With Christmas quite literally around the corner, I'll be taking time out to tear open some presents and fill myself to bursting with turkey... and beer.  I'll be returning early in the new year, with all the gaming news I can find.

I want to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas, (even if you don't celebrate it).

All I can say is... Mmmmmm....

The Jansen 88 Special will be available with a premium DLC pack, scheduled for release early next year.

• RESIDENT EVIL 5 TGS2008 Trailer: Free and available everywhere.
• Street Fighter 4 Gamer Icon pack #1: 100 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Street Fighter 4 Premium Theme #1: 250 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Legendary™ Demo: Free and available everywhere.
• Puzzle Arcade Classic Sc-Fi Pack: 160 MS Points and available everywhere.

• GHWT Reggae Rock Track Pack: Featuring "Your Face" by Pepper, "Jimi" by Slightly Stoopid, and "Sacrifice" by The Expendables. Free and available everywhere.
• GHWT Hard Rock Track Pack: Featuring "Use Me" by Hinder, "Light It Up" by Rev Theory, and "Because of You" by Nickelback. 440 MS Points and available everywhere.
• GHWT Hard Rock Rev Theory Single: 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• GHWT Hard Rock Nickelback Single: 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• GHWT Hard Rock Hinder Single: 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Rock Band - Holiday Pack 01 [Track Pack]: 440 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Rock Band - Pretenders "Blue Christmas"[Track]: 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Rock Band - Billy Squier "Christmas is the Time (To Say I Love You)"[Track]: 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Rock Band - Barenaked Ladies "Hanukkah Blessings"[Track]: 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Rock Band - Foo Fighters Pack 01[Track Pack]: 440 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Rock Band - Foo Fighters "Times Like These"[Track]: 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Rock Band - Foo Fighters "DOA"[Track]: 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Rock Band - Foo Fighters "This is a Call"[Track]: 160 MS Points and available everywhere. 

The final "Deal of the Week" will be the original Halo: Combat Evolved, from the Xbox Originals collection.  Normally retailing for 1200 Ms points, the price for this week only is 600 MS points.

If you haven't played it yet (where have you been?), then this is an excellent opportunity to get your hands on the digital download version. This download weighs in at around 2gb in size, and the price change should take effect later today. 

This offer is open to all Gold level XBL members.

This Wednesday's XBLA title is Puzzle Arcade and it will be available for 800 MS points.

Players are invited to test their jigsaw genius and solve their way through the extensive "Puzzle Arcade" library, complete with more than 35 jigsaw puzzles, a variety of downloadable picture packs, and 20 puzzle challenges. With three levels of difficulty, as well as Classic and Turbo modes, players are sure to have a brain-busting experience.

Challenge your friends to interactive puzzle game play, showcase your cleverly completed puzzles in the Puzzle Gallery, and share it all through your Xbox LIVE vision camera. Go ahead, put your mind to a monumental test and become the Master of the Jigsaw Universe!

More information on the title can be found here.

• MotoGP 08 Demo: Free and available everywhere.
• X-Blades Trailer: Free and available everywhere.
• Lara Classic Pack - Lara Classic and TR Legend outfit: Free and available everywhere.
• Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans Gamer Pictures: Free and only available in the UK.
• Underworld 3: Rise of the Lycans Theme: Free and only available in the UK.

Two new episodes of The Guild recently hit the XBL Marketplace.  As with all episodes so far, they're free to download.

The Guild Christmas Special 1 & 2 can be added to your download queue here.

More content has landed on the XBL Marketplace for Guitar Hero: World Tour: -

• Guitar Hero: World Tour - The Eagles Track Pack: 440 MS Points.  Individual tracks (One of These Nights, Life In The Fast Lane, and Frail Grasp on the Big Picture) are available for 160 MS Points each.

According to GameIndustry.biz, Free Radical Design (the people responsible for the TimeSplitters franchise) has ceased operations as of today.

Independent UK studio Free Radical Design closed its doors this morning, GamesIndustry.biz understands, with multiple sources claiming that staff, including senior executives, have already left the company.

It is also believed that the unnamed project for LucasArts - announced back in 2006 and thought to be Star Wars Battlefront III - has been shipped off to Rebellion, the developer behind PSP hit Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron.

In a rather sneaky and underhanded approach to laying off the workforce, employees were told to gather at a nearby hotel for their final meeting. 

It's always sad news to hear that another "local" games developer has shut up shop, even worse when you realise that we're only 1 week away from Christmas.

More content has landed on the XBL Marketplace: -

• GTA IV The Lost and Damned Trailer: Free.
• Lips Winter Custom Video: Free.
• Lips Holiday Custom Video: Free.
• Lips Snow Globe Custom Video: Free.
• Rock Band Going Country Pack 01: 680 MS Points, individual tracks (Gunpowder & Lead, Hillbilly Deluxe, Mud on the Tires, Sin Wagon, and Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go)) are also available for 160 MS Points each.

This week's "Deal of the Week" is Bomberman LIVE.  Normally 800 MS Points, this will be available later today for the lower price of 600 MS Points.

This week's XBLA title will be Dash Of Destruction, part of the Doritos challenge this title will land on Wednesday at a price everyone can enjoy; that's right, it's FREE.

(Please note, I'm currently awaiting confirmation on worldwide availability)

Update: Major Nelson has confirmed that this week's XBLA title will be available in all regions.

More content has landed on the XBL Marketplace: -

• Mercs 2 Blow It Up Again: Blow it up again with four new explosive missions! Free and available everywhere.
• Mafia 2 Holiday Trailer: Free and available everywhere.
• Shaun White Snowboarding DevDiary - Authenticity: Free and available everywhere.

Following on from last night's Gears of War 2 announcement, the Combustible Map Pack has landed on the XBL Marketplace.  It consists of 3 new maps, Flood, Gold Rush, and Fuel Station. 

It's available now for 800 MS Points, here.

Still not convinced? Download the Combustible Map Pack Trailer, narrated by "Cole Train", to grab a sneak peek at the three new maps.

Gaming Angels are currently live blogging the Spike TV VGA's, and have reported that a new map pack has been announced for Gears of War 2.

You can catch the stream here. In watching the stream, they announced that a Gears of War 2 map pack will be made available at midnight tonight (PT). I don't have other details but definitely tune in for more.

Well, that was certainly quick. I just hope it's a completely new map pack, and not just the Flashback pack available at a price for those who missed it (by buying a pre-owned copy of the game).

Update: Primotech have confirmed that is indeed a new map pack, going by the name of "Combustible."

According to Gaming Angels, Robert Bowling (fourzerotwo to his friends) has confirmed that there will be no further downloadable content for the highly popular Call of Duty 4.  Speaking on the forums, fourzerotwo had this to say: -

Every level designer/texture artist/environmental artist/etc. working on a new map for a previous game is one less working on a map for a future game

While I know that is a very valid point, maybe Robert should look to the likes of Bungie and Epic for inspiration for providing further DLC.  They're still developing and releasing content for their games, Bungie in particular are still throwing out map packs for Halo 3 at regular intervals, despite working on the upcoming Halo 3: ODST.

I'm sure fans of Call of Duty 4 will agree, this is a disappointing move by Infinity Ward.

IGN are reporting that a patch has been released for Gears of War 2. This patch addresses the long matchmaking periods (they really are epic... pun intended).  Rod Fergusson made a post on the official forums to say that servers had been "revamped" to address this specific issue.

As of Tuesday of this week (Dec 9th), we successfully completed the reconfiguration of our matchmaking servers allowing us to have more players per server. This optimization allows us to take greater advantage of our Nov 27th title update. Based on what we're seeing so far, matchmaking times have improved significantly. To be realistic though, there will still be times when a particular playlist is low on available players or there isn't a party of the right size to merge with yours but overall, you should get into a match much quicker than before.

This patch should auto-download the next time you play Gears of War 2, while connected to live.

Straight from Major Nelson: -

Earlier this week, we delivered the free Holiday Theme for Xbox LIVE members, If you missed [it] go ahead and grab it but keep an eye out for the Xbox LIVE Holiday Snow Globe, which has just released in many regions. When you launch the snow globe, it will automatically populate with your friends avatars. You can shake the globe with A or press X to stir in another random set of friends. You don’t have to download it, it will just appear in the Spotlight channel when you are connected to Xbox LIVE. With Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa just around the corner, this will give you a chance to enjoy a little Holiday spirit with your Xbox LIVE friends in very NXE way.

• LIPS Holiday song 4 - "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer": 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• LIPS Holiday song 5 - "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree": 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• LIPS Holiday song 6 - "A Holly Jolly Christmas": 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• LIPS Holiday song 7 - "Hanukkah Blessings": 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• LIPS Holiday song 8 - "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)": 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• LIPS Holiday song 9 "Santa Baby": 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• LIPS Holiday song 10 - "White Christmas": 160 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Pure Inspiration Trailer: Free and available everywhere.
• Vidzone - The Rasmus - Livin: 200 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Vidzone - Tila Tequila - Paralyze: 200 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Vidzone - Squarepusher - Come On My Selector: 200 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Vidzone - Scooter and Status Quo - Jump That Rock: 200 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Vidzone - Mischa Daniels - Take Me Higher: 200 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Vidzone - Natasja Giv - Mig Danmark Tilbage: 200 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Vidzone - London Elektricity - All Hell: 200 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Vidzone - Kidda Smile: 200 MS Points and available everywhere.
• Vidzone - Devils Gun - Gold Dust: 200 MS Points and available everywhere.