Zuckerberg calls Xbox and Nintendo 'the last generation of games'

Mark Zuckerberg CEO of Facebook
Of course the founder of the world's largest social network is going to be behind social gaming, but what he had to say recently about traditional gaming was surprisingly specific. When asked about the future of social networking on the site's new Facebook Questions feature, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, "The last generation of games was played on Xbox and Nintendo, but many more people now play social games with their friends online."

We find this statement rather out of place when it was rumored recently that Zuckerberg "hated" the games from Zynga and Playfish, calling them "spam machines" rather than enjoyable games. Has he finally given in?

Not to mention Facebook has a huge presence on Xbox Live through Facebook integration (you can access the network on your Xbox, for crying out loud!). Even Nintendo's DSi can access Facebook connectivity, allowing players to take photos and upload them to the network.

One could argue even that services like Xbox Live and--err, whatever Nintendo is up to over there--are social networks by nature. Does he mean to say that these services will be inadequate in the future?

While we're sure Zuckerberg wasn't directly attacking neither Microsoft nor Nintendo when he made the comment, what might this mean for future iterations of Facebook on Nintendo and Microsoft game devices?

Nintendo Wii U will arrive after April 1, better start saving now

Seriously, this thing is will not be cheap. During an interview with Forbes, Nintendo of America COO Reggie Fils-Aime said that its much-awaited Wii U console will not arrive until after April 1 of next year.

When asked about how Nintendo plans to market both the new console and its existing Wii at the same time, Fils-Aime said, "This is a device that will launch in 2012, after April 1st, so we will deal with that situation at the appropriate time."

The exec went on to further deny any rumors that the Wii U controller, a slate with several buttons surrounding a 6.2-inch touch screen, is a tablet. (Well, you kind of had to expect these questions, guys.) But more importantly, Fils-Aime revealed some interesting potential in the Wii U. When asked about whether the system can stream other content than games to the tiny screen wirelessly, specifically Netflix, he replied, "Theoretically, that's possible."

Nintendo recently revealed that it has big plans for the Wii U's approach to online gaming, namely social features. But in this interview, the company stated that it will largely leave online gaming up to its third party publishers with a platform that will change from game to game. Regardless of this loose end among others (like whether its price will scare casual gamers away), that little screen just became even more impossible to wait for.

Get Nintendo 3DS for ultra-cheap ($150) on eBay while you still can

What, so an $80 price drop still wasn't enough for you? Fine, then have the Nintendo 3DS for $100 less, you cheapskate. TechCrunch reports that MacMall is offering a limited number of 3DS consoles in both blue and black for just $150 with free shipping. (Seriously, folks, it does not get better than this ... period.)

While the newly announced red model isn't a part of the deal, I sincerely doubt color is an issue when the thing officially (or unofficially?) costs as much as its predecessor, the DSi. While there is no time limit on this deal nor is it an auction, this offer can't last forever, so you better whip out the plastic soon. As of this writing, already 222 were sold. The clock is a'ticking.

While the 3DS suffered more lows than highs since its release this March, it's an impressive piece of hardware regardless, for what it does. While you won't find as robust an online service for gaming or downloading on arguable competitors like iOS and Android devices, it's still pretty mind-blowing to see some of its games in 3D without the need of any accessory.

And besides, more games are on the way, and we seriously doubt Nintendo is going to drop this enormous project anytime soon. So, go on and pick one up. Think of it this way: This will probably be the cheapest, coolest Christmas gift you've ever gifted--and one less to worry about. We knew that would sell you. You can buy the little handheld that could right here.