Hot dang, the world of videogames has been shunted into 2012! The usually ‘quiet’ beginning period of the year has already seen a torrent of news and El33tonline has been keeping up the pace, with features of our own to complement the deluge.

And we’re only just getting started.

After a successful and highly enjoyable meeting of Durban gamers this past weekend, and ahead of another busy week with events in Johannesburg and Cape Town as well as another wave of game announcements, let’s catch up on the week of January 15th with El33tonline’s round-up of videogame news:

El33tonline Features!

• El33t’s Pre-W33kend Post: Touring South Africa, tag snagging and 3DS adventures

• El33tonline sets off on the January Gamers Meetups Tour

• Gears of War Wednesday Wrap: Holden appears, GaaTY steals the show

• Oltman’s Friday Fr33bie: Cut the Rope

• JHBGamers kickstart 2012 with a bang – come meet EA and El33tonline!

• Announcing the El33t P33p of the Month for December 2011!

El33tonline Questions of the Day!

• El33t’s Question of the Day: What game character do you identify with?

• El33t’s Question of the Day: What’s your favourite game based on a movie?

• El33t’s Question of the Day: What game demos will you try this week?

• El33t’s Question of the Day: What is your favourite movie based on a game?

• El33t’s Question of the Day: Group Trivia - What is the most common character name in games?

El33tonline Reviews!

• Batman: Arkham City Review (PC)

• Kingston HyperX 240Gb Solid State Drive Review (PC)

• Ultimate Marvel VS Capcom 3 Review (PlayStation 3)

• Carnival Island Review (PS3 and PlayStation Move)

• Super Pokémon Rumble Review (3DS)

• Professor Layton and the Spectre’s Call Review (DS)

El33tonline Previews!

• Final Fantasy XIII-2 Hands-on Preview (PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360)

• Grand Slam Tennis 2 Hands-on Preview (PlayStation 3 and Move)

Announcements!

• Uncharted 3 leads AIAS’s prestigious IAA awards nominations list

• Silent Hill: Downpour date arrives alongside latest screenshots, other Silent Hill games also dated

• Wii Balance Board sets Guinness World Record

• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 dated, new details, trailer and screens released

• Xbox LIVE Arcade House Party 2012 line-up includes I am Alive, Alan Wake

• Modern Warfare 3 will get 20 ‘content drop’ DLC releases this year, Premium Elite members get them first

• Ghost Recon: Future Soldier delayed to May, new beta announced

• 3DS version of Rayman Origins dated for Europe

• February release confirmed for Twisted Metal in the UK

• Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition announced, dated - all DLC included

December NPD News!

• December NPD: Sony says PS3 closed out 2011 with a bang!

• December NPD: Microsoft responds with figures and facts about the Xbox 360

• December NPD: US videogame sales sink by 21%, Modern Warfare 3 dominates

Sales News!

• Media Create Japanese Software Sales for week ending January 8th: 3DS, Wii titles dominate

• Media Create Japanese Hardware Sales for week ending January 8th: don’t mess with the 3DS

• Modern Warfare 3, FIFA 12, Battlefield 3 were UK’s best sellers in 2011

• Adele turns up uninvited, trumps Call of Duty in overall 2011 UK sales

• Xbox 360 sells 66 million, Kinect coming to PC after selling 18 million

• 3DS sets monthly sales record in Japan

News!

• NPD reveals top-selling games for US in 2011

• Complimentary AR cards confirmed for PS Vita launch in South Africa, games and hardware priced

• Original PlayStation 2 classic Killzone coming to PlayStation Network

• Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning and Mass Effect 3 demo cross-pollination results in bonuses

• New Kingston RAM hots up the memory scene!

• Xbox LIVE Arcade Update: Choplifter HD and Amy

• Assassin’s Creed: Revelations gets extra multiplayer maps this month

• Layoffs at id Software confirmed, work and staff hires continue

• Sony’s Kaz Hirai puts PlayStation 4 announcement rumours to rest

• ‘Diablo III on console’ adventures continue, PC still primary focus

• Catherine: ‘Stray Sheep Edition’ confirmed for South Africa

• Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning PC requirements revealed

Trailers!

• Ninja Gaiden 3 multiplayer showcased in kind of underwhelming trailer

• Binary Domain delayed a week - console yourself with a fantastic trailer

• Are you ready for Genkibowl VII in Saints Row: The Third? Nope.

• What do Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning heroes do in their spare time?

• Asura’s Wrath demo out now on Japanese PlayStation Store, new trailer to celebrate

• This fantastic RE: Operation Raccoon City CG trailer holds nothing back

• Go on an epic audio adventure in this orchestral Journey video

• Snowboarding pro Travis Rice challenges you in latest SSX trailer

Screenshots!

• In Lollipop Chainsaw, this Swan is gloomy, pierced and a goth

• Latest Hitman Absolution screens set the mood, and it’s thick

• Debut South Park: The Game screenshots and artwork arrive

• Latest XCOM: Enemy Unknown screens and images join the old ones

We’ve already started cranking into gear for this week everybody - look forward to more features, exciting news and a collection of reviews over the next five days!