One of the most popular modern misconceptions is, “PC gaming is dead.” That statement isn’t simply untrue: it’s enough to make anyone who knows otherwise grab their hair and grit their teeth. Here are five reasons why:

PCs are a pioneer in digital game distribution — “Of course PC gaming is dead,” scoffs Joe Average. “Walk into a GameStop and tell me how many PC games you see on the shelves.”

A game’s availability at retail has always been a spotty way of determining its popularity (“Want a copy of Deadly Towers? Plenty to go around!”). Nowadays, it’s useless. Though consumers still favor retail as their means of acquiring console games, the digital market is growing rapidly. Meanwhile, PC gamers turned to the online marketplace a long time ago.

Valve launched Steam in 2003, and the service has since grown to became the premier distributor of PC games. Though you can still find PC games sold at retail, it’s simply more convenient to download them if you can spare the bandwidth. Console fans are only beginning to fall thoroughly in love with digital distribution, but PC users were married to the online market years ago.

PC’s have thrived in times when consoles were unpopular, or outright dead — The Video Game Industry Crash of 1983 (or 1984, depending on whom you ask) is a well-known event. What fewer people seem to remember, however, is that computer games remained popular while console games declined. In fact, the rise of the affordable PC was one of the major factors that contributed to the crash: clever advertisers asked parents why they were wasting money on “toys” for their kids when computers could play games and prepare them for college?

In other words, PC gaming has retained steady popularity since its conception, whereas public interest in console gaming has gone through dips and over peaks.

Many PC gamers love having the power to customize their rig — In that vein, it’s important to remember that PC gaming holds a special lure to gamers who enjoy customizing their experience on some level. The PC boom during the industry crash allowed amateur programmers to build their own games. Similarly, modern-day PC’s allow interested parties to essentially build their own computer to suit their performance tastes. Not everyone has the skill to build their own computer, and not everyone enjoys the task, but those who do find it a rewarding, enjoyable project that makes playing games on that PC all the more satisfying.

By contrast, console manufacturers discourage any sort of customization or tampering, and even tend to frown on homebrew games and apps. If you buy a console to play your games, what you take out of the box is essentially what you get. It’s uncomplicated and hassle-free, but that kind of straightforwardness isn’t enjoyed by every gamer.

PC’s are where MMOs live — Massive multiplayer online games–MMOGs–are huge. And the rise of the free-to-play market means they’re only only getting bigger. MMOs are no longer simply limited to medieval multi-player games like World of Warcraft, Ultima Online, and EverQuest. Now there are MMO games to suit every taste and genre, and the vast majority of them are exclusive to the PC. In fact, given the popularity of the free-to-play and social markets, the PC might be considered the most popular game console that’s currently in use.

PC’s are getting cheaper, which makes them serious competition for consoles — Computers, particularly desktop computers, are becoming more affordable with every passing year. Competition from sleek laptops as well as tablets, keeps PC pricing on a downward trend.

There was once a time when consoles were considered the cheap, easy alternative for people who just want to play some cool games, but with console tech becoming more complex and therefore expensive, will game systems continue to look like the more affordable choice when stacked up against a typical gaming PC? We’ll certainly find out in this coming console generation!

Take, for instance, video game development. Before the advent of the internet, funding a game project required finding a publisher, which, in turn, often resulted in the developer(s) inevitably losing the rights to his or her creative property. There were business alternatives, but they were still costly and involved tremendous financial risk.

Building any kind of game project in this day and age is still a very risky undertaking, but indie devs who have a vision also have funding alternatives beyond selling everything they own and making their dog pull children in a cart for five bucks a pop. Through internet-based crowdsourcing, for instance, a project manager can gather talented people from around the world and put them to work on a single game. There has also been a sharp rise in the popularity of online pledge systems (“crowdfunding”), which typically offer rewards to participants according to the amount of money that’s donated.

Social media website SocialTimes has an article that outlines twelve excellent ways you can get crowdfunding for a game-related project (or any project, as the advice applies to the arts in general). When you’ve worked out a game plan, so to speak, consider which website will manage your pledges. Here are five notable options:

Kickstarter — Probably the most recognizable crowdfunding website to date. Project managers pledge rewards according to the amount of money raised, and Kickstarter takes donations through Amazon Payments. A target goal is set, and a deadline is chosen: if the target amount of money isn’t raised by the set date, no funds are collected.

Each project has to be approved by Kickstarter before it can launch, and the project manager must have a US bank account. Kickstarter keeps 5% of the funds raised, and Amazon nabs an additional 3 to 5%, though the project manager retains ownership of the creative property that’s produced through the fundraising.

8Bit Funding — 8Bit Funding is a crowdfunding site that’s oriented towards helping indie game devs get their dreams off the ground. Though 8Bit Funding charges fees (in addition to PayPal’s automatic fees), it aims to help developers get the money they need without having to deal with banks and investors.

8Bit Funding also encourages people with game-related projects to apply for crowdfunding, including ladies and gentlemen with aspirations towards opening up game stores and cafes.

RocketHub — RocketHub is another crowdfunding option, but with a difference: even if a project manager doesn’t reach his or her monetary goal by the set deadline, he or she is able to keep the money that’s been raised.

IndieGoGo — IndieGoGo likewise collects pledges via crowdfunding, and is, according to its creator Slava Rubin, “about allowing anyone to raise money for any idea.” IndieGoGo is one of the earliest crowdfunding websites on the internet, to date, it has helped raise millions of dollars across 60,000 campaigns. FYI, this is also where the Angry Video Game Nerd, the Internet’s premiere Nintendo loving/hating celebrity, is raising the money he needs to produce his independent movie.

Threadless — Threadless is an internet T-shirt retailer that can help you initiate your crowdfunding project with a creative spin. If you can design a T-shirt that’s clever and also related to your project, it might be selected to sell on Threadless’ online store. You’ll manage to pique interest in your work, and you’ll also net a cool $2,000 that will surely help with some of your development costs.

Angry Birds — This one’s a given. Rovio’s Angry Birds is a physics-based phenomenon that challenges players to fling birds of various shapes and sizes into rickety structures populated by pigs (no, seriously). It’s a fun and charming game, and Rovio is always on top of adding new content. It’s also an educational game: if you don’t think out your shots before launch, you’re going to fail. When that happens, you’ll have to endure some very smug smiles from some very self-satisfied pigs.

DragonVale — Lots of free-to-play iPhone games let you run amusement parks, but only DragonVale lets you run a park where the main attractions are of the fire-breathing variety. Not only does DragonVale task you with building a magical tourist attraction, but you’re also expected to breed rare hybrid dragons that will bring in the visitors.

Fruit Ninja — Fruit Ninja is a simple but insanely addictive game that pits you against reams of succulent fruit. How many melons, apples, kiwis and bananas can you slice in a given time period? Test your reflexes, and try not to drool on the screen.

Doodle Jump — Another simple but addictive game, Doodle Jump is one of the App Store’s best-sellers. Using the iPhone’s gyro sensor, you must guide the ascent of the game’s main fellow, who has one heck of a spring in his step. Perilous platforms and enemies await.

Bookworm — Bookworm is a great vocabulary-building game for anyone, but will especially fly with kids aged nine through 12. You use a letter grid to select blocks that spell out words and earn you points–but if you don’t do something about the burning blocks before they hit the bottom of the screen, you’ll end up with a cartoony interpretation of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.

Pocket Frogs — Pocket Frogs is a game about the care and breeding of many, many pretty frogs. It’s far more fulfilling than it sounds, and teaches a fun and easy lesson about genetic selection. You can literally spend hours in your attempt to–ahem–catch ‘em all.

Tiny Tower — Build a tower to the sky, manage your tenants, keep their businesses stocked, and keep tabs on your “Bitizens” by nosing in on the entries they’ve posted on their Bitbooks. Tiny Tower isn’t the most accurate simulation on the App Store, but it’s definitely one of the busiest and most charistmatic.

Minecraft PE (Pocket Edition) — Minecraft is an indie title that’s taking the gaming world by storm, and for good reason. It’s indescribably fun, and exercises your inborn god complex. Imagine having all the Lego bricks you could possibly want to build with–and imagine having the entire world as your building base. That’s Minecraft.

Pocket God — If Minecraft PE still leaves behind an itch to rule, consider Pocket God. Pocket God lets you rule over an island civilization, and leaves it up to you whether or not you’ll be a happy god or a vengeful god.

The Moron Test — Everybody loves to try and prove that they’re as smart as a whip–but all it takes is a tricky trivia app to put you in your place. The Moron Test is a tongue-in-cheek game that forces users to come at its plethora of problems with an open mind. Proving your intelligence is not as easy as it initially seems.

(Special Thanks: Best Kids Apps)

Cut the Rope HD — Cut the Rope is a physics-based puzzle game that challenges kids to feed an adorable monster lots of candy. The candy, however, is bound up in ropes that must be cut at just the right angle for the deliciousness to drop/swing/rise into the monster’s mouth. There are also plenty of traps that are waiting to steal or smash the candy, and make the monster sad. It’s inadvisable to make monsters sad.

Playtime Theater — Playtime Theater is an App that lets kids set up and “stage” their own puppet show. The App is pre-loaded with sets, sound effects, characters, and costumes. Shows can be recorded, then shared.

Pac-Man for iPad — Wakka wakka. Pac-Man for iPad is pretty much what it sounds like. The arcade classic is just as appealing today as it was in the ’80s, and any player of any age will fall helplessly in love with its simple concept. Moreover, playing the game on an iPad is a bit more clean and pleasant than lugging around an arcade cabinet that’s been scarred by cigarette burns.

Scrabble for iPad — One major advantage the iPad has over the iPhone and iPod Touch is that its big screen makes it the ideal place for electronic replicas of board games. That goes double for Scrabble, which has found a huge audience on the iPad thanks to the convenience of a “game board” that won’t leak little wooden tiles everywhere. It’s perfect for the car, and the ability to challenge friends via a Facebook connection makes it a winner at home, too.

X Plane 9 – Kids fall in love with planes as easily as rabbits fall in love with each other. X Plane 9 is a flight simulator that’s must-have for kids who aspire to be pilots. Using the iPad, X Plane 9 lets the player fly through every imaginable sort of weather condition, including storms, blizzards, turbulence, and even nice, sunny days. The game may be a bit complex for younger children, but those who desire to be in the sky will take to it immediately.

Kid Art — Kid Art was formulated with the younger iPad user in mind, but it’s still a pleasingly in-depth paint program. Kids can draw freely, or they can doodle on themed backgrounds. Drawings can be saved and shared, and most importantly, even the youngest child can use the app with a minimum of parental intervention.

Glow Hockey 2 — The iPad is the go-to platform for simulated air hockey games. Cool-looking titles like Glow Hockey 2 are as good as it gets when a real table isn’t in range. Heck, the simulated experience may even be better: for one thing, the puck won’t jump from the surface and smash anyone’s knuckles. For another, kids can play Glow Hockey 2 against the computer if a friend isn’t within easy reach.

Star Walk — Star Walk is a wonderful App that unfurls a real-time display of stars and constellations on your iPad. Kids can also discover what time the sun and moon will rise and set, and they can look up all manner of planets and heavenly bodies in the App’s star atlas. City-dwellers who have their view of the stars obstructed by light pollution will find it especially compelling, but Star Walk is an overall good choice for any kid who thinks that stars are “a bunch of fireflies that flew too high and got caught in that black, inky stuff.”

Touch Pets Dogs 2 — Touch Pets Dogs 2 is a pet simulator that lets kids feed, play with, and groom their very own dog. Alternatively, they can make the dog perform tricks and wear crazy-looking accessories. A virtual dog will take it; a real dog would run away from home and change his name.

Chuzzle — Chuzzle is another Match-3 winner from PopCap Games. The game plays similarly to Bejeweled, but kids match up little furball creatures called “Chuzzles” instead of jewels. Even the best puzzle game can be improved with sentient Koosh balls.

On the flipside, there’s no guy in a suit poking at the developers and saying, “Hey. Hey. This game needs more birds. Kids these days like birds. Put in lots and lots of birds.” That’s why indie games generally turn over some of the most creative and compelling ideas in the industry. That’s also why we feel that we ought to make note of ten of the best independent games of all time.

Super Meat Boy (XBLA, PC, Linux, MacOSX) — With its reliance on super-precise jumps around meat-ripping traps, Super Meat Boy offers up some of the most hardcore platforming challenges that a retro games enthusiast could ask for. It began life as a humble Flash game, and has since spread out to several online markets. If Super Meat Boy‘s challenge doesn’t sell you, consider that it’s the only game on the market wherein the hero makes a distinct, slightly nauseating “squish squish squish” sound with every step he takes.

fl0w (PC, PSN) — fl0w is a charmer of a game. You guide a multi-segmented creature through waters that are rich with cellular life. Your creature grows as you consume smaller critters, and it can also descend down into deeper planes. Though there are several struggles for survival against other multi-celled organisms, fl0w is one of the most calming video games you can possibly experience. Evolution has never been so peaceful. Though a graphically-enhanced remake of fl0w is available on the PlayStation Network, the original Flash version was a school project by two programmers, Jenova Chen and Nicholas Clark.

Another World/Out of This World (PC, iOS, Windows Mobile) — Another World is a dark, atmospheric, and highly unforgiving adventure game that was designed and programmed by developer Eric Chahi. The game was originally released in the Amiga in 1991, though it gained a wider audience in North America (where it was marketed as Out of This World) when it was retooled for the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. Currently, Another World is one of the most widely-distributed indie games available–and is as worthy of your attention now as it was in 1991.

Braid (XBLA, PSN, PC, Linux, MacOSX) — Braid is a platforming game that’s about a hero rescuing a princess–or is it? There’s more to Braid than meets the eyes, especially as far as story and gameplay are concerned. As you play through dozens of unique levels that combine running and jumping with puzzle-solving, you can pause and scribble down some theories as to what each object in the game represents on a metaphorical level. Try it with your friends!

Bit.Trip Beat (WiiWare, iOS, PC, MacOSX, Nintendo 3DS) — Bit.Trip Beat combines the simple yet maddeningly addictive gameplay of an old Atari game with the irresistible rhythm and beat of some expertly-composed chiptunes. Your mission is to bounce back projectiles, Pong-style, to the tick of the music.

Dwarf Fortress (PC, Mac OSX, Linux) — Dwarf Fortress mixes roguelike-inspired gameplay, city-building, and simple graphics for an exceptionally deep gaming experience that is not for the faint of heart. This is a game that has no qualms about sending you back to “Go” for a single mistake, therefore reducing everything you’ve built up into a fine dwarf-flavored powder. A more casual player might want to dive in with Dwarf Fortress’s “Adventure” mode, which tasks you with chopping up the local wildlife.

Trine (PSN, Windows, Mac OSX, Linux) — Trine is a side-scrolling platforming/puzzle game that’s set in a medieval world. You take control of three separate characters–a thief, a knight, and a wizard (walk into a bar)–and switch between the three to solve puzzles and complete levels. If you have some pals at hand, they can join in, take control of a character, and help you out. Trine looks good, plays well, and has received critical acclaim throughout the indie game community.

Limbo (XBLA, PSN, PC, Mac OSX) — Limbo is another puzzle/platforming game, but with a creepy aesthetic twist. Limbo offers you a desolate landscape that’s washed out in shades of grey and black, leaving even the nameless protagonist a seemingly soulless silhouette. Meanwhile, enemies move with shuddering realism; when you first encounter the recurring spider “boss,” the hair on the back of your neck will surely prickle.

Minecraft (PC, iOS, Android) — Minecraft is the hottest thing to hit the indie game scene in a long time, and you only need to play it for a few minutes to understand why it’s captured the hearts, minds, and precious spare minutes of gamers worldwide. Minecraft is a simple-looking sandbox game that goes on, on, and on. You are given a world that you can shape to your liking, and you can live alone as a hermit, or among friends on a multiplayer server. In Survival Mode, players must build up their defenses and survive attacks by zombies and skeletons.

Cave Story (WiiWare, DSiWare, PC, Mac OSX, Linux) — Cave Story is often the first name that is dropped in a discussion about the best independent games ever made. The original incarnation of the game was put together by one man, Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya, who programmed and polished the game for five years. The end result is a platformer that recalls the style and challenge of old NES games like Metroid and Mega Man, but is thoroughly its own adventure–with some pretty sweet chiptune music, to boot.

Oh, but we jest. Even so, the decision to school yourself in game design is a serious one. Though many successful developers break into the industry with little or no schooling at all, it’s never a bad idea to have a bit of education behind your dreams and ambitions. That’s why it’s important to research your prospects before throwing a lot of money at them, especially if said prospects run out of one room on top of a Taco Bell.

First, you should as yourself: “What do I specifically want to do with games? What do I want to specialize in?” The complexity of modern games, especially triple-A titles, means staff rosters that number in the hundreds. Most game projects require artists, sound designers, programmers, debuggers, testers, people who can fetch the coffee, and a whole lot more. While many game design schools will focus on one aspect of game development and touch on the others, any game school that promises to teach you everything in six months is probably doing it wrong.

AllArtSchools.com has an excellent guide that breaks down the types of questions you should be asking yourself about your schooling prospects. What facilities and tech will you have access to? What kind of experience does the faculty have? Are you willing to relocate for the sake of your degree?

To help you research your options, here are five game design schools that come recommended by developers, game sites and game magazines, including the late, great GamePro.com.

Academy of Interactive Entertainment (Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Seattle) — Founded in Australia in 1996, the Academy of Interactive Entertainment (AIE) is one of the oldest players in the game, so to speak. It also remains one of the most prominent, with programs in both 3D animation and software development. AIE has since opened up a campus in Seattle, which gives Americans a chance to study games under veteran staff.

Digipen (Redmond, Singapore, Bilbao) — Digipen has served as a beacon for aspiring game developers since 1988. It’s also the most recognized name in a growing roster of game development schools. Digipen has had time to develop a curriculum that surrounds a multitude of topics related to the assembly of video games, including some very intense programming courses.

Art Institute of Vancouver (Vancouver) — Interested in the Game Art & Design course offered at the Art Institute of Vancouver? Gamasutra has interviewed former attendees whose insight will help you live “a day in the life” of a GA&D student.

The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University (Dallas) — The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University (SMU) boasts Game Development Education that was founded by industry icons, and courses that start with the basics–namely, 2D game design and animation. If you make it to the end of the course, you might unlock a riveting graduation speech by the likes of Gabe Newell or Richard (Lord British) Garriott.

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Worcester) — Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is one of North America’s first technological universities. Not surprisingly, it’s also a nesting ground for an award-winning undergraduate game development course. Worcester’s Interactive Media & Game Development program was founded on the idea that video games aren’t simply entertaining, but that learning how to make them can help solve real-world issues as well.

While nobody can predict the future, we can comfortably assume that the iPhone will continue to evolve and mature as a handheld gaming system. Here are a handful of iOS games that we anticipate will be among the best plays in the coming year.

Eufloria: Eufloria is a unique real-time strategy game that has already made a splash on the PC and the PlayStation Network. The game’s concept is based around the Dyson tree hypothesis, which states that it may be possible to grow life-sustaining trees on asteroids. The player colonizes and conquers asteroids by planting and growing Dyson trees, which then spawn seedlings with certain attributes.

Eufloria may be a bit slow-moving for some tastes, but players with time and patience will make fast friends with this original take on the RTS genre. It should hit iOS devices in 2012, so keep an eye on the official Eufloria site for a finalized release date.

Hunters 2: Hunters 2 is another strategy game, albeit a turn-based strategy game with traditional themes like guns, gear, and merciless corporations that hold entire planets in an iron grip. Hunters 2 also looks great, and will offer a single-player campaign mode–a new feature that wasn’t present in the first Hunters. Look for Hunters 2 on iOS devices in early 2012.

Clay Jam: This Katamari-style game features a familiar concept (run over small stuff and grow, avoid big stuff or get squished), but with some interesting traits of its own, not the least of which is its charming clay-based graphics. Players make their “Pebble” bigger by running over little clay people, but risk losing it all if they mash into buildings or monsters. By drawing trenches in the game’s clay foundation, however, players can steer the Pebble’s course. We can practically smell the Plasticine. Clay Jam should be available in February of 2012.

Battlefield 3 Aftershock: The iOS has a ways to go before it can prove itself as a viable platform for first-person shooters, but EA’s feature-packed Battlefield 3 Aftershock might be solid enough to make FPS fans rethink their stance on smartphone-based shooters. According to EA, Battlefield 3 Aftershock will feature connectivity with with other versions of Battlefield 3, and will have both single and multiplayer modes. Going by the screenshots, Aftershock is already one of the best-looking games on iOS devices. The game should be out sometime in 2012.

Super Crate Box: Super Crate Box is an arcade-style shooter that’s already a hit amongst retro enthusiasts on the PC. The game’s iOS adaptation is coming on January 5 2012, and (according to its official description) hearkens back to a time when “all that really mattered was getting your name on that high score list.” Fans of pixel-based graphics and twangy Sega Genesis-style chiptunes are sure to love this one, to say nothing of those of us who are willing to spend hours on a game for the privilege of inscribing our names as “BUTT.”

The portable gaming market is more crowded than ever thanks to the launch of the Nintendo 3DS and the runaway success of iOS devices as game platforms. That said, the PS Vita still boasts unique characteristics that make for specialized play sessions. Here’s what you need to know when reviewing Sony’s sequel to the PSP:

The specs: According to Sony, the PS Vita features a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor, and a quad-core SGX543MP4 + GPU. That translates into, well, a lot of processing power and pretty pictures. There were some early claims from the press that the PS Vita would be as powerful as the PlayStation 3, but Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) snuffed those rumors quickly, saying that “[I]t’s not going to run at 2GHz because the battery would last five minutes and it would probably set fire to your pants.” In reality, the PS Vita’s specs put its performance roughly in between the original PSP and the PlayStation 3.

The PS Vita also has two analogue sticks and a touch screen in addition to Sixaxis motion-sensing capabilities, a d-pad, and its traditional triangle, circle, X, square, L, and R buttons.

The rear touch screen: The PS Vita has a curious feature: you can get saucy and pat its behind. Gamers initially scratched their heads over this interesting hardware quirk, but lightbulbs obviously flicked on over developers’ heads in an instant. In December, Heath Hindman of PlayStation Lifestyle wrote up a review of the PS Vita that contains one example of how the rear touchpad has already been used:

“We just came across a part in [Uncharted: Golden Abyss] where there’s a blank piece of parchment. To reveal the hidden writing, you have to hold the back of the PlayStation Vita to an actual light source (a light bulb will do) for the scripture to appear. I was actually in shock that ideas like that are already being explored in a launch game – imagine what developers will cook up in the future.”

Optional 3G support: You can opt to buy the PS Vita with or without 3G support. The 3G model has features that utilize the constant connection to the internet, including a built-in GPS. The PS Vita’s 3G service is provided by AT&T in America, and Vodafone in Europe.

Both models of the PS Vita have Wi-Fi support.

Memory card: If you aim to own a PS Vita, you’re going to have to purchase one of Sony’s proprietary memory cards as well. These cards are necessary to hold saves, certain game downloads, and are required to run select games. According to Sony, the memory cards available are 4 GB ($19.99 USD), 8 GB ($29.99 USD), 16 GB ($59.99 USD), and 32 GB ($99.99 USD).

Traditional and digital game support: Unlike the PSP, the PS Vita doesn’t utilize or support Universal Media Discs (UMD). Games are distributed via a proprietary flash memory card called the “PlayStation Vita card.” There is also a selection of downloadable games that can be accessed through the PlayStation network and downloaded onto your PS Vita’s memory card.

PlayStation Network (PSN) access: The PlayStation Vita can be tied to a PlayStation Network account–but only one PSN account can exist on each Vita. That means the account you register on your Vita is the sole account that remain there, unless you perform a factory reset and reformat the Vita hardware.

If you reformat your PS Vita, you won’t lose the purchases you’ve made on your PSN account, as those are tied to your account itself. You won’t lose your save data either, as that’s all stored on your memory card. However, don’t forget that your Trophies are tied to your PSN account, so reformatting your PS Vita will wipe your achievements from your system.

Battery life: At the 2011 Tokyo Game Show, Sony confirmed that the PS Vita’s battery provides about three to five hours of gameplay (with no Wi-Fi, with default screen brightness, and with no sound) before needing a recharge. It can also play about 5 hours of video, and 9 hours of music, with the screen turned off.

Backward compatibility with the PSP: The PS Vita features backward compatibility with the PSP–but only with the downloadable portion of the PSP’s library, as the PS Vita has no UMD support. Sony has a “PSP Passport” program that can theoretically give discount versions of downloadable games to PSP owners who bought the physical disc, but at this time, few major third-party publishers have chosen to support the program.

Region-free: The PS Vita is region-free, meaning games are not locked out from region to region. In other words, you can interchange the PS Vita’s Japanese, North American, and European games with its Japanese, North American, and European hardware without having to worry about lockouts or major problems. However, each region offers a different version of the PlayStation Network, and given that the PS Vita can only store one PSN account at a time, you’ll have to choose your digital marketplace carefully.

Price: There are two models of the PlayStation Vita for sale. The model that supports Wi-Fi only costs $249.99 USD, and the model that supports both 3G and Wi-Fi costs $299.99 USD.

North American launch date: If you’re in North America, look for the PlayStation Vita on Feburary 22, 2012.

Launch lineup and exclusive franchises: Given that the PS Vita is a Sony machine, you can expect to see certain franchise exclusives on the handheld. One such exclusive is the launch title Uncharted: Golden Abyss.

For a complete list of the games that will be available at the Vita’s North American launch (and the launch window to follow), check out the PlayStation Blog.

It’s hard to mess up while buying a video game as a gift. Whatever you get – especially if you’re a parent – is almost guaranteed to garner a happy response. However, that doesn’t mean you should pluck a game off the shelf and call it a day. Here are a few tips that will help you buy the right game for the right kid.

Mind the game’s ESRB rating — The Entertainment Software Rating Board–better known as the “ESRB”–is a not-for-profit organization that evaluates video games and assigns a rating to each one according to potentially offensive content. By making note of the letter that’s placed on a title’s box or disc (or precedes the title screen in downloadable games), you can be forewarned of in-game content that may not be appropriate for kids.

The ESRB’s website has an archive of detailed write-ups for most games that are available at retail, and it even has an app that you can consult for quick information.

Remember: video games are not exclusively the domain of kids. Like movies, it’s a varied medium, and as a result, there are games that are not appropriate for players under the age of 18.

Don’t automatically opt for licensed games based on movies, etc — At first glance, it’s an easy association: if a kid likes Batman cartoons and comics, he or she will love Batman video games, right? But what seems like a safe bet often turns out to be a mediocre title that was rushed out the door to land in buyers’ hands while hype for that property had temporarily spiked.

That’s not necessarily the case for Batman, mind, as the Dark Knight has been the basis for games that were a hit amongst kids and adults alike–Lego Batman,for instance–but the buyer should beware of titles that were hastily assembled around the release of a big movie. Mediocrity isn’t always the only problem, as a rushed game can prove hard to play thanks to sloppy controls. Research game scores and gather opinions via word-of-mouth before deciding on a title.

Gather opinions and reviews via websites and magazines — Researching game scores is a snap, thanks to the ample availability of game review websites and sites that specifically collect scores, like Metacritic. Review scores aren’t the end-all, be-all of a video game, though. Make sure you read through the review in order to identify a game’s strengths and weaknesses.

Need recommendations or in-depth info? Try these sites — If you’re a parent or family friend who feels a bit lost navigating the games industry in your search for family friendly games, or if you just need a few good recommendations, check out:

The Media Awareness Network: Lots of advice on how to identify kid-appropriate games.

Family Friendly Video Games: Issues “Report Cards” to indicate whether or not a game is fun, and makes detailed notes of any potentially offensive content.

Common Sense Media: Neatly-archived game reviews that rate games according to quality, and makes note of any violent content within.

GamerDad: Andrew Bub and his kids are on call to point out the best in family-friendly fun. Bub has been contributing thoughtful reviews and editorials on the alleged links between video games and youth violence for over five years.

Family Friendly Gaming: Family Friendly Gaming is a long-running Christian video game website/magazine that evaluates games according to potentially violent and immoral content.

Video game purchases don’t end at retail — Games that are bought at retail make great gifts (since you can actually giftwrap ‘em), but the game-buying adventure doesn’t end at Wal-Mart. Many games for various consoles and the PC can be bought on digital marketplaces, including Xbox Live Arcade, the Wii Shop Channel, the PlayStation Network, the App Store, Steam, and many more. If you need a quick and easy game-related purchase, pre-paid cards for online stores are available at game stores, pharmacies, and supermarkets.

There are also hundreds of games available to play in everyday web browsers like FireFox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer. Many of these games are free, but offer special in-game items that must be purchased with “real” money via a credit card. Buying a rare, coveted item makes a great reward for a good report card.

Which, in turn, lands video games in a love-hate relationship with parents. Parents (even those who are gamers themselves) naturally want to keep kids safe from negative influences. Kids by and large just want to have a good time. Unfortunately, seldom do both sides’ definition of either align, especially in the world of interactive entertainment, which can lead to problems, troubles and issues that affect the family or household environment.

Here are ten series that kids love, and parents tend to hate. By exploring each one, we can learn why these games have appeal beyond mowing down virtual enemies. On the flip side, we’ll understand why these titles might make parents nervous.

Keep in mind that every game sold at retail, and most games sold on the digital marketplace, has been analyzed and rated for its content, primarily by the ESRB. It’s ultimately up to parents to decide whether or not to heed these ratings.

CALL OF DUTY

Why parents hate it: Activision’s Call of Duty is a military-themed first-person shooter series that has been around since 2003. The series’ multiple entries have revolved around World War II, as well as the Cold War.

Call of Duty games feature a whole lot of shooting and killing, which makes parents uneasy. 2009′s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was also the center of additional controversy thanks to its optional “No Russian” mission, wherein players can join a band of Russian terrorists and shoot up an airport. Though the player does not have to kill civilians, and is not awarded in any way if he/she does, the very existence of the scenario was enough to ignite the anger and concern of the mainstream press worldwide.

Why kids love it: Just to get it out of the way: kids have a natural attraction to items and acts that they’re forbidden to indulge in. No doubt some minors play Call of Duty–and every other game on this list–because that big bold “M” rating beckons them. But there’s a reason why these kids stick around once the thrill of rebellion has faded.

Entries in the Call of Duty series, for instance, consistently score high with reviewers and players. The first-person shooter genre is very busy, but CoD games can generally be counted on for a compelling story, solid gameplay, a stirring soundtrack (featuring contributions from famous composers like Hans Zimmer and Brian Tyler), and excellent multiplayer features. CoD games are simply put together well. They’re fun to play alone, and especially fun to play with friends.

The content in CoD may understandably be too heavy for some parents; regardless of whether or not you give your kids official permission to play M-rated games, it’s never a bad choice to have a serious discussion about video games and the fantasy violence depicted within.

GRAND THEFT AUTO

Why parents hate it: Boy oh boy. If any game series has been dragged through the streets over and over again by the mainstream press, it’s Grand Theft Auto. Grand Theft Auto games, particularly games released post-Grand Theft Auto III (2001), when the series evolved into its current 3D, open-world format, initiate fresh waves of panic whenever a new one drops. As a consequence, the Grand Theft Auto series is the target of vague criticisms and descriptors like, “That game that lets kids kill prostitutes and steal the money.”

Why kids love it: Make no mistake: Grand Theft Auto is a series for adults. It’s also a series set in a world where you can generally do whatever you want–bad or good.

Rockstar’s open-ended virtual world is a remarkable thing in itself, which makes it attractive for adults and kids alike. What’s not compelling about a game that lets us air out our darker side without any (real world) consequences? More than that, however, each game also boasts a great soundtrack, a compelling story, and a colorful, if sometimes eccentric, cast of characters. Can you run over innocent people? Yes. Do you have to? No.

Again, parents need to draw their own lines and initiate discussion with their kids.

SILENT HILL

Why parents hate it: “Survival horror” games like the long-running Silent Hill and Resident Evil series became popular in North America around the dawn of the original PlayStation. In Japan, however, survival horror games date as far back as the Famicom (Nintendo Entertainment System).

Fans of Japanese horror films already know that Japan’s scary movies reach far beyond blood, gore, and heart-stopping “Got-You” moments where the villain jumps out at the victim: rather, they tend to touch on disturbing imagery and unsettling questions about psychology and sanity. The Silent Hill games, which originated in Japan and retain much of the country’s mastery at subtle horror (despite the fact the newer games are typically developed outside of Japan), are very capable of keeping a young kid up at night.

Also, parents might feel vengeful against Silent Hill because they spent money on the 2006 film, which was bad.

Why kids love it: There probably isn’t a kid in the world who hasn’t gone behind their parents’ backs to watch an R-rated horror movie, either because they genuinely wanted to, or because they were pressured into doing so by their peers. The scares in Silent Hill are that much more potent because actively stumbling around in the fog and darkness is so much more throat-drying and cringe-inducing than simply watching pre-scripted actions fold out on a screen.

MORTAL KOMBAT

Why parents hate it: Aside from maybe Grand Theft Auto, no series can lay claim to suffering through as much controversy as Mortal Kombat. The original Mortal Kombat hit the arcades in 1992, a time when fighting games were thriving. Parents already weren’t thrilled with games like Street Fighter II, which (they argued) was nothing more than a violence simulator. But when Mortal Kombat became famous for its stable of gory finishers (now immortalized in pop culture as “Fatalities”), parent disapproval toward the game shot up by a thousand percent. And when it was announced that Acclaim would be bringing the whole bloody package home for consoles, the media and politicians went positively orangutan.

The homecoming of Mortal Kombat had significant impact(!) on the console market. It led to the creation of the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), a rating system that’s still applies its mark to most games sold in North America. Moreover, by the time Mortal Kombat II arrived on consoles in 1994, Nintendo of America had already begun loosening up its famously draconian censorship rules for localized games. That’s because its refusal to allow red blood in the original SNES port of Mortal Kombat resulted in a lot of lost sales to the Sega Genesis port.

SUPER MARIO

Why parents hate it–Wait, what?: Okay, so maybe Mario doesn’t have to dodge as many shotgun blasts as the other series on this list, but make no mistake: the Super Mario games are still capable of breeding some fine old arguments between parents and kids regarding balancing play time with homework and other chores.

Why kids love it: When the Super Mario games debuted in the early ’80s, their whimsical stories and iconic platformer-style gameplay rearranged the definition of a video game. Mario has since hit his 30th birthday, and his adventures still enrapture kids and adults alike.