Industry and multi-console news:

• Now that most sites are done recapping 2006, the next step is, naturally, to look forward to 2007. Firing Squad lists the 20 most anticipated console games of the new year.
• No, hold on, eToychest still needs to list their top games of last year. Wait, they say Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror is game of the year? Nevermind, carry on.
• NFG Games looks at the sprite history of Sonic, from his various Genesis iterations to the downright ugly Sonic Blast.
• A German auction on Ebay UK is selling 90 different game consoles.
• Edge magazine has produced the first issue of File, a special edition series that collects features, reviews and interviews from the history of Edge.
• Nassau County in New York has enacted a law requiring retailers to post ESRB ratings.
• The Escapist has an interview with Curt Schilling about his new video game company.
• The Escapist also looks at offbeat sports games, like Virtual Skipper 4 and Kite Sim.
• Racketboy has video and info on three new shooters coming for the Dreamcast.
• College Saga is an ongoing college-themed RPG parody video series that actually manages to be funny. Naturally, it's funnier the most RPG conventions you're familiar with.
• Chris Covell's secrets page has been updated with a new page of scans from 1988, showing an early prototype Super Famicom and screenshots of Super Mario World and Dragonfly, the game that would become Pilotwings. God, I wish there were ROMs of this stuff.

PC news:

• JScreenFix is a free application to help fix stuck pixels and plasma screen burn-in.

Nintendo news:

• Hudson has offered an explanation for why Dungeon Explorer didn't hit the Virtual Console when planned.
• Nintendo has boosted DS production from 2.2 to 2.5 million units a month.
• New information and screenshots for SimCity DS. Those bighead advisors are kind of creepy.
• New consoles don't just mean big numbers for game producers. According to Osaka Customs, receipt of Wii consoles pushed toy imports across six regional prefectures to a record high ¥25.3billion (US$213million) in November.
• Geek Idiot lists the 40 essential Gamecube games. They don't actually describe the games or go into any detail whatsoever, but I guess you can use it as a checklist.
• Cheap Ass Gamer lists their five most underappreciated DS games of last year.
• Nintendo of Europe has uploaded a video guide to shortcuts in Mario Kart DS.
• Super Mario Bros 2.5D is, as you might expect from the name, a 3D SMB game with 2D gameplay. Unfortunately it ignores some of the usual SMB rules, like how pirhana plants shouldn't come up if you're standing on their pipe.
• Video: A pro bowler tries Wii Sports bowling for the first time.

Sony news:

• Sony is already advertising FFXIII in Japan.
• A guide to what you need to do to buy Tekken 5 from the Japanese PS3 store.
• Rumor says that Konami has cancelled Coded Arms.

Microsoft news:

• NPD estimates that the 360 was the best selling console over Christmas.
• French developer In Fusio is suing Microsoft, saying they wrongfully terminated an agreement to create a Halo game for mobile phones.
• Major Nelson has provided a list of the most popular games on Xbox Live for 2006, with Gears of War topping the retail list and UNO heading the Live Arcade list.
• Game Trailers has footage of Worms on the 360.
• Next Generation looks at the most anticipated 360 titles for 2007. And so does Eurogamer.
• Variety reports that Hollywood insiders are saying the 360's movie download service may be the only positive story in digital movie downloads this year.
• Kenji Oguro says the American trend of using real time cutscenes over FMV influenced the design of Lost Planet.
• The source that broke the news that Virtua Fighter 5 would be coming to the 360 is now saying Tekken 6 is coming to the 360 too.
• DashboardThemes.com is a site with galleries of all the themes available on the Marketplace so you can actually see them before you buy them. It's retarded that someone had to do this for Microsoft.