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GameStop is 'exclusive' place to pre-order Black Ops Annihilation DLC
GameStop has announced that it will be the "exclusive" pre-order destination for the upcoming "Annihilation" DLC for Call of Duty: Black Ops. Typically, this is where we would make fun of the concept of pre-ordering DLC. Just to outline the process again: Visit GameStop store and pre-order DLC Wait until release day Receive download voucher from GameStop Enter code and enjoy Now, contrast this with purchasing the DLC on release day via Xbox Live: Sit on couch Press "A" button We should point out that, unlike GameStop's Halo: Reach DLC promotion, an Annihilation pre-order doesn't even come with any bonuses. That said, GameStop sold a quarter-million vouchers for the Black Ops "Escalation" DLC, so what do we know?
El Shaddai demo now on North American Xbox Live
After Japanese audiences have enjoyed an El Shaddai demo for quite some time now, North American games can finally get a taste of Namco's upcoming action title. The demo is available now via Xbox Live Marketplace for Gold Members.
Oblivion expansions, Fallout 3 DLC half off on XBL this week
It's been nearly five years, but that notorious Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion "Horse Armor" DLC is finally on sale. Along with the "Shivering Isles" and "Knights of the Nine" expansion packs, the equine armor is discounted by 50 percent as this week's Xbox Live deal. Keeping with the Bethesda theme, three of Fallout 3's DLC packs -- "Mothership Zeta," "Operation Anchorage," and "Broken Steel" -- are similarly discounted, as well as a handful of Avatar items. There has never been a better week to dress up an Avatar as a Vault 101 wastelander and buy virtual armor for a virtual horse. Head past the break for the full list of discounts.
Armed Forces now have billing address option on Xbox Live
Members of the Armed Forces living in U.S. military bases or stationed overseas used to be faced with an unforeseen hassle when accessing Xbox Live -- due to their roving home, entering billing information could be a genuine pain. Thankfully, the problem has been alleviated, as Major Nelson has announced the arrival of three new options for credit card addresses, which allow the armed forces to register cards using their respective Military States. These users can update their information now through their console or the billing section of Xbox.com, changing their billing address to AA (Armed Forces of the Americas), AE (Armed Forces Europe) or AP (Armed Forces Pacific). We're big fans of anything Xbox can do to make our military personnel's leisure time as convenient (and, well, leisurely) as possible.
Castlevania content marked down by 50 percent on XBLA
Alright, it's official -- America's got vampire fever. Why not channel your friends and families' unswerving love for romantic bloodsucker fiction into something a little healthier? Maybe turn them onto Castlevania: Symphony of the Night or Harmony of Despair, which are half-price on XBLA this week.
Xbox Live discounts Dead Rising 2 content
When grappling with the undead apocalypse, few traits are quite as important as frugality. Well, okay, speed, strength and general survival skills are helpful too, but ... well, saving cash is just vital. You can start with this weeklong discount on Dead Rising 2 content on Xbox Live Marketplace.
Xbox Live April schedule redux: Gears 3 beta, deals on Limbo, Shadow Complex and other MGS content
It's going to be a busy month on Xbox Live. Not only is the Gears of War 3 beta set to drop on April 25 for those who pre-ordered through GameStop (April 18 for those who snagged Bulletstorm), there's also a half-month full of XBLA games, Games on Demand titles and deals -- even some slashed prices on Microsoft Game Studios content, like the Halo: Reach Noble Map Pack and Alan Wake's The Writer DLC. Let's get to it, shall we? %Gallery-117485%
Call of Duty: Black Ops 'Escalation' DLC drops on Xbox 360 May 3
Remember that retailer leak a week ago that thoroughly detailed an upcoming Call of Duty: Black Ops DLC pack called "Escalation?" Turns out that was totally spot-on -- surprise! -- and Black Ops multiplayer will be escalating on May 3 with the injection of five new maps: Convoy, Zoo, Stockpile, Hotel, and an unnamed Zombies mode map. Still unknown about the just revealed pack? The price, though we imagine it'll mirror past Call of Duty DLC packs at a cool $15. Either way, we'll find out soon enough, as the pack drops in just three short weeks for Xbox 360 players and on PS3 and PC at some point after, per Microsoft's exclusivity agreement.
Kinectimals demo plays nice with Xbox Live
Sure, Kinectimals may be a blast for your 10-year-old sister-in-law, but what about your 12-year-old nephew? What about your friend's 8-year-old son? What about your very immature sister? Now there's a 1.52GB demo on Xbox Live Marketplace, available for download to all Gold subscribers, to help you decide. And if you happen to enjoy it as an adult ... well, we won't tell a soul.
Xbox Live April schedule: Bad Company 2 DLC, Comic Jumper discounts
Microsoft has revealed some of the content and deals coming to the Xbox Live Marketplace in early April, which include quite a few discounts. It kicks off this week with the launch of DLC for Mass Effect 2 and You Don't Know Jack, as well as some discounts on Comic Jumper, Deadliest Warrior and the "Dead Money" DLC for Fallout: New Vegas. Hit the jump for the full list.
Afterburner Climax and Crazy Taxi are half-off on Xbox Live Marketplace this week
Starting tomorrow, March 29, frugal gamers looking to dip their toes into Sega's franchise pool for something new to play will find two entries from its most iconic series to be half-off. After Burner Climax and Crazy Taxi will have their prices slashed down to $5 (400 MS Points). The sale is only extended to these two titles from Sega's staple and lasts until Friday, April 1. After Burner Climax is the obvious choice between the two here, but if you're vehemently against The Offspring or Pizza Hut, then maybe the XBLA port of Crazy Taxi is for you. Either way, remember: you can always download the free trial first. Try before you buy, people!
Xbox Live blessed with Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight Saga demo [update]
[Update: The demo has been temporarily pulled due to a technical issue.] A few weeks shy of its April launch, an Xbox Live demo for Divinity 2: The Dragon Knight Saga is now available. "But is it relevant to my interests," you ask? Put simply, players assume the role of a knight who can transform, at will, into a dragon. That's probably enough info to help you decide.
Dance Central and You Don't Know Jack demos on Xbox Marketplace
Body and mind. Mind and body. For all the Dance Central haters who've never actually played the game, the Xbox Marketplace has a demo available now to test out the hit title. Your body will thank you ... or cause you to retch from the exercise of a three minute dance routine. As for your mind, beware the barbs of You Don't Know Jack emcee Cookie Masterson. The crazy quiz show also has a demo available today. And remember: Never give up, never surrender until the Jack Attack is over.
MS Point scam cost Microsoft over $1 million
That seemingly unintelligible string of numbers and letters attached to MS Point cards and Xbox Live Gold trials has an underlying code, a kind of system in place, a group of hackers found out yesterday. Using old claimed codes, this group was able to come up with an algorithm to generate new, valid code strings -- those who input the code got 160 MS Points and could refresh the site for more. Later, through a separate channel, hackers were able to exploit the algorithm to generate codes for a Halo: Reach Banshee Avatar prop. This forum seems to be the origin point of the algorithm in question, where some users have claimed to have gathered hundreds of dollars in MS Points; current estimates put the total damage to Microsoft at over $1 million. Microsoft has since had the codes pulled, though we have to wonder if there's any other countermeasure the company could use to catch these individuals. Honestly, we're a bit too busy staring at these awesome lightsabers we just got for our Avatar to worry about such things. Lightsabers that were, uh, totally acquired through legal, completely ethical means -- yeah, that's it.
Tiger Woods 12: The Masters demo approaches the Xbox 360 green
EA is letting the caddy loose in a new demo for Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters, available for download now on your Xbox 360, after being released on PSN last night as part of the weekly update. The new feature will play a big role in EA's latest outing, equaled only by the inclusion of The Masters and its strictly-guarded courses, now open for admission to the virtual public. The demo itself also has a unique feature: XP earned is transferable to the retail game. So if you like what you see (and play), you can make sure your time out on the course isn't a waste.
Deadliest Warrior DLC available now, adds three characters and new mode
Have you mastered the art of dismemberment on all of Deadliest Warrior's anachronistic fighters? A DLC pack for the game released today has added a handful of new combatants for you to master, including the Rajput, Zande and Shaolin Monk -- three archetypes from the television series that were chosen for the game in an online fan poll. The pack also includes a medium-range taunt for each of the game's original eight fighters, and a new mode, Skirmish, which lets two players choose four of their favorite combatants and fight the opponent's picks sequentially. The first person to clear out the other player's roster wins, which sounds like a pretty clever way to lengthen the game's typically seconds-long encounters. The pack is available now for 400 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live Marketplace, and $4.99 on the PlayStation Store.
PSA: Dragon Age 2, Lego Star Wars 3 demos available today
Like shady peddlers of exotic, habit-forming narcotics, the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store are offering users a free taste of two products before they launch at retail. Fans of gigantic RPGs, honorable knights and ancient dragons should turn their eyes towards the demo for -- what else? -- Dragon Age 2. Fans of gigantic AT-ATs, Jedi Knights and ancient Qui-Gons would be better suited for the Lego Star Wars 3: The Clone Wars demo. (Note: Qui-Gon Jinn probably isn't in this game. We just needed the symmetry.) The demos are available now on XBLM, and will arrive on the PlayStation Store later today, following the weekly PSN update. The demo for Dragon Age 2 will also make its way to PC sometime today -- we'll let you know when it shows up.
Rock Band Weekly: The Clash's 'London Calling' album
Sure, there are some Clash songs available for Rock Band 3, but how about the entirety of the band's most famous (and arguably best) album, London Calling? Coming February 1, you can get just that. Out of the legendary album's 18 tracks, five have "Pro" guitar and bass functionality available for an extra $1 each, while all of them have thoroughly enjoyable music and lyrics. As per usual, individual tracks are available for 160 MS Points/200 Wii Points/$1.99, and the entire album can be purchased (at a hefty discount) for 1600 MS Points/2000 Wii Points/$19.99.
Hydrophobia, Dance Central deals in upcoming Xbox Live marketplace updates
The next couple weeks of Xbox Live marketplace updates include deals for Harmonix's Dance Central and a "Get Wet" theme, which does not actually include the game Wet. For the week of January 24, Dance Central DLC will be 160 MSP apiece ($2, a buck off). The "Get Wet" promotion for the week of January 31 includes Hydro Thunder Hurricane for 800 MSP ($10, 33 percent off), Aqua at 400 MSP ($5, half off) and the upgraded Hydrophobia for 400 MSP ($5, also half off) The list also reconfirms the launch dates of the Call of Duty: Black Ops "First Strike" map pack, Breach and Bionic Commando Rearmed 2. Check out the full schedule for the next couple weeks after the break.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood 'Animus Project Update 2.0' coming today
Despite some recent hiccups in the multiplayer service for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, we have quite a serious crush on the game (as evidenced by our nod to it in 2010's GOTY list). And that's why we're so glad to hear of today's impending "Animus Project Update 2.0," said to add a new team-based multiplayer mode ("Chest Capture") and the Pienza map. It appears that the free download isn't available just yet, but should be popping up on XBLM and PSN in the coming hours. In the meantime, we've got a trailer of the update's content in action. Join us just after the break ... but watch your back!
