Game Downloads

For me, karaoke's purely a social event. It's not just about the singing; it's about the performance. After all, what good's singing all the right notes if you can't jump on a table and dance? That's exactly why Lips is so remarkable -- it goes beyond singing by encouraging spirited performances in an beautifully designed and nonthreatening environment.

I could happily play Company of Heroes expansions until I died. No other strategy title has ever grabbed -- and held -- my attention like it has, and I feel comfortable saying it's among my favorite games of all time. So you can imagine how excited I was when I recently got a chance to play through the first three minicampaigns of the new standalone expansion, Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor.

A few days ago, Xbox Live product unit manager Jerry Johnson said Microsoft would be "continually releasing and unlocking clothes for the next six months" for the new Xbox 360 Avatars and that they would be "coming out in theme packs." At the time, we didn't know what he was talking about, but were relieved we wouldn't have to pay Microsoft points for individual items.

World of Warcraft players certainly don't mind that 7-Eleven has been dabbling in the field of selling videogames. Thanks to the apparent disregard for street dates, WoW players were able to secure early copies (albeit not early access) of Wrath of the Lich King. The retail chain has announced that its recent sales of games like WoW, Halo, and Madden isn't a temporary holiday cash-in -- they're planning on permanently adding videogames to their inventory (via Joystiq).

In addition to the previously revealed three-pack from the Killers, Harmonix has announced several other artists that will be joining the band as next week's Rock Band DLC. Tracks from the Chris Cornell-fronted grunge trailblazers Soundgarden will accompany the Killers, along with legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen and metal group Lamb of God. As usual, these downloads will arrive Tuesday on Xbox Live and Thursday on the PlayStation Store, and will be available individually for $1.99 (160 Microsoft points) and in bundled three-packs where applicable for $5.49 (440 Microsoft points). The entire list of next week's offerings looks something like this:"Mr. Brightside" by the Killers"Smile Like You Mean It" by the Killers"Spaceman" by the Killers"Caprici Di Diablo" by Yngwie Malmsteen"Damnation Game" by Yngwie Malmsteen"Red Devil" by Yngwie Malmsteen"Jesus Christ Pose" by Soundgarden"Pretty Noose" by Soundgarden"Laid To Rest" by Lamb of God