ORLANDO -- The will he, won't he drama surrounding Dwight Howard has ended, at least for this year, with Howard terminating his opt-out clause in his contract and remaining with the Orlando Magic for another year. When asked what Howard would do now that everything is over at his press conference today, Dwight Howard replied "I'm going to go home and play video games. That's what I'm going to do" Howard is known as a hard-core video gamer and even boasted to us at the recent NBA All-Star Game that he can beat anybody in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 as seen below in our interview with Howard.

Kim Dotcom, the founder and mastermind of the beleaguered file-sharing site Megaupload that was recently shut down by authorities, doesn't just face prison time and substantial fines for his alleged crimes, he has also lost his status as the world’s highest ranked player in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. With millions in the bank and a huge mansion from his illegal file sharing empire, Dotcom apparently had a lot of time on his hands and was playing a lot of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 under the gamertag MEGARACER. Dotcom had earned the top spot in the first-person shooter video game late last year, according to MSNBC. With around 15 million players worldwide and over $1 billion in sales, Modern Warfare 3 is one of the best selling video games of all time.

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...

2011 brought a lot of sequels our way.  Some were necessary improvements to formula, while others had us scratching our heads wondering what was up.  (NOTE: Resistance 3.)  Anyway, we've decided to count down our top ten favorite retail games (a downloadable list is coming very soon), along with a few honorable mentions for good measure.  You might be shocked to see what takes number one.

For every "best of" 2011 list that is out there, there's an equally atrocious "worst of" list.  We've already run down the movies that really stunk this year, and now it's the game industry's turn.  And while we were a bit surprised that neither Brink nor Duke Nukem Forever made the list, there was still plenty of stink to go around.  So, without further ado, here are the ten games that really blew chunks...

With gamers logging record numbers online playing Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, four friends from Minnesota were able to play on the ultimate screen. The winners of the Mountain Dew Mega Fan Experience were whisked to Dallas, Texas, where Cowboys Stadium became their personal arcade. After playing Sledgehammer Games and Infinity Ward’s newest game in the Sony lounge in the plush luxury box level, Andy Brink and his friends went to the 50 yard line and took the action to North America’s largest video screen for some quad-player action on PlayStation 3. Brink talks about the experience, which included the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders practicing below, in this exclusive video interview.

Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure adds yet another imaginative dimension to kids’ social play with the beta launch of Skylanders Spyro’s Universe, a vast virtual world for kids to engage with Skylanders characters and their fellow players. Activision, which has had tremendous success with its Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 game’s $1 billion haul this fall, is investing in its E-rated family game.

Stacy Keibler has catapulted to the top of the tabloid target list thanks to her boyfriend George Clooney. But the former WWE Diva is well known by gamers. She currently serves as host of “Friday Night Fights”,  the new online series from Ridley and Tony Scott that allows players to settle fights by playing Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Keibler talks about games in this exclusive interview from the Spike “VGAs” red carpet.

NEW YORK CITY – With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 officially in the record books with its $400 million launch, Sledgehammer Games’ Creative Director Bret Robbins was on hand at Gamestop in New York City’s Union Square to celebrate the franchise with fans. The developer talks about the success of the first-person shooter franchise and what’s next in this exclusive video interview below.

Twihards came out in force at midnight screenings at over 3,521 theaters last night as The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 grossed $30.3 million at so-called Twihard screenings matching the approximately $30 million that The Twilight Saga: Eclipse earned at midnight screenings in June 2010 and better than the $26.3 million New Moon pulled in at midnight in 2009. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 holds the midnight record earning $43.5 million earlier this year at its midnight screenings on its way to a record-setting $169.2 million opening weekend. Movie industry experts expect Breaking Dawn to  gross up to $150 million this opening weekend. This, of course, all pales in comparison to video games where Activision's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 grossed approximately $400 million on its first day and $775 million in its first five days. We talked to some of the cast and crew of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 at the world premiere of the movie in downtown Los Angeles earlier this week. Check out some of the highlights in this exclusive video.

It’s over for Harry Potter. The final film’s record box office opening was shattered by Activision’s launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. The new game from Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games beat out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (now out on Blu-ray) as well as the reigning game champion, Treyarch’s Call of Duty: Black Ops. Modern Warfare 3 sold over 6.5 million copies in just the US and UK and generated over $400 million in its first 24 hours at retail, according to Charttrack and retail customer sell-through information.