Is Xbox Live Arcade "past its prime"? That's a question World of Goo developer Ron Carmel is looking into. Carmel postulates that "XBLA's popularity among independent developers peaked last year," and adds that "Microsoft is not yet aware of this."

Polling approximately 200 independent developers, Carmel sought trends in the digital distribution scene. He found that the number of developers working on Xbox 360 has dropped, with many preferring PS3 over Microsoft's console. Plans for 2012 (graph above) show a clear preference for Sony's platform.

Read more: Microsoft called 'excruciating' to work with »

Shacknews receives a slew of new screenshots and trailers for upcoming games everyday. The most anticipated titles receive their own post, because we know you're eager to see that content. For the rest, we have the Daily Filter, a place to feature all of the media we add to our enormous database on a daily basis.

Today's Filter features new media for Off-Road Drive, Thor: God of Thunder, the puzzle game Rush, Zumba Fitness, NBA Jam, Def Jam Rapstar, Spare Parts, Air Conflicts: Secret Wars, and MindJack. Read more »

If you're got the Xbox 360 version of Def Jam Rapstar, get ready to enter the 36 chambers with some new DLC featuring songs from the Wu-Tang Clan and its members. Two freestyle beats will also be available from 9th Wonder and DJ Premier.

The tracks will run you 160 MS Points ($2) a pop, though the four Wu-Tang tracks can be copped in a bundle for 560 MS Points ($7). Read more »

Shacknews receives a slew of new screenshots and trailers for upcoming games everyday. The most anticipated titles receive their own post, because we know you're eager to see that content. For the rest, we have the Daily Filter, a place to feature all of the media we add to our enormous database on a daily basis.

Today's Filter features new content Gran Turismo 5, Dead Space 2, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved, Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead, Rift: Planes of Telara, Sonic Free Riders, MapleStory, Def Jam Rapstar, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - Part 1, MotionSports, Epic Mickey, and Shogun 2: Total War. Read more »

Shacknews receives a slew of new screenshots and trailers for upcoming games everyday. The most anticipated titles receive their own post, because we know you're eager to see that content. For the rest, we have the Daily Filter, a place to feature all of the media we add to our enormous database on a daily basis.

Today's Filter features media for Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Lord of Arcana, GoldenEye 007 Wii, Battle of the Immortals, Shadow Harvest: Phantom Ops, Kinect Sports, Vindictus, James Bond 007: Blood Stone, Def Jam Rapstar, Gods vs Humans, Okamiden, Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, The Amazing Race, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Need for Speed Hot Pursuit, FIFA Manager 11, and Blacklight: Tango Down. Read more »

4mm Games has added a slew of new tracks and instrumentals to both versions--Xbox 360 and PS3--of its music title, Def Jam Rapstar.

Featuring Kayne West's "Can't Tell Me Nothing" and The Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight"--also known as the track we all inexplicably know the lyrics to at birth--there's something here for everyone. Well, with this many tracks in one single update, we would hope that everyone will find something to their liking. That is, if you're enjoying the game as much as we did. Read more »

Finally, a music game drops with some real Hip-Hop in it. Def Jam Rapstar isn't recreating or changing the formula to the rhythm game genre; it simply does it with Hip-Hop/Rap music. And whether you're a fan of East Coast, West Coast, Golden Era or New School Hip-Hop, this game has a song for you. Def Jam went beyond its own library to include classic joints and today's biggest hits from other labels as well in the 45 party-rocking songs that'll challenge you on your way up in Career Mode.

Read more »

Shacknews receives a slew of new screenshots and trailers for upcoming games everyday. The most anticipated titles receive their own post, because we know you're eager to see that content. For the rest, we have the Daily Filter, a place to feature all of the media we add to our enormous database on a daily basis.

Today's Filter features content for Shaun White Skateboarding, Darkspore, Mafia 2, Swords & Soldiers, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2, Super Monkey Ball for Nintendo 3DS, Nintendogs + Cats, Def Jam Rapstar, and PilotWings Resort. Read more »

Def Jam Rapstar's final seven tracks have been revealed along with confirmation that producers 9th Wonder, Cool & Dre, and DJ Khalil who will bring instrumental tracks for the game's freestyle mode.

The game will support the PlayStation Eye and both the Xbox Live Vision Camera and Kinect camera for capturing performance videos, which can then be uploaded to the Def Jam Rapstar community and shared. Read more »

Shacknews receives a slew of new screenshots and trailers for upcoming games everyday. The most anticipated titles receive their own post, because we know you're eager to see that content. For the rest, we have the Daily Filter, a place to feature all of the media we add to our enormous database on a daily basis.

In today's Filter, we're featuring the Halo: Reach "Extended Cut" of the live-action "Deliver Hope" trailer. Read more »

Def Jam Rapstar will be bringing tracks from the likes of Busta Rhymes, DMX, Lil Jon, Fat Joe, and Ja Rule when it releases on October 5 in the US.

Three new producers have also been announced with tracks making their way into the game. They are Bangladesh ("Gutter"), DJ Premier ("Go Back"), and Just Blaze ("8 Bit"). The songs added from the artists mentioned above are: Read more »

Shacknews receives a slew of new screenshots and trailers for upcoming games everyday. The most anticipated titles receive their own post, because we know you're eager to see that content. For the rest, we have the Daily Filter, a place to feature all of the media we add to our enormous database on a daily basis.

Today's Daily Filter includes some new media from Shinji Mikami's Vanquish, a trailer for the first Red Dead Redemption DLC, screens for the PS3 exclusive "The Betrayal of Jimmy DLC" for Mafia II, new screenshots for Def Jam Rapstar, a duo of soccer updates for both Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 and FIFA Soccer 11, a pair of screens for the new BioShock 2 DLC, a new trailer for Sonic Colors (now releasing on November 16), a look at Move's integration in Heavy Rain, a trailer for Etrian Odyssey III, and a video apiece from Two Worlds II and Patrician IV. Read more »

The rap karaoke game Def Jam Rapstar will be released in North America on October 5, 2010, publisher Konami announced today, then hop into Europe on November 9.

Developed by 4mm Games, Terminal Reality and Def Jam Interactive, Rapstar boasts "more than 40 of the greatest Hip Hop songs" for playas to rhyme along with. It also offers "the ability to freestyle over tracks by some of the hottest hip hop producers and upload your freestyle performances for the world to decide how good you really are." Read more »

Rockstar veterans 4mm Games' hip-hop karaoke game Def Jam Rapstar is now due to be released in the fall, distributor Konami has announced, after slipping off the radar.

Def Jam Rapstar boasts forty tracks from artists including 2 Pac, Dr Dre, Wu Tang Clan, 50 Cent and Notorius B.I.G., as well as region-specific songs in the UK and Europe. Read more »

It may not be the corpse-centric demo you were hoping for, but should you be interested in perusing a crime scene or two, a demo of CSI: Deadly Intent can be found on on Xbox Live.

The latest from Sam & Max and Tales of Monkey Island developer Telltale Games, the television show-inspired adventure-game arrived at North American retailers today in PC, Xbox 360 and Wii form. A separate Nintendo DS edition, handled by Other Ocean and subtitled "The Hidden Cases," also arrived today. Read more »