Welcome to the post E3 2011 world: a world where we know the name of Nintendo’s next console, a world where we can patiently wait for Halo 4, and a world where publishers have decided it is once again safe to ship new video game releases.

If you spent last week pouring over the news emerging from E3, you might have found it tough to play many games. Well, get ready to make up for your lack of play time, because a ton of compelling games are about to be released. There is Child of Eden for Kinect, Alice: Madness Returns for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, and Transformers games for just about everything, but one game makes this week more special than any other. You know what I’m talking about. When gamers look back at the third week of June, 2011, they’ll remember that this was when Duke Nukem Forever finally went on sale.

It’s a great week for games. Take a look at the new releases for June 12 through 18, 2011, broken out by platform and date.

Microsoft Xbox 360

  • Alice: Madness Returns 6/14 Child of Eden 6/14 Duke Nukem Forever 6/14 Fallout: New Vegas - Old World Blues 6/14 Record of Agarest War Zero 6/14 Transformers: Dark of the Moon 6/14 Wipeout in the Zone 6/14 Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 6/15 Operation Flashpoint: Red River - Valley of Death 6/16

Nintendo DS

  • Hidden Photo 6/13 Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Autobots 6/14 Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Decepticons 6/14

Nintendo 3DS

  • Balloon Pop 2 6/14 Brunswick Pro Bowling 6/14 Cubic Ninja 6/14 Pinball Hall of Fame: The Williams Collection 6/14 Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Stealth Force Edition) 6/14

Nintendo Wii

  • Wii Play: Motion 6/13 Crazy Machines 6/14 Hyper Fighter 6/14 Transformers: Dark of the Moon (Stealth Force Edition) 6/14

PC

  • Alice: Madness Returns 6/14 Duke Nukem Forever 6/14 Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 6/15 Panzer Corps 6/15 Runes of Magic Chapter IV: Lands of Despair 6/16

Sony PlayStation 3

  • Alice: Madness Returns 6/14 Duke Nukem Forever 6/14 Record of Agarest War Zero 6/14 Transformers: Dark of the Moon 6/14 Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 6/15

Microsoft spent a significant portion of its E3 2011 Press Conference focused on new games for its wildly successful Kinect peripheral. Perhaps not coincidentally, the first unabashedly hardcore Kinect game hits retail this week in the form of Tetsuya Mizuguchi’s Child of Eden. Mizugchi, the one-time Sega employee responsible for, among other games, Sega Rally, Space Channel 5, and Rez, has become known for uniquely psychedelic, music-inclusive experiences – a description that fits Child of Eden perfectly. Can Mizuguchi’s cult-friendly game find success on Microsoft’s mainstream magnet? Child of Eden releases June 14, 2011, exclusively for Xbox 360 with Kinect.

Gamers with an appreciation for the macabre may want to give Alice: Madness Returns a look this week. Madness Returns is American McGee’s second stab at a game based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, though the author might not recognize much of what is on display. Trailers for Alice: Madness Returns show that McGee’s talent for gruesome visual design remains intact – the big question is how well will the game play? Alice: Madness Returns will be available for the Xbox 360, PC, and PS3 June 14, 2011.

I have to believe that every possible joke about the long, long, long delay that all but robbed the world of Duke Nukem Forever has already been made. There is nothing left, now, but to play the game. We’ve seen the launch trailer, we’ve read about the controversial Capture the Babe mode, and we’ve sat through one final delay. Duke Nukem Forever appears to be entirely faithful to the series’ history, but is this the kind of shooter players want in 2011? Duke Nukem Forever releases June 15, 2011, for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

As always, we want to hear from you. What games are you planning on picking up this week? What games on the horizon are you most looking forward to?