My local paper here in Washington DC is the Washington Post. They just ran a somewhat tongue in cheek article on the best and worst gifts received by President Obama during his entire first term (2009-2012). In total there were 274 gifts.

The article writers are, of course, complete non-game playing goofballs. They ranked a gift from Poland to the president of the United States in 2011 as the worst gift received over four years. The gift? A deluxe boxed edition of the game Witcher 2!

Wish I'd known. The White house is only five miles from my house and I would have taken it as a hand-me-down. :-)

Here's a link to the article: Washington Post.

Frankly, while the Washington Post can be okay, as people I generally don't like them.

I don't remember, what has the president given everyone else? And how does Mexico afford to give remotely lavish gifts when the country is falling apart? And that's nothing new.

Heh...;) Shows what the Post knows about games...! I'm wondering if by "worse" they may have actually meant "least expensive", but even so, it is really, really tacky ( low class) to disdain a gift from someone. My guess it is just stupid, non-computer people making stuff up again...some people are intimidated by the subject because they know nothing about it and so throw off on anything peripherally related to the subject whenever they get the chance.

Q: How many Post employees does it take to unscrew a light bulb?

A: 12. One to stand at the top of the ladder and hold the bulb, eleven to turn the ladder.

There are some ancient, unwritten customs, about offering hospitality, and offering of gifts. Even if someone did not like them thorougly, usually has the courtesy to remain silent and respect the kind host. And usually returns the kind gesture with similar ones. All these things though must be too incomprehensible for those boorish barbarians to understand, let alone respect and return the favor. Some people take for granted that they own the entire damn world, when and where, in fact, they HARDLY own their own mind and PANTS, let alone WIFE and family! (remember Obama and wife crisis, anyone? Or their predecessors, like Clinton and Lewinsky?)

The white house, is actually, the pimp-sorry, pink house. Why would anyone gift someone from inside that pig's pen with anything, defies any kind of common sense and sane logic, but honors him/her for trying to be civil with those boors, nonetheless.

That witcher copy, wasted indeed. Sad, there are people here that would treasure it, cherish it, and put it in display. Damn, its like throwing away expensive gourmet food, on the snout of a filthy pig that eats only crust and filth among dirt and mud... Where would that box be, now...?

Um, the White House and President Obama were quite thankful. The President even referenced the gifts in a later speech and said lots of good things about the new, modern Poland.

The writers of the article were a couple of bloggers in my local paper. They were the folks denigrating a cutting edge game and by extension an entire country.

Even more ironic, as most 'acceptable' and 'posh' gifts are food or alcohol, which as a matter of routine are destroyed unused.

Even really expensive cigars are destroyed ~ there being a joke about how they must be destroyed by burning 'one at a time and really slowly'..

DVDs and other entertainment items are at least usable, and may more adequately describe a country's culture and industry than a rather niche 'foodie' item.

Very interesting topic...thanks for bringing it to our attention...;) I guess my knee-jerk reaction was right...some people are cursed with a case of severe "computer envy," if you know what I mean...! By throwing off on stuff they don't understand or have any real interest in themselves, they hope to place themselves "above" the entire topic, imo. Instead, well, they just show how difficult light bulbs can be for them...;)

You really, honestly believe a husband "owns" his wife? Wow, misogynist much? Just because your Prime Minister in Australia, Tony Abbott, is a complete tool regarding all issues dealing with non-white, christian males, doesn't mean you have to be, also. Two centuries forward, one century back....

Obama was not the one complaining about the game, it was the Washington Post. Obama was gracious enough to mention his thankfulness for the gift in a speech.

Um, just going off the info from your profile; it says you're from Australia. The misogynist speculation is from what you wrote. Let's just say I inferred from your profile and your written words, instead of a blind guess. If you meant no harm, then no biggie, but it's easy to infer such things based on what is presented.

As for my "beloved" Obama, wow, that was a huge guess on your part. I said he was gracious for mentioning the gift, that's it. The reason I was a bit bent out of shape and mentioned Australia's prime minister is because I thought, according to your profile, that you were from Australia. Let's just say I hate it when other people, from another country, talk bad about any of America's presidents. I feel like they're a family member. Sure, as Americans, we can talk smack and criticize them, but I'll be d@mned if let foreigners do it :).

Ok, back on topic...who really cares what the Washington Post thinks about video games, anyway? I'm sure sometime in the early 20th century, a newspaper columnist (or bloggers, as we call them today) complained about all of those appalling, new-fangled automobiles that were zooming past the respectable people driving a horse and buggy.

Edit: I forgot to add...Poland really doesn't have of a reputation for producing cutting edge items, but CD Projekt Red is an amazing gaming studio. Besides a bottle of exquisite Belvedere vodka, I can't think of anything better to present to an American president than a deluxe copy of the Witcher 2 from Poland.

And as already mentioned the vodka would be destroyed unused... making it totally worthless.

The country is falling apart because our politicians just won't stop robbing and exploiting the people. The only ones suffering are pretty much everyone who tries to live doing an honest job.

This isn't something new anyway. The Mexican government has always licked the American government's boots.

Alas, besides this not being something new, it isn't local (in any place) either. At least, some places/people have the clarity and decency to at least notice at least that much, while others, like here, not only keep licking like dogs, but people keep liking them politicians more, the more their political scandals, offenses and transgressions pile up. Damn, now i am sad. Besides off-topic.

'Back in 2011, Polish prime minister Donald Tusk gave U.S. president Barack Obama a copy of The Witcher 2, because it's pretty much the best thing Poland has ever done.'

Wow. Fucking wow. Did they hire these people from Imgur?