The best games to gift to new console owners this holiday season

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The Epic Games Store has reached the final offering of its holiday season daily giveaways, and it arguably saved the best for last: . The game from developer Eidos-Montreal didn't perform exceptionally well financially, but is one of the more endearing titles released in 2021. being the headliner for EGS's holiday giveaways is not only a good conclusion to the season, but will help this often overlooked third-person, action-adventure shooter reach a new, wider audience.

Toothless dancing to a song from Pokémon Black and White wasn’t on my bingo card for 2023 or 2024, but now it’s become one of the biggest new memes of the holiday season. The beloved beast from How To Train Your Dragon has become part of a viral trend thanks to an animation created by Cas van de Pol. Now, a clip of the bug-eyed dragon dancing has become a popular joke format and has taken over platforms like TikTok as people share the animation.

The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site.

Followers of the movie release calendar just can’t get a moment’s peace: As soon as COVID-19-era disruptions were smoothed out and production pipelines mostly restored in 2023, a lengthy two-guild strike threw everything out of whack again. Delays, shifts, and cancellations galore added to the usual mix of theatrical releases and (fewer, but still notable) direct-to-streaming productions.

might seem like the obvious choice for the best game of 2023 (and it was The Game Awards' GOTY), but claiming the throne of a major industry's yearly output is no simple feat. 2023 was full of excellent titles, with games like, and receiving glowing reviews from critics and fans alike. Taking a closer look at the situation helps clarify just how strong the argument for is and whether it can really comfortably rest at the top.

“Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but inside it’s so delightful…” As much as these words are commonly associated with winter snowstorms, inclement weather and the general harshness of the great outdoors are year-long concerns. Be you gripped in the icy embrace of winter or hit with the heat of a summer’s sun, there’s one tried and true method to keep warm or stay cool, and that’s settling in at home with video games by yourself or with friends. And when things outdoors are getting nasty, it’s the comfy games that hit that sweet spot the strongest. Whether you’re curled up on the sofa or bed, with DualSense controller or PlayStation Portal in hand, here’s some suggestions of games to boot up when you need some soothing experiences to battle the dreariness of the outside.

By Ash Parrish, a reporter who has covered the business, culture, and communities of video games for seven years. Previously, she worked at Kotaku.

It's December 26, which means Christmas has come and gone, and other seasonal holidays are underway while we all wait for the new year to kick off next week. Everyone knows that the days between your winter holiday and New Year's Eve are for gaming, right? At least, we hope you're doing some gaming today, tomorrow, and the day after! Or maybe you're kicking back with a good book, or watching a new movie?

One of 2023’s biggest cinema trends was the way accomplished filmmakers like Martin Scorsese, Greta Gerwig, Wes Anderson, Christopher Nolan, and many more delivered some of the most creatively and commercially successful work of their careers. There was just something in the air this year, as one major artist after another took big swings that connected.

There are a lot of ways to judge a great performance. In 2023, as in every year, some of the year’s best movies were quirky, colorful, boundary-pushing challenges to the cinematic status quo, and some were low-key, emotionally intense stories, either tracking the lives of famous historical figures or just trying to evoke the pains of real life. Our list of the best performances of the year honors both extremes: outsized performances that tickled and surprised us, and realistic ones that made us forget we were watching a performance. Here are our favorites among the many great performances we saw in movies in 2023.

WWE's Zelina Vega, known for her electrifying presence in the wrestling ring, is also an avid gamer, which is a passion that shines through in her personal life and professional persona. While the holiday season has arrived, some are still not done shopping, so Vega shared her top picks for gaming-related gifts, providing a treasure trove of ideas for fellow gaming enthusiasts.