News round-up

2012 starts with buried hatchets, the promise of next-generation hardware and some eye-watering sales figures - a week in videogames.

Nintendo and Sony's apologies, David Cage's ennui and Danny Bilson's creative frustrations - the year's best quotes and tweets.

Zynga's success and Team Fortress 2's switch prompted an industry-wide shift to freemium in 2011, but has it paid off?

Ubisoft and Capcom get it wrong, GOG and Avalanche get it right and Serious Sam's scorpion shows the way.

Keith Vaz's unique take on Modern Warfare 3, Livingstone-Hope's computer science revolution and TIGA's calls for tax breaks.

The demise of LA Noire dev Team Bondi was emblematic of a year filled with closures and complaints of crunch.

Minecraft's stunning success, bundle overload and other highlights from the year in independent development.

Our look back on a year in which EA aggressively expanded into digital while Activision went all-in on Call Of Duty.

Android gains market share, Microsoft struggles and Apple loses its talismanic CEO - our review of the year in smartphones.

From Dust was just one of many games delayed in a year that sorely tested PC gamers' patience.

Wii's swan-song, its successor's unveiling and the fall and rise of 3DS.

The year ended well with Vita's release, but Sony's 2011 was defined by the PS3 and PSN hacks.

Kinect, the next generation and Indie Game frustration - Microsoft's year in videogame news.

Vita launches, Nintendo boosts its artistic credentials and dragons steal Christmas - a week in videogames.

A raft of new game announcements, auteur reshuffling and long-awaited flotations - a week in videogames.

Record sales figures, the rise of in-game merchandise and dragons flying backwards - a week in videogames.

Broken promises, public spats and tumbling retail shares - a week in videogames.