Well, 
we know at least one part of Black Ops II’s near-future vision won’t be coming true.
While the Call of Duty series strives for a sense of authenticity amidst the over-the-top game scenarios — and it usually hits pretty close to the mark — current events are casting doubt on one feature of Black Ops II: the casting of former CIA director David Petraeus as the Secretary of Defense in 2025.
When 
it comes to the holidays, gadgets perennially top people’s wish lists — and retailers are happy to oblige.
Shoppers will spend an average of $252 on consumer electronics this year, according to a Consumer Electronics Association forecast, with 76 percent of gift-giving adults planning to give a gadget as a present. Sorting out the hot items from the ones destined to end up in the clearance bin — or at a garage sale — isn’t easy, though.
If you’re looking for a perfect tech gift for a friend or loved one, click ahead for suggestions that can’t miss.
Three 
months after suffering a security breach that affected millions of players, Blizzard Entertainment is facing a class action lawsuit from users who say they should have been protected better.
Carney Williams Bates Pulliam & Bowman, PLLC, a law firm in the Central District of California, has filed the suit against the publisher on behalf of players. (It’s worth noting that no user financial data was reported taken during the attack.)
Link, 
the hero of Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda series, has gone through gender reassignment, and is now a heroine.
Well, at least in Mike Hoye’s house.
If 
you’ve got a gamer on your holiday list, there are plenty of good choices this year.
The final years of a console generation typically bring some of the best titles, since videogame developers have gotten to know the ins and outs of the systems. Unfortunately, it often brings a flood of sequels, since publishers are less willing to take risks at this stage. That makes it all the more surprising, then, that amidst the sequel sprawl of 2012, there are so many outstanding original games. Even better, some of the sequels that did show up were surprisingly innovative.
While 
the videogame industry relies heavily on the holiday period to help boost publisher profits, some companies may find coal in their stocking this year.
Some titles are sure to be certain hits, but the evolving nature of players and some less-than-stellar lineups could leave some publishers who are typically strong holiday performers out in the cold.
You 
could be forgiven for thinking the combination of Angry Birds and Star Wars is little more than an unholy marketing union. The mash-up, on the surface, at least, has potential disaster written all over it.
But like peanut butter and chocolate, it turns out this pop-culture odd couple works great together, and is certain to delight fans of both franchises. Available today for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, and Windows and Mac computers, it could actually turn out to be the Angry Birds game you were looking for.
Redbox 
players won’t be joining you in a game of Halo 4 this year. Redbox kiosks are only equipped to rent one disc per rental fee, hence games spanning two or three discs are complicating things for Redbox officials.
Don’t look for players who rely on Redbox as their preferred game rental service to join you in a multiplayer game of Halo 4 this year. You won’t find them playing Assassin’s Creed III online either.
And Medal of Honor: Warfighter? For the most part, they won’t be playing that at all.
There’s 
a lot we still don’t know about Halo’s Master Chief, but it’s safe to say very few of us thought he’d be a classic rock DJ.
Steve Downes has given the Halo hero his voice since the very beginning. When he’s not busy battling the Covenant, blasting the Promethians, or chatting with Cortana, you can find him on WDRV (“The Drive”) in Chicago.
Struggling 
publisher THQ is looking even more vulnerable after the company announced plans Tuesday to push back the release of its three biggest upcoming releases and suspend all earnings guidance for the foreseeable future.
The company also announced it had hired an adviser to help it review its options and find new ways to raise money. Investors were quick to punish the company’s stock, with THQ shares plunging 42 percent Wednesday morning.
Chris Morris: Journalist 