• GTA IV - The Lost and Damned - Billy Grey Video: Free.

Details have emerged about the new Halo 3 map pack, “Mythic.”

• Sandbox combines large-scale vehicular combat with a limitless amount of Forge customization. Boasting a tiered, open-world layout, “Halo 3” players will be able to build their own unique game experiences using the Forge map editor. Sandbox is a map unlike any Bungie has ever created.
• Assembly is set in the heart of a Covenant Scarab manufacturing facility. With two identical bases on either side of this medium-sized map, it’s a perfect environment for both Slayer and objective games like Capture the Flag and Assault.
• Orbital, a small asymmetrical map, is set in the docking station of the Quito Space Tether. One-sided games like One Flag, and One Bomb are sure to become quick fan-favorites, but the Slayer faithful will also find plenty of action on this battleground.

The map pack will also be available for free to those who buy the limited edition of Halo Wars in February.  The Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack will, apparently, be the last map pack to be released for Halo 3; no price has been announced.

Ubisoft have announced a new DLC pack for Prince of Persia.  “Epilogue” will include: -

• New Region: The Underground Palace – A corrupted underground palace from which the Prince and Elika need to escape in a new epic journey.
• New Power: Energize – Reconstruct destroyed areas of the environment to create a path and rush through it before it vanishes.
• New high pace: The new trap challenge – The Prince and Elika will face more cunning foes, cleverer traps and level design, adding more to the difficulty level in over 3 hours of gameplay.
• New Attack: Sprinting Clash – A duel move that lets you or the enemy trigger a sprint attack, charging towards each other, clashing your weapons fiercely.
• New Unlockable Skins: Finish the game and unlock exclusively, from the early development of the game, the Prototype characters of the Prince and Elika.

No price has been announced yet, though the DLC pack is scheduled for release on February 26th.

Source.

• Guitar Hero World Tour - Oasis "Dig Out Your Soul" Album: 1520 MS Points.  Individual tracks are also available for 160 MS Points.  Individual track titles: "Bag It Up", "The Turning", "Waiting for the Rapture", "The Shock of the Lightning", "I'm Outta Time", "(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady", "Falling Down", "To Be Where There's Life", "Ain't Got Nothin'", "The Nature of Reality", and "Soldier On."

According to the Banjo Blog, the sequel to the N64/XBLA title Banjo-Kazooie is set for release sometime in April.  Banjo-Tooie is expected to cost around 1200 MS Points, though no official price has been announced.

In what promises to be amongst the biggest and boldest – and certainly the bear-iest – releases on Xbox LIVE Arcade, Banjo-Tooie will be a note-perfect migration of Banjo and Kazooie’s second adventure. In their struggle against Grunty and her wicked sisters, the bear and bird can now rely on the extra grunt supplied by the Xbox 360, bringing with it silky-smooth frame rates and super-sharp HD graphics.

• Funtown Mahjong: 800 MS Points.
• FunTown Mahjong - Chinese Festival: 160 MS Points.
• New Avatar Clothes: Free.

If, like me, you wish you could see a preview of the new NXE Premium themes before you buy them, then I have good news for you.  A new community site has popped up that promises to show you exactly what all NXE Premium theme looks like, solving the problem of blind purchasing.

Check out NXE Themes.

A new episode of The Guild recently hit the marketplace.  As with all episodes so far, it's free to download.

Season 2, Episode 9 can be added to your download queue here.

Don't forget, Season 1 is also available for free.

• Rock Band - The Grateful Dead Pack 02: 800 MS Points.  Individual tracks (“Fire on the Mountain," "Doin' That Rag," "Cold Rain and Snow," "Uncle John's Band," "Hell in a Bucket" and "Don't Ease Me In") available for 160 MS Points each.
• Guitar Hero World Tour - Bruce Springsteen Track Pack: Free.
• Fallout 3 - Operation Anchorage DLC: 800 MS Points.

• Resident Evil 5 Demo: Free.

1UP.com are reporting that Halo Wars has gone gold, and to coincide with that feat a new Vidoc (Halo Times Ten) is available on the XBL Marketplace.

Details have also emerged on what to expect from the demo, when it launches on February 5th.

In addition to beginner and advanced tutorials, you'll be able to try the game's first two campaign missions and a multiplayer map to challenge the computer in (sorry, no online in the demo, folks).

• Lips - Hate That I Love You (performed by Rihanna feat. Ne-Yo): 180 MS Points.
• Lips - Look What You've Done (performed by Jet): 160 MS Points.
• Lips - Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" (performed by Fall Out Boy): 160 MS Points.

According to 1UP.com the forthcoming DLC pack, Beneath the Ashes, for Tomb Raider: Underworld is set to hit the marketplace on February 10th.

The first episode in the DLC will feature Lara's return to burnt out Croft Manor, where she discovers a new series of tunnels and crypts. Beneath the Ashes will offer 125 additional achievement points, and six new costumes.

No price has been announced yet, though a further DLC pack (Lara’s Shadow) is lined up for release a month later.

1UP.com are reporting that the forthcoming DLC pack for GTA IV finally has a price point.  The Lost and Damned will be available from February 17th, for 1600 MS Points.

According to Rockstar, Lost and Damned will be equivalent to a third of GTA4's story missions, so the content is there. You just have to be willing to drop the cash.

Better start saving!

• F.E.A.R 2 Single Player Demo: Free.
• Guitar Hero World Tour – Aussie Track Pack: 440 MS Points.  Individual tracks, ("Tomorrow" by Silverchair, "Dimension" by Wolfmother, and "Outtathaway!" by The Vines), available for 160 MS Points each.

1UP.com are reporting that the much anticipated patch for Gears of War 2 has finally been released.  The title update activates the new achievements (mentioned in an earlier post), and addresses the following issues: -

• Changed Annex games to use execution rules, to prevent players from leaving DBNO opponents on the ground to bleed out.
• Made Horde waves count toward the "Party Like It's 1999" achievement. Each wave is counted as one round.
• Added the ability, during Submission games, to see the flag's final destination by using Tac/Com.
• Increased the frequency of most of the toasts for in-game achievement progression.
• Added achievement progression numbers to the War Journal.

There are further fixes, listed over at Colony of Gamers.

1UP.com are reporting that the list of additional achievements for Grand Theft Auto IV have been released.  Dealing specifically with the forthcoming Lost & Damned DLC pack the achievements are worth a total of 250 GS.

• Get Good Wood(50 gp) In the Bike Races, whack off 69 bikers with a bat.
• Easy Rider(100 gp) Finish The Story
• Full Chat(70 gp) Your backup are riding at their best!
• The Lost Boy(25 gp) All hail the leader of The Lost!
• One Percenter(5 gp) Billy is back on his bike.

I recently updated my Free Software post.  As the title suggests all software listed in the post is completely free to download and use, so it’s definitely worth a quick read.

If you have a piece of free software that you use on a regular basis, and think it deserves more attention, then please feel free to contact me by leaving a comment here; and I’ll add it to the list.

Talking About Games are reporting that new achievements have slipped out for Gears of War 2.  These achievements, expected to kick in during the next title update, total 175GS and can be unlocked on a variety of game modes on both the Combustible and Flashback map packs.

• Skeletons in your Closet (20G) - Complete waves 1 through 10 on all Flashback Map Pack maps in Horde (any difficulty)
• More Mystery, Less History (15G) - Win a multiplayer match on each of the 5 Flashback Map Pack maps (any mode except Wingman)
• Bound by a Shared Past (15G) - Win a Wingman match on each of the 5 Flashback Map Pack maps
• Trial by, and on, Fire (20G) - Survive first 10 Horde waves on Combustible Map Pack maps as a team
• The Roof! The Roof! The Roof... (15G) - Win a multiplayer match on each of the 3 Combustible Map Pack maps (any mode except Wingman)
• Forged in the Fire (15G) - Win a Wingman match on each of the 3 Combustible Map Pack maps
• Annex: Now With Execution Rules (75G) - Win an Annex match on each Flashback and Combustible Map Pack map (public matches only)

Now that’s an even bigger reason to keep on playing Gears of War 2!

1UP.com are reporting that Gridrunner+++ is set to hit XBLA some time in April.

Gridrunner+++ will be arriving at the end of April, bringing with it "beautiful, abstract visuals" and the usual array of in-jokes. The announcement comes after Jeff Minter complained that Microsoft was 'sitting' on the demo and delaying approval. Well, apparently they've got it now.