At this year’s Comic-Con, developer Rare announced that their Xbox 360 party/platform/strategy game is coming to the Nintendo DS. During a Viva Pinata discussion panel at Comic-Con, the game was officially announced in front of eager fans. On PinataIsland a developer commented on the DS version, simply saying that it would be the same game, developed by Rare’s dedicated handheld development team.

Revealed some time back, Namco Bandai has officially announced that the online add-on pack for Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection on PS3 will be available in North America later this year. Priced at $9.99 for owners of the game, the multiplayer add-on will add online multiplayer to the game, complete with voice chat and four different modes – Opti, Quick, Custom and Friend Match. Additionally, this pack will also add Practice and Survival modes to the game. There will also be an online news ticker that will keep players notified of noteworthy movement in the leaderboards.

Interestingly, those looking to get into the game will not need to pay for the add-on pack. Once the multiplayer pack is released, the current version will be replaced by a new version that includes the aforementioned add-on without any increase in its $20 price tag.

A free upgrade for owners of GripShift has hit the PlayStation Network. This update makes it significantly easier and faster for players to get around the game, as game loading has been enhanced. Improvements have also been made to the leaderboards, making the accomplishment of getting high scores more rewarding.

Other updates include the ability to change the vehicle without exiting a game session, change controls from the in-game pause menu, change the current music track, access “level select” menu from pause screen, and more.

GripShift is an action racing game developed by Sony Online Entertainment is available for purchase through the PlayStation Store for $9.99. It is also available on PSP.

EA has announced that is working on creating a brand new super-hero fighting game franchise using the Marvel license, following up on its failure – Marvel Nemesis. It has assigned EA Chicago, the studio behind Def Jam: Icon and the Fight Night series, to develop the game on PS3 and Xbox 360 for release in 2008.

“We looked at past comic-based games to find out what was missing and what was needed to successfully translate the intensity, excitement and fiction from comics into fighting games,” said Kudo Tsunoda, General Manager and Vice President, EA Chicago. “We’re challenging ourselves to make a game that delivers on the Super Hero promises of past top-tier fighting games.”

The game will feature an all-star lineup of Marvel super heroes and super villains, huge environments and “fresh” gameplay. It will be officially unveiled on Spike TV Game Head’s Friday, August 31 episode at 1am ET/PT. The show will also take a behind-the-scenes look into EA Chicago development.

America’s Army is coming soon to an arcade near you! GlobalVR, a leading manufacturer of coin-operated video games, has announced that it is working with the US Army to bring the game to the arcades. It will feature eight training mini-games and will also use leaderboards to encourage competition and reward players for teamwork and following the rules of engagement.

“AMERICA’S ARMY is an arcade style training game based on actual Army training exercises designed to challenge Soldiers to hone their skills. Players are rewarded for teamwork, proper use of the Rules of Engagement, accuracy, and target identification,” says Mike Kruse, GLOBAL VR Producer. “The game’s many marksmanship exercises are entirely target shooting challenges which makes this unique product appropriate for many location types that do not desire simulated combat games.” Mike went on to comment, “Being a veteran myself, I can honestly report that AMERICA’S ARMY is a highly authentic depiction of Army training exercises and the Army’s unique organizational culture…down to the drill sergeant who is constantly by your side to bring out the best performance from each player.”

It wasn’t mentioned when the game would be released, though it was disclosed that it is part of GlobalVR’s 2007 lineup. Expect it to be released sometime later this year.

Gamespot cites an article from the August issue of Game Informer, revealing Prototype, an upcoming game from Radical Entertainment, the studio which developed the free-roaming action game Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction.

Prototype is described as a “hyper-violent action game” that follows the story of Alex Mercer, who was acquired superhuman abilities through a science experiment that went wrong. It will follow the same premise as its Hulk predecessor, allowing players to wreak havoc in Manhattan using his gained abilities. Interestingly, when Mercer kills people, he can absorb their memories, abilities and even appearance, adding the aspect of stealth into the game. He can also augment his biomass, making him stronger.

The game is set for release sometime in 2008 on PS3 and Xbox 360. Further information is expected soon as the game is yet to be officially announced.

Western Metal Gear fans that were looking forward to seeing the Metal Gear 20th Anniversary Collection were disappointed to learn that it was Japan only. However, Konami USA’s Anthony Kraus, VP of Marketing, let slip that the collection could be headed West. He revealed that the publisher is currently in talks with major American retailers to bring a “very similar” package to the country, though he could not provide any further details or a concrete release date.

The Anniversary collection features almost all the Metal Gear games ever released, including the original Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear 2, MGS 2, MGS 3 and MGS Portable Ops (PSP). Additionally, the package also contains the Metal Gear Saga DVD and a documentary on Metal Gear Solid 2.

We are all rabid fans of certain games and we express our love for those games through various means – music, movies, parodies, etc. But did you see anyone ever doing woodwork for any game? You can now safely say that you have.

This picture on Flickr shows such love for BioShock through a machine carved plaque. According to the accompanying description, he has almost no experience with “sanding and finishing” but the quality of the product amazes me. Apparently, he made two copies of the thing, one of which is on display at Irrational Games’ office, with the other remaining with him signed by the developer team.

Microsoft Game Studios and Ensemble have announced that they will release Age of Empires III: Gold Edition on September 25. Bundling together the original game and its Warchiefs expansion, the Gold Edition will retail for $39.99. It will feature no other extra content.

Age of Empires III, the third in the venerable series, places players during the time period of 1500-1850 as they establish their empire, explore, colonize and conquer North and South America. The Warchiefs expansion allows players to lead the native Indians into battle to expand their empire and fight for control of the Americas.

Another expansion dubbed Asian Dynasties is also in the works. It is set for release this Fall and will give players the chance to control Asian civilizations.

Having finished its first season, Telltale and GameTap didn’t waste any time to announce plans for the second season of Sam & Max, its episodic detective duo. Set for release this Fall, the episodes this time around will be available on Telltale’s website one day after premiering on GameTap.

“Season One was a great success, but it’s just a starting point for us,” says Telltale’s CEO Dan Connors. “The episodic model presents so many opportunities to innovate and engage the audience in brand new ways. Just wait until you see what Telltale and GameTap have in store with Season Two.”

This time around, the creators are hoping to deliver “farther-reaching, crazier stories,” with the game seeing improvements due to player feedback and more.

Those who missed season one can purchase and download it from various sites including Steam, TT Games and GameTap itself. It is also headed to retail next month thanks to The Adventure Company and JoWood.