Trump factor fuels debate about value of 'horse race' polls in election cycle

Trump factor fuels debate about value of 'horse race' polls in election cycle





Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled "Trump factor fuels debate about value of 'horse race' polls in election cycle" was written by Dan Roberts in Washington and Mona Chalabi in New York, for theguardian.com on Sunday 6th December 2015 15.45 UTC

An American presidential election is perhaps the world’s ultimate opinion poll: 235 million participants, billions of dollars and 18 months of fierce political debate.

Yet this extravagant exercise in democracy is increasingly overshadowed by a cheaper variety of polling, one that often relies on an anonymous, self-selecting sample of online respondents numbering as few as 500 to serve as proxy for the entire electorate.

Rarely has this sampling methodology been as much in question, but in the celebrity-fueled 2016 election cycle, many experts fear that the perception of success is now everything; what should just be an indication of voting intentions is becoming the determining factor.

Because polls are used to decide who appears in official television debates, lesser-known candidates are starved of the chance to introduce themselves while donors flock toward ‘winners’ and a media echo chamber amplifies only the loudest.

“It’s become an election about polls, and that’s never a healthy state of affairs.” says one Republican campaign manager.

In recent days, debate has raged most fiercely around Donald Trump. One group of pundits point to exaggerated polling as the explanation for his temporarily dominant lead in the Republican primary race. Other commentators suggest this ignores genuine momentum behind his campaign that has lasted months longer than anyone predicted.

But an alternative explanation is also emerging. What if both views are right? What if the polling is flawed and Trump still stays ahead, in a self-fulfilling prophecy with profound consequences for the effectiveness of the democratic process?

There is certainly a precedent internationally for polls that have proved wildly inaccurate and hugely influential at the same time. Pollsters underestimated Republican support ahead of the the 2014 midterms, causing the White House to delay immigration reform in the mistaken belief that Democrats had a chance of holding on to marginal states.

Similarly, polls incorrectly said the Scottish referendum was too close to call, prompting the controversial intervention of the Queen and lasting bitterness among many Scots.

Surveys said the 2015 Israeli national election would be an incredibly tight race. It wasn’t. Two months later, they said the same about the UK general election. They were wrong again, but it did not stop each prediction causing huge waves.

Increasingly, more reputable pollsters are pulling out of so-called ‘horse race’ election polling because they fear it risks tarnishing their brand.

“When you have lots of candidates running and you are months ahead of the first voting and you ask people who they are going to vote for, you are just basically getting top of mind impressions and to a large degree name recognition,” says Gallup’s Frank Newport.

Accused of badly misreading the 2012 US election, Gallup has given up entirely on the horse race polls for the 2016 primary and may not even conduct them ahead of November’s general election.

“It will be much less a part of what we are doing than in 2012 when we were tracking the horse race every night; we certainly will not be doing that this election,” reveals Newport. Rather, Gallup will move towards more in-depth polling, touching on the “fundamentals and issues”.

It may seem like a cop-out, but these less direct polling methods, such as tracking favourability, show dramatically different results – with Marco Rubio, for example, achieving Gallup net favourability ratings more than double that of the supposed frontrunner Trump.

Other pollsters believe they have no choice but to continue asking the more straightforward question of voting intentions – even if the answer is less and less reliable.

One executive with the British-based YouGov says its failures during the last UK election had a disquieting effect on internal morale but strangely little impact on external clients, perhaps because the whole industry got it wrong and the pain was shared so widely.

Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Graham was relegated first from the main TV debate stage and then even from the secondary presidential debate on the basis of a difference in polls. Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
And while the polling industry may be in the grip of an existential crisis of confidence, the US media and political establishment has never relied on it more heavily.

One Republican primary candidate, South Carolina senator Lindsey Graham, was relegated first from the main TV debate stage and then even from the secondary presidential debate on the basis of a difference in polls well within the statistical margin of error, and one of which did not even mention the senator by name.

Graham’s campaign manager, Christian Ferry, who also worked for senator John McCain in previous election cycles, says the problem is much worse this time around and is in danger of undermining the important role of voters in early primary states.

“Campaigns have traditionally been about how many people can you meet and how well you can organise in states like New Hampshire and Iowa,” says Ferry. “Senator McCain was not a well known figure at the outset in 2000, but there was a lot less focus on national polls. He started to see a surge in New Hampshire.”

Though some may argue these states have had undue influence in the past, Ferry argues that turning to national polling for answers is a dangerous way to solve the problem.

“If you have a problem with the early state primary system you need to change it, not try to compensate for it,” he adds. “Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina are small and have relatively inexpensive media markets and voters are very used to the process; they take their responsibility seriously. Otherwise we are talking about nationalising the election, which emphasises money and celebrity.”

No easy fix

Some might dismiss the complaints of marginal campaigns like Senator Graham’s as sour grapes, but increasingly the scepticism of polling is shared even by those for whom the results and the debate system have been kind.

“We told our supporters in April when we were leading in the polls not to pay any attention to them and we told our supporters in August when we were lagging not to pay any attention to them,” says Marco Rubio’s spokesman Alex Conant.

“After every debate we have seen a surge in fundraising, and volunteer sign-up and larger crowds and improved poll numbers, but of all those things the one we care least about is the improved poll numbers – because we believe they will go up and down a lot over the next eight weeks and the only time they are really going to matter at all is in February.”

And the problems of polling are not easily fixed or ignored. Shying away from horse race predictions, as Gallup is, may only exacerbate the collapse of confidence in the industry.

Elections offer a unique opportunity for polling companies. When surveys are conducted on Pope Francis, pollution or parenthood, respondents are stating opinions -- their claims are no more verifiable than the numbers they produce. But at elections, once the votes are tallied, pollsters can use their numbers to say “ta-da!” “told you so!” because they asked a nationally representative sample of individuals what the nation would do -- and the nation did it.

That nationally representative sample is becoming increasingly elusive though. First, a lot of Americans have ditched the landline phones that pollsters use to contact them. In 2003, less than 5% of adults owned a cell phone but had no landline. By the first half of this year, that figure had risen to 47%. The individuals who don’t have a landline are much more likely to be poorer, younger and non-white -- they’re still potential voters though. And, since the law prohibits pollsters from auto-dialling Americans on their cell phones, that poses a real problem for polling companies.

The decline of the landline has contributed to the growing gap between results found in online polls and those found in phone polls. In the past few months, Trump has been around 5 percentage points more popular in online polls than phone polls. Those internet polls are new and relatively untested which makes it difficult to gauge whether they will fare any better than phone polls in predicting elections. And while it’s true that respondents may be more willing to be honest when faced with a computer screen rather than a human voice, pollsters are never able to perfectly correct for one flaw in human behaviour that affects all these statistics -- whether out of pride, shame or sheer laziness: people lie.

Even if individuals can be contacted, increasingly, they refuse to speak. According to the American Association for Public Research, “response rates across all modes of survey administration have declined, in some cases precipitously”. In 1997, 36% of people who had been contacted would respond -- by 2012, it was 9%.

Pollsters claim that this doesn’t have to affect their accuracy because they can use a technique called weighting. Let’s say you want to know what percentage of people in America will drink alcohol this weekend and so you ask ten people what their plans are. If four of the people that you talk to are children, you would give their answers less weight. That’s because nationally, only about two out of every ten Americans is a child, and because the alcohol consumption habits of children and adults are very different.

Weighting can improve the accuracy of the numbers -- if done correctly. It’s important to understand if and how views vary between different groups. And it’s important that you’re still polling enough individuals before you apply any weightings. Take, for example, this recent survey by YouGov on faith -- out of 999 respondents, only 72 said that they were Hispanic. Nationally though, 17% of the population is Hispanic. That might not sound like much, but when you take into account the fact that views also differ based on things like sex, age and income level in some cases, you’re left with less than ten individuals whose opinions need to be representative of thousands. Perhaps more worryingly, pollsters often use complex equations to do those weightings -- equations which are not publicly available or verifiable.

But reliance on polls barely seems to have changed. It seems that for now, however flawed the numbers might be, we have few alternatives to try and make sense of what will happen in November 2016.

Some industry insiders believe the risk that false numbers do serious harm to the eventual result is overstated.

“It’s ok to have that feedback loop,” says Gallup’s Newport. “ I have a lot of faith in the average American to be able to sort through the information.”

In particular he warns of the danger to free speech if the US were to go down the route of some countries and begin limiting the use of polling ahead of elections.

But perhaps, like the uncertainty principle in physics, the more an election is scrutinised the more the scrutiny risks interfering. If this interference is compounded by technological shifts making traditional poll methods increasingly unreliable, there could be a far larger threat to the democratic process than simply the free speech of pollsters.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010

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Full Speech: Donald Trum Rally in Raleigh, NC (12th Apr'2015)

Full Speech: Donald Trum Rally in Raleigh, NC (12th Apr'2015)
Full Speech: Donald Trum Rally in Raleigh, NC (12th Apr'2015)

Full Speech: Donald Trum Rally in Raleigh, NC (12th Apr'2015)

[youtube video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybVoJODXabs ]

December 4, 2015: GOP Presidential candidate and front-runner Donald Trump was in Raleigh, NC tonight for a campaign rally. Mr. Trump spoke for about a half hour and then took questions from the audience. The event was interrupted at least four times by protesters, but the real highlight of the event was when Diamond and Silk from 'The Viewers View' YouTube channel joined Mr. Trump on stage!

Full Speech: Donald Trump AMAZING Rally in Raleigh, NC (12-4-15)

Full Speech: Donald Trum Rally in Raleigh, NC (12th Apr'2015)

San Bernardino shooting victim 'had argued with killer about Islam'

San Bernardino shooting victim 'had argued with killer about Islam'





Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled "San Bernardino shooting victim 'had argued with killer about Islam'" was written by Yvette Cabrera, Rory Carroll and Tom Dart in San Bernardino, for theguardian.com on Saturday 5th December 2015 13.08 UTC

Friends and family have described Nicholas Thalasinos, one of the 14 people slaughtered in San Bernardino, as a devoted father, husband and colleague, a dedicated health inspector, colourful dresser and outspoken conservative.

But as detectives investigate Wednesday’s rampage, seeking clues about the killers’ motives, his widow, Jennifer, says she believes he was also a martyr. Thalasinos died at the hands of Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik, a married couple who opened fire in the Inland Regional Center, a social services agency where Farook worked.

Farook, 28, and Malik were Muslims and Thalasinos, a Messianic Jew, took issue with Islam. He wrote fiery posts online and used a derogatory term to describe Muslims. He had also argued with Farook, a fellow health inspector.

Their relationship came under scrutiny on Friday when lawyers for Farook’s family cited workplace tension as a possible factor in the country’s deadliest mass shooting in three years. “Someone made fun of his beard. He was a very isolated, introverted individual with really no friends that we could identify,” David Chesley told a news conference in Los Angeles.

Farook had mentioned the teasing to his family, said Mohammad Abuershaid, another attorney. The lawyers mentioned “intolerance” and a “disgruntled colleague” at Farook’s workplace but did not elaborate.

Thalasinos’s widow told the New York Post on Thursday her husband was “anti-Muslim” and “probably had plenty to say” to Farook. “I’m sure everybody has seen his Facebook page. He’s very outspoken about Islamic terrorism and how he feels about politics in the state of the country,” she said. The FBI has called the atrocity an act of terrorism and there are reports Malik, 29 – a Pakistani national who met her husband in Saudi Arabia – pledged allegiance to Islamic State.

However, the agency said there was no indication they were part of an larger organised group. Law enforcement officials who briefed multiple news organisations said investigators were exploring possible additional motives, including workplace tensions over religion.

Two weeks ago Kuuleme Stephens heard a heated argument when she phoned Thalasinos, a friend, at work. Farook said Thasalinos did not understand Islam, prompting Thalasinos to lament that he did not know how to talk to his colleague, Stephens told the Associated Press. The day before he was killed, Thalasinos posted on his Facebook page that he had received a threatening message from a man he described as an antisemitic brain surgeon named “Med Ali Zarouk” from Ukraine.

The message stated that Thalasinos would never succeed in making a “country for Jews” and ended by saying “soon you ll get your ass kicked, you will die and never see israel as country believe me never”. Thalasinos responded in the same post that his new hobby was “blocking pagan antisemitic troglodytes”. He also noted that an earlier message from another person was far worse.

Thalasinos often posted impassioned comments on a range of topics, including politics and religion. He criticised everyone from Barack Obama to “Iranian fascists”, lamented the lack of biblical teachings in schools and declared global warming a farce. Friends and relatives said that away from his computer Thalasinos was warm and generous. San Bernardino Valley College student Jaclynn Moore, a San Bernardino Valley College student who lives next door to his house in Colton, expressed disbelief when she learned of his death on Friday.

“This hits too close to home,” Moore, 34, said. She described Thalasinos as a sweet and friendly gentleman who wore colourful outfits – bright red or purple shirts, a pair of suspenders and a black hat. She nicknamed him Superman because he would heave heavy boxes of bottled water into her house, an appreciated gesture because she has a lung condition. “It’s just devastating that I connect with somebody and got to know somebody and then this happens,” she said.

Moore described Thalasinos and his wife as quiet, kind people. “The world is a darker place now that Nick isn’t in it,” she said. By Friday a crowdfunding campaign to help pay for funeral costs for Thalasinos had raised almost $12,000.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010

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How to use Google Drive to host Images for blog or website

How to use Google Drive to host Images for blog or website

How to use Google Drive to host Images for blog or website

How to use Google Drive to host Images for blog or website

Personal and low storage website developers biggest challenge is hosting images on the server. Those who owns low GB space on the hosting drive and bandwidth limitation this create a extra issue. How to resolve this issue?

Google drive is the best solution available for this as of now. Google drive provides 15 GB space for all account holders. So how to use Google Drive to host image files? Follow the below steps.

 

Create a google account or login to your existing google account and clike the following link https://drive.google.com.



Now click new button then click file upload button. Following that choose the image file and upload it to the google drive.



Once the file is uploaded then right click the file and click share option and click Advance option.




Now click change option which found in "who as access" and choose "On-Public on the web" and save it. This is very important because this allow anyone viewing your image can see it.



Now click change option which found in "who as access" and choose "On-Public on the web" and save it. This is very important because this allow anyone viewing your image can see it.



All done. Now upload any image and right click and click "Share" option and copy the link. Now we need to convert this url to Embed url. For this use following converter and cover it.
  • For example how google drive share link should shows.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/abcd1234abcd1234/view?usp=sharing
  • For example how google drive embed link should show.
https://www.googledrive.com/host/abcd1234abcd1234/


Copy the share link from google drive and paste it (Ctrl+V) in black space and you will get the Embedded link in White space. Now copy it (Ctrl+C) and use in your website.

How to use Google Drive to host Images for blog or website

 

Uber fundraising drive values app higher than General Motors

Uber fundraising drive values app higher than General Motors





Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled "Uber fundraising drive values app higher than General Motors" was written by Julia Kollewe and Gwyn Topham, for theguardian.com on Friday 4th December 2015 17.24 UTC

Uber Technologies, the company behind the rapidly growing taxi-hailing app, could be valued at more than $60bn (£40bn) after its latest fundraising round.

The San Francisco-based car-booking company hopes to raise as much as $2.1bn in new cash, Bloomberg reported. It has filed paperwork in Delaware detailing the financing plans, which would value the business at $62.5bn. This would exceed General Motors, the US carmaker behind the Chevrolet, Cadillac and Vauxhall brands whose market value is $55.6bn.

In the summer, Uber was valued at $50bn, making it the world’s most valuable private startup.

Uber, which launched its app more than five years ago, is seeking more funding as it expands into new areas, such as food and package delivery, and rolls out its taxi-hailing service across Asia, particularly in China, where it is spending $1bn. It is working on new technology, including self-driving cars.

But Uber, which is backed by investment bank Goldman Sachs and operates in 60 countries, faces a growing number of rivals, including Didi Kuaidi in China, Ola in India, GrabTaxi in Singapore and Lyft in the US. Those four companies are teaming up in a global alliance that will make their apps compatible for travellers, they announced on Thursday.

The new technology and practices employed by Uber have repeatedly put the company in trouble with transport authorities andtaxi drivers around the world, as it faces bans in France and Australia and a swath of lawsuits in the US.

The latest legal obstacle came in the Philippines on Friday where a court ordered a 20-day suspension of Uber’s activity in Manila, as it considers a petition to ban app-based car services on the capital’s streets. The Manila cab industry, like many others worldwide, claims Uber drivers are operating outside the terms of the franchises by which its 660,000 licensed taxi drivers abide – and say it has slashed their income by 50%.

The legal battles Uber is fighting include some with its own “driver-partners”, some of whom are seeking the benefits of employees. Its tax and employment issues have remained contentious, not least in London, where even the mayor, Boris Johnson, was last month moved to attack government ministers “besotted with this idea they’ve got to support Californian tech titans, even though they don’t pay a dime of tax in this country”.

Transport for London (TfL) has put forward a range of proposals to update regulation of the taxi and private hire industry after the capital’s black-cab drivers staged protests against Uber, demanding TfL ensures the US firm is subject to the same kind of regulation as them.

However, the firm was boosted by an unusual intervention from the chief executive of Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority, Alex Chisholm, this week, who warned that the London proposals “would artificially restrict competition, curbing developments that stand to benefit the paying passenger”.

Uber has meanwhile expanded its British operations by launching its UberPool ride-sharing service in London on Friday. The UK operation has faced claims from London authorities that it has contributed to increased congestion, but Jo Bertram, Uber’s regional general manager, said only 3% of peak traffic in the central charging zone was down to its cars.

Despite the numerous issues Uber faces around the globe, the brand and its potential to grow beyond the taxi industry has placed it firmly among the tech giants of Silicon Valley with multibillion-dollar valuations.

It has received financial backing from Goldman Sachs, while Wall Street hedge fund and private equity investor Tiger Global Management – which also backs Uber’s main three Asian rivals – and investment firm T Rowe Price are expected to play a large part in this financing round. Microsoft is reported to have invested $100m during the last fundraising in July, helping bring the total investment raised by Uber past the $10bn mark.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010

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18 Christmas gift ideas for the gamer in your life

18 Christmas gift ideas for the gamer in your life





Powered by Guardian.co.ukThis article titled "18 Christmas gift ideas for the gamer in your life" was written by Keith Stuart, for theguardian.com on Friday 4th December 2015 12.47 UTC

So you’ve bought the gamer in your life all the blockbuster winter releases they asked for – congratulations, they’re going to be very happy. But what else do you get for that special person who’s probably going too spend much of the festive season sat in front of the TV shooting at aliens?

Here are 20 video game-themed suggestions, ranging from clothing to books. Sure, you could also buy them a bike or a kite or something to try and coax them outside, but frankly that’s your problem – good luck with that. In the meantime, we have cuddly toys and comics.

Tekken shoulder bag
The Tekken shoulder bag. Photograph: Namco

1. Tekken shoulder bag (£15)

Namco Bandai Europe has just opened an online merchandise store full of mugs, hoodies, t-shirts, artwork and other goodies themed around its games. There’s a lot of Pac-Man stuff obviously, but I like this Tekken bag featuring the classic fighting game’s loveable Panda character. It’s perfect for hauling your Vita or 3DS around, or doing the weekly shop (no 5p carriers for you), and it’s made from recycled materials, so you’re effectively saving the environment through stylish accessorising.

Astro A40
Astro A40 headset Photograph: Astro

2. Astro A40 gaming headset (£200)

OK, these are among the most expensive gaming headsets you can buy, but the Astro A40s are used by pro gamers and feature great build quality, superb Dolby 7.1 Digital surround sound and plenty of customisation options to get the audio levels just right for your requirements. If you’re looking for something cheaper, the Sennheiser PC 310, HyperX Cloud II and Creative Sound Blaster Tactic3D Alpha are all pretty good options and will support PCs and most consoles – just make sure you buy the right version for the machine your recipient is playing on.

Sonic jumper
Sonic jumper Photograph: Numskulls

3. Sonic the Hedgehog Christmas jumper (£35)

Let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to spend the whole of Christmas day wearing this enormously cute and tasteful Sonic the Hedgehog Christmas jumper from gaming merchandise specialist Numskull? Available in an array for sizes and totally unisex, this high-fashion item features the legendary hedgehog in his famous finger-wagging pose, as if to say “no, you cannot have Christmas without Sonic”. And he is right of course. Although, if for some reason the hedgehog doesn’t cut it, Numskulls has a whole bunch of alternative pullovers featuring everything from Star Wars to Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate.

Mario Kart bike kit
Mario Kart bike kit. Photograph: K'Nex

4. K’Nex Mario Kart bike building set (£8)

Building toy manufacturer K’Nex has a whole range of Nintendo tie-ins including this Mario Kart set, which comes with a buildable Mario figure and bike. You can also get Yoshi and Donkey Kong versions, as well as karts and a Starting Line playset to race them all on – though that might be taking things a bit far if you’re over the age of twelve. Apparently the packaging doubles as a ramp so you can set it up on the dining table and see if you can launch poor Mario over the turkey.

Thrustmaster T300RS
Thrustmaster T300RS Photograph: Thrustmaster

5. Thrustmaster T300RS steering wheel (£270)

If your loved one is a fan of racing simulations but they’re still using a standard joypad, they are, quite frankly, doing it wrong. The new T300RS is a force feedback steering wheel offering precise control and a smooth, silent feedback motor. The wheel comes with two metal pedals offering progressive resistance, so you get authentic control over acceleration and braking. Right now, the wheel is only compatible with the PC, PlayStation 3 and PS4, though Thurstmaster does do other wheels for the Xbox One.

Minecraft torch
Minecraft torch. Photograph: Mojang

6. Minecraft light-up torch (£25)

A lot of the official Minecraft merchandise is expensive and a little disappointing, but I really like this torch, designed to resemble the vital piece of mine lighting equipment from Mojang’s hugely successful construction game. You won’t need a stick and a piece of coal as this one is made from plastic, and it emits a warm orange glow making it a perfect night light. You can even wall mount it, to keep those zombies away. The torch is available from a variety of online stores and toy shops.

ZX Vega
ZX Vega. Photograph: Retro Computers

7. ZX Spectrum Vega console (£90)

Designed and built in the UK and endorsed by Sir Clive Sinclair, this miniaturised version of the classic Speccy connects to your TV via USB and A/V cables, giving you access to a thousand pre-loaded licensed games from the 1980s. There’s also a micro SD slot so you can load up extra titles. It’s a reasonably expensive way to rediscover classics like Jet Set Willy and Chuckie Egg, but if you know a nostalgic veteran gamer who goes misty-eyed at the mere mention of the phrase “Kempston joystick interface”, this is for them.

Streets of Rage album
Streets of Rage album Photograph: Data-Discs

8. Streets of Rage vinyl soundtrack (£20)

London-based label Data-Discs makes absolutely beautiful video game soundtrack albums in conjunction with the original composers. The Streets of Rage album takes us scorching back to the days of the Mega Drive and is based on audio files taken from the old NEC PC-88 files. It also comes with two lithographic prints featuring art from the game packaging. The company is specialising on Sega right now, with further soundtrack releases Shenmue, Shinobi III and Super Hang-On all just as lusciously packaged. Try sticking one of these on at the family Christmas disco.

Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss
Chris Foss books Photograph: Titan Books

9. Hardware: The Definitive SF Works of Chris Foss (£25)

This beautiful hardback book is a retrospective of the legendary science fiction artist Chris Foss who has illustrated hundreds of classic SF novels (as well as providing concept art for movies such as Alien, Superman and Alejandro Jodorowsky’s unreleased version of Dune). It’s not a new publication, but if there is someone in your life who’s looking forward to next year’s space exploration game No Man’s Sky – likely to be one of the major PlayStation 4 releases of the year – this is the book from them. Foss was a major inspiration on developer Hello Games and his influence can be seen in the title’s super stylised spacecraft and richly colourful alien environments.

Ryu Pixel bricks
Ryu Pixel bricks Photograph: Paladone

10. Street Fighter Ryu Pixel bricks (£8)

Created by licensed giftware specialist Paladone these teeny Street Fighter models are designed to look like the pixellated game visuals of the Super Nintendo era. Ryu comes as 181 blocks which you (or your lucky gaming friend) painstakingly put together to reconstruct the classic pugilist. There are also Blanka and Ken models so you could get them all and keep a veteran Capcom fan entertained on Christmas day. They’re available from Amazon and a host of other digital stores.

Metal Gear T-shirt
Metal Gear T-shirt. Photograph: Konami

11. Metal Gear Solid Diamond Dogs T-shirt (£15)

There’s plenty of Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain merchandise out there right now, including the official action figure, which is nice, but also £100. However, this T-shirt recognising the Diamond Dogs mercenary gangs is the classiest option for fans of of the latest Metal Gear stealth ‘em up. Officially licensed by Konami the shirt logo has a 1980s neon look, which makes it cool even if no one else understands what the heck a Diamond Dog is.

Scuf Infinity1
Scuf Infinity1 controller. Photograph: Scuf

12. Scuf Infinity1 and 4PS controllers (£100)

These high-end customisable controllers feature interchangeable fascias so you can opt for a range of colours and designs. But the important parts are the specially designed analogue thumb pads and extra paddle levers on the base of the pad, providing easier access to button functions. These are the preferred controllers of pro players and they’re available for Xbox One (the Infinity1) and PlayStation 4 (the 4PS).

Fallout 4 Monopoly
Fallout 4 Monopoly. Photograph: Hasbro

13. Fallout 4 Monopoly (£30)

It’s the apocalypse – do not pass go, do not collect £200! At some point over Christmas your gaming friend is going to have to stop playing Fallout 4 on his/her console and enjoy some quality time with friends and relatives. With this version of the classic property trading board game, you get the best of both worlds. Naturally, all the squares and playing pieces are based on features from Bethesda’s role-playing adventure – and houses and hotels are renamed shacks and vaults.

Chop Plush Collectible
Chop Plush. Photograph: Rockstar

14. Grand Theft Auto V Chop plush (£28)

There isn’t much cuteness in the world of GTA V, but Rockstar has managed to create some with this plush toy based on Franklin’s faithful Rottweiler, Chop. The little fella comes complete with a leather collar, a bullet whistle and what the publisher refers to as a “secret stash pocket” in his underside. What the heck would you want to hide in a cuddly dog? We’ll leave that up to you, or whichever lucky friend you buy it for.

Pop culture food pack
Japanese snack set. Photograph: Japan Centre

15. Japanese pop culture snack set (£13)

If you have a friend who’s really into Japanese games, manga and anime, this food set from Japan Centre may be just the thing. The nine items include a variety of biscuits, chocolates, sweets and noodle pots all branded with characters from popular cartoons and comics. The company also has a vast range of other Japanese pop culture goodies on its website, so if scoffing sherbet sweets and wasabi peas doesn’t appeal, there will be something else suitable.

DIY Gamer Kit
DIY Gamer Kit. Photograph: Technology Will Save Us

16. DIY Gamer kit (£65)

Designed by clever east London inventor Technology Will Save US, this DIY Gamer Kit lets you build your own handheld console (based on the Arduino hobbyist electronics board) then code your own games for it – or play the built-in selection. If you buy this for a friend, they’ll need a soldering iron to make it, but it’s worth it for this cool little gadget. The company also has a range of slightly less demanding kits including a very basic synthesizer.

Books by Guardian writers
Cara Ellison’s Embed with Games and Simon Parkin’s Death by Video Games. Photograph: various

17. Books by Guardian games writers (£9-)

Three contributors to the Guardian’s games section released books this year and if your gift recipient is a fan of our video game writing, they’re all worth a look (none are published by us). Simon Parkin’s Death by Video Games looks at the highs and lows of worldwide culture of gaming, Cara Ellison’s Embed with Games follows her year living with indie developers all over the world and Rich Stanton’s A Brief History of Video Games is a self-explanatory romp through the last 40 years of the games industry.

Wakka Wakka gaming bag
Pac-Man gaming bag Photograph: Rucomfy

18. Wakka Wakka gamer bean bag (£50-)

Of course, having somewhere comfortable to sit is vital for those weekend-long Fallout 4 sessions, and this Pac-Man-themed bean bag from UK manufacturer Rucomfy may be just the thing. Made of durable, machine-washable material and available in three sizes, it also features Namco’s classic maze game emblazoned on the side. You can even add your own name and high score.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010

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