All aboard the hype train for NBA 2K13.  2K Sports' latest basketball simulation is just over three months from release, set to arrive on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on October 4th (and on the Wii U when it arrives at retail), and promises a bunch of changes that will certainly make it the most realistic one that the company's released. And to help push the hype further, 2K has chosen a trifecta of current NBA superstars to grace the cover, a step forward from the solo cover stars that graced it previously.  Surprisingly enough, currently crowned NBA champ LeBron James nor series favorite Kobe Bryant are amongst the three stars.

Sega and Gearbox Software were at E3 2012 to showcase Aliens: Colonial Marines multiplayer. The February 12, 2013 shooter offers gamers a multitude of unique and exclusive content from the Aliens universe, including four playable characters from the original 1986 movie by james Cameron for competitive multiplayer. Brian Burleson talks about what’s in store for fans of the horror franchise in this exclusive video interview below.

It’s been nearly 12 years since we’ve seen Tekken Tag Tournament, Namco’s off-shoot in its fighting franchise, where you could tag team between two characters when facing off against enemies, switching them out with tactics and engaging in some rather creative melees as a result.  We’re supposing that the company preferred the “one vs. one” option for so long, as they demonstrated in Tekken 4, Tekken 5 and Tekken 6.  But finally, we’re getting a return of team fighting madness with Tekken Tag Tournament 2, which is set to hit Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this September, with a Wii U release to follow later in the year.

Epic Games just got bigger. Chinese Internet, mobile and telecommunications company Tencent Holdings Limited, which already licenses Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 technology, has agreed to acquire a minority stake in the Cary, North Carolina-based game developer.  Following the strategic investment, Epic will continue to operate independently and seek to further expand its game franchises across multiple platforms. The deal is expected to close within one month, subject to customary closing conditions. Terms of the investment were not disclosed.

Early this year, Bioware’s Mass Effect saga came to five year run. Rest aside the ending; the series is one of the most complete trilogies in video game history. There are two aspects that Mass Effect nails perfectly. The series was first to interweave choices all the way through the third and final installment captivating fans from start to finish. However, you can’t tell a great story if you forget to create the atmosphere for your game to breath in. The music in the game really doses shape Commander Shepard with it having one of the best scores in gaming, but do people notice? Do people look at soundtracks as a whole or as background noise?

The idea behind E3 was to showcase the latest and brightest games of 2012, but there are always a few games that disappoint us. Some games on our list made serious changes to their formula, and not for the better. Other games took center stage at E3 when they shouldn’t have. There were many games at E3, but here is our top five list of disappointments.

Nintendo didn’t have a very good E3. Its booth was easy to navigate, in stark contrast to years past when it was packed with gamers eager to get their hands on the latest titles. And this despite a massive lineup of first- and third-party video games that were playable for its upcoming Wii U home console today, including new games in the Super Mario Bros., Pikmin, Wii Fit, Batman: Arkham City, Scribblenauts, Assassin’s Creed and Just Dance franchises. Nintendo also failed to deliver a price point or launch date for the console, which introduces the Wii U GamePad, a controller with a 6.2-inch touch screen that redefines how people interact with their games, their entertainment and one another. Video game publishers from around the world, including Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Electronic Arts, SEGA, THQ and NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. demonstrated their games across the Los Angeles Convention Center show floor.