With the Playstation Vita and Wii U both launching this year, the battle over your video game system allegiances is about to heat up.

But before you have to make tough buying decisions, we gave you an easy one. In our last reader poll, we asked: "Which system do you play the most?" And in harmony with recent sales figures, the Xbox 360 was the big winner.

Microsoft's once-troubled machine (remember those Red Rings?) raked in 25,420 votes, good for 38% of the total.  Nipping at its heels was Sony's PS3, finishing with a very healthy -- and very close -- 23,147 (35%).

Constance SteinkuehlerThe Obama administration is embracing the gamification movement in a big way.

Constance Steinkuehler has been hired as a senior policy analyst at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Sounds like a typical government title, huh? Here's the catch: She studies video games.

Steinkuehler is tasked with finding ways to use games as educational tools, including ways in which games can teach Americans everything from eating right to balancing their budget (maybe she'd like to test that one on Congress for starters).

The circle of life doesn't stop -- even in the video game world. No matter how popular a game genre might be, it's always in danger of becoming irrelevant.

Sometimes, that's due to oversaturation, or perhaps interests have simply shifted elsewhere. While no video game death is permanent, several genres are in deep hibernation -- and others are threatening to join them. Here are five game types in serious need of some extra lives.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Square-Enix)The most misleading name in role-playing game history is back for seconds.

Releasing Tuesday, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is a direct sequel to Final Fantasy XIII, one of the most controversial games in the long-running franchise. It's a rare move by game makers Square-Enix; aside from a few spinoffs, they've traditionally introduced brand new worlds and characters in each new Final Fantasy release rather than pump out sequels.

So why now? Because while the last game was a sales monster, it was a polarizing experience for gamers. Many decried it as being too linear, featuring what amounted to a 25-hour tutorial before finally blossoming. And while it scored decently overall, Square-Enix couldn't shake the criticism.

EverQuest (Sony Online Entertainment)The game that made MMO games a viable force in the industry is going free-to-play.

EverQuest will drop its mandatory monthly pricing strategy in March, as the game hits its impressive 13^th birthday — though like other free-to-play games Sony Online Entertainment currently distributes, there will be a tiered pricing plan for players who want more features and content.

"The game will now be setup to be flexible so that you can decide how much to pay, based on how much fun you're having," said EverQuest producer Thom Terrazas in a statement.

Tony AlleyneA British Trekker who spent a decade converting his apartment into a replica Starship Enterprise is being ordered to dismantle it by his ex-wife, reports The Sun.

Nightclub DJ and Hinckley, Leicestershire resident Tony Alleyne has lived in the one-bedroom flat since he split up with his wife in 1994. These images published on i09 depict a Trek geek's 500-square foot dream pad, clearly inspired by circa Next Generation TV sets, with lit-up computer consoles and transporter pads.

Nintendo might have a stable of terrific game franchises and groundbreaking systems, but when it comes to online gaming, the company is woefully behind.

It's hoping to change that with its next-generation system, though, and started down that path by announcing a few details about the 'Nintendo Network' late last week.

It's a big step up from friend codes, the oft-maligned stopgap multiplayer functionality the company currently uses. The network, which will be available for the Wii U (and, ultimately, the 3DS), puts the company a step closer to catching up to online gaming leaders Microsoft and Sony.

Got a few minutes to kill?  Why not unwind with a free webgame?  For your gaming convenience, we've assembled the week's new releases on Yahoo! Games in this handy roundup.

Doodle 2

Dude, you're a doodle!  Classic platforming gameplay gets injected with an art style so low-tech, you'll think you were back in 5^th-grade math class scribbling anything but common denominators.