Feeling the holiday spirit already? Then head on over to Xbox Live, where you can now download a free "holiday theme" to put you in the right mood, or check out the Holiday Snow Globe in the Spotlight channel (no need to download it). When you launch the snow globe, it will automatically populate with your friends' avatars. You can shake the globe with A or press X to stir in another random set of friends.

Ar tonelico 2 is an RPG that seamlessly combines simulation with role-playing, allowing gamers to not only customize weapons and items, but now design their character’s personalities, skills, and appearance through virtual interaction.

Empire: Total War will maintain the Total War series' 3D battles, grand turn based campaign map and rich historical flavor while for the first time introducing 3D naval combat into the franchise. The delay revealed yesterday will apparently allow The Creative Assembly to implement a one-vs.-one multiplayer campaign mode, which will be released after the game launches.

As Nippon Ichi Software’s first pure action game, Prinny will be the most heartpounding and challenging sidescrolling action game ever. Players will control an unlucky penguin dude called a Prinny and slash their way through various Netherworlds.

Spark Unlimited's FPS Legendary: The Box presents a world suddenly thrust into chaos and turmoil when ancient creatures of myth are unleashed into modern day society, and it is up to you, as the cause of it all, to stop it all.

Square Enix's Dragon Quest IX: Defender of the Stars, developed by Level 5, is the first title on any Nintendo system since Dragon Quest VI, 10 years ago, now featuring WiFi support for four players in co-op.

The fifth annual Child's Play Charity dinner auction held on Tuesday night netted over $200k in contributions, as a sold-out crowd of over 400 video game industry leaders and community enthusiasts crowded into the Washington State Convention and Trade Center's sky bridge to bid on more than 100 gaming memorabilia to support sick children in more than 60 hospitals worldwide.

Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of the original, thrusting players back into humankind's epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde. While Epic released a patch addressing the matchmaking issues, it has further reconfigured its servers to allow more players per server, further improving matchmaking times.

Arc Rise Fantasia is an epic RPG product of old and new, combining gorgeous graphics with modern gameplay while bringing classic Japanese high fantasy role-playing action involving airships and dragons.

Red Alert 3 takes players on an epic RTS adventure to an alternate future spawned by time travel run amok, featuring a fully co-operative campaign, the series' light-hearted style and classic, action-oriented gameplay.

What if you had to live your whole life in one location … and then one day, suddenly, you could step outside and go anywhere in the whole neighborhood? The Sims 3 gives you the freedom to create unique Sims and immerse them in your own living neighborhood of endless possibility!

With an extensive range of features Runes of Magic prepares to redefine the standard of free-to-play MMO games. Even at the beginning Runes of Magic conveys its absorbing story in over 600 quests embedded in an atmospheric world.

Hearts of Iron III will follow the series' tradition of most detailed and complete strategic game on WW2 while focusing on satisfying veteran players through a multitude of new features and systems, including a huge map with more than 10,000 provinces.

Armed with iconic moves from rigorous assassin training, including "Curving Bullets" and "Bullet Explosion," as well an arsenal of powerful, high-tech weapons, players will explore Wesley’s quest to becoming an unmatched uberassassin in fast-paced, action-packed combat against the world’s most notorious killers. As a follow-up to our preview yesterday, we sat down with GRIN's Ulf Andersson to talk, after quite a few drinks, about the upcoming game based on the Wanted movie.

Brütal Legend is a 3rd person Action/Adventure game starring Jack Black in the role of roadie Eddie Riggs, who sets on an epic quest to build an army of rockers with only a broad axe, a big block V8 and his faithful guitar in hand.

Capcom's Resident Evil 5 is the forthcoming installment in the Resident Evil survival horror series, which will debut for the PS3 and X360, promising to revolutionize the series by delivering an unbelievable level of detail, realism and control.

GTA IV: The Lost and Damned features a new main character and plot that intersects with the storyline of Grand Theft Auto IV; new missions that offer an entirely fresh way to explore Liberty City with new multiplayer modes, weapons and vehicles; and a diverse soundtrack with additional music.

MotoGP is the world's premier motorcycling championship consisting of 18 Grands Prix hosted around the globe, featuring the world's top motorcycle manufacturers who provide machinery for the world's best riders.

Fallout 3 places a player in the role of a Vault-dweller, who ventures from his secluded, underground survival Vault into a post-apocalyptic world of mutants, radiation, gangs and violence.

While Guitar Hero: Metallica isn't officially announced yet, the latest issue of GameInformer reveals the first details. New drums difficulty (for people with two kick pedals), pop-up video style tracks, new guitar and bass tones, and additional tracks from bands such as Slayer, Foo Fighters, Judas Priest, Kyuss and Mastodon, as well as Metallica tracks, of course.

Codemasters' Rise Of The Argonauts is an action/rpg set in ancient Greece where you will embark on an epic quest, and encounter legendary figures such as Jason, Hercules and Atalanta.

Jutland is Storm Eagle Studios 2nd installment utilizing its Distant Guns 3D Combat Engine! Set in the treacherous waters of the 1916 North Sea, Jutland delivers the most detailed World War One naval experience ever released for PC wargaming!

Another day, another batch of games shipped to stores. Instead of giving them all their own posts, we grouped them, and so far there are announcements for:

• Jutland (PC)
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  We will update this throughout the day when new announcements become available. Read more for details ...

Ninja Blade is a cinematic action game where, armed with an arsenal of specialized ninja weapons, tools and skills, players will be given the epic task of defending Tokyo and ultimately humanity from a horrific, genetically mutating disease. Metal Gear Solid series composer Norihiko Hibino announced the release dates for the original soundtrack and the "Beanstalk" single, performed by Japanese vocalist Yuki Koyanagi.

King Arthur is a turn-based empire-building strategy game set in a medieval, mystical Britain where you will play the role of legendary Arthur, the Once and Future King. You build Camelot, enlist the Knights of the Round Table, unite the country and ultimately challenge the powers threatening the essence of all their previous endeavors.