what to buy

Welcome to 2008! Hopefully by now you've caught up on all the awesome titles that are coming your way this year. This time, let's switch gears and focus on the games that will be available sooner rather than later since I know you're all itching to get started on expanding that game collection. I can't think of a better way than to start off a new year than spending those holiday gift cards on some great games that you can enjoy all year long!

New Video Game Releases (January 2008)

Game	Why You'll Love It	Console/Price	Release Date
	Endless Ocean: Dive, Discover, Dream - How would you like to spend some time exploring what's under the sea with an endless supply of oxygen and a camera? I know I would. Just think of it as a virtual vacation!	Nintendo Wii, $29.99	Coming January 21st.
	Samurai Warriors: Katana - Playing through a game wielding a samurai sword (or long range rifle, cannon, or boomerang if you prefer!) an all-in-one hand has never been more satisfying!	Nintendo Wii, $49.99	Out January 15th
	Burnout Paradise - The joy of destruction is back with this Burnout installment, only this time Paradise City is open and free for exploration! Fun stuff like online play and license photo capabilities make it worth the $60 price tag!	PS3 and Xbox 360, $59.99	Get it January 21st
	Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games: DS - Mario and Sonic's Olympic fun comes to the DS!	Nintendo DS, $34.99	Out January 23rd
	Pursuit Force: Extreme Justice - A band of hell raising villains have plotted a major takeover — while you're at the altar! Good thing for you, you're a chopper pilot and your fiance is a super cop. Oh, and did I mention that you are both members of the crime fighting crew Pursuit Force? Never mess with a woman on her wedding day!	PSP, $29.99	Coming January 29th
	Bomberman Land - Battle Modes and now Story Mode - where you make your way through various levels — bring this classic to life on the Wii. Look out for "wii mode" where you take full advantage of the Wii remotes point and shoot capabilities.	Nintendo Wii, $29.99	Get it January 30th

Source and Source

With visions of Hungry Lumas still dancing in my head and some seriously calloused fingers from shredding it up Guitar Hero style, I would have to say that this has been a satisfying year for gaming indeed. Now that game releases are slowing down to a crawl for the holiday season, there are a few good choices left and a slew of movie-to-game titles if you are looking to pick up something for yourself or trying to cram for last minute gift ideas. Not only are games a great gift, but so are gaming bundles and game rental subscriptions for those budding geeks in your life. Check out these great December releases and stay tuned — as much as we loved gaming in 2007, there's sure to be some amazing things in store for 2008!

New Video Game Releases (December 2007)

Game	Why You'll Love It	Console/Price	Release Date
	Nights: Journey Of Dreams - A follow up to the beloved "Nights: Into Dreams" from Sega Saturn, this new Wii installment is sure to bring back fond memories a la Super Mario Galaxy.	Nintendo Wii, $49.99	Coming December 19th
	The Golden Compass - Based on Philip Pullman's novel and now a big hit at the box office, you take on the role of Lyra, making your way through mystical lands as you search for missing children.	PSP, PS2, PS3, XBox360, Wii, DS, PC $29.99 - $59.99	Out Now. Get it here
	Alvin And The Chipmunks - Not only have these little guys had a TV series, but now they star in a feature film and a video game where they battle their way through the "Rockathonpalooza"! What can't these critters do!?	Wii, DS, PS2, PC, $19.99 - $49.99	Out now. Purchase it online.
	Beowolf - You have seen the movie, now play the game. You play as Beowolf - a Norse hero- leading your army into battle. The fact that you have the power of 30 men should make this easy, right? Right!?	PSP, PS3, XBox360, PC, $19.99 - $49.99	Out now. Buy it online
	Rock Band for PS2 - The ultimate band experience hits the PS2 and will have you and your band mates putting in some extra practice time. Score some much needed points with the neighbors and make sure your encore ends at a decent hour!	PS2, $49.99 for the game, $159.00 for the bundle	Get it Now. Order it online.

Hopefully in the midst of sorting through your must-have list for November and preparing for your annual Thanksgiving feast, you have also been gearing up for a feast of a different kind. The kind that involves the return of a certain plumber, a large helping of a new band, a serving of an interstellar society, and a side order of a pimped-out race car. It's November friends, and that means gorging yourselves for the next month on some of the hottest games to hit the market all year. Please, please—help yourselves!

New Video Game Releases (November 2007)

Game	Why You'll Love It	Console/Price	Release Date
	Super Mario Galaxy — Bowser is at it again and this time has taken Princess Peach's entire castle into space! With the help of Princess Rosalina, Mario must venture out into new worlds to save Peach.	Nintendo Wii, $49.99	Out Nov. 12. Order online.
	Rock Band — Were not talking just a guitar here. Were talking guitar, drums, bass, and a mic for the ultimate band experience. Online action lets you compete against other bands, post band photos, blogs, and bios. You better start getting your band together now, cause there's sure to be a lot of competition out there. Now just to settle on a name....	Playstation 3, Xbox 360 $59.99 for the game, $169.00 for the bundle	Rockin Out Nov. 20
	Mass Effect — One of the most anticipated games of the year. Incredibly customizable, this role playing game thrusts you into an emotional battle with many species of aliens while trying to maintain the trust and respect of your crew. With you at the helm, you must help save human kind from a force that is hell bent on destroying a colony called Eden. Developed as a trilogy, plan on investing in this one for the long haul.	Xbox 360, $59.99	Coming Nov. 20
	Mario and Sonic at the Olympics — With games like fencing, archery, shooting, gymnastics, swimming, and table tennis, this multiplayer game is sure to have you and your pals squaring off for hours. A great game to get the family together after Thanksgiving dinner to work off all that turkey and stuffing!	Nintendo Wii, $49.99	Out now. Buy it.
	Need for Speed: Pro Street — Lots of challenges, lots of cars, and – most of all — lots of speed. With all the custom options you can get on your brand new 2009 Nissan GT-R, you may want to take those turns a little slower so you don't scratch up your killer paint job. Or on second thought, maybe not.	Xbox 360, Playstation 3 $59.99 and Playstation 2, $29.99	Out Nov. 14
	Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 — In this around-the-world installment, RRR2 is packed with 50 minigames in single or multiplayer mode. One game that brings back thoughts of the playground has you out-burping your opponents and causing damage to their surroundings. Let the games begin!	Nintendo Wii, $49.99 and DS, $29.99	Out Nov. 13

Tune in later this month for geekalicious reviews of Super Mario Galaxy and Rock Band! Want more games now? Check out past game releases.

The weather may be getting cooler, but not in the gaming industry where things are certainly heating up! With so many new titles being released in the latter months, it's sometimes just a question of where to begin. In between answering all those emails, trying to get to the gym and stocking up some some much needed Fall gadgetry, you may feel like you don't have the time (or the cash) to get in some good gaming. But come on, games are good for you! Promise me you'll take a time out and try these on for size.

New Video Game Releases (October 2007)

Game	Why You'll Love It	Console/Price	Release Date
	Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass - With Phantom Hourglass being the first Zelda game to hit the DS, it takes a bit of practice adjusting to the touch screen and control Link. Picking up where Wind Walker left off, this classic Zelda game is fresh, innovative and most of all, addictive!	Nintendo DS, $34.99	Out now. Purchase it online.
	Project Gotham Racing 4 - The PGR series has been known for its visual style and great controls that bridge the gap between arcade fun and simulation driving. The newest edition takes that concept even farther with enhanced vehicles, new and amazing cityscapes and weather conditions. Lots of Weather.	Xbox 360, $59.99	Out now. Purchase it online
	Folklore - After stumbling into a town that bridges the gap between the living and the dead, in this game you attempt to solve a series of murders. An interesting game to play, that definitely requires strategy based fighting rather than hand to hand combat skills.	PS3 and PSP, $59.99	Get it October 10.
	Beautiful Katamari - For this installment of the Katamari series, the King of All Cosmos is causing trouble and creates a black hole with his powerful tennis swing. If nothing else, it's a fun puzzle game where you roll around and collect "stuff" to fill up the hole in the universe. Crazy, huh?	Xbox 360, $39.99	Out October 16.
	Viva Pinata: Party Animals - Using the same lovable characters from the original Viva Pinata, this Party Game version has over 40 mini-games and 12 race games for you and your friends to battle it out party style.	Xbox 360, $49.99	Pick it up October 30
	Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock - This installment of Guitar Hero ups the anti with online multi-player action. Wireless controls allow you to shred to tracks like "Barracuda", "Paint it Black" and "Welcome to The Jungle" without tripping over any cords.	PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, $49.99 and $59.99, Wii, PC and MAC	Coming October 28th

Want more choices? Check out our Fall and Summer previews for more great games to catch up on!

In the midst of the usual summer gaming drought, I was able to come across a few games that are worthy of your precious time. If you are anything like me and love to soak up the sun, you probably don't want to spend all of your time indoors and chained to an involved role-playing game, but there are some fun, cool summer games you should consider. Everyone needs a break from all the beaches, pools and BBQs at some point, right?

New Video Game Releases (Summer 2007)

Game	Why You'll Love It	Console/Price	Release Date
	Big Brain Academy: Wii Degree - Entertainment while training your brain! You start with small, quick practice lessons and work up your confidence to take the big Brain test. The better your score, the heavier your brain. Which, of course is a good thing at the Academy. Fans include Nicole Kidman, who has signed on as the game's official spokesperson in Europe.	Wii, $49.99. Also available for Nintendo DS.	Out now. Purchase it online.
	Odin Sphere - This game features an amazing 2D side scroller that is drawn entirely by hand. You know, like old school. Takes a bit to get the hang of, but once you do, it's a really fun button masher that will keep you indoors for far too long.	PS2, $39.99	Out now. Purchase it online
	Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Anniversary - Not many changes in the story from the 2007 version from the original, but you will appreciate the new actions, movements and amazing sound effects of the revamped favorite.	PS2, PC $29.99. Also available for PSP.	Out now. Purchase it online.
	Sim City DS - The tiny DS version isn't all that great to look at, but the game itself - the music and the gratification of building a happy, flourishing city - make up for the visuals. But with only one save slot, you can't develop more than one city at a time. This would be a perfect lounging by the pool with a margarita game, if only you could see the screen in the sun! Doh!	DS, $29.99	Out now. Buy it online from online
	Dirt - I am a racing game type of gal! Dirt is a great rally racer with a perfect mix of arcade and simulation driving. With amazing graphics, fun tracks and an impressive damage factor, Dirt stacks up to other recently released racers with superior game-play to boot.	Xbox 360, $59.99. Also available for Windows.	Out now. Get it online.
	Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80's - Living in my fantasy world of being a rock star, this addition to my Guitar Hero collection is essential. Tracks by Ratt, Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, Skid Row, and so many more, this game will have me rocking out all night long. No autographs, please.	PS2, $49.99. Older Guitar Hero games available for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360.	Out July 24th online and in stores.

Want more games? Check out my Video Game Release Roundup for spring.

Want to add some serious style to your workday? These designer laptop bags are the perfect accessory for any wardrobe and will make you forget that you have to spend the day at the office. Geek tip: When picking out a new laptop bag always remember to check and make sure your computer will fit!


The Chocolate Belissima Laptop Bag by Gina McGrath
Covered in a stunning chocolate brown with a funky lavender leather, this bag can hold a 15" laptop and offers a playful touch to your usual black-on-black computer carrier. Also included is an extra buckle strap to attach the bag to your luggage.
Get one here for $250.

The Angelina by THERESA Kathryn
This calfskin leather bag with a luxurious satin lining includes a special padded laptop section to keep your laptop protected. Available in black, cognac and snow.
Get one here for $535.

The Cricket Laptop Case by Salvatore Ferragamo
A classy and timeless piece! Salvatore Ferragamo has created the ultimate laptop bag. With a zip top and a Gancini pull tab, golden hardware and pleated gussets, all eyes will definitely be on this bag.
Get one here for $1,190.