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Classic fighter Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is on sale today.  Typically 1200 points, if you act today you can snag it for 560 points thanks to Microsoft’s Xbox LIVE Holiday Deals.  While past deals have included similarly discounted Marketplace games, every once in awhile you might catch something clever like the Avatar present prop for free!

Keep an eye out for such features this holiday season.

According to a Capcom release that surfaced yesterday, there might be some bad news for gamers anxious for the Street Fighter IV facelift.  G4tv pointed out that Super Street Fighter IV, Lost Planet 2, Monster Hunter 3, and Dead Rising 2 might be subject to a delayed release for “strategic reasons”.  This delay would mean that the aforementioned titles could now fit into the window of Capcom’s fiscal 2011, or April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011.

Much like the movie industry rearranges releases in order to avoid stiff competition, Capcom proves that the video game industry displays similar tactics.  Don’t be surprised if Capcom sends out most of its heavy hitters a little later than expected.  Sadly, the waiting game is all-too-familiar to gamers.

Infinity Ward is attempting once again to stamp out those bugs that have infested Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer mode. Now that the infamous javelin glitch has been addressed and the unlimited airdrop glitch has been fixed, those pesky exploiters have had to find other griefing tactics. Infinity Ward’s Creative Strategist Robert Bowling tweeted that the newest patch for the sixth Call of Duty title will deal with a new batch of problems plaguing multiplayer. Notable fixes include the following:

1887s Balanced
Public “private” Match fix
Infinite Ammo fix
Prestige Hack on PS3 fix
Texture Hack on PC fix (eliminates any edits to IWD files also)

According to Mr. Bowling the patch should hit at 2 a.m. That gives players like the author plenty of time to rack up more deaths and blame them on those dirty exploiters.

Looking for a good deal on an Xbox 360 console?  You might have to wait until after Christmas.  Wal-Mart posted a nice deal on its site that might just lure those imminent recipients of Wal-Mart gift cards. 

If Santa didn’t quite know what to get you and instead opted to stock your stuffing with a Wal-Mart gift card, don’t fret.  The retail giant will be offering the typical Xbox 360 Elite package, complete with a headset, composite A/V cable, Xbox LIVE free trial, Netflix free trial, 120 gig hard drive, Lego Batman and Pure, as well as a bonus $50 gift card.  This bargain takes effect online and in stores starting on December 26th.

So you’ll be getting another gift card.  Just think of it as a free game or two.  If you stretch your dollar, you might even get more than that! 

Don’t be so hard on St. Nick; the guy delivers presents all over the world, so he can’t get it right all the time.

It’s Halo.  It’s Reach.  The graphics look amazing.  Need I say more? 

Video Games | Spike TV VGAs 2009 | Halo: Reach Exclusive In-Engine Debut

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Game on!

Introduction
Ol’ fashioned hospitality is cast out in Valve’s Left 4 Dead 2, the zompocalypse sequel that follows four survivors on the run in the undead-infested southern states. Launched in the U.S. on November 17th, L4D2 follows its predecessor is powered by Valve’s own Source engine and orchestrated by the “Director” artificial intelligence that tailors the gaming experience to the player’s performance. Despite a number of instances of controversy and criticism, the title still managed to make waves with FPS fans and undead slayers alike.

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In a previous article it was mentioned that Gearbox might have let it slip that the second DLC to their roleplaying shooter was already formulated. It was rumored that the new content for Borderlands would deal primarily with the arena battles that only briefly appeared during the initial story arc. That rumor has now been confirmed by Gearbox itself.

According to Jon Hemingway, Gearbox’s designer for the new content, Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot consists of jumping into three new Riot Mode arenas and beating back waves of enemies in conventional shoot-em-up fashion…at first. Then Moxxi steps in with her “Maxims” that stipulate wacky variations that completely change the game, like a “Vampire Rule” that drains your character’s health, but refills it after a kill. Another Maxim by the name of “Shotgun Challenge” boosts the titular gun’s damage while other firearms’ lethality is lessened.

The trophies listed in the earlier article had mentioned small and big tournaments. Hemingway proposed that the small tournaments would take approximately an hour to finish, whereas the bigger, more challenging tournaments would require a whopping six hours or so of playtime. What’s even more rigorous is that progress cannot be saved intermittently, but you can walk away for a breather and come back to it.

Also in this expansion comes the answer to many prayers, to be sure. A bank feature was vaguely mentioned, providing more storage for Pandoran packrats. Instead of SDU, how about skill points? Players can become even stronger, unlocking two more skill points through quests.

Much like Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, the new DLC carries a $10 pricetag, and it is due to hit the Xbox 360 on December 29th. Gather up the Christmas card cash and call a few friends, boys and girls…dyin’ time’s here.

Deal of the Week continuously delivers more fun to Xbox LIVE Gold Members for less points, so take advantage of these supreme deals each week in December.

Week of December 7:

“Fallout® 3 Operation Anchorage” Game add-on (Bethesda) | Japan: 560 Microsoft Points, rated M for Mature by the ESRB

Week of December 14:

“Lips: Coldplay Track Pack” (Microsoft Game Studios) | Worldwide except Japan and India: 240 Microsoft Points, rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

“Pinball FX” (ZEN Studios) | Japan: 400 Microsoft Points, rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

Week of December 21:

“Shadow Complex™” (Epic/Chair Entertainment) | Worldwide: From the producers of Gears of War comes “Shadow Complex,” a modern and masterful side-scrolling shooter. Winner of nine ‘Best of E3’ awards, “Shadow Complex” combines the quality and depth of a retail title with the accessibility you love, available exclusively on Xbox LIVE Arcade. December 21 through December 27, get “Shadow Complex” for 800 Microsoft Points, a 33% savings. “Shadow Complex” is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.

Week of December 28:

“The Maw” (Twisted Pixel) | Worldwide: 400 Microsoft Points, rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

Yes, you can has pony. Just recently announced were an assortment of Xbox LIVE Marketplace additions of the cute and/or fuzzy variety. By visiting here or through Xbox 360 browsing you can take a gander at the new pet shop, apparently resulting from a Microsoft survey previously administered. With pets ranging from cats, dogs, and even a snake, as well as the upcoming chocobo, now your Avatar can have his or her own menagerie!

Introduction:
Last week while everyone was focusing on how they would digest all that turkey, Gearbox said thanks by revisiting Halloween in the first DLC for Borderlands. The expansion, entitled “The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned,” continued with the frantic tempo established in Borderlands. Inviting Vault-hunters to pick up their guns and shake off that Pandoran dust, the new content sets hordes of zombies against the treasure hunters as they get to the bottom of what happened to the once industrious Jakob’s Cove.

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