Glimpses of next-generation consoles, fitness video game franchises and visually-stunning video games were some of the highlights in 2009 for gamers. NY1's Technology reporter Adam Balkin filed the following report.

There was lots of hardware news in the world of video games in 2009. Nintendo updated its Dual Screen handheld with the DSi, with the little "i" symbolizing the effort to make games more interactive. For the most part, that is done with dual cameras, one on the outside and one on the inside of the console, which allow for more interactive gameplay and photo manipulation.

Sony also brought an updated handheld to market, the PSP Go, which is smaller than the standard PlayStation Portable handheld video game console. It stronger focus on its wireless connectivity opens up more possibilities for downloadable content.

At the big E3 video game convention in Los Angeles, all three of
the big hardware manufacturers showed off prototypes for three next-generation consoles.

Microsoft introduced Project Natal, a high-end system for controlling games with no controllers. Sony took the wraps off a new supersensitive, motion-sensing remote. Nintendo offered a glimpse gives a glimpse at the Wii Vitality Sensor, for helping to track the health of Wii players.

As actual games go, Microsoft stole the show at E3 by walking out Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to help kick off "Beatles: Rock Band."

The makes of "Guitar Hero" countered with "Guitar Hero: Van Halen" and the entirely new "DJ Hero," which uses replica DJ equipment instead of instruments.

Nintendo and third-party developers for the Wii continued to seize on the concept of using a system as a personal fitness trainer. Aside from "Wii Fit Plus," there were also an ever-growing collection
of games designed to get players' heart rates up. The makers of the television show "The Biggest Loser" and celebrities like Daisy Fuentes turned their fitness DVD franchises into fitness video game franchises.

Finally, the dedicated gamer crowd had more so-called "hardcore" titles than ever to choose from, including new titles for "Halo," the
latest installation of the visually stunning "Assassin's Creed"
franchise, "New Super Mario Bros. Wii" and many other games.

The one game in 2009 that captured the most headlines for being the fastest-selling game in history was "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2." It crossed all barriers and had the best launch of any entertainment content ever, selling an estimated five million copies in just its first day.