In an unexpected turn of events, on Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb’s podcast, Treyarch online director Dan Bunting announced the first in a batch of downloadable content for Call of Duty: Black Ops, the latest installment into the blockbuster franchise.

As announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the downloadable episode — entitled “First Strike” — will be a timed exclusive on Xbox Live Marketplace and it will also include four original multiplayer maps and one zombie map for 1200 Microsoft Points.

“We learned a lot of lessons in the development and design of the maps on the shipped game,” said Bunting, when revealing the downloadable episode. “For DLC we really wanted to go bigger with some of the things we learned that people liked.”

[Update: First Strike is expected to hit retail Feb. 1, 2011.]

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It seems as if the checkered flag is waving towards the release of Forza Motorsport 3 because Microsoft and Turn 10 confirmed that Forza Motorsport 3 has gone gold, and that it’s entering its final lap before launching on Oct. 23 exclusively on Xbox 360.

Along with the announcement, they also confirmed that a demo of the highly anticipated title will arrive on Xbox Live Marketplace starting Sept. 24. In the demo, players get behind the wheel of five of the world’s most amazing cars on the full circuit of the game’s Camino Viejo track – including the 2007 Porsche #80 Flying Lizard 911 GT3-RSR, 2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI quattro, 2009 Ferrari California, 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X GSR, and 2009 Mini John Cooper Works.

If you live in the United States and you have to an Xbox Live account, boy! do I have some news for you. In an information update posted by Major Nelson, he revealed that Xbox Live members can now access PayPal as a method of payment for Xbox Live Marketplace – that’s if they live in the United States.

Anyway, with this system, you can use PayPal to buy Microsoft Points without having to associate your credit card information to your account.

A couple of things to point out:

PayPal is currently supported for Xbox LIVE users in the U.S. only.
PayPal can only be used to purchase Microsoft Points on Xbox.com.
PayPal accounts are not available for purchasing Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360 console.
You can associate multiple Pay Pal accounts with your Xbox LIVE account.

Its been ten months since the release of Grand Theft Auto IV and it looks like its developers, Rockstar Games, are finally ready to put their latest work to the test in GTA IV: The Lost and Damned. But, this time we will not be taking on the role of Niko Bellic, the leading man in the Grand Theft Auto IV. You’ll be taking on the role of Johnny ‘The Jew’ Klebitz, the Vice President of The Lost (MC), which is one of the three known big Biker Gangs in the Liberty City.

Sadly, unlike some of Rockstar’s other characters, Johnny really isn’t one of those characters in where you’ll gain a strong bond with. Basically, the DLC is all about John and his gang. BOY his gang is just a group of jerks. REALLY. When we were playing through the title, we found out that Rockstar tried hard to match some of the events that happen in Grand Theft Auto IV that they just didn’t give you enough time to gain a bond with the characters in the DLC. Making the characters look like they do what they do just because they can. However, what they did manage to do right is the game’s presentation. Talk about the ability to keep busy. Not only did they add a hand full of weapons to the mix, but they also added an interesting new race type in were you use a bat to hit your opponent off their bike if they get too close. But, one thing they messed up on in the games presentation is the new grain filter. It really makes the city look ugly, but it really does fit the kind of story they were trying to tell. On the other hand, they did add in a new group of games to play and trust us when we say that it isn’t a waste of time.

Sadly, the character models in the title don’t have that ground breaking amazement like they did when GTA IV, when it was first released, but they are still very detailed. Once again, the grain filter isn’t something that I would want to play this game with, but you can’t do anything about it. This makes me mad because it makes the city look alot on the bad side. Also, the vehicles in the game have received an update and, boy, was it a great step for the developers to make. It makes everything fun and easy to control.

Another great part about the DLC is the added additional Tunes, Talk Shows and Television Shows which prove that this title is a ‘BIG Bang’ for your 20 bucks. The Stations are freaking awesome! I even spent about ten minutes just sitting there in my vehicle tuned into ‘The Beat 102.7′ checking to see what was the update with Busta Rhymes’ ‘If your car ain’t right, homie you ain’t right’. Also, there are new Television Shows. It’s just that they aren’t that entertaining, but it’s there if you want to watch it.

The multi-player is still there with added content like weapons and vehicles. But, I don’t know what it is, when you get into a good match with willing players, you’ll have one of the best mutli-player experience there is. However, one thing I wished that they had updated was the cover system. Just like the single player, you can be easy pickings when you don’t attach to the right cover spot in the right way.

Closing Statement:

The Lost and Damned will go down, in at least our book, as one of the greatest download contents ever made because it has all the things that great DLCs are made of: great content and great acting all around. And for 20 dollars it’s one of the best items you can find on Xbox Live Marketplace, which is saying alot. There’s only one thing I wished they did and that is adding the ability for you to go back and play Grand Theft Auto IV instead of you having to re-download it every time you play Grand Theft Auto IV. Also, they should have given the player a little more back story into the members of ‘The Lost’.

Score: A

Update: Apparently, they are going to reveal the title not announce it.

Original: In what wouldn’t be their first time in creating such a product for the 360, Capcom has revealed that it has another exclusive product for the Xbox 360 underway. And according to many sources they plan to reveal the product in a very special way, special indeed.

According to Capcom, on Monday, Feburary 23rd, Capcom’s brand new title trailer will be available on Xbox Live Marketplace. But, there’s one question that’s on top of all of our minds and that is what could it be? But, we inspect that it could be the new Lost Planet title because they are yet too announced the title and they rushed to announce the Dead Rising sequel.

Anyway, in order to download the trailer you are going to need to have an Xbox Live account.

In 2007, EA’s Skate had proven itself to be a true competitor for Activision’s popular and long-running skate series, Tony Hawk, but what does this year hold for the title? Can EA and Black Box once again claim the crown for best skating title ever made?

Well, it looks like we are going to have to wait and see, but lucky we do not have to wait that long because according to Microsoft’s Xbox site, a Skate 2 demo will be available come January 8 via the “Download & Win” program, which is a sweepstake.

There are two ways to register for this Sweepstakes. Registering online before the close of the Promotion Period, which is between 3:01 A.M. ET on January 8 and 11:55 P.M. ET on January 15, 2009, or register for the Sweepstakes via Xbox LIVE Marketplace by downloading the free Skate 2 Demo Registration Gamer Picture. Sadly there is still no word on the PlayStation demo.

Ninja Blade has always been about action and, lucky, for all its fans in Japan, they will be getting the chance to sample that action very soon.

Today, FROM Software has announced that Ninja Blade will be getting a demo, or as they like to call it, a free trial in “sequential” delivery on December 29 on the Japanese Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

The demo start off in a modern-day version Tokyo called the “SHINE-MATIKKUA-KUSHONGEMU stage”, as it was translated. At the being of the sage players will take the role of the main character, which swoop down from the high-rise buildings and fights the enemy in “dive-action”.

Anyway, there was on information given on a North American version of the demo, or any onther version of the demo.

Apparently, Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 has just about everything you could want in a fighting game, including Inferno Matches, improved tag team battles and even a Create-A-Finisher mode. But, with even all those features, and an amazing list of over sixty playable characters, many of us, sadly, are still left wanting more.

That’s why THQ has official revealed on the WWE website three new Superstars for Smackdown vs. Raw 2009 that will be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

Download Pack 1

Available for Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360
Price: 400 Microsoft Points

Evan Bourne – playable Superstar
Ted DiBiase, Jr. – playable Superstar
Charlie Haas – playable Superstar
Chris Jericho – alternate attire

It seems like just yesterday Microsoft revealed that Fable II sold 1.5 million copy’s worldwide since its North American release in October. But now it seems that something else has put Fable into the spot light once again. Today, Microsoft has revealed the first ever DLC for Fable II which is set to be released on Dec. 12 – right before the holidays. The DLC revealed a totally new island called Knothole Island and according to MS the remote island of Knothole is dying. Its golden sands and lush vegetation are covered with snow, its people freezing, its treasures buried.

The pack will be available for 800 MS point via purchase of Xbox LIVE Marketplace once again on Dec. 12. Gamers will be invited to set sail for Knothole Island, where new quests, wondrous items and bizarre characters await. Free and premium downloaders will receive a show of gifts, including Knight’s Boots, Assassins Gloves, a special Weight Loss Potion, collectible silver book and more. Players will also be able to check their standing in over 50 new Leaderboards on Lionhead.com.

As an additional treat for “Fable II” fans, Lionhead Studios and Microsoft Game Studios have created an all-new Albion dashboard theme in celebration of the launch of the New Xbox Experience. Fans who want to show off their “Fable II” pride can head over to Xbox LIVE Marketplace to download the Albion theme, available now for 250 Microsoft points.

[Microsoft announces first DLC for Fable II via SI]

Guess what? It’s what you’ve been waiting for. Jimi Hendrix will now have downloadable content for Guitar Hero: World Tour. After announcing the news before the games release, the rock legend will now have a set of three songs coming out on November 13th. To be more specific the DLC will contain the songs If 6 was 9, Little Wing, and a live version of fire. The content will be available for 440 Microsoft points on Xbox Live Marketplace and $5.49 on the PlayStation Store. If music fans can not afford the DLC, the following week on November 20th. There will be another trio of songs by the band called “The Raconteurs”. The songs Salute your Solution, Hold Up, and Console of the lonely. These three songs can be purchased separately on XBL for 160 MP each, $1.99 each on the PSN also on the Wii Store for 200 Wii points each, the game is now out on all three next gen consoles.

If your are like me and you haven’t even finished San Andreas on the Playstation 2 or you haven’t even gotten the chance to even finish a Grand Theft Auto game all together, and you own a 360, I have some news for you because you may want to download this. According to Gamersplatform, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is heading to the Xbox 360 as a downloadable Xbox original game. You will be able to download the game for 1200 Microsoft Points which the is equivalent of $15(US). The game will be releasing on Monday and will be available for download via Xbox Live Marketplace.

LucasArts has many games featuring the name Star Wars, but what makes this game any different then the others? Well, for one thing the name speaks for it’s self, with a name like that you wont need any advertisements because it has everything to with releasing the Force. Today, LucasArts revealed that it’s recently release demo for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has been download over 1 Million times on the Xbox 360 via Xbox live. This means that this game has been downloaded faster then the 360 original, Too Human. In addition to the record-breaking achievement LucasArts has revealed that the demo been downloaded more than 2.3 million times worldwide to date on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

In a video interview Matt Shell, Marketing Manager at LucasArts, confirmed that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed will be will be unleashing a demo via Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network in August.

The demo will feature the special version of the Tie Fighter Construction Facility level, the demo will also feature very special powers and a special ending that will not be featured in the full game.

Calling all private military contractors! Electronic Arts announced today that its 3rd person co-op shooter, Army of Two, is expanding its two-man combat experience by releasing the new Security and Strategy Corporation Challenge mode and maps. The unique SSC Challenge mode has two teams of two competing in an intense obstacle course for the chance to join the SSC, the Private Military Corporation in Army of Two. The new maps will be available on April 24 in North America and Europe on Xbox Live Marketplace. The download pack will also come to the PlayStation Store on April 24 in North America and May 2008 in Europe.

"We want to support our fans with new content that delivers on the two-man gameplay but with a unique twist," says Alain Tascan, VP and General Manager of EA Montreal and Executive Producer of Army of Two. "The SSC Challenge gives players a chance to test their skills in a different setting while retaining the action packed co-op intensity that gamers have come to expect in Army of Two."

Intertwined with over-the-top combat, feverish action and challenging obstacle courses, players will work as a team to race to the finish in the four new co-op maps. The team that completes the course with the most cash will be crowned the ultimate two-man military outfit. The SSC Challenge mode and maps will be available for $7.50 in North America and €4.75 and £3.80 in Europe.

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