It's been eight years since we have seen a new gaming console. Considering this record setting span of time, there's no denying that players are looking to finally get their hands on next-generation hardware. What will define the next few years in the industry? Ubisoft has boiled it down to a few specific and personal features.

As much as Xbox Live has been loved the world over, there is always room for improvement. Starting with their next-generation console, it has been reported that Microsoft Points will eventually be phased out in favor of a real-world dollar currency system.

If you're running custom firmware on your PSP or Vita, one of the biggest questions you're going to want to know the answer to is "what emulators can I get?" With some help from our awesome downloads server, I have compiled a list of what I think are the five best classic console emulators that a Sony portable can offer.

With so much hype about the upcoming Xbox event, it's no secret that talk of Sony's PS4 has died down a little. However, is that something that PS console supporters should be worried about? If you asked the vocal Michael Pachter, he would probably call it irrelevant.

Over at dl.qj, we have a pretty amazing section dedicated to the latest and greatest downloads that the scene has to offer. That means when you're done reading all of our great news, you can catch up on the hacker side of things right over there. So what downloads have we added this week? The maker of Iris Manager has been busy, and we have some new PSP Multicraft to share. All that and more comes after the jump!

In case you don't know him by name, Ken Levine is the creative mind behind the masterpiece known as BioShock: Infinite. While shortly after the epic title's release the developer did not have any idea what his next game would be about, I have a few tweets that just might give us some clues!

If you're new to QJ, Confessions of a Gamer is our weekly editorial where I share my semi-expert opinion on what's been making headlines over the past seven days. In this issue, I'll be talking about new initiatives being taken by Nintendo and EA, but we'll also be taking a look at what the next-generation of home consoles has to offer. Welcome one and all to Confessions of a Gamer!

In case you haven't heard, the TV show-video game combo that is Syfy's Defiance has actually been doing quite well these days. Given that I spend way too much time watching TV than I probably should, I figured I would use the next five pages to share some other series that I think could make some of the best gaming experiences you've possibly ever had!

If you're stuck on iOS 6.1.3 but are looking to get back in the jailbreak scene, fear not! As long as you have an iPhone 3GS, 4, or iPod Touch 4G you should be able to make the downgrade to 6.1.2 quite easily. On this week's how-to, I will give you a detailed explanation as to how you can make that happen!

In the days following the PS4 launch event, we were all shocked when we finally heard some news from Microsoft's corner. Apparently, leaked devkit images showed that the system would mandate an internet connection at all times for users to play. While the official word is still unclear on this matter for Xbox, the Sony side has very vocally claimed that they did never and will never use this concept for the PS4.

It's no secret that the indie gaming scene has grown considerably over the past few years. Thanks to the success of games like Journey and Minecraft, there's clearly a market for many of these uniquely-tailored experiences. To celebrate this movement, the PS Store will be adding an Indie category this afternoon!

In terms of its features, one of the hallmarks of the PS4 is the new "share" button. With it, gamers will be able to capture all of their finest moments to various social networks by way of edited video and images. However, you might be slightly  interested to know that there will be a few possible limitations to that option.

While we know that QJ is probably  one of the best places on the whole internet to get your gaming news from around the industry, this fine website also has a downloads section that is well worth checking out. In this weekly column, we'll be taking a quick look at some of the games and apps that I think we should be paying some attention to. Looking for some new PSP homebrew or PS3 tools? This is the place!

Welcome back all my QJ pals to another edition of Confessions of a Gamer! For those that have never graced me with their click before, in this weekly column I tackle some of the previous week's hottest news stories while throwing in my insights about how they might impact the overall industry. If you're a big picture kind of person, then this next chat about the Xbox 720, Wii woes, and PSP homebrew is for you!

It is true that the holiday that is Easter has long come and gone, but to gamers when we think of that word it generally has nothing to do with religion. Dating back to 1979, the term Easter Egg has been used in games as a way to talk about some of the craziest unlockables of our favorite titles. Spanning far beyond the simple industry conventions, here are some of the best Easter Eggs that gaming has ever seen!

If you have a jailbroken iPhone, one of the things you probably see being talked about a lot on the related scene forums is something called SSH. In a lot of contexts this is said in such a matter of fact way that newcomers may not even know what it means. In this How To, I will not only tell you exactly what SSH is, but also how you can activate and utilize it on all major operating systems.

If you like to play Minecraft and own a Sony portable, then chances are you may have already heard about the work being done by camxpspx123 to create a much improved version of drakon's Multicraft. It hasn't been too long since his last update, but the team has already begun to show what they are currently working on. Get ready for Creepers and cows!

In case you weren't aware, we have an incredible downloads section located over at dl.qj.net that features all of the latest scene updates and files from around the world. Because we don't get around to covering every single option you have at your disposal, I'm back to show you some of the very best  of what QJ has to offer. If you are a fan of PSP games on PS3 or on the go, this is one edition worth paying attention to.

Reporting the news is a necessary part of  the whole QJ experience, but don't you want something that offers just a little bit more insight than what the journalists tell you? Confessions of a Gamer is the column that uses the week's hottest stories to see how they effect the bigger picture of the industry. Today we'll be talking up the Xbox 720, Nintendo shockers, and even Scientology. Who's with me?

I understand that just by the headline alone I am inviting a bunch of angry comments to post below this very story, but I invite you to hear me out as I hope to make a pretty solid argument. Recently Nintendo officials said that they keep relying on the likes of Mario and Zelda because they know that's what the fans want. Is that really true? I'm here to give you five decent reasons why loosening up on those legacy franchises could be just the change Nintendo desperately needs.