PlayStation Vita (AP)Sony's hoping for a big splash when the PlayStation Vita goes on sale in the U.S. next week, but the news from the company's homeland is pretty discouraging.

Sales of the handheld gaming system in Japan for the week ending Feb. 12 hit an all-time low, with less than 14,000 Vitas being sold. That's a drop of more than 3,000 from the previous week.

Right around this time 50 years ago, the world of gaming was forever changed.

Spacewar!Spacewar! was launched in mid-February 1962 (the exact date is a matter of debate, though most people agree it was between the 13^th and the 15^th). And while it wasn't the first video game ever created, it was the first to strike a chord with people, effectively kicking off the era of video games.

The game was meant for two players. Both pilot starships and try to destroy each other with a limited supply of torpedoes, while fighting the gravitational effects of a star in the center of the screen. If a ship is about to plunge into the star, the player can hit a hyperspace button to escape, but hit it too often and your ship will explode.

(Image credit: Takanori Aiba)By Mariella Moon, Tecca

If you think all bonsai look like mini trees in somebody's zen garden, you haven't seen Takanori Aiba's pieces yet. The Japanese artist combines bonsai art form with Lilliputian architecture design to create some of the most stunning pieces you will ever see.

All you need is love…and a video game console or two.

Valentine's minded gamers everywhere made a declaration of love this past week and cast their votes in our most recent poll: "What's your favorite video game couple?"

The winner? A Nintendo twosome, but not the one you might think.

With 28% (5,762) of your votes , Link and Zelda are the king and queen of the dance, proving once and for all that even the evil Ganon can't get in the way of Cupid's arrow.  Meanwhile, odds-on favorite Mario and Peach came up a tad short with 27% (5,038).

Cars, chaos, and creepy clowns — put 'em together and you've got one of the most revered names in vehicular combat. But it's been a while since Sony's Twisted Metal franchise has been relevant, as the last core release (Twisted Metal: Head-On for the PSP) dates back to 2005.

Twisted Metal (Sony)So when Sony announced that a brand new game was coming to the PS3, built by none other than franchise creator David Jaffe and his team at Eat Sleep Play, thumbs started twitching. Despite a few delays, the rechristened 'Twisted Metal' races into stores this week. Is it a barn burner, or just another weirdo with a painted face?

That depends who you ask. Currently averaging a solid but underwhelming 77 at Metacritic, this insane racer is equal parts hit and run.

Sometimes, Cupid shoots an arrow through the knee instead of the heart.

Video games might not seem the most romantic of hobbies, but for some, they've been the path to true love — and in many cases, marriage.

Whether it's an especially geeky proposal that revolves around a game or a pair of guildmates who realize that their interest in each other extends far beyond the realms of the online world, game-centric romances are growing increasingly common.

Click to enlarge! (Provided by Zynga)Forget singles bars -- if you want to find love on Valentine's Day, you might have better luck on your iPhone.

A study of over 118,000 Words With Friends players found that scoring isn't necessarily limited to the game. One in 10 players, in fact, said the title has directly led to a hookup at some point.

The survey, conducted by Zynga, discovered some serious aphrodisiac qualities in the game. Beyond those who have moved their relationship past the screen, one third said they'd be more willing to hook up with someone if they're good at the game, while 68 percent said they'd date someone who beat them in a round.

Rovio's feathered heroes have already put a dent in your social life. Now they're taking aim at your social network.

Angry Birds officially went live on Facebook on Tuesday, bringing some new tweaks to its immensely popular formula. You'll start off with access to a few new gadgets, including a super slingshot, a handy targeting scope and a pig-rattling earthquake.

Of course, you only get the first few for free. As with most Facebook games, Angry Birds features a microtransaction model that lets users spend real coin to buy more in-game power-ups. The game also includes Facebook staples like gifting and leaderboards.