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Fahim's birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I really hugely vomitously suck at figuring out what to get for a birthday present.
What doesn't help is lack of selection in this frickin' country. The other part that doesn't help is that, when I ask him what he wants, he'll either say "PlayStation Portable" (never mind that he's already got XBox, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and some other game box thingie that I can't remember the name of - and the PS Portable is EXPENSIVE!) or "nothing, dear."
Ugh!
So. I'm going to make him an ooey gooey chocolate cake with ooey gooey icing (oh, hey, if you've got a great recipe, feel free to post. Last year, it was such a failure. Not used to cooking with a gas oven. Long story.)
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Nope. I mean, yes, some games are available, but there's nothing he wants. That he's said.
Hmm. . . Maybe I'll have to pick his brain on that score. Good idea. Ignore my initial naysaying. I will pursue further. Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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My mom has a great mocha chocolate icing recipe. Does Fahim like coffee?
Does he play PC games? There are some games that aren't availible on console that are quite good. You could also try equipment add-ons: joysticks, controllers that shake, memory cards, etc.
Is there anything he likes to do besides gaming? Perhaps something the two of you could do together? Or music? (does he have an iPod shuffle yet? )
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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He does, but since I'm LDS, it would mean that the cake would be ALL his, which I, of course, am not at all in favor of. Fahim, however, would be completely okay with it.
We're both homebodies, so no need for an iPod. Something we can do together . . . Yeah, I'm not sure what. I've suggested dance lessons, and while he didn't rule it out, he wasn't overly enthusiastic, either.
Equipment add-ons. Hmm. Controllers that shake? Really? I wonder if he has one of those already . . . Well, I have to unpack everything anyway, so I can do that and take inventory of part numbers while I'm at it and look things up . . .
PC Games - oh yeah, baby! As in, that would be a rrrrresounding and emphatic YES! Any suggestions?
Past games he's enjoyed: Diablo II. Sacred. Space Colony (I think that's what it was called.) Myst (I think.) Um, for more, I can dig through the CDs for titles.
Based on that, any suggestions?
He also loves comics, but since they're not available in this country, he downloads them. Yes, they're pirated!
Thanks for zapping my brain loose, Jhai!
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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What are some of his favorite type of games, PC or console? I'm not a huge gamer, but my brother and some friends are, so I might be able to suggest some titles. Does he like first-person shooters, role-playing games (RPGs), stragey games, sports, puzzles, racing, etc, etc?
I've heard Diablo II and Sacred both classified as as action or "slash and hack" RPGs. There are a LOT of games similar to this: Baldur's Gate comes to mind... (Where are the hatrack gamers? I know they exist.)
Space Colony is a simulation game, very similar to the Sims (has he played that yet?) by Maxis (creater of SimCity).
Myst is a strategy/puzzle game. I've never played it, but I've heard it's really fun. There are a number of sequals to the game, all of which got pretty good reviews.
I play mostly RPGs and simulation games so... If he likes Star Wars at all (or if he at least doesn't actively hate it) you might check out Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. It's an RPG with a very detailed storyline. The Elder Scrolls games are very good RPGs - more open-ended in terms of game play, although they also have a very good storyline. They're good games for your money as well: I've played Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind for roughly 300 hours and I still haven't finished the game. Oblivion, the next game in the series, came out fairly recently to very good reviews. [Edit: oops, Oblivion isn't out yet - due in the fall. Morrowind is still good, though, and there's 2 extensions to it as well. There's an X-Box version too!]
I've never played it, but I've seen some of my friends get sucked into World of Warcraft and never return again. There's a monthly fee, though.
quote:Originally posted by Jhai: I've never played it, but I've seen some of my friends get sucked into World of Warcraft and never return again. There's a monthly fee, though.
Ok.... World of Warcraft is quite the game-- though I just don't get it -- it doesn't seem to have a point. I see my 3 roommates playing all the time, and all I ever see is them fishing with their character or running from one side of the map to the other-- or I hear "I can't right now, I'm in an instance!" They definately got SUCKED in and have never been seen again!
quote:Originally posted by Jhai: Myst is a strategy/puzzle game. I've never played it, but I've heard it's really fun. There are a number of sequals to the game, all of which got pretty good reviews.
I have played and LOVED Myst and ALL the sequels. The last one, Myst V: End of Ages comes out in a few months. If he liked the first Myst, getting some sequals is a great idea (though you'll need to get them in order)
1-Myst 2-Riven: the sequal to Myst 3-Myst III: Exile 4-Myst IV: Revelation 5-Myst V: End of Ages (Not yet released X-Myst URU: Complete Chronicles (Contains URU, and the Path of the Shell and Return to D'ni expansions) (URU does not follow the traditional gameplay style and storyline of the other Myst games)
The Myst series is HANDS DOWN my favorite game series ever made. Warcraft III is second, but most of the people who want that one have it by now, considering it's been out for many years. But Myst... FLAWLESS games. Absolutely PERFECT!
(not that I'm biased at all)
EDIT: Myst (1993) was also the best-selling PC game ever made until (depending on which site you look at) The Sims took the title (though I'm not sure I believe that)
Posts: 84 | Registered: Jun 2005
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Do not get your husband a video game. Video games are timesinks. They eat life.
They make perfectly good presents for unmarried young people who aren't doing anything better with their lives, but they're AWFUL presents for actual adults with spouses.
Buy him something he can USE, and moreover something he SHOULD use.
Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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Hey Tom - "Time you enjoyed wasting is not wasted time" -T.S. Elliot
Seriously, if that's the way the guy likes to spend his recreation time and he isn't failing in his responsibilities to family and work, I don't see anything wrong with it. It's a more active pastime than TV, and more enjoyable to some people than doing crafts or playing music or whatever else.
Video games don't destroy a person or his realtionships with others: there's a couple I know who spend a large amount of their free time together questing on World of Warcraft. It's positively cute. Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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"Seriously, if that's the way the guy likes to spend his recreation time and he isn't failing in his responsibilities to family and work, I don't see anything wrong with it."
Dude met his wife on the Internet from thousands of miles away. He's a programmer by trade. Owns every console in existence AND a ridiculous number of pirated films.
Dude does not need another video game. Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999
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There's some fun geek toys at http://www.thinkgeek.com/ I've been thinking about getting a friend the Space Age Ant Habitat.
Posts: 2409 | Registered: Sep 2003
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Yes, dude owns every console in existence and a ridiculous number of DVDs (legal ~200, pirated ~450 or so).
Dude, while he enjoys playing computer games, doesn't get sucked into them in endless periods of time. Dude still goes to bed on time, gets to work on time, set aside time for writing/editing/programming/household chores, and keeps his wife entertained. Dude knows how to balance stuff. Wife has no complaints.
ThinkGeek, while it has some great toys, isn't realistic (and this goes for all mail-order companies) simply because after you add shipping costs, and the import taxes the Sri Lankan government will charge, you're likely doubling or quadrupling the cost of the item in question. And yes, I wish I were kidding about that.
Magic Street isn't available here yet, so that's out. Besides, would you believe dude hasn't read a single OSC book yet? It's sick, I know.
quote:Buy him something he can USE, and moreover something he SHOULD use.
See, this is a great concept. I just have no idea what falls under it.
But seriously, I do very much appreciate the suggestions already given. I'm going to start some research. I have less than two weeks.
I'm terrible at gift giving. Terrible. Girls are so much easier to buy for. Maybe because I understand the territory?
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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quote: I've been thinking about getting a friend the Space Age Ant Habitat.
I think I didn't notice this because I have such an aversion to ants.
THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA!!!!! We spend our days hunting down the ants nests so we can kill them. We have at least six varieties of ants that I, the unexpert, have identified. Ants get into everything, including wood furniture. I hate them! Hate them hate them hate them hate them hate them!!!!!!!
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