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So, for those of you that know me, you know I can’t cook. And for those of you that don’t know me, It’s not that I don’t like to cook, it’s really that I can’t. The only time I’m at a big name grocery store is when I’m out of TP or laundry detergent. I instead prefer to do my grocery shopping in places that I can walk to versus have to park in a lot at. See, it’s in those types of local groceries that I can get quality pre-made eats or things that require very little preparation. And by local grocery establishments, I don’t mean the corner liquor store that is also good for an occasional carton of milk.

It was with some confusion then that I entered my local meat market on Saturday, in need of my deli favs and some hash of the corn beef variety, and encountered twenty something in PJ’s – seriously, the average age of the mid-day clientele was cut in half. It took me a moment to realize that earlier in the week, Paulina Meat Market was one of the daily Chicago Groupon deals. My worlds had collided; commerce of the digital variety, hottest internet start-up and darling of Chicago had invaded my local little traditional marketplace. And as I wandered the store and filled my basket, I realized I was grinning with pride.

Denuo’s PLAYED staffers are romantics through and through.  That said, instead of a bundle of roses, we crafted this sweet-smelling bouquet of gaming insights and news, gently placed around titles involving science-fiction terror, Russian stacking dolls, and 3D tech, delivered straight into the palm of your hand.  You can feel the love, can’t you?

In this month’s issue, we look beyond the third dimension of Nintendo’s new 3DS handheld.  While everyone is agog over glasses-less 3D, the handheld brings even more functionality to the social and casual game spaces than first thought.  On the mobile gaming side, we check out the big, exclusive steps that Google’s Android mobile OS platform has taken to move into gamers’ hearts and minds.  Meanwhile, we examine Facebook’s virtual currency market shake-up with the rollout of Facebook Credits and its effects on the social gaming space, and wrap things up with a couple Denuologists weighing in on EA’s marketing effort for their latest hit, Dead Space 2.

Last week, we had the pleasure of helping run the world’s first Tweet Race for Mercedes-Benz. Along with our colleagues at Razorfish, we took four teams across the country in Mercedes-Benz vehicles that were “fueled by Twitter,” meaning the teams had to generate social media activity to keep their engines running. We designed a game around this that involved the teams competing in challenges, stoking their supporters for extra Tweet Fuel, and various tasks to accomplish both online and offline, all building up to a winner based on the strength of their social network and their skill behind the wheel.

Over a frenzied three days of racing, we learned a lot about games, digital marketing, competitive spirit, blizzards, Dallas ice treatment controversies, live event management, and when to let go and enjoy the ride. Join us, won’t you?

….and we’re back! Last year saw the gaming industry grow in unexpected ways, from social gaming to the rise of digital distribution. 2011 looks to be another year of innovation, business development, and, of course, great games. That said, this issue of PLAYED takes 2011 to task, asking both how and where we’ll all be gaming over the next year, while also recapping and prognosticating about the ever-shifting social gaming space. Also, since the year is getting off to a splendid start for blockbuster titles, we look at how gamers are utilizing unique and innovative ways to try games before plunking down their hard-earned cash well beyond the video store shelf.

As this was my first trip to CES, I was overwhelmed by many of the advancements and products displayed: GE’s Nucleus is an innovative tool that gives consumers the power to control their electricity consumption, Samsung’s newest refrigerator includes a screen where families can plan meals and calendars, and Sony’s glasses-free 3D TV is a step in the right direction to making 3D TV a more applicable part of everyday life. As intriguing as all of the displays were, I couldn’t help being under-whelmed by the lack of mobile opportunities to further connect with brands and products during the show.