Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is almost here. What more needs to be said?

Go ahead and hit up the full list, or, if you're looking for a particular system, skip right to the PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS or PSP section. Should you want to check out any past release lists, scope out our handy archive.

Modern Warfare 2 will be on North American store shelves Tuesday, November 10. The rest of this week's retail releases should be available by Wednesday, November 11.

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A new trailer for James Cameron's Avatar: The Game arrived today. It showcases the alien world of Pandora and its colorful, yet aggressive denizens, the Na'vi. Players face them as RDA Corporation Soldiers and giant armored mechs in fights ranging through the jungles. Alien panther-like animals and large red rhinos are thrown into the mix, for good measure.

Players will be able to fight alongside RDA Corp, or side with the indigenous aliens when Avatar arrives on December 1 for the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, PSP and Wii. You can check out our previous coverage of Avatar: The Game here.

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Atlus comes through once again for fans of Japanese role-playing games. The publisher announced today it plans to bring Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey for the Nintendo DS to America. The game is due to arrive March 10, 2010. Strange Journey recently came out in Japan. It received scores of 10/9/9/8 (they use a four review system) making it the best reviewed game for the series in Famitsu magazine.

Billed as "the true successor to SMT: Nocturne" the new game boasts over 300 demons to try and influence to join forces with you. This time the game takes a sci-fi twist and with it leaves the usual setting of Tokyo. Taking place in the near future, a black void has started spreading over the South Pole. Your team of adventurers has been sent to investigate the phenomenon and stop its spread before it destroys the earth.

The press release promises "a return to the proud tradition of the all-time dungeon-crawling classic SMT: Nocturne." Classic role-playing games seem to have found a place to thrive on the DS. This could well be yet another success.

Is Activision really getting sued again? No Doubt!

TMZ reports that the band No Doubt is suing Activision for "the unauthorized use of the No Doubt's name and likeness," in Band Hero, released on November 2. The band is suing for an injunction prohibiting the use of the band members' likenesses in songs other than the three No Doubt tracks included in the game, and seeks an undisclosed amount of damages.

The lawsuit, filed in L.A. County Superior Court, claims that the game "transformed No Doubt band members into a virtual karaoke circus act," a statement indicative of being able to play any of the game's more than 60 tracks using No Doubt avatars... Read more

As part of its coverage of Nintendo's recent earnings call IGN's Wii channel reports that company CEO Satoru Iwata said that a test program offering demos of select WiiWare games would roll out later this month. He made no indication which games would be included in the trial other than to say that it would be a select few. Nor did he indicate whether this was something planned exclusively for Japan or if it would be a global initiative.

While exact sales figures remain unknown, Iwata did explain that they needed to take some action to stimulate growth in the small WiiWare and DSi Ware market. Demos are one potential answer because he feels many current buyers come into the online store already knowing what they want and do not take any time to browse other games.

When unique and interesting games like LostWinds: Winter of the Melodias (pictured) go virtually unnoticed there's clearly a need to better spread the word. Demos could go a long way in that regard but it will likely take more than just putting them up and hoping people find them.

Relive a classic Raiders of the Last Ark moment in this new LEGO Indiana Jones 2 trailer, splicing footage from the film and its plasticised video game recreation.

LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues hits PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, DS and PSP on November 17 with revamped versions of the films recreated in the first LEGO Indiana Jones plus Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and now toting a level editor.

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This week sees a large and varied selection of titles being released for download on the DSi and Wii, from a Viking-themed DSi tower defense and WiiWare carnival minigames to the TurboGrafx16 port of the original arcade Street Fighter.

DSiWare
• Battle of Giants: Dragons - Bronze Edition - $8
• Sparkle Snapshots - $5
• Viking Invasion - $8

WiiWare
• "Aha! I Got It!" Escape Game - $5
• Carnival King - $7
• Family Card Games - $5
Wii Virtual Console
• Fighting Street (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM) - $8
• R-TYPE (Sega Master System) - $5

Nintendo's blurb on the games--all available from 9am PST--follows... Read more

It's been a long time coming, but BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins is almost upon us. And be sure not to overlook this week's other releases. The inevitable showdown between Imagine: Babyz Fashion and Jurassic: The Hunted should prove interesting.

Go ahead and hit up the full list, or, if you're looking for a particular system, skip right to the PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS or PSP section. Should you want to check out any past release lists, scope out our handy archive.

Barring any unforseen delays, most of this week's games should hit by Wednesday.

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Remember when LEGO Rock Band was announced and publisher MTV said the music game would embrace the "imaginative settings that the LEGO world offers?"

May I present to you the intro video for LEGO Rock Band. It's out on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS in North America next Tuesday, November 3, with console owners able to export the included songs (at a cost) for use in regular Rock Band.

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Update: Nintendo has confirmed that new model will arrive in North America, where it will be known as the Nintendo DSi XL, during the first quarter of 2010.

Confirming earlier reports, Nintendo today unveiled a heftier version of the Nintendo DSi hardware that sports a larger profile, bigger screens and a much thicker stylus.

Dubbed the Nintendo DSi LL in Japan and DSi XL for Europe, the new model sports two 4.2" screens instead of the 3.25" displays of the DSi or the 3" displays of the DS Lite. A number of assets provided by Nintendo compare it to earlier models.

The Nintendo DSi LL will hit Japan on November 21 for 20,000 yen (~$219)--a slight premium over the region's current 18,900 yen (~$207) asking price of the regular Nintendo DSi. European availability will following in early 2010, with Nintendo only noting that the price is "expected to be higher than that of the Nintendo DSi."

As the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 nears, Activision is discounting the zombie-filled DLC for Call of Duty: World at War on the PS3.

The three map packs can all be had for 50% off, or $5 apiece. The sale--which also coincides with a double-XP bonus--runs through next Sunday.

Avatar: The Game doesn't have any bad guys, so apparently you spend the game knitting and/or in a lot of awkward conversations.

You can also play Avatar: The Game as a trooper or as an Avatar. Of course, either way you're playing as an avatar. I'll let you ponder that one.

Avatar arrives November 24 on PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS, PSP and Wii.

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Following in the footsteps of many a great infomercial, this Band Hero DS trailer takes to the streets for real-life testimonials, impressions and thoughts from a chosen few.

Coming from Guitar Hero DS developer Vicarious Visions and packing support for guitar and drum peripherals--neither of which are compatible with the Nintendo DSi, with the latter only made for Nintendo DS Lite use--Band Hero hits Nintendo DS on November 3. PlayStation 3, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii versions arrive the same day.

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A report in Japan's Nikkei financial newspaper (reposted via NeoGaf) reveals that Nintendo plans to release a new iteration of the DSi with a whopping 4" in screen real-estate. That would make the new model's screen three-quarters of an inch larger than the current model. The story puts the release date for the updated DSi as later this year, with the price to remain at the same 18900 Yen as the one currently on store shelves. Whether it will see release outside of Japan remains under consideration.

The story attributes Nintendo's impetus to increase the screen size on substantial feedback from users. It also notes that the larger screen is meant to cater to older users who have expressed difficulty when gaming on the smaller screens.

There are probably more than a few folks besides older Japanese gamers who would think that in this case, bigger is better.

The "Final Countdown" to LEGO Rock Band has begun, as co-publisher Warner Bros. today confirmed a November 3 release for the family-friendly musical block-buster.

The latest from TT Games and Harmonix is coming to PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Nintendo DS. Below you'll find a trailer that finds itself "Accidentally in Love" before declaring that "You Give Love a Bad Name" and opting to go "Free Fallin'" instead.

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With Halloween just around the corner, Nintendo is breaking out emergency supplies of ghosts and ghoulies as no less than two thirds of this week's batch of North American Wii and DSi downloadable releases feature the undead in some form.

DSiWare
• PictureBook Games: The Royal Bluff - $5
• SUDOKU - $2

Wii Virtual Console
• Golden Axe (Arcade) - $9
• Zombies Ate My Neighbors - $8
WiiWare
• Ghost Mansion Party - $10
• Tales of Monkey Island: Chapter 3 - $10

Read on for full details on all titles, which are available from 9am PST... Read more

Hamsters with maracas? Just another week in the crowded holiday season.

Go ahead and hit up the full list, or, if you're looking for a particular system, skip right to the PC, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS or PSP section. Should you want to check out any past release lists, scope out our handy archive.

Most of this week's offerings should be available by Wednesday, October 28, with two notable exceptions: Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony won't be downloadable until Thursday, the same day that Episodes From Liberty City hits retailers.

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LucasArts has released the official system requirements for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Ultimate Sith Edition: The Video Game, and while most of the bullet-points are pretty reasonable, the 24GB install is certainly a little intimidating. The Sith Edition--set to include the previous Tatooine DLC pack and a new, exclusive Hoth level--hits this holiday on PC, Mac, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

The PC requirements follow:... Read more

Heavily-armed cyborg mutant from the future Cable is latest character announced for Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2's upcoming downloadable content pack, joining a lineup of new characters which also includes Carnage and Psylocke.

Several new simulation missions will arrive in the DLC, with "arena-style" boss fights and a mission described as "an homage" to 'the old school X-Men/Avengers 2.5d arcade "brawlers'" revealed so far. Neither a price nor release date has been announced yet.

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EA Montreal's arcade-style racer Need for Speed Nitro will be in stores a few weeks earlier than expected, Electronic Arts has revealed.

Once slated for November 17, the racer is now due on Wii and Nintendo DS come November 3 in North America and November 6 in Europe.

The date was accompanied by a new trailer and word of the game going gold.

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