As fans of the Gears of War series are aware, the Carmine brothers are not the luckiest COGs. In each of the first two game Benjamin and Anthony Carmine met their end through a sniper and giant worm respectively. Finally, we the gamers can decide the fate of the final Carmine, Clayton. Starting July 29th, you can purchase a shirt for your avatar casting your vote to save Carmine or kill off the entire family (you monster). If you do feel like committing homicide, at least you can sleep at night knowing all proceeds will go to the Child's Play Charity.

I sit on my couch thinking about how I have an exam in three days. Instead of doing the rational thing and studying, I have decided to spend most of today playing my beloved Splinter Cell Conviction, which was just released today. I also sit on my couch and stare at the image of Sam Fisher in a hallway with classical art adorning the walls, eternally frozen.

Supposedly a day one patch for the game is causing these issues. Luckily, there is a way around it!

I'm sure by now you're saying "Jeez, why won't this guy shut up about Splinter Cell Conviction? Every time there is a bit of info on the game, he has to go and make a blog about it. What's so special about it anyway?". First, I would have no choice but to punch you in the face (for being a heretic and everything), and then point you to the upcoming demo of Splinter Cell Conviction that will be released this Thursday (March 18th) on Xbox Live.

To put it simply, if you own a Xbox 360 and don't download this demo, you have no soul.

If a recent Xbox Live Marketplace listing is anything to believe, the first map pack for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will include five maps, of which two are remakes. 'Bailout', 'Storm' and 'Salvage' are the names of the three new maps, while the returning favorites from Modern Warfare 1 are 'Crash' and 'Overgrown'.

The 'Stimulus Map Pack' is scheduled to drop on March 30th exclusively on Xbox Live Marketplace (for a while, anyways). A price has not yet been set. Head past the break for details on the new maps!

Would you like a Blur beta key? What if I told you that simply by making a comment on this post saying what your favorite racing game of all time is and leaving your e-mail address, you can enjoy the fast paced thrills and multiplayer mayhem of Blur! The first three posters will be contacted with keys that must be redeemed through the Blur website, and not only will you be playing Blur before anyone else, but a 48-hour Xbox Live Gold trial code is included as well!

UPDATE It's real folks! Bungie has released the trailers themselves, and the youtube video has been switched to the official version.


Sorry, I stopped paying attention after JET PACK!. Other than that, some new weapons, loadouts, elites, some sort of massive team battle, assassinations, and JET PACKS!

Just in time for mid-term exams, the next piece of Borderlands DLC, The Secret Armory of General Knox will be released tomorrow on Xbox Live for the paltry sum of 800 Microsoft Points (or 10 human dollars). Playstation 3 and PC owners will have to wait until Thursday.

The Secret Armory of General Knox, the third set of DLC for Gearbox's hit Borderlands, will feature "almost 30 new villain types", a new weapon class, vehicle and area to explore. For those who have hit the level cap, it will be raised to 61.

Why not just have the level cap at 60? Because this one goes to 61.

As most of us are now aware, on Tuesday, January 12th a devestating earthquake brought the nation of Haiti to it's knees. Relief efforts are currently under way, and donations are being accepted at most locations. If, for any reason, you are unable to donate then Bungie has provided a way to do what you can. Simply change your Halo 3 or Halo 3 ODST to a special heart emblem and play a multiplayer game on Wednesday, January 20th or Thursday, January 21st. For every 1,000 participants Bungie will donate $100, along with 100% of the proceeds from a special edition Superintendent shirt on the Bungie.net store. Check past the break for Bungie's message as well as the link for the shirt.

Please spread the word and get as many people participating as possible. It may be small, but it can make a big difference.

One of the things that made Splinter Cell Chaos Theory so great was the amazing co-op mode that, unlike similar modes in Halo or Gears, actually means you'll have to work together to complete objectives. So it's exciting that the co-op mode for Splinter Cell Conviction along with new challenge modes were revealed in the newest issue of the Official Xbox Magazine UK.

Seems like those pesky Russians are at it again. They've hacked into the Splinter Cell website and left some interesting information behind. Of course, it's all in Cyrillic, but quick minded fans have caught the hack and used an internet translator to find out exactly what's going on.

After solving the password conundrum (it's NevskiyProspekt, in case you want to check it out for yourself), five black ops files were revealed each detailing a facet of the game. Included below is a transcript (with pictures!) of what it says. Be aware that that this is translated from Russian, so the English will be a tad sloppy.

Ubisoft revealed the Collector's Edition for the upcoming 360 and PC epic, Splinter Cell Conviction today. For $79.99, you will get access to quite a few goodies. Whether they are worth the extra twenty bucks is up to you.

To thank the fans who have purchased all of the Fallout 3 DLC packs, Bethesda has sent e-mails out with codes for a free premium Fallout 3 theme! Luckily for those who haven't purchased all the packs yet (you should really get on that), I have received an extra code! It will go to the first lucky person who leaves a comment with an e-mail included.

Mark your calenders people, as the fifth entry in the Splinter Cell series will be hitting stores on February 23rd, 2010 release date. Better get cracking on those "Why I can't go to school" excuses now!

How do you feel about Jawas? What about Tusken Raiders? If the answer to either of those is "Hate them with a passion", then Star Wars: The Force Unleashed has some DLC for you. Released today at the price of 800 Microsoft points ($10) the Tatooine mission takes the evil ending of the game and places Starkiller (the main character) on the desert planet to search for R2-D2 and C-3P0. Along the way you'll even cross pathes with Boba Fett, an angry Rancor and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Just make sure he doesn't have the high ground.

Xbox 360 today invites you to experience more fun, more entertainment and more ways to connect with friends and family at an even better value. Beginning Aug. 28, the price of an Xbox 360 Elite console will drop by $100, now priced at just $299.99 estimated retail price (ERP) in the United States. On top of that, the Xbox 360 Pro console will now be priced at $249.99 (ERP), reflecting a price reduction of $50, while supplies last. Starting at just $199.99 (ERP) for the Xbox 360 Arcade console, Xbox 360 puts all your entertainment in one place so you can play games, watch movies and TV shows, listen to music, and, coming this fall, keep up with your Twitter and Facebook social circles, all from your Xbox 360.1 And, as announced earlier this year, the Xbox 360 you buy today will work with code-named "Project Natal" and controller-free gaming in the future.

"With the holiday season right around the corner, it's already time to start looking for entertainment and gifts that everyone will enjoy," said Shane Kim, corporate vice president of strategy and business development for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft Corp. "If you're looking for deep experiences that don't require deep pockets, now is the time to purchase an Xbox 360. We've got the best games, a vast library of TV shows and movies, new music experiences, more ways to connect friends and family, and so much more on the horizon including 'Project Natal' — no controller required."