Nintendo 3DS - Nintendo According to people who make way more money than the rest of us, the future of entertainment will be presented in glorious 3D. I'm not sure consumers are entirely onboard with this yet, but apparently it's just a matter of time until we're all spilling the guacamole bowl because we refuse to take off our dorky glasses during Super Bowl L.

All of us, that is, except the folks at Nintendo.

The longtime handheld video game king releases its heavily-anticipated 3DS system on March 27, ending a wild year's worth of rumors, speculation, and hyperbolic praise. Boasting glasses-free 3D technology, it's the company's answer to the serious threat posed by Apple's various iOS devices, and a

Activision-Blizzard has come a long way in the past few years.

It wasn't that long ago that the company was an also-ran in
video game industry, making some strong franchises, but never really dominating
the sales charts. These days, though, the company is responsible for five of
the 10 highest grossing games of all time.

Activision's archrival Electronic Arts isn't on the list at
all. Nintendo holds four of the other spots, while Viacom holds the final one.

The powerhouse "Call of Duty" franchise fills up three slots on the best selling list - with the most recent installment "Black Ops" showing every sign that it will soon become the best selling game of all time, as judged by gross sales.

Gaming's got some big dates. Odds are you've got certain days circled on your kitchen
calendar. A birthday, an anniversary, perhaps the annual family trip to Disneyland
-- whatever it is, it's something that happens the same time every year and
it's a day worth remembering.

Turns out the gaming world works in a very similar fashion.
While the precise dates are a little more flexible, the industry has an uncanny
knack for releasing new versions of hit games right around the exact same time
each year. Here are a few that you can count on.

Sony's Winter Blockbuster Day (on or about Feb 22)

Most of the big titles in gaming come out during the holiday
season, but Sony typically reserves one heavy hitter for the early part

Duke Nukem The most delayed video game of all time is adding to its
record.

Duke Nukem Forever, which has been in development for over a
dozen years and very nearly died in 2009, won't make its targeted May 3 release
date. Instead, developer Gearbox Software has announced (via a clever, but not
entirely work safe YouTube
video) that it will ship to U.S.
players on June 14.

In practical terms, that's nothing, but it sure has given
fans and detractors of the franchise something to laugh about.

"It merely says 'June 14' on the poster. They didn't
give a year..," wryly noted commenter 'xeropulse' on Shacknews.

Gearbox and publisher 2K Games are assuring customers that
this isn't history repeating itself,

3DS As every gamer knows, hardware is meaningless
without the software to back it up. Thinking of grabbing a Nintendo 3DS when it
launches March 27? Then you're going to need a few games to get the most out of
your fancy new handheld. Start with these four:

Super
Street Fighter IV

Capcom Meet your first 3DS must-have. This handheld
take on Capcom's critically-acclaimed fighting game simply explodes off the 3D
screen, featuring gorgeous graphics and all the characters (yep, all 30 of
them), modes and moves from the console version. Full online play, optional
touchscreen controls -- this is a complete portable game package, and
hands-down the top launch game for the 3DS.

Buy from Amazon

Pilotwings

History's Greatest Racers

Boasting new titles
in the Forza, Mario Kart, and Need for Speed series -- to name just a few --
2011 is lining up to be a great year for racing fans. But the impressive
features of today's top-tier titles wouldn't be possible without the decades of
superb racers that preceded them. Here's a look back over some the real
stand-out gamers that made the genre what it is today.

Crysis 2

Platforms: X360, PS3, PC

Crysis 2 Sci-fi shooter Crysis was a PC exclusive back in 2007, famed for stretching the platform to
its limits with its class-leading graphics. Indeed, running it with its visual fidelity
maxed out is a challenge for even today's top-of-the-line hardware.

Its sequel releases this week, but this time it's not just for those with pricey PC rigs: both Xbox 360 owners and PS3 fans can now enjoy what's been hailed as one of the most graphically-advanced
video games ever made. If you believe the hype, Crysis 2's optimized engine
will deliver all the bells and whistles of the original game, plus a few
extras, all somehow shoehorned onto a five-year-old, $200 game

Zynga's helping give back As recovery efforts continue in Japan after a devastating 8.9 magnitude earthquake and accompanying tsunami, the video game industry is rallying to aid in the relief.

Some publishers are reaching into their own pockets to donate, while others -- along with select members of the development community
-- are leveraging their customer base to raise money.

Here's a rundown of some of the more notable contributions and fundraising initiatives that have taken place - plus ways you can help out.

Publisher Donations:

NCSoft - Through its Japanese joint venture NCJapan, the company is donating 500 million yen ($6.2 million), which is roughly one month's revenue for NCSoft and marks the industry's