Publisher Atari and developer SilverBirch Studios will be bringing Metanet Software's popular Flash-based ninja platformer N to Nintendo DS and PSP later this year under the title N+. The original N--the rediscovery of which has recently limited the productivity of several Shack editors--combines the simple acts of running and jumping with complex levels designed around the physics-based engine, requiring careful and skillful manipulation of the on-screen ninja as he leaps from platform to platform, collecting gold, avoiding harmful robots, and sliding down walls.

Much like the PC edition, the DS and PSP iterations will include a level editor, which will allow the sharing of custom maps with other players. N+ will add multiplayer to the mix, in the form of both cooperative and competitive modes, as well as online leaderboards and downloadable content.

N+ is expected to arrive in November. For a closer look at the game, check out these screenshots of the PC original, which can be downloaded for free from the official site.

Up and coming publisher Gamecock will be distributing developer Renegade Kid's first game, the spooky Nintendo DS first person shooter Dementium: The Ward. Originally titled The Ward when Renegade Kid began searching for a publisher earlier this year, the recently renamed title tells the story of a man who finds himself alone in a creepy hospital brimming with scary crap.

"From the first meeting, Renegade Kid have proven themselves to be innovative, unafraid to push the 'norms' of gaming and incredibly talented--all of which we think are the key characteristics of a great developer," said Gamecock head of development Harry Miller. "It's great when you can sit down with a developer who shares the same vision of where games should be going in creating new and exciting titles to offer an alternative to the bland remakes and sequels flooding stores today."

Along with today's announcement, Gamecock and Renegade Kid sent along three new screenshots.

Nintendo added four more games to the Wii's Virtual Console, bringing the complete catalog of the retro download service to 100 games. Most notable of today's additions is The Legend of Zelda II - Link's Adventure on NES, Nintendo's controversial side scrolling sequel, which sells for 500 Wii Points ($5). Joining Link in his Virtual Console adventure are Hudson's musical-themed non-linear NES adventure Milon's Secret Castle, which also sells for 500 Wii Points ($5), and Natsume's TurboGrafx-16 shooter Dead Moon, priced at 600 Wii Points ($6). ToeJam & Earl Productions' (then Johnson Voorsanger Productions) Genesis side scroller ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron, the sequel to the company's Genesis adventure ToeJam & Earl, also appeared on the service today, selling for 800 Wii Points ($8).

As always, check back with Shacknews later this week for a full rundown of this week's Virtual Console releases.

Those attending the one-night-only North American theatrical release of Naruto the Movie: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow in select theaters will have the chance to play two upcoming PlayStation 2 Naruto games at the film's lone June 6th showing. Publisher and developer Namco Bandai will be on hand at 10 theaters with preview builds of CyberConnect2's fighter Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 2, which is scheduled to arrive in stores in early June, and Namco Bandai's action-adventure Naruto: Uzumaki Chronicles 2, which will hit retail later this summer. The list of participating theaters is as follows:

Sony Computer Entertainment America today released new PSP firmware, bringing the portable console up to version 3.50. Most notably, the update adds PlayStation 3 Remote Play functionality, allowing the console to stream music, photos, and videos via wi-fi over the internet from a PlayStation 3 console. While the feature was technically added to PlayStation 3 in its version 1.80 firmware update, it is only now able to be used.

Also included in today's update is a new RSS and podcast index, available directly from the RSS Channel of the PSP's front menu.

Activision has announced the release of the Bravo Map Pack for the Xbox 360 version of Treyarch's Call of Duty 3 (X360). Consisting of five maps total, the pack contains three new maps as well as two remakes drawn from Infinity Ward's original Call of Duty and Grey Matter Interactive's Call of Duty: United Offensive expansion.

The newly developed maps are Rimling, a canal-filled town; Aller Haut, an Axis fortress; and Seine River, a village on the major French waterway. Call of Duty's Depot is reprised as Gare Centrale, while United Offensive's vehicular Kharkov returns as Marseilles.

Bravo Map Pack is available via Xbox Live Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

Namco Bandai Games today released new downloadable content for Namco's Ridge Racer 7 (PS3). New events, decals, and beats can now be purchased via the PlayStation 3's PlayStation Store. This content has been available for several months in Europe and Japan.

Also released to the PlayStation Store today is Midway's arcade racer Championship Sprint, first released in 1986 by Atari and brought to PS3 by Sony Online Entertainment. It is available for $4.99.

2K Sports today sent over a list of tracks planned for inclusion in Blue Castle Games and Visual Concepts' upcoming exaggerated baseball game The Bigs. "In The BIGS, everything is to the extreme, from the colossal baseball players to the surreal stadiums, so we wanted a soundtrack that would capture the magnified nature of the game," said 2K Sports' Tim Rosa, whose official title is "Director of Brand and Lifestyle Marketing." The list is as follows:

- Stone Temple Pilots, "Plush"
- Screaming Trees, "Nearly Lost You"
- Jane’s Addiction, "Ocean Size"
- Killing Joke, "Millennium"
- Rollins Band, "Tearing"
- White Zombie, "More Human than Human"
- Midnight Oil, "Dreamworld"
- Fu Manchu, "Hung out to Dry"
- Motorhead, "Ace of Spades"
- The Stooges, "Down On The Street"
- Primus, "Jerry Was A Racecar Driver"
- Blue October, "Somebody"
- Satellite Party, "Insanity Rains"
- Highbench, "Satisfied"

The Bigs is expected to ship for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and PSP next month. Check out our preview of the Wii version.

Activision has released initial details of Neversoft's next entry in its longrunning yearly Tony Hawk skating series. Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is in development for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Nintendo DS, and is said to offer the greatest amount of freedom and most customization available in Tony Hawk game to date. Unlike last year's Tony Hawk titles, which were split into Tony Hawk's Project 8 for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360, and Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam for Wii, Nintendo DS, and eventually PlayStation 2, this year will feature a single unified game across all platforms.

Proving Ground will include a video editor, new moves for Nail the Trick, and the ability to transition seamlessly from single-player to online play. "Tony Hawk's Proving Ground drops players into the skateboarding world like never before," said Neversoft president Joel Jewett. "This is the largest, deepest and most compelling Tony Hawk game ever. You can skate the best lines, define your own style and produce your own videos. You can even take it further by tricking out your own Skate Lounge, where you can hang out and skate with others online."

Neversoft's Tony Hawk's Proving Ground is set to ship for PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, and Nintendo DS this fall. Activision sent over several screenshots taken from the Xbox 360 version of the game.

Following last weekend's announcements in Tokyo, publisher Square Enix's North American operations have confirmed numerous games for planned domestic release.

TOSE's Dragon Quest Monsters - Joker (NDS), the first game in the Dragon Quest Monsters RPG series to feature online play, will be released in North America in Q4 2007. The game was released in the Japanese market last December.

8ing and Genius Sonority's sword-swinging RPG, Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors (Wii), has been confirmed for a North American release but has not yet been given a release date projection. When first announced, the game was intended as a Wii launch title.

Two titles from the so-called Ivalice Alliance--a loose series of games set in Ivalice, the backdrop to the Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII franchises--were also confirmed. Square Enix and Think & Feel's Final Fantasy XII Revenant Wings (NDS), the real-time strategy sequel to Final Fantasy XII, will be released this winter in North America. Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, a PSP remake of Square's Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1), is set to ship in North America this October. There was no mention of a North American release for Final Fantasy Tactics A2, the sequel to Square's Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA) and another member of the Ivalice Alliance.

Finally, Square Enix reiterated that its newly announced game, The Last Remnant, will be seeing a simultaneous release in North America and Japan. The game has no stated release projection.

Sony Computer Entertainment America sends word that Evolution Studios' PlayStation 3 off-road racer MotorStorm will be getting a new game mode next month. Time Attack mode will allow players to compete against ghost racers to beat their own best times, or to download other players' ghost racers via online leaderboards and race against up to seven other virtual players.

Along with the new mode will come a spate of general game updates including numerous improvements to the online lobby, an increased buddy list size, various bug fixes, and the ability to toggle display of player tags during online races. For the full list, check out the official details.

MotorStorm's Time Attack mode and update will be available June 7, 2007.

Atari today released a new content pack for Eden Studios' Xbox 360 version of Test Drive Unlimited. Test Drive Collection Volume 4 contains the Dino 246 GT, Ferrari Challenge Stradele, Cadillac Cien, RUF RK Spyder, Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster, and TVR T440R. The pack is currently available for 350 Microsoft Points ($4.37).

Available separately as a free download is the Saturn Curve. Both the Saturn Curve and the Test Drive Collection Volume 4 may be obtained via the Xbox Live Marketplace.

This week's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays release will be an unusual free giveaway of the sidescrolling space shooter Aegis Wing. The game is based on an original design by three interns at Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade division, with the upcoming final version having received some development polish from Uno (X360) developer Carbonated Games.

Aegis Wing will be freely downloadable for "a limited time" as of Wednesday, May 16.

Two of this week's three Virtual Console additions for Wii are themed around ninja, as Tecmo contributes its classic action game Ninja Gaiden (NES, 1 player) and Hudson Soft offers Irem's Ninja Spirit (TurboGrafx-16, 1 player). Rounding out the list is Namco's familiar round hero, Pac-Man, who is present in his NES incarnation (1-2 players). Pac-Man and Ninja Gaiden are available for 500 Wii Points ($5) each, while Ninja Spirit runs 600 Wii Points ($6). All three games are now available.

As always, check back on Tuesday for official Shacknews reviews of all three games.

As suggested by retailer listings last week, Activision subsidiary RedOctane confirmed that its popular Guitar Hero franchise will see an edition centered around music from the 1980s. Developed by series creator Harmonix, Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s will be released on PlayStation 2 later this summer.

The announcement also provided the first glimpse of the game's 30 songs, including a mix of tracks performed by the original artists and "as made famous by" covers:

- I Wanna Rock (by Twisted Sister)
- I Ran (by Flock of Seagulls)
- Round and Round (as made famous by Ratt)
- I Want Candy (as made famous by Bow Wow Wow)
- Metal Health (as made famous by Quiet Riot)
- Holy Diver (as made famous by Dio)
- Heat Of The Moment (as made famous by Asia)

When asked about the chances of tracks from Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s appearing on the Xbox 360--possibly as downloadable content for Guitar Hero II--RedOctane representative Bryan Lam issued a statement that neither confirmed nor denied that possibility. "We recently launched the Xbox 360 game, and will continue to offer downloadable content for Xbox 360 users," Lam told Shacknews. "Guitar Hero: Rocks the 80s provides a unique opportunity for our PlayStation2 fans who don't have the same online capabilities to enjoy fresh new content. We're strongly committed to offering the greatest game play experiences possible on all platforms."

Sega AM2's Ghost Squad, the company's top-earning arcade gun game in 2005, is on its way to the Wii this holiday season. An enhanced port of the arcade version, the Wii edition allows gamers to gun down terrorists and defuse bombs via the Wii Remote with up to three other players. Up to 25 different weapons--including machine guns, pistols, shotguns, sniper rifles, and crossbows--are available throughout the course of the game.

"Ghost Squad brings the classic light gun blaster experience that SEGA made popular in the arcades to the Wii," said Sega of America marketing VP Scott Steinberg. "With a more robust multiplayer experience than even the arcade version and numerous unlockable items and stages adding replay value, Ghost Squad will be the ultimate shooter experience for the Nintendo Wii console."

Formerly announced for the PC, Petroglyph's RTS Universe at War: Earth Assault will be hitting the Xbox 360 as well. Unlike many other RTS games, Universe at War's persistent world tracks environmental damage across multiple battles and environments, enabling players to return to a previous location and find it still in shambles. Players can customize their weapons and defenses in the midst of battle to be more effective, as well as partake in a number of multiplayer modes.

Responding to queries as to how Petroglyph came to the decision to bring Universe at War to Xbox 360, creative director Adam Isgreen told Shacknews that consoles are an appropriate fit for Petroglyph's design philosophy. "We always like to approach games with a console attitude in the first place," he explained, "keeping things approachable and intuitive."

Published by Sega, Universe at War: Earth Assault is scheduled for a PC release in holiday 2007 with the Xbox 360 version following in Q1 2008.

A new entry in THQ's open ended crime-centric Saints Row series is in development for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the company announced today. As with the original, the followup will be handled by developer Volition and should arrive at some point in 2008.

"The original Saints Row earned critical acclaim for its stunning graphics, unparalleled customization options and the genre's first-ever online multiplayer," announced THQ executive VP of worldwide publishing Kelly Flock. "The game's worldwide success shows the growing fanaticism for open-world gaming and our talented team at Volition is now using their proprietary technology to revolutionize the genre yet again."

Though an additional Saints Row release was first mentioned during a conference call in February, it was not known at the time if the executive was referring to a new title or the upcoming PlayStation 3 version of the Xbox 360 original.

Namco Bandai and Koei today unveiled plans to bring PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of Dynasty Warriors:Gundam to North America in late summer. Previously released on the PlayStation 3 in Japan as Gundam Musou, the game combines developer Omega Force's penchant for large-scale battles and mass destruction, as seen in its Dynasty Warriors games, with the ever-popular robots and mythology of Sunrise's mech-tastic franchise. Spanning multiple Gundam time lines, Dynasty Warriors:Gundam includes a number of different mobile suits and pilots to control across its official, original and versus game modes.

LucasArts sent along the first details on developer Rebellion's Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron. Exclusively for the PSP, Renegade Squadron will represent the only original entry in the Star Wars Battlefront series this year when it releases in the fall.

Building off Savage Entertainment's PSP version of Star Wars Battlefront II, Renegade Squadron replaces the traditional class system with the option to customize a character's weapons, equipment and special abilities. The game also supports online matches of up to 16 players, with maps ranging from Korriban's Valley of the Sith to the remains of Alderaan.

Author Lorenzo Carcaterra is working with developer Eden Games to help pen the studio's upcoming revival of the classic survival horror series Alone in the Dark, which is in development for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC. Carcaterra--who has written books such as Chasers, Apaches, and Sleepers--is said to bring his expertise of the New York City area and experience of over 20 years in writing fact and fiction to the project, which centers around a conspiracy involving New York City's Central Park.

"Alone in the Dark was a challenge which allowed me to bring a realistic feel to an apocalyptic situation facing New York City and really dig into the Central Park conspiracy idea," explained the author. "It also allowed me to write for hard-edged characters, some good, some bad, all forced to confront a force whose power they could never imagine. The story never stalls, always moves in overdrive and the characters zoom right along at warp speed, stopping long enough along the way to say a few lines that keep driving the plot forward. The end result is, I hope, a roller-coaster of a thrill ride that should be tons of fun to play."

Neither developer Eden Studios nor publisher Atari has suggested a target release date for Alone in the Dark.

The latest entry in the Growlanser RPG series, Growlanser: Heritage of War, will make its way to North America in late summer care of publisher Atlus. Following the appearance of an impassable veil on its borders, a small island becomes plagued by war, famine, and monsters. As players struggle to save themselves and their country across the game's five chapters, they will find themselves tackling a number of strategic party-based battles and interacting with a magical fairy companion. As with most recent Atlus releases, the game will come packaged in a special edition box loaded with bonus materials, which will be unveiled at a later date.

Mondo Media's disturbingly cute and exceedingly violent Happy Tree Friends animated series has entered the interactive realm thanks to Sega and developer Stainless Studios. An action-puzzle game, Happy Tree Friends False Alarm puts players in control of one of three characters--Flippy, Lumpy, and Handy--as they use items such as concrete, ice, gasoline, and nitroglycerin to modify the surrounding environment in hopes of preventing an untimely demise.

Happy Tree Friends False Alarm will hit PC and Xbox Live Arcade this fall.

Sony Online Entertainment has announced High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition, a downloadable PlayStation 3 title for the PlayStation Network. Along with five different types of poker--Texas Hold'em, Super Hold'em, Billabon, Tahoe, and Shanghai--the game offers 6 person multiplayer and support for compatible USB camera, including the PlayStation 2 EyeToy. SOE expects High Stakes on the Vegas Strip: Poker Edition to arrive in the PlayStation Store later this summer, priced at $9.99.

After a few unexpected delays, David Jaffe's cops'n'robbers-inspired Calling All Cars! is now available for download from the online PlayStation Store. Developed by the Utah-based Incognito Entertainment and featuring both local and online multiplayer of up to four players, Calling All Cars! is priced at $9.99.

As reported yesterday, Sony Online Entertainment's edition of Midway's Rampart also arrived in the PlayStation store today, selling for $4.99.

Microsoft and developer Realtime Worlds today released a title update and detailed two new pieces of Crackdown downloadable content slated to arrive within the next week. The update resolves several issues with the game, such as indestructible fire hydrants and ramp problems, and adds the option to repopulate the city's gangs.

As for downloadable content, the first pack, "Free-For-All", is available free of charge and grants players the Keys to the City--a cheat mode that allows players the freedom to do just about anything, from spawning ramps and activating infinite ammo to further enhancing the capabilities of their agent. The in-game garage has also been redesigned to accommodate more vehicles.

The other piece of content, the "Getting' Busy Bonus Pack", sells for 800 Microsoft Points ($10). Included in the premium pack are a number of new vehicles--the Agency Buggy, Agency Racecar, Agency Armored Vehicle--as well as new weapons--the MSK mini-rocket Lobber, EX1 "Proximity Charge", HRX "Harpoon", MZ360 "Mini-Gun", VS1 "Cloaking Device. New game types--Street Racing, Max-Agility Rooftop Races, Stockpile, Checkpoint Chase, Rocket Tag--and new achievements are also added. Furthermore, should a player that has not purchased the "Getting' Busy Bonus Pack" enter into a co-op game with one that has, they will be able to preview the extra content for the duration of that session.

Along with the announcement, Microsoft also provided a number of movies showing off the new content and modes. For a full list of all the additions and changes, check out Major Nelson.

Update: Both the "Free-For-All Pack" and "Getting' Busy Bonus Pack" are now available from the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Microsoft dropped word that Turn 10 Studios' Xbox 360 race sim Forza Motorsport 2 has gone gone and will definitely be in stores on May 29. As mentioned last night, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can now download a free demo of the game from the Xbox Live Marketplace.

The release of developer Artifical Studios' top-down action game Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia has been pushed from May 15 to May 29, publisher SouthPeak Games noted today. Meanwhile, last month's Xbox Live demo is still available.

The game initially announced as Burnout 5 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 has now received its official moniker of Burnout Paradise. Criterion is developing the next main entry its well received Burnout series of destructive racers, following a bit of sidetracking with the PlayStation 2 and PSP spinoff Burnout Dominator. Burnout Paradise picks up where the studio left off with Burnout Revenge, which shipped in 2005 for PS2 and Xbox, and in 2006 for Xbox 360.

"We have been working towards Burnout Paradise for quite some time. Next generation consoles have opened up a raft of new gameplay opportunities and the Criterion team has leapt at the chance to innovate and raise the bar to an all new high," said executive producer Pete Hawley. "There are going to be some big surprises and a lot of new features but the core of the game is still pure Burnout. Instant accessibility will be reinforced by innovative online capabilities which will see Burnout Paradise smash racing conventions."

Named for its setting of Paradise City, Burnout Paradise diverges from its predecessors by containing a seamless open world environment rather than simply a series of discrete tracks. When the game was first announced, Criterion designer Alex Ward claimed, "Burnout 5 is a complete reinvention of the series."

Publisher Electronic Arts sent along a Burnout Paradise teaser trailer as well as several Burnout Paradise screenshots. The company plans to ship the game this winter.

Sony Computer Entertainment America has confirmed that the PSP remake of NanaOn-Sha's classic PlayStation rhythm game PaRappa the Rapper will receive a North American release. Originally released in 1996 and featuring the music of its designer Masaya Matsuura, PaRappa the Rapper was ported to PSP and released in Japan late last year.

"Bringing PaRappa The Rapper to PSP allows true PlayStation fans to re- connect with this timeless classic," said SCEA marketing manager John Koller. The game featres all of the content included in the original game as well as a four-player local wireless mode and the ability to download eight new remixes via the internet.

SCEA plans to ship NanaOn-Sha's PaRappa the Rapper for PSP in North America this July.

This week's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday will see another uncommon instances of two releases, with Big Huge Games' Catan and Atari's Centipede/Millipade both making their way to the Xbox 360 download service.

Catan, an adaptation of Klaus Teuber's board game Settlers of Catan, features online four-player multiplayer with a variety of common house rule options. For those lacking an internet connection or friends, Catan possesses what is apparently a devious artificial intelligence. "The AI is so clever that I even lost several games in a row!" exclaimed creator Teuber. "Hands down, this game for the Xbox LIVE Arcade is an amazing achievement." Catan is set to run 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

Also on tap is Atari's Centipede/Millipede, containing both arcade classics for the combined price of 400 Microsoft Points ($5). Like many other Xbox Live Arcade coin-op conversions, Centipede/Millipede features an option to play with the games' original graphics or with higher-resolution enhanced visuals.

Catan and Centipede/Millipede will be available via Xbox Live Marketplace on Wednesday, May 2, 2007.

Wii's Virtual Console saw three new games added to its library today, drawing from the NES, Super NES, and TurboGrafx-16 libraries.

Konami offers the original Castlevania (NES, 1 player), the game that launched the legendary sidescrolling action franchise. It is available for 500 Wii Points ($5). Also from Konami is the cult classic action game The Legend of the Mystical Ninja (Super NES, 1-2 players), remembered for its offbeat aesthetic and variety of gameplay. It runs 800 Wii Points ($8). Finally, Hudson contributes its sidescrolling shooter/platformer Shockman (TurboGrafx-16, 1-2 players), available for 600 Wii Points ($6).

Newsweek's N'Gai Croal chats it up with EyeToy creator Dr. Richard Marks about the PS3's upcoming EyeToy successor, the PlayStation Eye.

A very well-hidden timer on the Sony Computer Entertainment America-owned God of War site IslandofRhodes.org is counting down to something, that is, if you can find it. After clicking the hidden Greek symbols to spell out main character Kratos' name on a certain section of the website, visitors find themselves watching a video, then faced with a sliding block puzzle. Once the puzzle is solved, the next page reveals how to run SCE Santa Monica's God of War II (PS2) in a special high resolution mode--detailed below--and also links to a timer that currently has eleven days left on it. Above the timer, the leftmost section of the God of War logo and the beginnings of a subtitle are visible, igniting speculation that this will lead to the long-awaited unveiling of either Ready at Dawn's God of War PSP or the PlayStation 3 entry God of War II director Cory Barlog hypothetically spoke of at the God of War II launch event.

As for running God of War II at a higher resolution, players can activate this mode by holding down L1, L2, L3 (clicking down the left analog stick), Square and Circle as the game boots, before the white "SCEA Presents" text appears. The "SCEA Presents" text will then have a purple hue if performed correctly. Players wanting the game to output in 480p will still need to activate that setting in the game's option menu.

"Now this in NOT 720P," SCE Santa Monica's director of technology Tim Moss wrote. "Its actually 480P with FULL SIZE buffers, in other words 640*448 resolution. It was tough to get working...it almost didn't make it in and that is why we hid it rather than make it standard. The extra resolution makes the game run a little bit slower, but it's also prettier...it's not going to be for everyone, but it sure does look nice and it made the God of War Art team very happy."

Nintendo and Opera Software have released a new version of the Wii's web browser, referred to as the Internet Channel. Relative to the trial version that was released earlier this year, the latest version features several improvments, including faster start-up time, clearer text, a search button, and the ability to hide the tool bar. Available from the Wii Ware section of the Wii Shop Channel, the revised Internet Channel requires installation of the latest Wii system update, which arrived alongside the browser.

The Internet Channel is a free download for Wii users through the end of June 2007, after which it will sell for 500 Wii Points ($5). Those who download the browser before July will not need to purchase it at that time.

Electronic Arts revealed two new features of EA Tiburon's upcoming Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08, which is slated to hit PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, PSP and PC. The first, tentatively titled GamerNet, allows users to record replays of their shots and putts, which can then be posted online to foster competition. The other, currently referred to as Photo Game Face, lets players upload photos for use in character customization. Details on what versions of the game will offer this functionality were unavailable.

Going by the release of past Tiger Woods games, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 should be expected in late September or early October of this year.

Exemplifying some of the most clever in-game advertising in recent memory, Atari is providing the "Free Lexus Collection Volume 2" for Eden Games' Test Drive Unlimited through the Xbox Live Marketplace. The pack adds two new cars to the game, the Lexus GS 450h hybrid and LS 460 sedan. Another pack, containing the SC 430 hard-top convertible and 2008 LS 600h hybrid sedan, is forthcoming.

A free demo of Artifical Studios' top-down action game Monster Madness: Battle for Suburbia is now available for Xbox Live Gold subscribers on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Powered by Epic Games' Unreal Engine 3 and published by SouthPeak Interactive, Monster Madness is set to release May 15, 2007 for Xbox 360 and PC. Screenshots can be found here.

Pandemic Studios has finally officially announced its upcoming stealth-infused action game Saboteur, in development for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was first revealed last month in print publication Game Informer. Set in Nazi-occupied France during World War II, Saboteur tells the story of Sean, an Irishman in Paris seeking revenge on the Nazis for killing his loved ones. In an unusual visual turn reminiscent of Gary Ross' film Pleasantville, Saboteur's visuals are rendered in black and white, but become colorful and vibrant in areas where Sean has successfully sabotaged Nazi operations. Citizens in colorized areas are more likely to rebel against their Nazi oppressors than those in black and white areas.

Producer Phil Hong was quick to note that Saboteur's focus on World War II differs from that of many games set around the same events. "While one of the great conflicts of human history is being played out all around us, ultimately we're not really concerned with winning the war because we know how that turns out," he explained. "We're interested in telling the story of one man's personal battle."

In attempting to perform stealthy acts of sabotage, players will be able to make use of a wide variety of weapons, vehicles, costumes, and other objects. Pandemic promises an open, mission-driven world, with the ability to travel over, through, and around buildings.

Pandemic recently released a number of screenshots and pieces of artwork from Saboteur.

No publisher has yet been announced for the game. Pandemic Studios is planning to ship Saboteur for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2008.

Forthcoming downloadable maps for Epic Games' Gears of War (X360) will launch as paid content and, after a period of several months, become free to download, according to online statements made by Epic VP Mark Rein. The announcement follows reports that Epic and Microsoft butted heads over whether or not to charge for the content. Last year, Epic president Mike Capps famously stated, "We always take care of our customers, we always give them stuff for free, and we're going to keep doing that forever. That's how we do it, man. This is Epic."

Rein alluded to the reported conflicts. "Epic thinks the way to maximize the return on Gears of War is to give the maps away for free and Microsoft thinks the way to maximize the return on Gears of War is to sell the maps. So what we've agreed to do is to put these maps on sale at a reasonable price then make them free a few months later," he said, referring to the success of a similar strategy taken with downloadable content for Bungie's Halo 2 (Xbox). Explaining further, he added, "Why does Epic not have control over this even though we created this content on our own time and our own dime? Quite frankly Xbox Live Marketplace isn't our store. It's Microsoft's store. Like any retailer they have the right to figure out what goes on the shelves of their store and what price they sell it at."

Though its maps may not be completely free of financial strings, Epic's Gears of War will not be devoid of free content. Its Annex multiplayer mode, prematurely revealed last week, was released today at no charge. In addition to the objective-based gametype, the update includes tweaks to the Assassination gametype, adjustments to the boomshot and hammer of dawn, a reduced frequency of entering cover while in the run, various exploit fixes, and better support for VGA output allowing full letterboxed 720p at resolutions of 1280x1024 or above.

Microsoft also sent along several screenshots of Annex in action.

Three more titles were added to the Wii's Virtual Console today, one each drawn from the libraries of the NES, Sega Genesis, and TurboGrafx-16. Namco's classic space shooter Galaga (NES, 1-2 players), first released to arcades in 1981 and later to the NES in 1988, is available for 500 Wii Points ($5). Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle (Genesis, 1-2 players), starring Sega's pre-Sonic mascot Alex Kidd, is on sale for the standard Genesis price point of 800 Wii Points ($8). Finally, Namco's sidescrolling action game Bravoman (TurboGrafx-16, 1 player), is available for 600 Wii Points ($6).

As usual, check back tomorrow for Shack's full writeups on all three games.

Following the recent shakeup at Take-Two, the publisher announced today that chief financial officer Karl Winters has resigned. Winters had served as company CFO since February 2002. Taking his place as interim CFO is Take-Two senior VP of finance Lainie Goldstein, who will hold the role until a permanent replacement is selected.

"Karl oversaw finance at Take-Two during challenging times for the Company," said Ben Feder, Take-Two’s Chief Executive Officer. "We thank Karl for his years of service to Take-Two. He was instrumental in assembling a highly competent financial team that will serve us well in the future. We appreciate Karl's hard work and his continued support during the transition."

Bloomberg reports on the struggle major publishers have had in rushing content onto the Wii, after initially underallocating development resources due to early inaccurate estimates of the system's success.

Outspoken Infogrames Entertainment chairman, CEO, and director Bruno Bonnell has left his position at the Paris-based holding company, which owns New York-based publisher Atari. Bonnell had also intermittently served as CEO of Atari in recent years, as well as chairman and chief creative officer.

According to today's announcement, Bonnell takes leave of the two related companies after executing a significant restructuring of that was formulated after some dire financial developments.

Serving as Bonnell's replacement will be Patrick Leleu, appointed by Infogrames' board of directors to the posts of chairman and CEO. Leleu has served as a director at the company since this January. "I want to thank the Board to put its trust in me," said Leleu. "I am convinced that Infogrames holds the assets, talents and teams to get back into the industrial competition and recover its dynamics of growth."

Bonnell co-founded Infogrames in 1983, and had remained with the company since. "It is with understandable emotions, but also reassured about its future, that I leave Infogrames after 24 years spent to build this group with the support of all its teams," he said. "Together, we have been able to show its strength and capacity to innovate, even in the worst situations. Time for business developers has logically come, after the entrepreneurial period. It’s now time for Infogrames to conquer and progress on a market as promising as interactive entertainment business."

Surely, in his heart, Bonnell will always know that Infogrames is innovation. Please, if you click only one of the many links in this news item, let it be that one.

Prior to the launch of Wii, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata commented that players would likely be able to augment the system's included 512MB of flash memory with standard USB memory devices in addition to the system's SD card support. Despite his claims, no such option has been available for the system. Today, however, a press release from Tokyo-based engineering firm eSOL suggests that USB storage functionality may be on the way.

eSOL announced that it has partnered with Nintendo to license two embedded middleware produce, its PrFILE2 file system and its PrUSB/Host USB host stack. PrFILE2 supports FAT12, FAT16, FAT32, and VFAT file systems, while PrUSB/Host supports the USB1.1 and USB2.0 standards for use with USB flash memory and other mass storage devices. Today's statement gives no concrete indication of future plans for the console, and may be referring only to the existing SD card support and USB ports contained in the system.

"I am very happy that we could take part in the development for Wii, a new game console from Nintendo," said eSOL embedded products executive VP Nobuyuki Ueyama. "I believe that our products were selected because Nintendo highly-valued our long, successful history with many digital consumer products and high-reliability and functionality based on that."

Sony Computer Entertainment America sent word today that an update to Polyphony Digital's PlayStation Network driving game Gran Turismo HD Concept has been released. Version 1.2 can now be downloaded from the PlayStation 3's PlayStation Store. Included in the update is force feedback support for three Logitech-manufactured steering wheel peripherals--Driving Force, Driving Force Pro, and Driving Force EX. Also added are worldwide leaderboards for each car and game mode.