Real, hard facts about the next generation consoles are difficult to find just yet, but our reporters have researched quite a few tantalizing rumors to investigate this week in the lounge.

Even though this is the time of year when few new games hit the market, 2012 has seen a few gems bubble up to the surface of our becalmed seas. Find out what the lounge crew is playing.

The GiN Lounge heads to The Smithsonian American Art Museum this week to talk about their new The Art of Video Games exhibit with curator Chris Melissinos.

When we announced the winners of the Game of the Year contest, there weren’t too many surprises. So now we celebrate the best of the best, as chosen by you.

With the PS Vita now out and other platforms like the Apple iPad, Nintendo 3DS and Android going strong, it looks like mobile gaming is not only here to stay, but to get better too.

Over 50,000 of you cast ballots for the games of the year, and the voting is hot and heavy. The GiN Lounge crew goes over some of the more interesting nominations, and predicts the winners.

Unlike the last few years that started off kind of soft, 2012 began with a bang, with the news that many awesome games are slated to be released soon. From Mass Effect 3 to Hitman to Halo 4 to Bioshock 3, there’s something for everyone!

We begin the hunt for the best games of the year this week, and the GiN gang makes some suggestions as to which games you should consider. Remember, the top games are all up to you!