It looks like 2012 is going to be yet another awesome year for games fans everywhere with all kinds of great titles on the way in the next twelve months. Here are a few of the standouts that you should be looking forward to and a little bit of information to let you plan your purchasing over the next year. 

Mass Effect 3: One of the most hyped of all this year's releases is set to be the third instalment in the Mass Effect series. Putting the player in a world which has become over-run by an ancient alien race known as The Reaper, Mass Effect 3 is a live or die fight for the survival of the planet. With a whole galaxy of playability on offer, with a hugely story centric narrative which allows the moral decisions of the player to effect the world as much as their actions.

Street Fighter x Tekken: What could be more exciting for fans of fighting games than the coming together of two of the genres greatest titles. These two names are enough to enthuse any gamer so putting them side by side could well result in the greatest fighting game of all time. The game will take the look and world of Streetfighter (with Capcom's traditional 2-D viewpoint and hyperactive, cartoonish graphics) but will also feature all of Tekken's most famous characters. This will not mean watering down their capabilities or style, however – though they will be somewhat reimaging for the Streetfighter universe, the cast of Tekken will retain their unique fighting skills and moves.

Online gaming has had a huge psychological impact on the people of today. There are a lot of mixed opinions about what people think or believe about online games. Many people say that online gaming is replacing actual outdoor games. This is not really good because online games do not involve any sort of physical activity.

Orthopaedics and psychologists say that extensive online gaming promoted ambidextrous behaviour in human beings; meaning that it enables extensive online gamers to use both their hands with equal ease. It also improves motor skills in people.

Playing MMPORG games increases emotional activity in a human being. It makes them experience a wide gamut of emotions which they have never experienced before. For example, a human being may have never fear animals or monsters, in real life. By experiencing such emotions by role playing, they become more equipped to handle them. Research has also shown that the emotions experienced while role playing are very strong in most occurrences. They also feel leadership qualities when they assume a particular role.

On the negative side, many people believe that online gaming should not really be encouraged. Playing too many violent games inculcates a negative streak in the player. It promotes violence and aggressive behaviour. Children should not really be allowed to play violent role playing games. Games like Virtual Tennis can be played by children.

Online gaming has come a long way. It has become a business for many people. People also use online gaming as a platform for speculation and betting. There are many legal and illegal forums which allow online gaming and betting. Internet gambling is also known as igambling.

Some of the most popular gambling platforms are:

• Texas Holdem Poker: Texas Holdem Poker has created a platform for playing multiplayer poker in an environment similar to that of a real casino. They can make money in the form of chips. Real time money is also offered as tournament fees.

• Online casinos: there are many casinos online which allow users to play games like black jack, roulette, baccarat and many other games. Most casinos allow gambling using real money.

• Online Bingo: The game of Bingo has been popular all over the world. Online Bingo uses random number generators to generate numbers.

• Lotteries: There are many online lotteries which are both legal and illegal depending on which sites you use.

You may also go online to bet on races and other sporting events. Most players use credit cards or debit cards to buy virtual chips and other online gaming services. Winnings are directly transferred to the credit card. Bigger amounts need wire transfers from banks. Paypal, Moneybookers and many other money transfer services are also used to make transactions.

If you are defining a video game, it is basically an interaction with a user interface and the feedback is given to a video device. Video games became popular in the eighties and nineties. Atari, Nintendo, Sony etc. were some of the most popular brands which sold consoles for video games. These video game consoles could be connected to the television. They also had a joystick which was used to play the game.

With the improvements in technology, faster computers and better quality hardware brought about the era of PC games. Games had to be installed on the computer. They were played with the help of the keyboard or a joystick connected to the computer. Hand held video games also became very popular. People played games alone or with a virtual opponent.

As the popularity of the internet grew, high speed internet became available to everyone. Online games became very popular. People could play online games alone or with an opponent from anywhere across the globe. These games became popular owing to the fact that people could actually play with opponents and also talk to them at the same time.

With the advent of technology, the world of online games is becoming more and more complex. Adults and children all love playing online games. Gone are the days when the game developer themselves did everything right from conceptualising to designing and programming. Developing a game today requires a great deal of skill, immense knowledge, infrastructure and a good team. You also need capital to develop games.

Since game development is no longer cheap, the way it used to be, most games have some sort of a revenue model ready. While most of them charge some sort of a fee from people who wish to play. Games like Texas Holdem Poker sell chips and other merchandise to earn money. Some companies often rely on advertising for their main source of income. The legendary Angry Birds sold 12 million copies from the Apple app store.

Recently, Age of Conan went unchained implying that this game is now free of cost to its users. Initially, the whole game had to be paid for. Now, a part of the game is available free of cost. Avid users may also purchase the premium version of it. This game has breathtaking graphics. The recreation of the world in this game is hard to believe. People often find themselves becoming addicted to this game, an addiction with they find difficult to rid of. Another game expected to release in the next year is Neverwinter. It is based on role play and the dungeons and dragons city of Neverwinter. This game is expecting a cross media launch by the makers.

Massively Multi Player Online Role Playing Games (MMPORG) has become a way of life for millions of online gamers. They are a result of fast paced advancements in the world of technology. MMPORG enables a large number of gamers to play on a common platform together.

They are role playing games where the user assumes or takes charge of the actions of another figure. Role playing games were initially single player games like The Prince of Persia. Later on, they became small multiplayer games and then MMPORG came into existence. Research shows that people all over the world spend about one and a half billion pounds in subscribing to role playing games.

Though the sky is the limit to how you can make a MMPORG look, most games today share the same sort of characteristics.

• All MMPORGs are theme based games. They may be based on a movie or a comic e.g. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings etc. They can draw inspiration from science fiction, sorcery, fairy tales etc.

• Progression is the key to most MMPORG games. Once the character is developed, the character gains points on the basis of his/her actions. For example: A hero might get 100 points for killing a monster. The level of difficulty of a game increases with increase in points.

• Most MMPORGs also encourage social interaction to allow several players to interact amongst themselves. A group of people can also undertake a task of defeating the monster together.

Game developers are the people behind every internet or online game. Without these developers, we cannot play on, and enjoy, online gaming sites. Game developers are the company that is responsible in establishing or producing quality online games. There are lots of game developers all over the world. A majority of the game developers are from the United States of America. Other game developer countries include Japan, England, United Kingdom, Portugal, Russia, Finland, Canada, Sweden, Scotland, India, France, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Indonesia, Spain, New Zealand, Netherlands, Germany, and even Singapore.

On top of the list of game developer country is Japan. It was in Tokyo, Japan where there was an overflow of web developers. Akio Onuma is the web developer founded it in 1997. They specialise in interactive entertainment types of games. Amongst the online games developed by Overflow Company are Summer Days, Cross Days, and School Days.

1st Playable Productions is also a game developer company in Troy, New York, USA. Van Der Heyeden and Lansing Families in the year 2005 founded the company. The company specialises in creating handheld gadgets for kids. Among the gadgets that this company produced were Game Boy Advance, Plug It In and Play TV Games, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo 3DS. 2K Czech game developer is the company responsible for producing the famous Mafia II online game. It was in 1997 that started the company establishment at Brno, Czech Republic. They specialise mainly in shooting types of games.

Activision is a very famous game developer company. Activision is the company behind famous online games like Pitfall, Enduro, Battlezone, Tony Hawk, and Call of Duty. 1979 was the founding year of the company. The company is based in Santa Monica, California, USA. The owner of Activision is Vivendi. They are serving the worldwide market and satisfies their clients on their quality service.

Bizzard Entertainment is also an expert when it comes to game developing. The company is not only a game developer but is also a video game publisher Bizzard. Bizzard Entertainment was founded in the year 1991. The location of the main headquarter is in Irvine, California USA. Bizzard Entertainment Company is the one responsible for producing online games such as the Diablo Series, StarCraft Series, and Warcraft Series. Michael Morhaime is the President of this company. He and Frank Pearce co-founded the Bizzard Entertainment Company. As of 2009, Bizzard Entertainment has a total of 4,600 employees.

Gravity game developing company is the one responsible for producing the very famous game Ragnarok Online. It was 2000, when the Gravity establishment started. It is the main headquarter of the company in Seoul, South Korea. Ryu, II Young is the CEO and chairman of the Gravity company.

Owning a high-tech gadget is something many people dream about. Once we own them, we value them, we take good care of them, and we can tend to bring the gadget with us everywhere we go. It instantly becomes our buddy. It seems like life is isn't truly complete without them. Having a gadget is like having a pet dog. How do we take good care of our dog? We keep them healthy, happy and clean.

Same thing also applies to owning a gadget. We handle our precious gadgets with care. We see to it that it is kept in good condition. We equipped our gadgets with the latest accessories to make it more beautiful and functional. The way we care to our gadgets simply reflects on the way we care for ourselves. In other words, our personal gadget is the reflection of our personality.

An example of a gadget that is very famous as of today is the iPhone. Owning an iPhone simply means that you are on track with the famous and latest gadget. In other words, the iPhone is the trending gadget nowadays. IPhone is the latest trend on cellular phone technology. It has a wide range and variety of features installed to create comfort and style for the user. There are lots of iPhone accessories out in the market. As of 2011, there are plenty of new sets of accessories to customise your iPhone. These accessories are made not only to make the phone look good but also to make your phone useful in different various ways. First on the list of iPhone accessory is the iPhone Tripod. The latest tripod for iPhone is Gorilla mobile flexible tripod. With the use of this tripod, taking a picture of your self is just a one click away. IPhone Wheel Mount is another iPhone accessory. GoSmart Clip is the latest innovation for iPhone wheel mount. It secures the iPhone in place when it is being clipped in the car's steering wheel, does protecting your iPhone for fall.

Another innovative technology on the iPhone accessory is the iPhone Grip. It is usually design for user's comfort while holding the phone. The design of the iPhone grip was inspired in the game controller of the usual family computer gadget. Having this gadget will facilitate easy gripping and protection from accident fall. DryCase is the most useful iPhone accessories ever. It protects your phone to get in contact with wet surfaces. It is a case that is waterproof vacuum seal. It is 100% tested to protect your phone from accidentally fall into wet surfaces. What's surprising to know is that it stays dry even when submerged to water.

Online gaming is one of the trending ways of relieving stress. Whether you are a boy, girl, mother, father, son, or daughter, we all love to play games online. There are so many online games that are downloadable for free. You can find plenty of games depending on your interest. If you are a kid, you can find lots of kiddie online games that are entertaining and educational as well. If you are a girl, you can also find online games that are of your interest such as cooking, baking, grooming, and even dressing up and make up. If you are a boy, you can also find a variety of online games for boys such as firing, building construction, and car games.

In 10th place of most downloadable games is Roads of Rome III. It is a fantastic and exciting action game. It assesses your skill on time management and strategy. System requirements for this game are OS: Windows XP/Vista, CPU: 1.2 GHz, DirectX: 9.0, Hard drive: 99MB.

In the 9th spot is Awakening: The Goblin Kingdom. This online game is a puzzle adventure game. The system requirements for this game are OS: Windows XP/Vista, CPU: 800 MHz, RAM: 512 MB, DirectX: 8.1, Hard Drive: 370 MB.

Lost Souls, Enchanted Paintings is in the number 8th spot. It is a puzzle adventure game. The objective of the game is to find the son of Bella. System requirements for this game are OS: Windows XP/Vista, CPU: 1.0 GHz, RAM: 512 MB, DirectX: 9.0, Hard Drive: 836 MB.

In the 7th spot is Reincarnations: Back to Reality Collector's Edition. This is a puzzle adventure game. Its objective is to travel back in the past life and set things right. The system requirements for this game are OS: Windows XP/Vista, CPU: 800 MHz RAM: 512 MB, DirectX: 9.0, Hard Drive: 639 MB.

Urban Legends: The Maze is in 6th place. It is an adventure puzzle game. The objective of the game is to find the missing contestants. System requirements are as follows, OS: Windows XP/Vista, CPU: 2.0 GHz RAM: 512 MB, DirectX: 9.0, Hard Drive: 990 MB.

Fifth on the list is Haunted Halls: Fears from Childhood Collector's Edition. This is a puzzle adventure game. The objective of the game is to explore a nightmarish world. System requirements of the game are OS: Windows XP/Vista, CPU: 1.4 GHz, RAM: 1024 MB, DirectX: 9.0, Hard Drive: 684 MB.

In the fourth spot of best downloadable games is Fairway Collector's Edition. This game is a card and board game. Fairway is a solitaire like game. System requirements include OS: Windows XP/Vista, CPU: 1.0GHz, RAM: 1024 MB, DirectX: 8.0, Hard Drive: 221MB.

Love Story: The Beach Cottage is on the third spot. It is a puzzle and finding the hidden object game. You will experience falling in love for the first time in this game. System requirements are OS: Windows XP/Vista, CPU: 1.6 GHz, RAM: 1024 MB, DirectX: 9.0, Hard Drive: 271 MB.

The second most downloadable game is Dark Tales: Edgar Allan Poe's The Premature Burial Collector's Edition. The objective of the game is to help Detective Dupin solve a case. System requirements for this game are OS: Windows XP/Vista, CPU: 1.4 GHz, RAM: 1024 MB, DirectX: 9.0, Hard Drive: 761 MB.

One can rightly say that Super Mario is one of the oldest games in the video game category. But one can also observe that Super Mario is one of the most played games, even online. This is because through the ages, Super Mario has been improving to accommodate new features. It has also given rise to various variants that are also doing well. The graphics are also great; and being on 3D format, playing Super Mario is nothing but fun.

The story revolves around the chief protagonist, Mario, and his younger brother, Luigi. The two brothers join forces to rescue a princess from captivity, after word reached him that Bowser had ravaged the Mushroom Kingdom, captured the Mushroom Princess Toadstool, and turned everyone around into rocks. The fate of the Princess and the kingdom's revival will depend on Mario and his brother Luigi. It's only possible for one to play Luigi on multiplayer mode, but other variants of the game, such as classic and flash, would allow Mario as the only protagonist.

In the game, Mario has to protect himself from the character Bowser's deadly black magic while at the same time looking for ways to save the Mushroom Kingdom's Princess Toadstool. Points are gained after Mario performs certain tasks, such as hitting the bricks marked with a question mark to uncover the coins underneath. The more coins and items, he gains along the way, the more points and abilities also acquires. The same applies to strategically placed items on unmarked bricks that contain extremely valuable items. The items add value to Mario because they help him acquire some abilities, depending on the item collected.

A yellow or red coin will make Mario double his size and guarantee him a double life. With a double life, Mario can get back to his initial form whenever hit by the enemy. However, on his second attack, Mario dies and the game starts all over again. The items are well spread throughout the game; and as the game progresses, Mario can throw fire, fly, and break bricks, among other special abilities.

Mario also has his share of challenges that he needs to overcome in order to graduate to the next stage of the game. These challenges are divided into eight worlds; each world has another four rounds of challenges referred to as the four stages. Each of the last stage in every world accumulates into a climax where Mario takes on one of Bowser's stooges or even Bowser himself. It is because of the unique challenges of each world that Mario has to adapt. For example, Mario has to acquire a special swimming suit and grow web feet in order for him to swim swiftly under water.