Editor`s note: Scott Steinberg is the question of engineering and television game consulting firm TechSavvy Global as easily as the collapse of GameExec magazine and Game Industry TV. The creator and host of online video series Game Theory, he often appears as an on-air technology analyst for ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CNN.
(CNN) - Summer is typically a dull time for video games as fans ditch their controllers in favour of sunny seaside vacations or the pleasures of the great outdoors.
But this year, a number of high-profile new releases hope to shoot that trend.
From the restoration of notable gaming franchises ("inFamous 2," "Dungeon Siege III") to the introduction of much-anticipated sequels ("F.E.A.R. III," "Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition"), expect no shortage of surprises this season.
Better still, a sizable batch of new PC, console, mobile and online amusements, including the weird ("Catherine"), wild ("UFC Personal Trainer") and outright bizarre ("Michael Phelps: Push the Limit"), are only the beginning.
Players may also get the opportunity to discover Nintendo`s next Wii video game system, rumored to be packing high-definition graphics, more ability than the PlayStation 3 and a touchscreen controller, in June at industry trade show Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011.
Against all odds, fabled "vaporware" title "Duke Nukem: Forever," in evolution for more than 14 days and gaming`s equivalent of Guns N` Roses` legendarily delayed "Chinese Democracy" album, may actually ship - and by fall, no less.
Between an unexpected comeback for old-school spaceship shooters ("Otomedius Excellent"), the surface of retro-inspired role-playing games ("Hunted: Demon`s Forge") and three-dimensional updates of classic fighting series ("Dead or Alive: Dimensions"), bombshells abound.
Quickly heating up to be one of the most promising summers of the preceding decade, here are only a few of the titles you`ve need to proceed at the top of your playlist:
Alice: Madness Returns (Electronic Arts, PC/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360) - A twisted take on Lewis Carroll`s "Alice`s Adventures in Wonderland" story. Expect a wealth of offbeat puzzles and psychedelic landscapes to research from this sequel to the critically acclaimed 2000 original.
Picking up after the first title ended, Alice (here a mentally disturbed girl whose psychological troubles have created a warped and gonzo netherworld) must fight off quirky enemies while wandering through the surreal alternate reality.
Armed with teapot cannons, hobby horses and wicked-looking knives, familiar faces, including the Mad Hatter and Cheshire Cat, make cameos as you turn a tortured world of warped childhood fantasies and inexplicable chessboard imagery.
Release date: June 14
Child of Eden (UbiSoft, PlayStation 3/Xbox 360) - The music-and-rhythm game genre`s viability has been called into question lately, given MTV`s sale of the "Rock Band" franchise and Activision`s recent benching of the popular "Guitar Hero" series.
But this interactive laser light show, a motion-sensing shooter where you blast scintillating shapes by waving your reach to produce musical tones dynamically, hopes to prove there`s life in the genre outside of "Just Dance."
A spiritual sequel to cult classic "Rez" that`s designed by renowned game maker Tetsuya Mizuguchi ("Lumines"), its kaleidoscopic effects and space-age soundscapes make it as often a club night warm-up as actual digital diversion.
Release date: June 14
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D (Nintendo, Nintendo 3DS) - Hailed as a masterpiece of early 3-D game design, the fantasy role-playing classic has been updated to include 3-D special effects that appear literally to break from your Nintendo 3DS system`s screen.
If any title can help turn about the glasses-free handheld portable system`s underperforming sales, it`s this enhancement of the timeless 1998 Nintendo 64 smash, renowned for its sophisticated gameplay, storyline and challenges.
In gain to the original plot and more-difficult Master Quest, which offers differing dungeon layouts and puzzles to enjoy, freshly added touch controls should take the experience more accessible to newcomers.
Release date: June 19
NCAA Football 2012 (EA Sports, PlayStation3/Xbox 360) - As the virtual collegiate gridiron`s perennial Heisman Trophy winner by default (being the only game in town), the reigning champ of university-level football simulations doesn`t always have an MVP performance.
Although it`s more a new iteration than true innovation, this year`s edition, we expect, should go the space with improved collision detection for more accurate tackles and striking visual upgrades, including better lighting, 3-D grass (no, seriously) and more lifelike players.
Aiming to better the game`s overall pacing and fluidity while also adding high-tech replicas of authentic school game-day traditions such as Georgia Tech`s Ramblin` Wreck (Google it), here`s hoping it`s a game-winning effort.
Release date: July 12
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Square-Enix, PC/PlayStation 3/Xbox 360) - "Blade Runner" fans would do good to break out this open-ended, sci-fi role-player, the latest in a best-selling series praised for the absolute freedom of quality it offers fans.
Set in a bleak, futuristic Renaissance world with an equally gritty and atmospheric storyline, players must use biomechanical implants to attain superhuman abilities that make sneaking past or splattering enemies simpler.
A mature global conspiracy thriller, it doesn`t pull punches, letting you attack scenarios using many tactics from stealing to combat, hacking or puzzle-solving, ensuring that the title never plays the saame way twice.
Release date: August 27
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