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Ever notice how an increasing number of new Xbox LIVE Arcade games have decided to randomly feature Avatars, usually to serve no actual purpose whatsoever? Yeah, so I’m not alone then. Good news if you enjoy seeing your virtual self constantly, because two of this week’s XBLA games are perfect for you. Puzzle Bobble,Bust-A-Move, “that game with those dinosaurs where theydon’tjump” — whatever you want to call it, it’s coming to LIVE Arcade this week....

Are you a betting man? If so, popular discount Web site My Voucher Codes hasa hot tip for you. The site has been looking at the sales data from its various retail partners and has confidently claimed that the Xbox 360 is primed to defeat the PS3 by an eyebrow-raising 3:1 ratio this holiday season. “A couple of months ago, little separated the two in terms of units being sold through our site, but November has seen a huge surge by Microsoft’s budget friendly console, backed by a stellar PR campaign,” says My Voucher Codes founder Mark Pearson....

Well,Famitsuhas them if we’re being honest with ourselves, but that’s not going to stop us talking about the hot newYakuza 3images that have freshly surfaced. This PlayStation 3 exclusive is looking pretty damn sexy if these shots are anything to go by.Yakuza 3continues the adventures of Kiryu Kazuma both in the fictional Kamuro-cho and Okinawa. The game is currently slated to be released in Spring 2009. Thesequel to the originalYakuzahasn’t even been released in Europe yet (it’s due out this Friday, actually) which is pretty crazy, really....

[Header image unrelated, except that it’s immediately what I visualize when I hear the above headline] The possible applications for the 3DS are intriguing and I’m sure all sorts of good ideas will spring to software developers minds as they work with it. Speaking with Forbes magazine, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata mentioned an idea that is clearly not good but will no doubt be implemented by someone somewhere because, for some inexplicable reason, people seem to want it: 3D video chat....

Since I’m all about not leaving the house and not owning physical things, Sony’s upcoming 99-cent PlayStation Network movie rental initiative holds some appeal to me. Following the success of the program this past June, Sony is bringing it back starting on August 16 and running through August 22. A select number of titles will be available for streaming rental for only 99 cents… in standard definition. If you want HD, that’ll cost you $1....

With all the titles coming out this holiday, one game in particular rises above the crowd.Country Dance 2(the slightly less rad, country only, answer to theJust Danceseries) will let players singanddance to top country hits. Up to four people will now be able to boogy, thanks to the multi-player. Despite having lived in Oklahoma for about ten years, I haven’t heard of most of the artists that will be featured in this game....

[As previously posted onTomopop] If you are more of a toy collector than a gamer, this custom may not mean as much to you as those of us who spent our childhood years lost in the world of Final Fantasy. However, if you did gladly lose many hours to the grandiose saga that wasFinal Fantasy VI, you may be screaming and shaking your monitor with glee right now, and I can’t say I blame you....

Hope you haven’t traded it in yet, because Sega has announced that it’s releasing its second downloadable content forAliens vs. Predatoron July 7. Called the “Bughunt Map Pack,” the DLC will contain two new multiplayer maps for “Deathmatch,” “Predator Hunt,” “Infestation,” “Species Deathmatch,” “Mixed Species Deathmatch,” and Domination. Also in the pack will be two more maps designed specifically for the “Survival” mode. Sega says the maps will included “environment hazards and new weather effects....

[For hisMonthly Musing, MuddBstrd shows us what life would be like if the progress bars and ranking screens we all know and love from games suddenly showed up in real life. Want to write your own Musing? Go write one now in the Cblogs! — JRo] A wise person once said that “ignorance is bliss.” Appropriately enough, I have no idea who did. When I was younger, I couldn’t understand how ignorance could possibly be bliss, or even just a good thing at all....

Want to try out some game demos of Android games before buying them? Gameloft has a deal where you may try several of their games. There’s already eleven titles out:Real Football 2010, Asphalt 5, Assassin’s Creed, Dungeon Hunter, Gangstar: West Coast Hustle, Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X., Hero of Sparta, Let’s Golf!, Modern Combat: Sandstorm, N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance, andUNO. To try any of these out, get your phone out, search “gameloft” in Google, hit then link, and there you’ll see the options listed for games you’re able to try before you buy....

As requested and promised, here’s our additional Ten Minute Taste of the Japanese version ofFinal Fantasy XIII.Our first onedidn’t do much for those that played the Japanese demo, as it covered much of the same ground. This new one comes from about 3 hours into the game. We did our best to pick a part that showed something new, working hard to avoid anything that would spoil the story. That said, if you’re trying to save yourself for the US release, keep in mind that this is well past the first ten minutes....

Ever since the iPhone busted onto the scene and demolished the profit margin of Nintendo and Sony’s handheld devices, we’ve been wondering what more could possibly be offered on the platform. Considering the iPhone’s massive success in the gaming sphere, an MMO would be the natural extension. It’s a good thing that Beijing-based developer WiStone is ready to step up to the plate with their mobile MMO,Anrufen Online. Anrufen Onlineis an isometric MMO, designed around fighting enemies and taking care of little monsters so that they will follow your character around....

Although we had heard thatAssassin’s Creed 2DLC was on the way, details were scarce. Now we have more than just names, with Ubisoft droppingfull detailsand prices on all our monkey asses. The Battle of Forli will be the first piece of content, released in early January for the reasonable price of $3.99. It will involve Machiavelli and Caterina Szorza fighting alongside Ezio to protect a piece of Eden from the Orsi Brothers and the Templars....