Ready to pop some zombie heads? Then mark February 10 on your calendar, as that's when Sega will be shipping Headstrong Games' House of the Dead: Overkill to stores.

Along with confirmation of the release date, Sega provided a few new screenshots from the light-gun-style Wii shooter, along with a new piece of pulp-style artwork.

It's been a long, painful wait since the Resident Evil 5 demo hit Japan, but things are finally looking up. Developer Capcom has announced that the downloadable demo will "exclusively" hit the North American Xbox Live Marketplace on Monday, January 26.

The PlayStation 3 demo will follow the next week, its release expected to coincide with the PlayStation Store update on Thursday, February 5. As with the Japanese demo, the download will pack two stages along with online and offline co-op support.

Similar to other recent offerings, the availability of the Resident Evil 5 demo is expected to be limited to Xbox Live Gold subscribers during its week of exclusivity. The last demo billed as an Xbox 360 exclusive, Skate 2, saw its PS3 release held back by one week, while Xbox Live ads promoted its temporary exclusivity to Xbox Live Gold members.

Both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Resident Evil 5 storm into North American and European retailers on March 13, with the Japanese release on March 5.

The PC version of Mirror's Edge heads off to North American retailers today, and in celebration, publisher EA confirmed the release date for the game's upcoming DLC.

Priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10), the Time Trial downloadable content will be available for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 gamers on January 29. The download adds seven maps and nine race to the DICE-developed first-person parkour game.

The company had previously promised that PlayStation 3 owners would gain an exclusive free map, though made no mention of that content in today's announcement.

In an unusual move, the release date for tri-Ace's Star Ocean: The Last Hope has been moved forward, and will now hit North America on February 24 instead of March 3.

Publisher Square Enix did not offer any details as to why the release date was moved forward, with its skeletal press release only offering word that it had been updated.

Star Ocean: The Last Hope marks the fourth entry in the action-RPG series, and the first time that the franchise has hit the Xbox 360. While the game is not explicitly billed as an Xbox 360 exclusive, it has not been announced for any other platforms.

It was only a matter of time after Sony Pictures spilled the beans, as Ghostbuters publisher Atari today confirmed that the action game hits North America on June 16.

As previously noted, that game will be launched alongside the Blu-ray release of the original Ghostbusters movie, which arrives on the same day at North American retailers.

The rest of the world will get the game a few days later, on June 19, 2009.

Ghostbusters is slated for release on PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation 2. Terminal Reality handled the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, while Red Fly Studios was tasked with the remaining editions.

Original Ghostbusters Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson have lent both their vocal talents and liknesses to the game, which takes place two years after the second Ghostbusters film. Aykroyd and Ramis penned the game's script.

As promised, developer Relic today issued details on the forthcoming multiplayer beta test for its anticipated PC action-RTS sequel Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II.

Hosted by Steam, the multiplayer beta will be open to all on January 28. Those that bought the last Dawn of War expansion, Soulstorm, will get access on January 21.

The beta will include all four races--the company stressed the inclusion of Tyranids--five multiplayer maps, and Games for Windows LIVE TrueSkill Matchmaking.

Today's announcement also confirmed a February 23 release for the full game, which will be available via retailers and "worldwide" digital distribution platforms.

Thanks to Shackers RetroRedEyeJr and acare84 for the tips.

After months of maintaining a non-specific "February 2009" release date, Electronic Arts today confirmed the North American release of its action game sequel The Godfather 2 will ship February 24. Developed by EA Redwood Stores, The Godfather 2 keeps the open-world action gameplay from the first game, while adding a "Don's View" strategy meta-game on top of it allowing for gang control, planning of hits and territory defense among other things.

The Godfather 2 will be released simultaneously for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. For more, check out our preview of the game.

Capcom today confirmed a February 27 North American release for Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, the Wii remake of its zombie-massacring Xbox 360 title Dead Rising

The same date also applies to Europe, according to the publisher. As February 27 is a Friday, and North American releases usually ship on a Monday or Tuesday, the game could arrive on Wednesday, February 25 if retailers are not given a hard street date.

Other Capcom releases for the first half of 2009 include Street Fighter IV (PS3, 360) on February 17 and Resident Evil 5 (PS3, 360) on March 13, Bionic Commando, the downloadable UFO animal-herding game Flock! (PC, PS3, 360), and MotoGP Wii.

As previously reported, the promised PC releases of Street Fighter IV and Bionic Commando will arrive after the console editions, while rumors continue to circulate regarding the unannounced-but-likely PC release of Resident Evil 5.

A new trailer for 2K Czech's Mafia II has been released, providing an glimpse of the open world game and its old-time gangster exploits. The title utilizes a proprietary engine, and publisher 2K vows that the video was rendered entirely in-game.

In addition, 2K revealed that the Mafia 2 is on track to hit PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 next fall, firming up the previously vague timeframe that only specified a release by October 31.

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The first Grand Theft Auto game for the Nintendo DS will hit North America on March 17, followed by a European release on March 20, 2009, publisher Rockstar has announced.

Developed by Rockstar Leeds and series creators Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars features a full 3D world along with a number of touch-screen mini-games, such as drug dealing, hotwiring cars, and tattoo inking.

"We are incredibly excited to share this enormous and uncompromising Grand Theft Auto experience with DS fans," said Rockstar founder Sam Houser.

Update: In a backstage interview at the Spike VGAs, game journalist Geoff Keighley confirmed that Pearl Jam's "Ten" will arrive as Rock Band DLC in March 2009.

Update 2: The downloadable album will hit on March 24, 2009--"day-and-date with the re-issue of the album in stores"--Rock Band developer Harmonix has announced.

Original: The entirely of Pearl Jam's album "Ten" will be released as downloadble content for Rock Band and Rock Band 2 come March, claims Primotech.

The site apparently learned of the news during a rehearsal of the Spike Video Game Awards, which the network has been heavily promoting through promises of exclusive announcements. It's set to air live beginning tonight at 9 PM EST.

As Rock Band 2 already features one song from the album, "Alive," the downloadable album will not include that track. Previous downloadble albums for the franchise have not included songs contained on the Rock Band 1 or 2 game discs.

The remaining tracks from "Ten," which is Pearl Jam's debut album, follow:

1. "Once"
2. "Even Flow"
3. "Why Go"... Read more

The fourth entry in Electronic Arts' boxing series Fight Night will be released next summer, EA Sports president Peter Moore announced this evening on the Spike VGAs.

Developed by EA Canada, Fight Night Round 4 will arrive on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It was originally revealed in May, but was then only slated for a vague 2009 release.

"Fight Night is one of the most successful game franchises ever," Moore declared.

Mike Tyson then appeared on-stage and somewhat awkwardly introduced a trailer that saw virtual versions of Muhammad Ali and Tyson facing off against one another.

Halo Wars, the final game from Age of Empires creator Ensemble Studios, will bring real-time strategy to North American Xbox 360s come March 3, Microsoft has revealed.

The Americas will be the last territory to receive the game, with a European release on February 27 and a Japanese / Asia Pacific debut the day before, February 26.

Per Microsoft tradition for major Xbox 360 releases, the game will be available in two forms: a $60 standard edition and a bonus-packed $80 Limited Collector's Edition that will offer early access to the long-awaited Halo 3 Mythic Map Pack.

Guerilla Games' anticipated PlayStation 3 shooter Killzone 2 will arrive in North America on February 27, 2009--over three and a half years after its E3 2005 debut.

The date was announced this evening on an episode of G4's X-Play, which featured a segment on the game and an appearance by managing producer Kyle Shubel.

Narrowing the vague 2009 release date initially provided for Ghostbusters, publisher Atari has now revealed that the anticipated classic movie tie-in will arrive next June.

The date was announced during Atari's press event today, with MCV publishing the news. It was not specified if the date applies to North America and Europe or just EU, though both territories are seeing near-simultaneous releases of major titles.

The Ghostbusters game is slated to hit PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 care of developer Terminal Reality, with Red Fly Studios handling the PS2, Wii and Nintendo DS editions.

Ghostbusters was originally slated for release this fall, but that changed when the game was dropped by former publisher Sierra after it merged with Activision. Atari picked up publishing rights for the title last month.

Accompanying today's earlier word that Skate 2 (PS3, 360) will hit North America on January 21 and everywhere else on January 23, publisher EA has released a handful of new screenshots from Black Box's skateboarding sequel.

Capcom has announced the release date for the console versions of its anticipated brawler Street Fighter IV, and it is Febuary 17, 2009.

The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions will launch on the same day.

Offering a whole lot of characters, the fighter will arrive on European shores in the same week, on February 20.

A PC version is still in the works, but will be released at a later time following Capcom's recent policy of delaying PC releases to fight piracy.

Street Fighter IV was released in Japanese arcades in summer 2008, but was never officially exported from its home country before now. A handful of anxious fans imported "gray market" machines into arcades in Western countries as Capcom looked the other way.

EA Black Box and Montreal's Skate It (Wii, DS) will grind into North American retailers on November 19, publisher and studio owner Electronic Arts announced today.

The Wii edition of the trick-centric skateboarding game sports motion-based controls, complete with optional support for the Wii Balance Board, while the Nintendo DS version relies upon stylus controls.

The Skate franchise debuted on PS3 and Xbox 360 in late 2007, with the EA Black Box-developed Skate 2 slated to arrive on PS3 and Xbox 360 in early 2009.

Though the standalone Xbox 360 edition of Rock Band 2 and its 84 on-disc tracks are already on store shelves, developer Harmonix today cemented the price points and release schedule for the remaining PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2 and Wii editions.

As previously reported, the Rock Band 2 Special Edition Bundle--packing the game, wireless guitar, wireless drums, and a microphone--will arrive in Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 form on October 19. The Wii and PS2 releases follow in December.

The PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii versions all support downloadable content, with those that buy the game new receiving 20 free downloadable songs later this year.

October 19, 2008

• Rock Band 2 Special Edition Bundle (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system) $189.99 MSRP
• Rock Band 2 Standalone Software (PlayStation 3 system)... Read more

Firmware updates for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable will both arrive tomorrow, October 15. As an added bonus, the PS3 update gets support for Flash 9.

As reported yesterday, version 2.50 of the PS3 firmware brings screenshot capture, power saving, and a number of smaller tweaks. Version 5.00 of the PSP firmware, on the other hand, offers direct access to the PlayStation Store for the first time.

Semi-official blog Three Speech also picked up word that the PlayStation 3 will support Flash 9 through its built-in Internet Browser, which means owners can now use their $399 console to play the latest Desktop Tower Defense.

Both updates will be released through each system's update utility sometime tomorrow and will be available worldwide. For full descriptions of the updates, check our report featuring the official word from Sony.