Though Left 4 Dead 2 is slated to arrive on PC and Xbox 360 come November 17, developer Valve has reaffirmed that it will continue to support the original edition of its cooperative zombie shooter with as-yet-unspecified downloadable content.

"More info will be coming shortly on the [Left 4 Dead 1] DLC," Valve's Chet Faliszek told Shacknews, adding that the DLC will come in addition to enhancements, such as the promised team-based matchmaking update for the first Left 4 Dead.

"We plan to keep supporting Left 4 Dead 1," Valve marketing VP Doug Lombardi recently told CVG. "I think folks took our [E3] announcement [of Left 4 Dead 2] as a sign that we were dropping Left 4 Dead 1 and that's just not the case."

Lombardi noted that "there will be some announcements coming before summer's out about what's coming there," explaining that the internet's vocal... Read more

Codemasters seems to be on a screenshot kick today, with some new screenshots of Operation Flashoint: Dragon Rising accompanying this morning's DiRT 2 screens.

Developed internally at Codemasters, not by creator Boehmia Interactive, the tactical shooter sequel is slated to appear on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this fall.

Stardock has released new screenshots of its upcoming PC fantasy 4X strategy title Elemental: War of Magic.

"The best way I can describe the battles is that they're tactical with XCom being a major inspiration but designed to be relatively short," wrote Stardock CEO Brad Wardell. During the battles, players can zoom far down to the front lines (see below, left).

Wardell also noted that while city growth in the turn-based game is largely cosmetic, players will be able to zoom in to view their towns, and design roads that connect them.

Elemental is slated for release in February 2010. A beta test is scheduled to begin later this year.

Piranha Bytes, developer of the first three Gothic games, has announced that its RPG Risen will rise October 2 on PC and Xbox 360, with heavy testing now underway.

Described as a mature action-RPG, Risen is set in an open world on a tropical volcanic island, with multiple paths through the story and of course oodles of monsters to bash.

Piranha Bytes' entries in the Gothic series were often criticised as being buggy, but publisher Deep Silver points out that three quality assurance teams are already at work.

"We've been in beta for a few weeks now," said Deep Silver marketing VP Cathy Tische, "and are focusing on stamping out the remaining bugs and optimizing gameplay."

As DiRT 2 enters the final stretch--it's slated to arrive this September--developer Codemasters has released some new screenshots illustrating the various off-road tracks, including Battersea, Croatia, Morocco and Utah.

Look for DiRT 2 to hit PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and PSP.

Expanding upon the Men of War: Red Tide (PC) announcement, developer Best Way has issued some screenshots and a trailer for its fall-due standalone RTS expansion.

Please install Flash to view this Shackvideo

Shackvideo users can use the HD Stream.

Konami has confirmed that its downloadable Vandal Hearts prequel Flames of Judgment, originally expected to hit Xbox Live Arcade in August and PlayStation Network in September, is now to be expected within the ever-vague "winter" release timeframe.

The strategy game is said to improve upon the "speedy RPG pace" of the first Vandal Hearts, which hit the original PlayStation in 1996. Multiple endings are on tap for the prequel, along with a "deep range of customization options" and twenty maps.

Skateboarding's prestigious Maloof Money Cup competition is set to arrive in Skate 2 as downloadable content shortly before the real event kicks off in July, EA has announced.

The Maloof Money Pack recreates the contest's park with freeskate, vert and street contests for singleplayer skaters, and online play receiving new competitive activities and challenges. The Xbox 360 version also picks up another 250 achievement points.

The DLC arrives July 9 in the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store for a mere $3 (240 Microsoft Points), just in time for the real Maloof Money Cup which runs July 10-12.

The PS3 and Xbox 360 editions of Volition's volatile open-world action game Red Faction: Guerrilla are to receive three downloadable content packs, publisher THQ has said.

The first of those three, "Demons of the Badlands," arrives on August 13. Priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10), the pack is said to add "a destructive single-player mission arc that takes place in a new Mars landscape outside of the game's expansive world."

As for the other two, nothing else is known except that they're both due later this year.

Traditionally a non-violent sort, Xbox Avatars will soon be able to "fight, throw fireballs, cast spells and much more " in NinjaBee's downloadable strategy game Band of Bugs.

The developer will release a free update to the game on July 8, which enables Xbox Avatars to be used in the story and multiplayer modes of the Xbox Live Arcade game. Released in June of 2007, Band of Bugs sells for 800 Microsoft Points ($10).

In addition, a new downloadable content pack entitled "Tales of Kaloki" will arrive on that day. Priced at 240 MS Points ($3), the add-on brings story and other content inspired by NinjaBee's space-themed Outpost Kaloki X into the turn-based world of Band of Bugs.

"The Tales of Kaloki DLC is Band of Bugs but with long-range combat using lasers, rocket launchers, OO rays and a ton of other sweet weapons to blow attacking space ships to smithereens," explained NinjaBee president Steve Taylor. "It's all the wackiness from Outpost Kaloki X and tactics from Band of Bugs rolled into one."

Claiming that they are about to "blast through the dark recesses of the mind," publisher Aspyr and developer Mindware (Cold War, Painkiller: Overdose) today unveiled their upcoming "mega-bloodbath first-person shooter" Dreamkiller.

Much like Double Fine's Psychonauts, Dreamkiller tasks players with entering the minds of troubled individuals in an attempt to save them from their own inner demons. Unlike Psychonauts, Dreamkiller focuses on fast-paced shooting and "over-the-top weapons."

Several multiplayer modes accompany the 12-level single-player campaign, in which psychologist Alice Drake also uses her "supernatural abilities" to combat mental evil.

In development for PC and Xbox 360, Dreamkkiller is slated to arrive this fall.

Microsoft has announced this week's Xbox Live Arcade release schedule, confirming that SNK's The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match will hit the Xbox 360's online marketplace alongside Team17's Worms 2: Armageddon this Wednesday, July 1. Both are priced at 800 Microsoft Points ($10), with Worms 2 offering a number of new weapons and options while King of Fighter '98 updates the classic fighter and its 64-character roster with support for two-person online multiplayer over Xbox Live.

Disney has announced that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of G-Force and the Wii's Toy Story Mania! will feature stereoscopic 3D through anaglyphic glasses.

The publisher claims the pair will be "the first games for next-generation systems to fully feature three-dimensional stereoscopic technology," which "adds to the already fun video game... and extends the gameplay by creating entirely new options for players."

Ubisoft's video game adaptation of James Cameron's stereoscopic film Avatar will also feature the technology that Cameron believes will be "the next big thing."

G-Force arrives July 21 with PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and PS2 versions developed by Eurocom, and DS and PSP releases by Keen. Based on the Disneyland attraction of the same name, Toy Story Mania! arrives exclusively on Wii in the fall.

This week's crop of Nintendo downloads brings the usual fare--fishing, Sudoku and board games--plus an intriguing splash of summer fun, Water Warfare--a first-person squirter with split-screen and online family-friendly deathmatch on sunny battlefields.

DSiWare

• Sudoku Master.

Nintendo Wii

• Water Warfare
• Reel Fishing Challenge
• Silver Star Reversi
• Fantasy Zone II: The Tears of Opa-Opa (Sega Master System)

As ever, the titles are available from 9am PST today and full details follow... Read more

Last Monday, I visited Blizzard HQ expecting to get a look at the new Battle.net in advance of the multiplayer beta. Unfortunately, the team is still finalizing many Battle.net features, and I left without an estimate on when the anticipated multiplayer test would begin.

"We're still working on [Battle.net], and it's kind of up in the air," StarCraft II lead designer Dustin Browder told me. "I kind of wish it wasn't, but it kind of is."

Browder gave the typical "when it's ready" response when asked of a beta timeframe. The test is scheduled to begin sometime this summer.

However, I did get a chance to talk at length with the affable Browder, thoroughly covering the reasons for the sequel's lengthy development period. In the process, the designer shared some exciting details on the singleplayer portion of the game. What follows is a late-night preview of the full interview, to be published later today:... Read more

With all the football teams packed into Madden NFL 10, it wouldn't be fair for Electronic Arts to highlight just one That's (probably) why the publisher has released a whopping 36 screenshots from the upcoming PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions, starring the Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers.

The stylized Wii edition also got some love, with a few new upscaled renders meant to illustrate just how Madden NFL 10 "epitomizes what fun looks like on the Wii."

Developed by EA Tiburon, Madden NFL 10 arrives on PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and PSP come August 14. Among this year's various additions are online fantasy franchise leagues, complete with ability to edit them from the web, and online co-op.

Two demos for the football game are in the works--one for the general public, one for those that pre-order from GameStop--with both due to hit PSN and Xbox Live in late July.

TimeGate's shooter based around a squad of futuristic dropship soldiers has always been intriguing from a conceptual standpoint, and these new screenshots featuring beefy mechanized armor do little to change that.

The game--set to feature a standard campaign and a large-scale multiplayer component--is scheduled for release this August on PC and Xbox 360.

Vogster has released several new screenshots of its download-only "smash-tastic arcade-style brawler" PSP effort Unbound Saga, showcasing the game's two heroes.

No price has been set for the single-player game, which hits the online PlayStation Store on July 16 and follows the adventures of Rick Ajax and Lori Machete as the self-aware duo fights against "The Maker" of the comic book they're trapped in.

Following the recent flood of details, the first screenshots from Rockstar Vancouver's Max Payne 3 have arrived, providing a better look at the aged, bald and pot-bellied protagonist. Set 12 years after the events of Remedy's Max Payne 2 and packing a cover system that is "not the focus of the game," the anticipated sequel hits PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 this winter.

A 240.36MB demo of Nancy Drew: Ransom of the Seven Ships (PC) is now available on FileShack, allowing you to sample a portion of what publisher Her Interactive refers to as "the 20th installment of the best-selling adventure game series."

As past data has shown, Her Interactive isn't joking about with the "best-selling" part. This time around, Nancy's attempt at a vacation is sidetracked when her friend Bess gets kidnapped. No word if the plot was, in Law & Order tradition, "ripped from the headlines."

The latest adventure of the cultural icon arrives at North American retailers on July 14, with Her Interactive also revealing that male counterparts The Hardy Boys... Read more