BioShock demo on XBLM, PC demo soon

A demo of the incredibly anticipated BioShock is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace, with a PC version currently "in the final stages of testing" and planned to release by the month's end. Developed by the studio formerly known, BioShock arrives on PC and Xbox 360 August 21 in North America and August 24 in Europe.

Medal of Honor Airborne demo heading to X360, PC

A demo of EA Los Angeles' upcoming WWII first-person shooter will hit Xbox 360 and PC on Thursday, August 23. The PC and Xbox 360 editions of the game arrive September 4, while the PlayStation 3 version follows in November.

Pirates, Ninjas embrace Dodgeball

Blazing Lizard issued the first details of Pirates vs. Ninjas Dodgeball, planned for a Q1 2008 release on unspecified console download services. Supporting matches of eight-player online with four-player co-op, it is reportedly the first of several planned downloadable Pirates vs. Ninjas entries. Along with the announcement, Blazing Lizard unveiled several screens and pieces of concept art.

On the Xbox 360 front:

XBLA nets Ecco, Hexic 2

Carbonated Games' color- and formation-based puzzler Hexic 2, the followup to the Xbox 360 HDD pack-in Hexic HD, and Novotrade's underwater Genesis adventure Ecco the Dolphin hit Xbox Live Arcade this week. Hexic 2 sells for 800 Microsoft Points ($10), whereas Ecco runs 400 Microsoft Points ($5).

Skate demo delayed

Previously announced for an August 15 release, the demo for EA Black Box's Skate has been delayed "for a few days." Executive producer Scott Blackwood attributed the holdup to a technical issue with the demo's video upload capabilities.

Space Giraffe certified, expected soon

Space Giraffe, the latest effort from the psychedelic Jeff Minter, has passed Microsoft's certification process, the Llamasoft founder announced on his LiveJournal. Now both complete and approved by Microsoft, the trippy shooter is expected to debut on Xbox Live Arcade in the coming weeks.

Prior to Space Giraffe's approval, Minter referred to Microsoft's certification process as the most stressful thing he had ever encountered in the video game industry.

3D Realms wants Duke Nukem XBLA

3D Realms has approached Microsoft with the prospect of bringing its iconic PC shooter Duke Nukem 3D to Xbox Live Arcade. "Truth be told, we've talked to Microsoft about it and have some people that would port it," 3D Realms' George Broussard revealed in a Shacknews posting. "Just waiting on the good word from Microsoft to continue."

Schizoid makes XNA to XBLA transition

Torpex Games confirmed that Schizoid, developed in Microsoft's XNA Game Studio Express, will be the first XNA-created title to appear on Xbox Live Arcade when it releases later this year. For more details and screens of Schizoid, hit the original news post.

XNA creators win XBLA contracts

The top four entries in Microsoft's Dream-Build-Play XNA game contest--David Flook's Blazing Birds, James Silva's The Diswasher: Dead Samurai, Steve Olofsson's Gravitron Ultra, and Daniel McGuire's Yo Ho Kablammo!-- have been offered publishing contracts that will see the titles arrive on Xbox Live Arcade. For screens of the games and additional info, scope out our detailed news post.

New Guitar Hero 2 songs. Finally.

The first round of original downloadable content for Harmonix's Guitar Hero II has appeared at long last, offering three new My Chemical Romance tracks performed by the band itself--Teenagers, Famous Last Words, and This is How I Disappear--for 500 Microsoft Points ($6.25).

Wireless update rocks Xbox 360

A minor system update for the Xbox 360 arrived last week, adding support for the wireless guitars that will accompany Neversoft's Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock and Harmonix's Rock Band this fall. A more substantial and feature-rich update is planned for release later this year.

Other Xbox Live Marketplace downloads

- A new ten-level campaign are available for Ninja Bee's Band of Bugs, which also brings a new tile set and two new units to the game. It sells for 250 Microsoft Points ($3.12).

- Namco Bandai released a free demo of the upcoming roll'em up Beautiful Katamari.

- Owners of Sierra Online's Carcassonne can purchase The River II expansion set for 300 Microsoft Points ($3.75), which adds 12 new pieces to the tile-laying game.

- Long available on the Japanese Marketplace, the demo of tri-Crescendo's gorgeous role-playing adventure Eternal Sonata is now available for Xbox 360 users in North America.

- Players of Day 1 Studios' Xbox 360 edition of Monolith's F.E.A.R. can snag three new free multiplayer maps: Ecosphere, Hotel and Sewers.

- Another wave of 80 Microsoft Point ($1) costumes are up for players of Yuke's Media Creations' Rumble Roses XX, providing five new outfits for SS Aisha, SS Anesthesia, SS Spencer.

- Ten additional game types are available for Silver Creek Entertainment's Soltrio Solitaire, bringing rules such as Steps, Streets, Sultan, and TreFoil for 150 Microsoft Points ($1.87).

- A demo of Midway Games Chicago's John Woo-inspired shooter Stranglehold can be found in the Xbox Live Marketplace.

- Xbox Live users can try out a free demo of Artoon's Vampire Rain, which features all the thrills of vampire hunting without any of the sexy that Buffy fans have come to expect.