Microsoft's Xbox Live General Manager Marc Whitten made an official statement regarding the Xbox Live hiccups over the holidays, when users reported connectivity issues. The system had trouble coping with the influx of new user sign-ups, and to compensate, Microsoft will be offering all Xbox Live members around the world access to a free download of an Xbox Live Arcade game. Specifics to be announced later.

Burnout Paradise gives players license to wreak havoc in Paradise City, the ultimate seamless racing battleground, with a massive infrastructure of traffic-heavy roads to abuse. Having been criticized since the demo's release, Criterion announced that from Jan. 4-14, it will increase the number of players that can join in an online session of Burnout Paradise from 4 to 8, which in turn opens up new 13 new Freeburn challenges (3 challenges in 5-, 6- and 7-player sessions, and 4 new challenges for those playing in 8-player sessions).

The holidays are traditionally a good time for hardware/software sales, and with the Wii still in short supply, it was up to the PS3 and X360 to pick up the slack. Today, Microsoft revealed that it has sold more than 17.7 million X360 units worldwide, while Halo 3 breaks records with no less than 8.1 million copies sold since its Sept. 2007 launch. In little over a month, Mass Effect has already sold 1.6 mill. units, and according to November NPD data, consumers keep spending money on Xbox software and accessories, with a record-high attach rate of 6.9.

Gravity Interactive, known for Ragnarok Online, is kicking it up a notch in the new year and announced it is bringing Requiem: Bloodymare to North America. This new MMO, designed for a mature audience, melds elements of horror, fantasy and sci-fi and introduces a world where the misuse of science and magic has warped the natural world into a twisted vision of death.

Another day, another batch of game trailers was released. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are trailers for:

• Sam & Max 202: Moai Better Blues - Trailer #2
• Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity [PS2/Wii] - Characters Trailer
• Hail to the Chimp [PS3/X360] - Curbside Service Trailer
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  We will update this throughout the day when new trailers become available. Read more for download links ...

NIS America announced the spiritual sequel to the Atelier Iris RPG series, Mana Khemia. Different from the previous Atelier Iris games, Mana Khemia is a campus sim style RPG, where you can interact with classmates and professors to complete academic quests.

After closing up shop for the holidays, Sony has rolled out some new PlayStation Store content. PS3 owners can catch up on new downloadable songs for Rock Band (6 tracks) and Guitar Hero (8 tracks), as well as unlockable vehicles in Need for Speed ProStreet. There is also a 990mb demo for EA Sports' upcoming NFL Tour and a Japanese launch trailer for Gran Turismo 5 Prologue.

When Microsoft shut down FASA Studios last year, it moved most of the team to other positions within the company, but while announcing the closure of the Shadowrun forums, former lead program manager Kimona revealed other next-gen Shadowrun products are in development. It remains to be seen how that will work with the original FASA founder launching a new studio, Smith & Tinker, and recently buying back the Shadowrun license.

As society succumbs to a worldwide energy crisis, a new global depression takes hold. Amidst this desperate backdrop, two superpower alliances emerge. Join the battle on the frontlines of tomorrow as the Western Coalition or the Red Star Alliance.

Team Fortress 2 is a class-based, multiplayer team warfare game, delivering new game types, a signature art style powered by Valve’s next-gen animation technology, persistent player statistics, etc... Valve revealed it would be adding new achievement packs to TF 2, starting with a batch of 36 achievements for all the hard-working medics out there. Read more for details ...

Based on 2006's arcade game Target: Terror Gold, Konami announced that Target: Terror is currently under development for the Wii, and will be compatible with Wii Zapper, featuring fast-paced run 'n' gun action, dual wielding and fun mini-games

One of the most anticipated UT3 features was the possibility of allowing PS3 gamers to import new community content/mods on their consoles. While users themselves still can't "cook" the content until the official tools are ready, Epic Games' VP Mark Rein gave an update, "We're very close to releasing an update to the Unreal Engine 3 editor, that comes with the PC version of UT3, that will allow UT3 mod-makers to cook their mods into the required PS3 format."

Secret Files 2 is a point-and-click adventure game based on mysterious phenomena around the world. As a follow-up to Secret Files: Tunguska, the sequel takes on a different mystery in a totally different location ....

Far Cry 2 immerses players in a new kind of gaming experience, featuring a new game engine built from the ground up. Players will discover a true open world gameplay set in one of the most beautiful environments in the world, Africa. Originally announced for PC, Ubisoft Montreal is now also developing FC2 for PS3 and Xbox 360, which unfortunately lead to a delay.

Penumbra: Black Plague, the final chapter in the Penumbra story, thrusts players into a creepy environment of psychological horror, as they are challenged in this unique action/adventure experience. In this second developer diary, Frictional Games tells us more about the creation of the voice-overs, and the technical issues.

Deca Sports, known in some parts of Europe as Sports Island, is an athletic offering, pulling together ten sporting events and pushing the player to their limits, fully using the Nunchuk/Wiimote to control your Mii like characters, including multiplayer.

Based on the animated TV series, One Piece: Unlimited Adventure, makes its exclusive debut on the Wii. Join Captain Monkey D. Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat Pirates as they embark on a search for the ultimate treasure in this all new original quest.

Hudson's Omega Five is a next-gen, high-def. Xbox Live Arcade shooter with awe-inspiring graphics. Players fly through dangerous 3-D environments in this side-scroller and try to avoid the enemies that come at them from all sides, even from behind. Omega Five will launch on Xbox LIVE Arcade Jan. 9, 2008 for 800 Microsoft Points.

Players will take control of WALL-E and EVE through a fast-paced adventure based on the upcoming Disney/Pixar film. The game will allow fans to relive some of the movie’s most thrilling moments as they explore 10 worlds filled with non-stop action and adventure, along with head-to-head multiplayer challenges.

Ever since SCi, Eidos' parent company, revealed that it was in "early/preliminary" talks with several interested parties regarding a possible takeover, rumors have been plentiful. When David Zucker became Midway's CEO in 2003, there were negotiations but nothing came of it, and a few months back Ubisoft stated it was no longer interested. Industry insiders now claim SCi and Midway may have picked up where they left off, but neither party gave any comment.

Contra 4 takes place two years after the events of Contra III: The Alien Wars. After saving earth from invasion by Red Falcon, Bill Rizer and Lance Bean are confronted with a new extraterrestrial menace: the terrifying Black Viper. Joined by hard-boiled mercenaries Mad Dog and Scorpion, the warriors must once again wage war against an entire army of invaders.

Dragon’s Lair is an action/adventure game where you fight your way through the castle of a dark wizard who has enchanted it with treacherous monsters and obstacles on a quest to rescue the fair princess Daphne from the clutches of an evil dragon.

DBZ: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 delivers an extreme 3D fighting experience, improving upon last year's game with over 150 playable characters, enhanced fighting techniques, beautifully refined effects and shading techniques, making each character's effects more realistic, and over 20 battle stages.

Dead Mountaineer's Hotel is a 3D point-and-click adventure, in the style of Benoit Sokal's Syberia, based on the original story by famous Russian sci-fiction writers Strugatsky Brothers.

AGEOD's American Civil War enjoys a very intuitive interface and is easy to learn. Compared to its predecessor, Birth of America, it features many additions such as new economic and political features, player control of troop recruitment, full chain of command from armies to brigades and much more.