“The Xbox 360 will let you play with me six hours longer than the PS3. Meow!”

Eidos Interactive has announced today that the Xbox 360 console version of Tomb Raider: Underworld will be benefiting from nearly 6 hours of additional gameplay time in the form of two additional chapters titled “Beneath the Ashes” and “Lara’s Shadow”.

The DLC will be available via the Xbox Live Marketplace, with the first chapter (Beneath the Ashes) expected to hit this Christmas, and the second (Lara’s Shadow) unloading in early in 2009.

Eidos promises that both chapters will provide a unique experience, and Sean Vesce, General Manager for Crystal Dynamics, adds that the “retail release of any videogame is just the start of the player experience.”

It seems that Microsoft has bought into Sean’s philosophy, as they appear to be buying up exclusive content left and right. While it may be extend the life of a game, it remains to be seen whether or not it will drastically improve a console manufacturers bottom line.

You won’t have to hold your breath till December though, in addition to the DLC, it was also announced that a demo of the game will make its way on to XBL in October.

Full press release available after the jump. Read more…

Spoiler Alert: Your plane crashes.

After only having to wait a year and some change, PlayStation 3 owners will soon be able to experience the Rapture that is BioShock (see what I did there?).  Featuring all-new content and all of the DLC from the Xbox 360 version, BioShock is set to sweep PS3 owners up in its cheery narrative about the joys of life in only a few short weeks. Read more…

But only on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. DICE announced today that Mirror’s Edge will ship for consoles on November 11, with the PC version to appear later this winter. Read more…

EA Sports has revealed a new online mode called FIFA 09 Clubs, introducing 10 vs. 10 online team play, allowing 20 people on 20 different consoles to connect online and play a single match of FIFA 09. Read more…

Not all of us have been lucky enough to get a chance to try out Valve’s Left 4 Dead, but things might be looking up sooner or later, as Valve head honcho Gabe Newell has confirmed that a Left 4 Dead demo is coming for Xbox and PC in the future. Read more…

Something in this image shows how the Celtics cheated, I’m just not sure what it is.

Electronic Arts has released a demo of NBA Live 09 today. New features like the Pick and Roll Control, Defensive Lockdown Control, Signature Playcalling, and Quickstrike Ankle-Breakers will make the NBA Live experience so much more fun. Read more…

If you have been looking forward to Tom’Clancy’s strategy game, EndWar, and you own an Xbox 360, you will get your shot at a multiplayer beta come early October.

The catch (and ultimately what makes this a “VIP demo“) is that you will need to pre-order the game (I see a trend developing here) in order to receive a token which grants you access to download the game. The press release states that slots are limited and tokens will be given out on a first come first serve basis.

A full copy of the press release is available after the jump. Read more…

If you are a hockey fan, and you own a PS3, you can boot up right now and download the EA Sports NHL 09 demo. Xbox 360 owners will looking to lace up will have to wait until early September to hit the virtual ice.

Our very own Emily Balistrieri had a chance to check out the game at the EA Studio Showcase a few days ago, and had this to say:

Dave McCarthy gave us the lowdown on what’s new this year for NHL 09. They’ve made further improvements even since last year’s award-gilded installment, adding the EA Sports Hockey League mode. Players can create their own character, level up, and play on fully human teams–six on six–with other hockey fans online.

The career tracking is pretty in-depth, and you can be scouted by other players or scout for new talent for your own team. During the game, you get feedback on how well you’re keeping position (also shown in real time as an arrow, if you’re not quite in the right spot), as well as various other attributes, so you’ll know what to work on to become a better team member. NHL 09 will be available September 9th.

Sounds like the game is worth a download, but if it’s as short as the Madden demo was, XBL owners won’t be missing out on much.

Just a heads up for you Star Wars fans, the demo for LucasArts latest Jedi combat game, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, is up on Xbox Live now (and PSN later today) for those who want to try the game out.

The demo isn’t very long, weighing in at 904mb, but shows off plenty of force powers and fast combat. Go ahead and start your download now!

Source: Gamersreports.com

The latest issue of Famitsu is all about the recent Square Enix DKS3713 event, and according to reports, the Playstation 3 exclusive Final Fantasy XIII demo that comes bundled with the upcoming Blu-ray edition of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete will actually run longer than the CGI film.

The FFXIII demo will come on a separate Blu-ray disc to the film, is reported to be from the begining of the game, and will run at least 90 minutes long, if not longer. That’s tight shit!

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete is scheduled for a March 2009 release.

Source: Famitsu, via PSU.com

The 7-Eleven chain of min-marts have begun busting out marketing collateral for their “Sack Madden Meal” deal.

I haven’t personally stepped foot into a 7-Eleven in years, but according to Joystiq, the $5.97 deal buys you a “Madden sub” (turkey and cheese is the mini mart equivalent to a turducken sandwich), your choice of Doritos, the chain’s signature BIG GULP drink, and most importantly, the Madden 09 demo.

The 7-Eleven version of the demo includes some additional treats you won’t find in your 1.1 GB download. In addition to the virtual trainer and 2 minute gameplay drill found in the downloadable demo, you’ll get several highlights from the NFL Films collection.

And, apparently sine Madden has often been quoted saying “chuck the ball down field”, the team putting together the DVD thought it would be appropriate to toss in a few highlights from NBC’s “Chuck”. Yeah, I’m sure that’s why they did it.

Via: Joystiq

Is Microsoft holding back, or will the FF demo remain a PS3/Blu-ray exclusive?

DKΣ3713 announcements have begun to make their way around the interwebs, and according to a translation of FF7AC Reunion provided by FinalFantasy-XIII.net, the Advent Children: Complete Blu-ray, currently scheduled for release in March of 2009, will contain a playable FFXIII demo and the Final Fantasy Agito XIII trailer.

While I personally own both next gen consoles, it appears that the demo will only work on the Blu-ray capable Sony PS3. This news may sting the Xbox 360 owners who only recently found out that they too would be able to play Final Fantasy XIII on their console.

Of course there’s still a chance that Microsoft will throw a few bucks in the direction of Square Enix and get themselves a demo as well, but as of right now, Sony PS3 owners once again have the upper hand in the battle of FF supremacy.

Source: FF7AC Reunion (via: FinalFantasy-XIII.net)

Want to get your hands on the new action adventure role-playing game from renowned developer Silicon Knights?  The promised Too Human demo is now up on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Read more…

If you are interested in getting a public demo of Spore by Will Wright, the chief designer himself, and you just so happen to live in the San Fransisco area, head on down to The Apple Store on One Stockton Street, Saturday June 21st between 7PM and 8PM. Full press release to follow. Read more…

After reporting on the survival of Eight Days and The Getaway not long ago, we weren’t expecting to bring you news that both games had been suspended indefinitely, and perhaps even permanently.  Read more…

After reporting on the native rendering resolution of the Haze demo, some questioned my reasoning that the final game would sport the same resolution. This is despite there seldom being an example of a game’s resolution differing from its demo. In visiting Free Radical’s studio near Nottingham, creative lead Derek Littlewood confirmed our suspicions. Read more…

Back in March we gave you an insight into what can be expected from Haze, the new FPS from Free Radical. Now you can see what you think with the demo going live on the Playstation Store today.
Read more…

Jason Bourne readies his heat vision to take out a distant gunman.

For super spies in training, or just bored Xbox owners on a Monday evening, check out the new Bourne Conspiracy demo, which has finally arrived on the Xbox Live Marketplace. The demo offers a brief chance to try out the game’s hand-to-hand combat, shootouts, and driving sequences. Read more…

In an apparent effort to crack down on truancy from schools, Hamburg state interior minister Udo Nagel is thinking about forcing retailers to turn off demo pods during school hours. Read more…

A PS3 and PSP demo for Echochrome is on the Japanese Playstation Store. Along with first impressions, I’m here to help you out with how to control the monochrome world that guides your elegant mannequin. Read more…