Surprised at the lack of a video game ornament this year compared to the previous four years, I reached out to Hallmark for an explanation.

Considering that Hallmark has released at least one video game (or arcade game) themed ornament the past four years, it seemed out of place to me to not create and sell one for 2010.

Click through the response Gamertell received from Hallmark’s Public Relations department…

This year, Hallmark’s main video game themed ornament is Prince Dastan from Disney’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Measuring 4 in. tall and retailing for $14.95 (ornament # QXD2152), it features the likeness of a leaping Jake Gyllenhaal as “The Prince.” The film is also being released on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download September 14, 2010.

The other ornament, which I have yet to see in a store, is the Tron Lightcycle ornament (#QXD1153), also based on a upcoming Disney film (Tron: Legacy, December 17, 2010). This one is priced $16.95, is 4.5 in. wide and lights up (so it requires batteries, which are often included in Hallmark’s fancier ornaments). This definitely looks to be the more impressive of this year’s two game-related ornaments.

As a followup to the 2008 Pac-Man mini arcade cabinet ornament, Hallmark is sticking with the same theme.

This year’s ornament is a miniaturized reproduction of the Galaga arcade cabinet (QXI1365) complete with mini buttons, mini joystick, lights and sounds. Press the buttons and you are treated to several seconds of classic tuneage including the intro and what sounds like the first wave of diving aliens. The top panel of the cabinet also lights up so the Galaga logo glows a bit. Aside from the effects, the cabinet also features a mini “screen shot” of the game.

For those of you who want to trim their tree with game-themed ornaments, you do have a few more options than the usual Hallmark stuff. A couple companies make cutsie, less recognizable and usually more affordable (and copyright-free) gamer ornaments and, of course, there are always a few at the create-your-own product sites.

Click through for a list of some of the gamer ornaments for sale this holiday season…

Last year (2007), Hallmark released the Player 1 Christmas ornament, which was a pretty cool mini game controller with sound effects.

This year (2008), Hallmark is again releasing a game-themed ornament, reaching a little further back in time and producing a mini Pac-Man arcade machine complete with sound effects. The ornament, which stands approximately 4.5 in. tall, retails for $18.50, is battery operated (batteries included), lights up and plays classic Pac-Man sounds. Wakka-wakka!

The cabinet is…

Retailing for $15 (US, $19.99 in Canada) and available now in stores is a plastic mini Hallmark Keepsake game controller ornament that produces three sets of videogame style noises. It’s shaped like a GameCube controller but with Xbox mini-joystick placement. The mini josyticks move but don’t create any sounds. A back panel for the batteries more »