Wii U (Nintendo)Historically, gamers get new consoles every five or six years. Like cell phones, game systems have a planned obsolescence -- and each subsequent generation offers eye-popping new features that reinvigorate sales.

But as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 start to get a bit long in the tooth, neither Microsoft nor Sony has uttered a word about their plans for new systems. And while Nintendo's Wii U will hit stores next year, there's a considerable amount of debate over whether that machine is truly "next gen."

While the companies themselves may not be making any statements, the grapevine has plenty to say.

Though the company has had its share of ups and downs over the years, Nintendo has been a profitable company for as long as it has been reporting earnings.

Not so SuperThat streak will end this year.

The company is now forecasting a loss of 20 billion yen ($264 million) for its full fiscal year, which ends in March 2012. The news follows a horrific second fiscal quarter for the company.

Nintendo lost 70.2 billion yen ($926 million) between July and September of this year — double what it had warned investors to expect. The company blames the loss on decreased software and hardware sales, price reductions on the Wii and 3DS and a challenging currency exchange.

You might associate jigsaw puzzles with quiet evenings in front of the fire, perhaps with a glass of eggnog and a cozy chair. Comforting, relaxing, reassuring: an untaxing pastime that's more soothing than stressful.

Don't expect such a mellow experience out of today's tougher jigsaws, however. Gone are the gentle 300-piece puzzlers of your youth, replaced by a range of multi-piece mindbenders that use every trick in the book to make your life difficult. Get ready to meet some of the hardest jigsaw puzzles in the world.

John Belushi (AP/NBC)John Belushi played several memorable roles in his too-short life: Blues Brother, killer bee, samurai short-order cook, frat house legend.

But he never played a character in a video game.

Social game maker Entertainment Games is changing that, as the man many remember as Bluto has been revived as a playable avatar in 'Retro World', a free-to-play game that lets players walk in the shoes of their favorite celebrity icons.

Belushi's hardly the only famous name and likeness the company has licensed. Elvis Presley's estate has also given the green light for the King to appear in the game, and others will be announced soon.

How do you take down a game like Call of Duty? Record-breaking launch after record-breaking launch has propelled Activision's epic shooter franchise into an unrivalled number-one spot — which is exactly where rival publisher EA wants to sit.

Battlefield 3 (EA)Badly.

So this year, EA is taking the first shot with Battlefield 3, which releases a good two weeks in advance of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Boasting a flashy, best-in-class engine and a huge marketing blitz, Battlefield 3 appeared on shelves this week accompanied by a slew of glowing reviews for the PC versions, but a curious lack of comment on its accompanying Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 releases.

Playthings no more.How many Star Wars figures did you have when you were a kid? How many G.I. Joes? How many Barbies?

If you grew up in just about any Western country in the last sixty years, the answer to at least one of those questions is a sharp intake of breath, a few moments of thought, and an "I don't know. Lots?"

You probably threw them away when you grew up, but you're about to wish you hadn't. Yesterday's popular toy is today's collectors' item. Some of the action figures you loved as a child are now sought-after rarities with enormous pricetags. Who knows which of these four-, five-, and even six-figure toys lurks in your attic? Probably none of them. But hey, maybe it's your lucky day. Read on and

By Mike Krumboltz, Yahoo! Buzz Log

We've heard of people finding messages in bottles on the beach, but how about an 8-foot-tall LEGO figure?

We first saw the news over at BoingBoing. Apparently a man was out walking on the beach near lovely Siesta Key in Florida, when he came across "something" laying in the surf a ways away. He went to investigate, and what do you know -- it was a giant LEGO man. On its torso was a message, reading "No Real Than You Are." Yeah, we don't get it either.

Grand Theft Auto V (Rockstar Games)Get ready to play in Rockstar's sandbox once again.

The developer has formally announced that Grand Theft Auto V is coming, though in true Rockstar fashion, that's about all it has to say so far.

The developer has wallpapered its website with the game's logo and promised to release the first trailer for the game on Nov. 2. Normally, that wouldn't be enough to put gamers into a tizzy — but GTA is hardly a normal game.