The long rumored 12th and final member of Commander Shepard’s dirty dozen, Kasumi, will finally be making an appearance on April 6th.  While pricing has not yet been announced, this will be the first paid for DLC for Mass Effect 2.  Also included in this DLC will be the Locust SMG, a flashbang loyalty power (undoubtedly gained through Kasumi’s loyalty mission) and a new achievement.

“Kasumi’s Stolen Memory” will revolve around a recovery mission of some sort (being that Kasumi is a thief) and it deals with a dirty art collector.  Expect more details to drop soon as Bioware finalizes the DLC pricing and formally makes an announcement.

[Via Joystiq]

EA is set to release a new VIP Map Pack on March 30th.  Undoubtedly taking a shot at Infinity Ward and Call of Duty, EA is taking aim with a free map pack set for release on the same day as the ‘mapathy’ cure.  “We’re dedicated to taking care of this product for a long time – helping you avoid “mapathy” without getting nickel-and-dimed.”  Taking no shame in their statements, they do bring up a good point as it “helps avoid segmenting the community, making sure everyone can play together having the same maps available.”

VIP Map Pack 2 contains the following:

Arica Harbor Conquest mode – US Command launches a break through action directly at the Russian base. Collateral damage is of no consequence. Capture and secure tactical positions in Conquest Mode across the vast Arica Harbor map.

Laguna Presa Rush mode – The valley and surrounding mountains possess a strategic value in the battle for South America, and an infantry assault supported by light armor vehicles is likely by both armies as US forces defend the nearby Dam.

 

[Via Battlefield Blog]

It’s not even Friday yet, and Harmonix has announced it’s next batch of songs scheduled for release, including some Lady Gaga (!) songs, along with Eric Cartman’s own version of Poker Face. Since Guitar Hero content for each month is revealed at the beginning of a month, we can tell you the next DLC a bit earlier! Read on for the full track listing!

Read more…

Are you ready for some new Modern Warfare 2 maps? Today Robert Bowling, the community manager at Infinity Ward tweeted,

http://www.mapathy.com – Feeling the effects of Mapathy? It’s okay, the cure is hitting #Xboxlive in just 3 short weeks. #MW2

On March 30, we can all expect to see the first DLC for Modern Warfare 2 exclusively on Xbox Live first.

[Via @fourzerotwo]

Bioware has released a new heavy weapon, the Arc Projector, on the Cerberus Network.  With the Firewalker DLC pack on its way, Bioware has made the Cerberus Network a worthwhile investment for those who purchased the game new.

The lack of weapon options was one of the drawbacks of Mass Effect 2.  Hopefully a new SMG and Heavy Pistol eventually make its way into the arsenal too.

Read on for screenshots, more info and a possible preview of the next DLC.

Read more…

This week all Xbox Live Gold members can get Call of Duty: World at War Map Pack Bundle for 1600 MS Points(normally 2000 MS Points).

Around Retailers:

Toys-R-Us

• Buy 1 Get 1 $20 off all in stock games $39.99 and up
• Final Fantasy XIII with $13 gift card $59.99

Target

• Final Fantasy XIII with $10 gift card $59.99
• Fifa 2010 $49.99
• Assassins Creed II $39.99

Best Buy

• Modern Warfare 2 $49.99
• The Godfather II  $17.99
• Sonic Ultimate Genesis Collection $17.99
• Dead Space $17.99
• NCAA Basketball 10 $39.99
• Band Hero Kit $149.99

This summer at E3, the biggest trade show in gaming, Microsoft plans to unveil a full lineup of games designed for Natal.  Set to be the biggest release of the year, expectations run high for the full body motion sensing hardware. 

Read more…

Were you just wondering what your thumbs will be doing every Tuesday for the next few months? Wonder no more, Digester! X3D has the answer, and it goes something like this:

Tuesday, March 16
* Dragon Age Origins: Awakening (EA, $39.99)
* Metro 2033 (THQ, $59.99)
* Prison Break: The Conspiracy (Deep Silver, $59.99)
* Resonance of Fate (Sega, $59.99)
* Supreme Commander 2 (Square-Enix, $59.99)

Tuesday, March 23
* Clash of the Titans (Namco, $59.99)
* How to Train Your Dragon (Activision, $49.99)
* Just Cause 2 (Square Enix, $59.99)
* MotoGP 09/10 (Capcom, $49.99)

Tuesday, March 30
* Samurai Shodown Sen (Xseed, $49.99)

Tuesday, April 6
* Borderlands Double Add-On: Zombie Island/Underdome Riot (2K Games, $19.99)

Tuesday, April 13
* Dead to Rights: Retribution (Namco, $59.99)
* Splinter Cell: Conviciton (Ubisoft, $59.99) (Collector’s Edition: $79.99)

Tuesday, April 20
* Autobahn Polizei (Tommo, $29.99)
* Sherlock Holmes vs Jack the Ripper (Dreamcatcher, $29.99)

Tuesday, April 27
* 2010 FIFA World Cup (EA, $59.99)
* Nier (Square Enix, $59.99)
* Super Street Fighter IV (Capcom, $39.99)
* Record of Agarest War Limited Edition (Aksys, $59.99)

Read more…

Some would hardly consider this news, but there’s been a lot of hype regarding the upcoming Modern Warfare 2 map packs. On top of the recent happenings at Infinity Ward, some doubt was cast as to whether they would release on time (if at all). News today from Robert Bowling (Infinity Ward’s Community Manager) is that details for the first DLC will be released later this week. Following up to other Twitter users, he also mentions that a release date will likely be the first thing announced.

On another note, Bowling also announced that Modern Warfare 2 has surpassed 25 million unique users (on all platforms), an absolutely staggering number. Props to the guys at Infinity Ward for creating such a successful title.

New at retail this week:
* Final Fantasy XIII ($59.99)
* Resident Evil 5 Gold ($59.99)

New on XBL:
* Scrap Metal (1200 MSP)

Weekly indie wrap-up:
* Ask Angela (80 MSP, 1.5 stars)
* Convextrix (80 MSP, 3 stars)
* Experiment 13 (80 MSP, 3 stars)
* Globoids (80 MSP, 2.5 stars)
* GooieGru Day One (240 MSP, 2.5 stars)
* Jewelry Master Twinkle Light (80 MSP, 3 stars)
* Mega Monster Mania (80 MSP, 4 stars)
* Puzzle Drop (240 MSP, 2 stars)
* Spot the Difference (400 MSP, 3 stars)
* Toad Man’s Bizarre Quest (80 MSP, 2 stars)
* Zatacka (80 MSP, 2.5 stars)
* Zombie Armageddon (240 MSP, 3 stars)

Weekly trailer and demo wrap-up:
* Darksiders Demo
* Iron Man 2: War Machine Trailer
* Just Cause 2 Demo
* Lips Party Classics Demo
* Metro 2033: Ghosts of the Metro Trailer
* MLB 2K10 Demo
* MotoGP 09/10 Demo
* Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands Trailer