Grand Theft Auto IV’s second downloadable episode, titled “The Ballad of Gay Tony”, is available on Xbox LIVE marketplace right now (complete with Sprunk Extreme Base Jumping) and will run you 1600 Microsoft Points (roughly 20 bucks).

If you get your hands on it, let us know what you think in the comments section.

Bungie has just confirmed that their biggest title, Halo 3, has set an impressive benchmark in console online gaming. Over Xbox Live, over one billion matches has been played in Halo 3 which beats out the previous record of 798 million set by it’s predecessor, Halo 2.

Read more…

G4TV has posted a video containing 15 minutes of gameplay footage they recorded themselves while fighting for their lives against an army of zombies. If this doesn’t get you ready to hit “download” when the public demo of Left 4 Dead hits XBL tomorrow, you must not be a fan of four player co-op awesomeness. Hit the jump for the video. Read more…

Struggling to make ends meet in a rough economy? Maybe you lost a decent chunk of chain on the stock market, or maybe your hours have been cut by your employer. Regardless of your real world dilemma, Microsoft has got just the thing for you! Spend real money on virtual stuff for your virtual self this spring when they launch their official Avatar Store!

Rent shment. Having a roof over your head won’t matter the least bit if your virtual counterpart isn’t pimped out in the latest fashions. Who needs three square meals when you could spend that extra cash on a set of fictitious wheels! Read more…

Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE boasts an enormous user base, however, many of its users have been nothing short of vocal in criticizing the monthly subscription fee required to fully “jump in.”

Supporters of the service often cited the flexible in-game chat capability as its primary edge over the PlayStation Network, but recent updates on the part of Sony have bridged that gap.

The addition of online capabilities to consoles allowed gamers to remotely connect to each other, but more importantly, from a publishers perspective, it created a viable means for digital distribution of content. On that note, both the PS3 and 360 next-gen consoles have infrastructures capable of delivering digital content to consumers, but which format do publishers prefer? Read more…

“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…

If you grew up listening to Red Hot Chili Peppers like I did, then the headline will make sense to you — if not, here you go.

Rock Band 2 owners will be able to power up their Xbox 360 and download the entire Blood Sugar Sex Magik DLC for 1,600MS Points from XBL. In other words — what XBL got “you got to get it put it in you.” Yeah, I know that song isn’t from BSSM, but I wanted to say it anyway.

So many great tracks in this one album like “Breaking the Girl”, “Under the Bridge”, and a favorite of one of my ex girlfriend’s, “Sir Psycho Sexy”. I wonder if she was trying to tell me something…

Hit the jump for the full track list. Read more…

I’ve been biting my nails, waiting and wondering when the deal announced at E3 between Netflix and Microsoft’s Xbox Live is actually going to start.  Well in the the “New-Instantly on your TV” tab on the Netflix website there’s a little picture of an Xbox 360 that says, “Beginning late fall 2008.”  What’s late fall mean?  My guess is November, since December has GOT to be a winter month (it has Christmas in it.)

Some other details straight from the source may surprise you.  The good is there’s no limit to how many instantly watchable movies you can view in a month and all you need is an internet connection, the 9 dollar, “1 rental at a time” Netflix membership, and an Xbox Live membership. Read more…

Gametrailers blogger LifeRPG has been doing some serious thinking about what would make online consoles just a little bit better, and some of these actually seem like they might work. Read on for the full list of most wanted features. 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

After receiving the Edge Award for Interactive Innovation, Halo 3 creators Bungie have thanked the publication via a highly entertaining video.  In it there are hints towards a new Halo development, but not a new game as many have been suggesting. Read more…

Playable demos for Madden NFL 09 and Facebreaker have hit Xbox Live and the Playstation Network today.

Madden NFL 09 is due to hit stores on August 12 and Facebreaker just a few weeks later on September 5.

Check out our hands-on previews of Madden NFL 09 and Facebreaker from E3 to see how impressed we were by both EA Sport Titles.

Source: Majornelson.com and Playstation.Blog

The return of Capcom’s retro blue bomber! I grew up playing Mega Man in this format, and while part of me hopes that more companies follow Capcom on their retro revival world tour, it does make me somewhat question my $500+ next gen console purchase.

If so many gamers, including myself, are doing cartwheels over a game that could easily play on much cheaper hardware, why is it that we are buying next gen mega machines? Oh that’s right — Blu-ray and HD DVD. End rant. Enjoy the footage. Read more…

Got the (deep breath) Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix Beta (phew) up and running on the 42 in LCD and roped my roommate, Josh–a gamer and game programmer–into sharing his thoughts along with mine.

It’s really barely a taste of what the final product will be like, but you at least get a sense of what the shiny HD will look like. Click through so you know what you are disagreeing with before you post nasty comments. Read more…

It’s nearly summer, but Microsoft has caught the spring update bug.

An alleged feature list for Microsoft’s Spring update has been leaked. As per usual, there are some lackluster additions but others are huge, and if the list does prove to be accurate we will have some excellent new features being added to Xbox Live. Read more…

We just received an email from Activision’s PR department containing 9 new screenshots of their upcoming DLC map pack for the hit game, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, due to hit XBL on April 10th. The four maps included in the pack are Kill Creek, Broadcast, Chinatown, and Killhouse. Read more…

In an attempt to get you more excited about Fable 2’s release, Peter Molyneux and the studly geniuses at Lionhead are giving you an early taste in the form of an Xbox Live Arcade game. Read more…

After being leaked by guitarist Joe Perry quite some time ago, Guitar Hero: Aerosmith has now been officially announced. Read more…

When Rez was released into the world in late 2001, it became an instant cult classic with its trippy visuals and trance-like soundtrack. Rez HD sees the game being reborn on the Xbox Live Arcade with updated graphics and extra vibration.

Does the game live up to the hype? Is it worth the money and most importantly, what does it feel like playing a game with a vibrating controller down your pants? Just a few questions you will get the answers to shortly. Read more…