Update 2: Pitchford has reiterated to Shacknews that production on Aliens is still ongoing, though he did not go into further detail on the status of the project, only stating that to say it has "halted" is an "inaccurate characterization."

Update: Gearbox president Randy Pitchford has responded to the rumors in a comment post, saying that Aliens: Colonial Marines has not been cancelled.

"Aliens isn't canned," said Pitchford. "We've made some transformative changes and yes, that's meant some talent changes, but that's not the real story. The true relevance of the story will actually be irrelevant until we release our next game, at which time I hope there will be a lot of interest in what we've done that can produce such results."

Original story: Production on Gearbox Software's shooter Aliens: Colonial Marines (PC, 360, PS3), a four player co-op shooter based on the classic film franchise, has been halted, according to multiple sources.

Several sources have also told Shacknews that Gearbox today laid off between 15 and 25 employees, with one putting the number at 26. These sources independently claimed that the poor performance of Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway and the stoppage of work on the Aliens title were contributing factors to the layoffs.

Though specific sales data on Hell's Highway is unavailable, the title debuted on the NPD group's weekly PC sales chart at ninth position, before quickly falling... Read more

Fallout 3 has been on the shelves for a few weeks--and it's still selling well--but developer Bethesda isn't stopping its work on the post-apocalyptic RPG, as another patch for the game is on the way.

"We are currently working on a patch for all three platforms," wrote a Bethesda community manager on the studio's official forum, which ActionTrip noticed. Fallout 3 is available on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Other details on the patch, such as fixes or a release date, have not yet been made available. "When I've got more details, I'll let everyone know," promised the Bethesda representative.

Fallout 3 has been patched once on the PC, mostly to fix crashes, but the upcoming patch will be the first for console editions.

Publisher Sega has unleashed a giant, scary-looking monster in a few new screenshots for Stormrise, the futuristic strategy game from Total War series creator Creative Assembly.

The game was originally announced as a console exclusive, made only for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, but hardware maker AMD outed a PC version is also in the works.

Featuring a story with a post-apocalyptic world following a monster invasion, Stormrise will hit sometime next year.

The Chicago Transit Authority will reinstate the Grand Theft Auto 4 ads that it pulled from Chicago buses back in the spring, but after a short run the CTA will no longer accept ads for M-rated games.

A settlement was reached only recently after publisher Take-Two sued the CTA for breach of contract over the incident before the game was released in April, reports Chicago Breaking News as noticed by GamePolitics.

Under the settlement, Grand Theft Auto 4 ads will appear on Chicago buses for the next six weeks. Other terms of the settlement remain confidential.

After that, the CTA will no longer run ads for M-rated games under a new ordinance passed by the CTA board last week. According to Chicago Breaking News, the ordinance "cites a 'demonstrable correlation' between intensely violent video games and violent or aggressive behavior.

The Grand Theft Auto ads, both then and now, include no overtly violent, sexual or otherwise graphic materials that would normally prohibit ... Read more

Continuing our earlier look at the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV, publisher Rockstar has issued more in-game movies created with the PC-exclusive Video Editor, along with a number of details regarding its functionality. The port hits stores December 2.

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The all new Video Editor feature allows you to capture in-game footage, make real time edits and render those clips out as WMV movie files. The clips can also be spliced together into a video complete with post effects like music, text and transitions, and other features... Read more

If you're one of the many still on the lookout for a Wii or a copy of Wii Fit, Target has some good news for you. The retailer has informed Shacknews that come Sunday November 23, it will have Wiis and Wii Fit.

Now, how long those Wiis and copies of Wii Fit will be in stock, that's anyone's guess. So if you want one, or both, you may want to be there when they open.

In addition, the retailer will be giving away a $5 or $10 gift card with the purchase of:

• Fable II (Xbox 360) / $10 Gift Card
• Left 4 Dead (Xbox 360) / $5 Gift Card
• Rock Band 2 (PS3, Xbox 360) / $5 Gift Card
• Need for Speed Undercover (PS3, Xbox 360) / $5 Gift Card
• Star Wars The Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels (Wii) / $5 Gift Card
• PopStar Guitar (Wii) / $10 Gift Card
• Petz Monkeyz House (DS) / $5 Gift Card
• Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals (DS) / $5 Gift Card

Everybody involved in the making of music-rhythm phenomenon Rock Band--developer Harmonix, publisher MTV, MTV owner Viacom, and distributor Electronic Arts--has been hit with a class-action lawsuit stemming from the game's drum peripheral.

Monte Morgan of Kansas alleges that the above four companies conspired to sell defective drum kits after admitting that the drums' kick pedals were defective. Morgan's lawyers noted that the defendants' special warranty extension lasted until October 1--just before the release of Rock Band 2 featuring a new and improved kick pedal.

That timing was not a coincidence, but rather a strategy designed to coax defective Rock Band drum owners into buying a new Rock Band 2 instrument bundle, claim lawyers in court filings obtained by GameCyte.

In less conspiratorial terms, the lawyers also claim that Rock Band's current 60-day warranty isn't enough in case, for example, a parent buys a copy for their child far in advance of Christmas.

Defective instruments have been a thorn in Rock Band's side since... Read more

Per its usual tradition, developer Harmonix today revealed the downloadable Rock Band songs that will debut next week for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 owners:

The Killers 3 Pack / 440 Microsoft Points ($5.50)
• Mr. Brightside / 160 Microsoft Points ($2)
• Smile Like You Mean It / 160 Microsoft Points ($2)
• Spaceman / 160 Microsoft Points ($2)
Yngwie Malmsteen 3 Pack / 440 Microsoft Points ($5.50)
• Caprici Di Diablo / 160 Microsoft Points ($2)
• Damnation Game / 160 Microsoft Points ($2)
• Red Devil / 160 Microsoft Points ($2)
Singles
• "Jesus Christ Pose" - Soundgarden / 160 Microsoft Points ($2)
• "Pretty Noose" - Soundgarden / 160 Microsoft Points ($2)
• "Laid To Rest" - Lamb of God / 160 Microsoft Points ($2)

As always, the songs are fully compatible with both Rock Band and Rock Band 2.

Unlike normal, the tracks will hit PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on the same day: Tuesday, November 25. The PS3 release usually follows on a Thursday, but the PlayStation Store is updating early next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

A downloadable "Fortune's Pack" will add new weapons, vehicles and maps to the PS3 and Xbox 360 editions of Far Cry 2 next week, publisher Ubisoft has announced.

Pricing was not disclosed, nor was the possibility of a PC release for the content. Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, the open-world shooter was released in late October, and has since sold over one million units.

The Fortune's Pack DLC will contain the following:

Single-Player Mode
• Three brand-new weapons
  • Silenced shotgun
  • Sawed-off shotgun... Read more

As Crystal Dynamics' Tomb Raider Underworld heads out to store shelves this week, publisher Eidos has tasked UK PR firm Barrington Harvey with managing the review scores, resulting in journalists being asked to hold off on negative reviews.

The story emerged after games journalist Guy Cocker reported, via Twitter, that Eidos informed him "if you're planning on reviewing Tomb Raider Underworld at less than an 8.0, we need you to hold your review till Monday."

Barrington Harvey confirmed the policy with videogaming247, explaining:

We're trying to manage the review scores at the request of Eidos.

We're trying to get the Metacritic rating to be high, and the brand manager in the US that's handling all of Tomb Raider has asked that we just manage the scores before the game is out, really, just to ensure that we don't put people off buying the game, basically.

It's the second review-related controversy for Eidos in the past year, following rumors that it pressured GameSpot into firing journalist Jeff Gerstmann for a negative review of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men, which was edited following his departure.

At the time, Eidos was heavily advertising on GameSpot. The site later claimed Gerstmann was let go "purely for internal reasons" that were "unrelated to any publisher or advertiser," though it noted Eidos' displeasure with the original review.

In a formal statement, Barrington Harvey director Simon Byron admitted the firm has "been working hard to ensure the launch scores of Tomb Raider Underworld are in line with our internal review predictions over the launch weekend - but... Read more

Liquid Entertainment's Rise of the Argonauts has suffered another delay and is now expected to hit store shelves in early 2009, publisher Codemasters has revealed.

The mythology-heavy PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 action-RPG was originally slated to hit in November, but was recently postponed. At the time, Codemasters expressed hope that the title would still be released before Christmas.

Word of the delay accompanied new screenshots and two trailers. According to a Shacknews count, these mark the game's 21st and 22nd trailers... Read more

Developer Bohemia Interactive today released four new in-game screenshots from the PC version of its upcoming military simulator sequel, ArmA 2.

The shots were taken from an "in-game HD video," slated for release next week.

The PC version of ArmA 2 hits Europe in early 2009, published by 505 Games, with PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions also in the works. No details have been announced regarding the inevitable North American release

Teasing that "there are many secrets hiding," publisher Ubisoft today revealed that Prince of Persia will sport several unlockable outfits, also noting that the cartoony platforming game has gone gold and entered the manufacturing process.

Giving the Prince the appearance of the Assassin's Creed lead, the Altair skin can be earned by linking a PlayStation Network or Xbox Live account with an Ubisoft.com account, which can be created at PrinceofPersia.com.

It's the second time Altair has appeared in a non-Assassin's Creed game, the first being an unlockable skin in Kojima Production's Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3).

Those that pre-order the title from GameStop will receive a free code to unlock the Sands of Time skin, mirroring the Prince's look from the previous trilogy, reports IGN.

Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, Prince of Persia hits PS3 and Xbox 360 on December 2, with a PC release due December 9. The studio is also at work on an Assassin's Creed sequel, though no timeline has been offered as to its release.

It's a special Thursday for the PlayStation Store, as Sony's digital distribution center for all things PlayStation has gotten its last Thursday update for the month.

Next week's update will arrive early--on Tuesday--in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday.

In any case, this week brings the exclusive DLC for BioShock from 2K's studios in Boston, Australia, Marin, and external studio Digital Extremes. Also available is a whopping $32 in Dead Space downloadable content consisting almost entirely of new looks for weapons.

The full update, courtesy Sony, follows:

Add-on Game Content

LittleBigPlanet Sack in the Box Costume (free)
A community costume for SackBoy!... Read more

Capcom's John Dianomon has revealed the price Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix: $14.99 for the PlayStation 3 edition.

The price is expected to be the same on the Xbox 360, at 1200 Microsoft Points ($15).

Writing on Sony's official PlayStation Blog, Dianomon added that a "remix soundtrack" will hit the PlayStation Network as a free download, featuring the sounds of hip-hop artists Redman, Hieroglyphics, DJ Qbert, DJ Toure, Zion I, Mistah F.A.B. and Oh No.

Developed by Backbone, the downloadable fighting revival hits the PS3 on Tuesday, November 25 and the Xbox 360 the next day.

After its revelation of DiRT 2 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, developer Codemasters today announced that the off-road racer will also hit Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP.

"Rally racing has attracted new stars and a new style that makes it more vibrant and exciting than ever before; it's right up there as a premium extreme sport, attracting fresh crowds and a new confident attitude," noted executive producer Gavin Raeburn.

"DiRT 2 mirrors this new, exciting direction and, in a way, we'll be throwing off some of the shackles and constraints that real-world rallying has to abide by. We're pitching players against the most spectacular and dangerous environments in the real world."

All versions of the game are slated to be released simultaneously in 2009.

Sony has decided to lay to rest the PlayStation Underground, which hosted part of its online community features on PlayStation.com.

The area hosted personal game libraries, wish lists, and similar community features which will be rolled into an upgraded PlayStation.com launching next week.

The new website will integrate PlayStation Network accounts, the same ones used to download content from the PlayStation Store for the PS3 and PSP.

Using their PSN accounts, gamers will be able to make profiles, rate games, assemble game libraries, make wish lists, and chat with friends.

The new features launch "early next week," with further improvements promised by the end of the year.

Ubisoft has handed out a new developer diary for its refreshed Prince of Persia, which is in the works at its Montreal studio. The video discusses about the acrobatic platformer's semi-open world and story driven by the "on-demand dialogue" feature.

Promising DLC of significant value next year, the newest adventure of the Prince arrives on December 2 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. A PC edition follows on December 9.

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Any PlayStation 3 game released after January 2009 will be required to have Trophy support, Sony Computer Entertainment has confirmed with VideoGamer.

"From Jan 09 all games must have trophies," Sony told the site.

Rewarding players with virtual recognition for their in-game achievements a la the Xbox 360's Achievements, the Trophy system made its debut in a July PS3 firmware update.

While certain games include native Trophy support or have been patched for compatibility, especially though published by Sony, many of this year's other holiday titles do not currently support the functionality.

Ten new screenshots have emerged for Gaijin's anime-esque action romp X-Blades, featuring yet still more exposition of heroine Ayumi, just in case crotch shots, rear shots, and general sexiness weren't enough.

Published by SouthPeak, X-Blades reveals itself on PC, 360, and PS3 later this year.