That’s according to research by the Entertainment Software Association, who believe that 42% of all American adults will this Christmas either give or receive a video game.

We’d love to say that means 21% of Americans will be getting a game from Santa, but since so many of you will be giving and receiving, we’ll leave it at 42% going both ways.

What about you, are you asking for one? Or planning on giving one? I’m planning on neither; my Christmas ends with me either watching the Battlestar box set on Blu-Ray, or stamping my feet in the mother of all tantrums.

[via Dtoid]

That figure covers any and all games requiring a subscription, so don’t go laying all the blame at World of Warcraft’s feet. Spare a little for EVE, Age of Conan and LOTRO as well.

“Despite concerns that the recession would cause consumers to reduce spending on entertainment subscription services, most forms of subscription entertainment are doing just fine,” NPD’s Russ Crupnick said in a press release. “Consumers are clearly looking to the value offered by entertainment subscriptions and like what they get for their money.”

With last week’s announcement that Final Fantasy XIII would be out in March, it quickly became the centrepiece of an already jam-packed lineup of big-money, AAA titles forming the strongest Q1 lineup this industry has ever seen.

I mean, get a look at this list of games due between January and March next year. And these aren’t every game coming out; they’re just the big ones. It’s incredible.

JANUARY

Mass Effect 2
Army of Two: The 40th Day
Bayonetta
Darksiders
Dark Void
MAG
No More Heroes 2

FEBRUARY

BioShock 2
Lost Planet 2
Dante’s Inferno
Splinter Cell: Conviction
Napoleon: Total War
Star Trek: Online

MARCH

Final Fantasy XIII
Command & Conquer 4
Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Sure, some of those games were always going to be released then. Final Fantasy XIII, for example. But many of those are Modern Warfare 2 refugees, titles that were originally planned for release in late 2009, then moved to avoid being crushed underfoot by Activision’s money-printing juggernaut.

It’ll be really interesting to see how they fare. If any of the bigger games underwhelm at the register, publishers will no doubt blame the increased competition for gaming dollars at a time of year not normally associated with big spending.

But if we get a series of big-selling blockbusters… well, it’ll send a clear signal to publishers: it’s OK, guys, you don’t have to flood the market in November. You can release a game in March and we’ll still buy it.

The list provides only the single, top-selling, must-have item for the year. No room for second place here. And it shows that seven times in the past 34 years — beginning with Pong in 1975 — a video game or games console has come in at #1. Bump that number up to eight if you count 1999’s Pokemon, owned by Nintendo, as a gaming product.

Gaming gear really starts to pull away in the past decade, with the PS2 topping 2001’s list, followed by the DS, Wii and PS3 in 2004, 2006 and 2007 respectively. Hrm. Wait a minute. The PS3 outsold the Wii for Christmas 2007? It most certainly did not.

Makes you wonder whether Permuto got anything else on the list wrong. We hope not, though; 1993’s Genesis Mortal Kombat looks just fine where it is, thanks.

The Most Popular Christmas Toys, By Year Since 1960 [Permuto]

Parents desperately searching for a way to connect with their children over the Christmas holidays need look no further than We Wish You a Merry Christmas, due out October 27th for the Nintendo Wii from Destineer and developer Panic Button. Six holiday mini-games will help parents and children bond during those long, awkward winter days, and the included Advent Calendar will ensure that the title stays poignant for one month out of the year.

At least the mini-games sound exciting? Just look at these descriptions:

* Santa’s Sleigh: Collect presents with the Wii Remote™ and help deliver them to houses.
* Hot Chocolate: A memory game in which you keep the elves warm by quickly pouring and delivering mugs of hot chocolate.
* Candy Cane Lanes: As Santa, you bowl down a lane towards funny elves.
* Present Catch: Play as an elf, catching all the bouncing presents and avoiding obstacles with the Wii Remote™.
* Reindeer Games: Santa’s reindeer hold a special flying contest to see who can lead Santa’s sleigh each year.
* Deck The Halls: Match 3 and win!

The excitement never stops! Well until Christmas is over. I have to admire the guts of a publisher that releases a title that revolves around one specific annual event. It reminds me of the Christmas stores that pop up all over Atlanta for three months out of the year and then go into hibernation in January. Both are bright and cheerful and exist only to capitalise on a beloved celebration.

December is generally a bad month for video game releases, and earlier is normally better, but when you are Square Enix releasing the first major Final Fantasy title on the Wii, generalities don’t really matter. Hence the December 26th release date for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers in North America. I’m not sure what the company’s strategy is here, but I’m guessing that many copies of the game will be purchased using post-holiday gift certificates and exchange credit.

The tips of the lights are sharp enough to cut skin or a small child’s mouth should they attempt to gum them. According to a Flickr post from last month, it looks like I have EA Singapore to thank for the lights. They’ll look great on my Hanukkah bush. Or in my cat’s mouth.

Check out our review of The Sims 3 here.

If you could ask the President of Nintendo a question, would you blow it on “why do sales in America spike during December?” No. Some Japanese guy did, though, and got this for his troubles.

The largest reason is Christmas. Americans buy a lot of presents during the Christmas holidays. Christmas gift guides, which I prefer not to call flyers but rather catalogs, usually circulate at the end of the year, and products advertised favourably there usually sell extremely well.

These “rotos,” the ads with visuals that are distributed with papers, dictate the sales volume of products. American consumers go to retailers after deciding what to buy according to these rotos. As retailers also emphasise what rotos featured, these products also receive great visibility at retailers. This is my understanding of the retail business model in the U.S., according to what I have heard, seen and felt as one consumer, during my ten-times-a-year-visits for years.

In December, videogames receive larger visibility. And every retailer offers its own campaign like bundling Wii console and software for a discount as if to tell consumers that it’s high time to buy. And consumers who have been thinking about buying a product and who find it in rotos or at retailers come to think that right now is the time to buy it. Most likely, this is why we see concentrated sales around this time.

Wow. Who says Nintendo aren’t educational? That was one “hark the herald angels sing” away from a bonafide Wikipedia entry.

[Nintendo]

Gather round for a rousing bout of back slapping and carousing as the Xbox brand celebrates its best European Christmas season in six years, with 100% growth over last December.

The press release is filled with quotes, specifically from the likes of Xbox’s Regional Vice President of Interactive Entertainment Chris Lewis, who could go on for hours about how successful the console was this year, and Game Investor Consulting’s Nick Gibson, who is obviously more of a numbers kinda guy.

“Microsoft appears to have enjoyed an excellent end to 2008 in Europe. According to GFK Chart Track data, the Xbox 360 recorded in excess of 100% growth in December sales compared to 2007 across the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain, well ahead of any other console. It also recorded comfortably the highest rate of year-on-year growth for the final quarter of 2008 overall.”

They are also celebrating an install base of well over 8 million Xbox 360 consoles, which they believe keeps them well ahead of their nearest rival in the region.

I’d add a dire “For now” to the end of the last paragraph, but who am I to piss on their parade? Besides, I gave my own brother an Xbox 360 for Christmas. Granted it was my old one, while I got a newer one, but it’s the thought that counts.

XBOX 360 RECORDS BEST EUROPEAN CHRISTMAS IN ITS HISTORY, EIGHT MILLION CONSOLES SOLD TO DATE

LONDON – 5th January 2009: Xbox® today revealed sales data showing Christmas 2008 was the biggest sales period ever in the brand’s six-year European history, with sales of Xbox 360™ almost double those of Christmas 2007[1]. Eight million Xbox 360 consoles have been sold in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA)[2] up to the end of 2008, widening its lead over PlayStation 3 in the region to more than one million and setting the scene for further growth in 2009.

GfK-ChartTrack data shows that Xbox 360 was the fastest-growing console of 2008, with sales in the fourth quarter of 2008 over double that of the same period in 2007, spurred on by a mix of value, great games and entertainment, and the recently-launched New Xbox Experience.

Chris Lewis, Regional Vice President, Interactive Entertainment Business EMEA, said: “Christmas 2008 was a resounding success for Xbox 360. 2008 saw us grow faster than any of our competitors and we over-achieved in sales during the crucial Christmas selling period. We reduced the entry-level Xbox 360 ERP in September, understanding the need for great value, and European consumers have responded enthusiastically. With eight million consoles sold since we launched, and consistently out-selling PlayStation 3 in EMEA, we’re poised to build on this success in 2009. This success was only possible through our partnerships with retail and with publishers, with whom we’ve worked closely to build a strong ecosystem in the region and to bring value to our shared customer base. As we move into 2009 and an uncertain economic climate, we continue to be committed to offering the right blend of gaming and entertainment experiences at the right price.”

Nick Gibson, Founding Analyst, Games Investor Consulting, said: “Microsoft appears to have enjoyed an excellent end to 2008 in Europe. According to GFK Chart Track data, the Xbox 360 recorded in excess of 100% growth in December sales compared to 2007 across the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain, well ahead of any other console. It also recorded comfortably the highest rate of year-on-year growth for the final quarter of 2008 overall.”

Nick Parker, Founder and Games Analyst, Parker Consulting, said: “I have seen early returns for the December 2008 sales data indicating that Xbox 360 has shown a significant sales increase year on year and furthermore is ahead of its nearest rival in terms of lifetime consumer hardware sales in the EMEA region, with an installed base of over eight million units.”