Yesterday, within 64 seconds of the first redemption going through, all 100 of the Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 graphics cards available in the PLEX for Graphics Cards program were sold out. The PLEX for Graphics Cards program allowed players to exchange 20 PLEX units for an EVGA GeForce GTX 560 video card, and have it shipped to their home. As first described at EVE Fanfest 2012, the joint program with Nvidia and CCP shattered all expectations in terms of player demand.

While I appreciate the fact that Sony is going for a more diverse game collection for its PlayStation Network service, that doesn’t necessarily mean everyone’s going to be batting out of the park with their efforts.  Case in point – Gelid Games’ Wheels of Destruction, a game that obviously takes its inspiration from the Twisted Metal series, but tries to add its own diverse touches here and there to make it feel different.  And indeed, it does.  Unfortunately, it’s not for the better.

OTTAWA -- The National Hockey League announced All-Star and rookie assignments for the 2012 Molson Canadian NHL All-Star Skills Competition, Saturday, Jan. 28 at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa. A fan favorite that has showcased hockey’s top talent at NHL All-Star Weekend since 1990, the event will be broadcast live on CBC and RDS in Canada and the NBC Sports Network in the United States at 7 p.m.,ET.

Let's make it clear right now -- the Consumer Electronics Show isn't really about video games.  Sure, they definitely have a place in the consumer electronic world when it comes to entertainment, but the show is more focused on the technological side, with gadgets, TV's and other high-priced technology that's really out there.  But some game companies managed to show up anyway and show off their wares, so we've got the wrap-up on what we saw, and whether it was really worth it.  Let's get started...

When Mountain Dew partnered with Activision on Sledgehammer Games and Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, the division of PepsiCo had no idea how popular it would become. Over 1.5 million consumers have participated in the Double XP program. Gamers are averaging somewhere in the ballpark of five to eight codes per participant. Mountain Dew’s Andrea Foote outlines the success in the exclusive video below from the Mountain Dew Mega Fan Experience at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.

In anticipation of its IPO, Zynga showcased new games at Zynga Unleashed, its first media event hosted by CEO and Founder Mark Pincus held at its new San Francisco headquarters. The company gave a sneak peek of several new social games, including the next chapter in its Ville franchise and teased its own new play service, code named Project Z. CastleVille is the newest game heading to Facebook. Cityville, the last title in the franchise, has over 74 million gamers. There’s also a new Zynga Casino that features Zynga Poker and the newly announced Zynga Bingo to create the world’s largest and most social casino. The company is also launching a new Hidden Objects genre with the social game, Hidden Chronicles.

Finally...the wait may soon be over.  After many months of speculation in the "will they, won't they" sense and news about continuous add-ons for the game, we've finally gotten word when Star Wars: The Old Republic will fly out of Bioware's camp and onto computers everywhere.  It turns out that the wait won't be that long at all...and many Jedi fans will be happy come Christmas morning.

Los Angeles – Microsoft used Activision’s first annual Call of Duty XP fan festival to unveil its latest bundle. The Xbox 360 Limited Edition Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 console, wireless headset with Bluetooth and wireless controllers will ship to retail this fall. Microsoft, Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games teamed up to create a Call of Duty collectible, just in time for the most epic Call of Duty experience yet. Aside from its (air)striking good looks, the console will play unmistakable Call of Duty sounds when powering up and when the tray is opened.

Following last week's surprise price drop on the PlayStation 3 at GamesCom, many analysts were looking Microsoft's way to see what its next move would be with the Xbox 360.  But if you're expecting the company to immediately follow suit to keep up Sony, you might have another thing coming.  It looks like Microsoft is planning to push software -- and some hardware -- rather than a price drop.  A damaging move, or a smart strategy?

During a panel presentation at the 41st annual Comic-Con International, Microsoft and LucasArts unveiled the first custom Xbox 360 console with Kinect featuring a limited edition Star Wars theme inspired by the beloved duo, R2-D2 and C-3PO,  as well as the brand-new Podracing mode featured in the upcoming titleKinect Star Wars. 

Despite a recent string of down months in U.S. video game sales at retail this year, a new report from research firm Gartner paints a very rosy picture for the global video game industry. When adding in revenues from burgeoning online, mobile and digital gaming sectors, Gartner estimates that worldwide spending on the gaming ecosystem will exceed $74 billion in 2011, up 10.4 percent from the $67 billion spent last year. By 2015, spending is expected to reach $112 billion.

Westwood College in Anaheim, CA held its annual Gathering of Video Game Legends in an effort to help future interactive entertainment leaders learn more about the game industry. For the third consecutive year, the college brought together more than a dozen Legends – accomplished professionals from across the gaming industry – to share their experiences about getting started in gaming, what they’ve learned along the way, and to discuss current trends and the future of the gaming profession. The event provided attendees with a unique opportunity to interact one-on-one with leading professionals in the industry like David Perry of Gaikai.