Having previously announced an expanded edition of Resident Evil 5 for Japan and vowed to release the new content in downloadable form for current owners, Capcom today issued a release schedule and screenshots of the forthcoming expansions.

Along with the previously detailed "Lost in Nightmares" prequel mission, a second new episode will be released, as will new constumes and a new "Mercenaries Reunion" mode that packs "8 new playable characters and weapon load outs."

• "Lost in Nightmares" Episode: 2/17/10 (Xbox 360), 2/18/10 (PlayStation 3)
• Costume Pack 1: 2/17/10 (Xbox 360), 2/18/10 (PlayStation 3)... Read more

The first post-release downloadable expansion for Dragon Age: Origins has been announced by developer BioWare, with the content due "this holiday season."

Coming to all three platforms--PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360--"Return to Ostagar" is said to let players "exact their revenge and embark on a quest for the mighty arms and armor of the once great King Cailan when they revisit Ostagar, the site of the Grey Wardens' darkest hour, to reclaim the honor and learn the secrets of Ferelden's fallen king."

Along with battlefields "now thick with darkspawn encamped amidst the snow," players will also encounter "a second chance to add Dog to your party."

The download will go for $4.99 / 400 BioWare Points / 400 Microsoft Points in North America--a worldwide release "this holiday season" was promised, but international pricing was not disclosed. The developer has previously stated its commitment to fleshing out the fantasy RPG with extra content, noting this could last two years.

With The Beatles: Rock Band set to receive the eight Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band tracks not included with the rhythm game this week as downloadable content, Harmonix has put together a medley trailer celebrating the whole psychedelic shebang.

The album's eight remaining tracks arrive on Xbox 360 and Wii today for $2 (160 Microsoft Points) a pop then are due Thursday on PlayStation 3. 360 and PS3 players can buy them as a bumper bargain track pack for $13.49 (1080 Microsoft Points).

'Rubber Soul' is the next album facing DLC completion, some time in December.

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Three "custom and fully-tuned" variants of the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe have arrived today in Forza Motosport 3 as part of a free downloadable content pack.

The 33MB Hyundai Car Pack adds the drift-tastic Rhys Millen Racing Red Bull Hyundai Genesis Coupe, speed-tuned HKS Genesis Coupe and developer Turn 10's custom Forza Motorsport 3 Genesis Coupe, as well as Genesis races for Career mode.

As part of the "partnership" the Hyundai Genesis Coupe will the subject of an in-game advertising campaign, featured on "billboards, building exteriors and JumboTrons."

Turn 10 also announced further DLC in the form of the 'Hot Holidays Car Pack' which on December 8 for an unknown price will add "some of the world's most anticipated super cars and purpose-built race cars of 2010" including the Ferrari 458 Italia. All racers will be given the 2010 Audi S4 for free as a taster for the pack.

Having previously promised to support Shattered Horizon with free "new levels and features," developer Futuremark Game Studios today announced the first expansion for its zero-gravity PC-exclusive multiplayer shooter.

Dubbed "Moonrise," the pack will deliver four new levels--"effectively doubling the number of levels in the game," writes the studio. Those that pre-ordered the game prior to its November 4 release will be invited to help playtest the new arenas beginning this week.

As for when the free pack will be available to all Shattered Horizon owners, Futuremark has yet to decide, explaining that "the release date of the Moonrise pack will depend on the feedback we get from [playtesters]."

The Peggle Xbox Live Arcade downloadable content bringing PC sequel Peggle Nights' sixty levels of peg-pinging fun will arrive on November 18, PopCap has revealed.

The Nights DLC will run 400 Microsoft Points ($5)--nearly doubling the game's level count for half its original price--with PopCap's Garth Chouteau further telling Shacknews that "you have to admit Marina is the sexiest electric squid in videogamedom!"

While the entirety of Sgt. Pepper's one and only Lonely Hearts Club Band march out to The Beatles: Rock Band next Tuesday, developer Harmonix will be releasing six downloadable tunes for its regular Rock Band entries.

The below tunes hit Xbox 360 and Wii on Tuesday, November 17, with a PlayStation 3 release following Thursday, November 19. Each track will sell by itself for $2 (160 Microsoft Points / 200 Wii Points), with the five-track AFI bundle going for $8.50 (680 Microsoft Points) on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

AFI Pack 01
• AFI - "Beautiful Thieves
• AFI - "End Transmission"
• AFI - "Love Like Winter"
• AFI - "Medicate"
• AFI - "The Leaving Song, Pt II"
• The Bangles - "Walk Like an Egyptian" +

  Tracks marked "+" will also hit the family-friendly LEGO Rock Band Music Store.

Harmonix has pinned down the release date of the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band full album downloadable content for The Beatles: Rock Band to next week.

Arriving November 17 on Xbox 360 and Wii then November 19 on PlayStation 3 to buy as a track pack or individually, the eight 'new' Sgt. Pepper's tracks will combine with the five already on the disc to complete the fab four's famed psychedelic album from 1967.

• Fixing A Hole
• She's Leaving Home... Read more

The Xbox Live Indie Games Channel, the gateway for small-scale garage developers to showcase and sell their work, is poised to deliver a game that claims to have the "largest persistent playable area of any game on the Xbox 360. Developer MStar Games issued a press-release today announcing Space Pirates From Tomorrow, a 3D space-shooter and trading simulation in the spirit of open-ended classics like Elite and Freelancer.

According to the release, SPFT contains over 6,000 unique star systems to explore, endless trading opportunities, and an "infinite number of missions to undertake." To put things in greater perspective,... Read more

A new Grand Theft Auto 4 patch released for PC today, which GTAForums.com users report silently adds support for achievements from 'The Lost And Damned,' the downloadable content which has so far been exclusive to the Xbox 360 version.

The six Games for Windows Live achievements reportedly arriving in this latest patch correspond to the Xbox Live achievements added by The Lost and Damned, which hit Xbox 360 in February with a tale of Liberty City motorcycle gang The Lost.

Microsoft paid Rockstar $50 million in 2007 for exclusivity on two DLC packs, and declared its Xbox 360 "the only console where you can get the complete Grand Theft Auto IV experience" at a time when the PC version had yet to be announced.

Shacknews has contacted Rockstar for comment. The 98MB patch can be downloaded from FileShack, with its list of changes following below... Read more

Borderlands players on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 will be able to buy the undead-themed downloadable content 'The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned' from November 24 for $10 (800 Microsoft Points), developer Gearbox has announced.

Revealed shortly before the shooter RPG's release, 'Dr. Ned' is a described as a "full-fledged expansion" which adds new areas, quests, undead enemies and rare loot.

While no release date was announced for a PC release, a posting on the Gearbox Twitter confirms that the ghoulish DLC "will come to PC." Another explains there is yet "no... ETA" on the upcoming patch for the PC version, "but it is being worked on (long hours and weekends, too)."

The official Capcom blog announced today that extra content included in the upcoming Japanese release of "Resident Evil 5 Alternative Edition," will be available in North America and Europe as downloadable content for the Xbox 360 and PS3.

"You will not be asked to purchase a new copy of the game just to get at the new stuff," states the announcement, "just make sure to hold on to your RE5 disc and you'll be ready to roll in Spring 2010."... Read more

Having already made his Rock Band debut in with another band, Jack White returns to Harmonix's music game franchise with a selection of tracks from The White Stripes as The Damned and Kasabian toss songs of their own on the downloadable wagon.

Due on Xbox 360 and Wii Tuesday, November 10 and PlayStation 3 on Thursday, November 12, each of the following tunes will go for the usual asking price of $2 / 160 Microsoft Points, with three-pack offering a slight savings at $5.50 / 440 MS Points.

The White Stripes Pack 01
• The White Stripes - "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground"*
• The White Stripes - "Girl, You Have No Faith in Medicine"*
• The White Stripes - "Icky Thump"
• The Damned - "Smash It Up (Part II)"*
• Kasabian - "Club Foot"*

*Also available in the family-friendly LEGO Rock Band Music Store.

Over on the official World of Warcraft forums Blizzard officially launched a new section in its online store for buying in-game pets. Two new pets accompany the grand opening. The Pandaren Monk (pictured below on left) sporting a handy hip flask bows in return to any player gracious enough to bow to him. You can also feel good about your purchase because Blizzard will donate half the proceeds from every Pandaren Monk purchased to the Make-a-Wish foundation through December 31, 2009.

The other new pet, Lil' K.T. (pictured above on right), doesn't make a charitable donation, but then I suppose that would be out of character for a mini-lich. His description sounds a little more active, though, freezing the little critters that scurry about and mocking PvP foes you take down.

In the official pet store faq Blizzard explains that they created this new service based on customer request. At $10 a piece, at least for these first two pets, there's certainly ample financial motivation as well. They also confirmed that more pets will be available in the near future. Knowing how excited players have gotten about previous special pets it's easy to see this becoming the new Pokemon -- Gotta' Catch Buy 'Em All!

Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising developer Codemasters has announced a downloadable content pack titled 'Skirmish' will hit its tactical battlefield shooter soon.

Bringing two new Fire Team Engagement missions plus four new multiplayer maps, the Skirmish pack will come to the PC edition tomorrow bundled with a patch for free.

Skirmish will hit consoles following a title update, due tomorrow on Xbox 360 and "shortly" for PlayStation 3. Skirmish will cost $4 on PS3 but 400 MS Points ($5) on 360.

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Some new boxers and two more gameplay modes are headed to Fight Night Round 4 as downloadable content in "early December," publisher Electronic Arts has revealed.

Coming to PS3 and Xbox 360, the $9.99 / 800 Microsoft Point download adds Bernard Hopkins, Sonny Liston and Evander Holyfield as playable characters. As for the new modes, Old School Rules "brings a new take to the traditional boxing experience" while Ring Rivalries "allows you to re-create some of the greatest match ups in boxing."

Electronic Arts further noted that it has lowered the price of the boxing game, which was developed by EA Canda and hit in late June, from $59.99 to $39.99 in North America.

When we covered the announcement of the first planned DLC for Brutal Legend developer Double Fine's president Tim Schafer said that he needed more maps to feed his nightly gaming habit. With the release on tap this week a video came out today of the new map that let him put his skills on display. Okay, not exactly. But he does call the action between Kee Chi and Brad Muir from the team as they battle it out on Death's Fjord.

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In an interesting turn, the map comes out first this Wed (11/3) on Live where it will set 360 gamers back 400 MS Points. PS3 players will have to wait until Fri (11/5) for the download but get to grab it for two weeks for free. After Nov. 19 it returns to its regular price of $4.99 on the PlayStation Network.

The first major batch of downloadable content for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 will hit Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on Thursday, November 5, publisher Activision said today.

The $10 / 800 Microsoft Point download will deliver new upgrades and missions to Vicarious Visions' superhero action-RPG, along with five new characters. Of those new heroes, four have been revealed: Carnage, Cable, Psylocke and Black Panther.

In addition, Juggernaut--a playable character offered as a pre-order bonus--will also be formally released as downloadable content the same day at $2 / 160 MS Points.

A wealth of rhythm game news emerged out of Activision today, as the publisher detailed the first downloadable track packs coming to the just-released DJ Hero along with a rundown of the various tunes hitting Guitar Hero 5 across the next month.

Guitar Hero 5 Downloadable Content
November 5 - Band Hero Song Imports ($5 / 400 MS Points)
• 61 of 65 Tracks, Requires Band Hero
November 12 - Lenny Kravitz Track Pack... Read more

Developer Harmonix has issued details on next week's batch of downloadable add-ons for Rock Band and Rock Band 2, which will deliver eight new tracks to the franchise.

The following will hit the online marketplaces of the Xbox 360 and Wii on Tuesday, November 3, and then PlayStation 3 on November 5. Each track will be $2 / 160 MS Points, with the Foo Fighters Pack at $7 / 560 MSP and Nirvana at $5.50 / 440 MSP.

Foo Fighters Pack 03
• Foo Fighters - "Best of You"
• Foo Fighters - "The Pretender"... Read more