we have added several new systems, including Enchanting, pet combination, fashion improvement and the salary system. With the release of the new systems, players can improve their equipment by using the Enchantment function, attach a pet’s attributes to another, add extra attributes to fashionable items and get a weekly salary after meeting certain requirements. We also will improve the Commercial Travel system, add high-level Round Quests and improve some of the game settings. In a word, Zu Online version 1.8.01 will certainly bring players an improved gaming experience in Zu Online.

• FIFA Manager 09 Patch 1: Advice: It is possible to continue save-games with the Update, to get all improved features, you have to start a new game.Live Ticker:”big” Live Ticker, more space for text in the high screen resolution, match reports for the Live Ticker => after the match, in the stats section, in the line-up section, for the Reserves and for the Youth Teams; sound for the Live Ticker, including goal and stadium entry anthems; player positions are displayed optionally behind the player names; new text elements in Live Ticker; better “live” elements in Live Ticker (faster); “Text before Video” option in Live Ticker; new videos in Live Ticker (e.g. for own goals); additional text conditions in Live Ticker (more variation); Live Ticker: Slightly less goals, less injuries; Live Ticker: Reduced number of goals after corners and free kicks; Live Ticker: Improved goalkeeper ratings - full patch notes can be seen by hitting the game link.

• Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods v1.1: The most important changes:Some potential Main-quest blockers fixed; Pathfinding and quest issues and fixed missing texts; Gameplay elements have been improved; Graphical and performance improvements (including stability issues)

• Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods v1.06 (English): This v1.06 patch fixes the problem with marc when you`ve got Theodors Artefact Quest, as well as fixing some other minor issues. The patch must be applied to a Forsaken Gods Version with Release Patch already installed. Savegames that were made with FSG + Release Patch remain working.

• Shadow of Legend v0.9.16.0 to v0.9.17.0: A patch has been released updating Shadow of Legend from v0.9.16.0 to v0.9.17.0

• PRISM: Guard Shield v3.0: PRISM: Guard Shield is an updated version of this free military-themed first-person shooter first released two years ago. The new version of Rival Interactive’s game centered around the U.S. National Guard in near-future battles. This patch updates PRISM: Guard Shield to version 3.0.

• World War One La Grande Guerre v1.0.4c: Matrix Games has released a patch updating World War One La Grande Guerre to v1.0.4c. The update addresses some serious issues concerning the game including some crashing problem in addition to a few improvements.

---
Related Articles at Gaming Today:

• The Week in Demos and Patches: February 17 - 23
• The Week in Demos and Patches: January 27 - February 2
• New DS Demos Added to the Nintendo Channel
• The Week in Demos and Patches - December 16 thru December 22
• The Week in Demos and Patches: Feb. 24 - March 1

The Amazon deals keep popping up today! Here’s the real kicker…the PS2 version is $15, the 360 version is $26, and the Wii version is $30. I guess we really did get the best version! Also, enter the code ‘UNLEASH5′ for an extra $5 off.

Purchase here

Here's a swanky rumor concerning a new chipset for the Xbox 360 codenamed "Jasper." The new CPU and GPU chips has seen some subtle-yet-noticeable improvements to the 360 ... in theory.

With both chips sporting a feature size of 65 nanometers (compared to the 90nm of the original "Falcon" chipset) the "Jasper" 360 is supposed to run faster and more quietly. In addition, extra heatsinks are in place to combat the famous "three red lights" problem. Snazzy, if true.

This is labeled under rumor since so far we've only seen pictures and no real confirmation, but if it's true (likely), then great. However, after three years on the market, it's a pretty sad state of affairs that Microsoft only just now pulled its thumb out of its arse and gotten around to doing this. I love the games my Xbox 360 plays, but I loathe that machine, and the inherent bullsh*t that Microsoft inflicted on its customers, with a burning passion.

This rumored chipset is three years late.