If you've been jonesing to play along to a song performed by a fictional, cartoon heavy metal band, then look no further: Activision has announced a downloadable Dethklok song coming this month to the Guitar Hero line, as part of a metal track pack.

On the opposite extreme, January will see a Vampire Weekend collection released for Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero to coincide with the band's new album, as well as a three-track Creedence Clearwater Revival set and a collection of songs from "up-and-coming blues masters." (We assume that these so-called masters are real people and not cartoon characters.)

All tracks packs will be available for $5.49 on PS3, 550 Wii Points, or 440 on Xbox 360. In addition, all songs will be available a la carte for $1.99, 200 Wii Points, or 160. Head past the break for the complete January DLC lineup.

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Following Capcom France head Antoine Seux's uncertainty about the Wii as a profitable platform for the company going into 2010, it would appear that the Capcom mothership would like to carefully rephrase the sentiment. As such, HQ has issued a statement reconfirming the Japanese publisher's "commitment as a multiplatform developer and publisher of interactive software."

There's no word on just how many lashes Mr. Seux is to receive.

Netherlands-based handheld gaming studio Engine Software has developed a cool new piece of tech for the DSi: motion sensitivity. To show off this breakthrough, the company has developed a brief demo video of TILT, a kind of Marble Blast Ultra clone where the player guides a ball around the gameworld by tilting the DSi. It's not the first we've heard of this kinda tech, and it won't be the last.

Engine Software isn't stopping with just this tech demo, however. The company is currently working on a full DSiWare game that will incorporate this new technology; though it likely won't be a full version of TILT, but rather an entirely new game. Head past the break to check out a brief video showcasing the tech.

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Last year at CES, Nyko unveiled the Wand, its take on Nintendo's Wiimote. This year, the peripheral maker's big item is ... abracadabra ... the Wand -- with one exciting addition! The $40 Wand+ is a single, self-contained unit that includes MotionPlus compatibility. The device still supports the crazy Trans-Port stuff, like the original Wand does, which means that Wiimote buttons can be automatically remapped to buttons on other Nyko accessories, including its gun controller.

Nyko has also introduced two variants of its cookie-inspiring Charge Base IC remote charger: a version of the original in black and a new one that can accommodate four Wiimotes.

For PS3, the company has designed a new version of its Intercooler made to bulk up Sony's Slim model, and the Media Hub Slim, a combination of a tiny remote control and a USB hub.

The Wand and Charge Base Quad IC are due in stores this March. The Intercooler will be available next month for $19.99, and the Media Hub Slim will retail for $19.99 when it's released in April.

And here we thought Tetris DS was the best blend of the Russian puzzler and Nintendo's classic platforming game Super Mario Bros., but Tuper Tario Tros. is a quite imaginative combination of the two. In fact, we haven't seen Tetris go so well with something since we were introduced to the conflict resolution capabilities of Tresling.

Already the culprit behind a sharp downturn in Joystiq productivity today, we now offer it to you. Just, uh, don't play it as much as we did. We can get away with it since, y'know, it's kinda our job.

[Via digg]

In previous videos for Atlus's upcoming game Trauma Team, we've seen interviews with the voice actors, and behind-the-scenes footage of the recording process and game development. This latest, however, focuses on something that's only been incidental to other trailers: footage of Trauma Team, the game.

In this somewhat infomercial-esque video, Atlus introduces the aspect of the game most like its Trauma Center predecessors: the surgical portion. However, unlike the maddening, arcade-style Trauma Center, many of the surgical challenges come without a time limit. Also seen in this video: pretty good 3D models of bones! We just wanted to point that out.

Though we've yet to see official numbers on November's Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, Capcom France head Antoine Seux told Gamekult in a recent interview that sales of the game were "below what we had hoped." The English translation of the interview indicates that just 16,000 units were sold worldwide as of December 23, something that has Seux feeling "concerned" as Capcom continues to develop for Nintendo's consoles.

"Indeed, the Wii is becoming complex," he says. Seux believes that high-profile games like Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games and New Super Mario Bros. Wii -- games that were "strongly supported" by "massive advertising campaigns" -- are the only ones that stand a chance. "For us, Capcom, the future is the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360," he finishes up with, couching that in his belief that "This will be a difficult year for the handheld in general, DS or PSP." Perhaps he's been borrowing Pachter's sorcery ball?

[Via Nintendo Everything]

In a recent sales projection sent to Joystiq centering around GameStop, everyone's favorite games analyst, Michael Pachter, offered some viewpoints on December sales for GameStop, taking care to also paint his own portrait on industry sales as a whole for 2010. He points to Modern Warfare 2 and hardware sales (thanks, price drops!) as top earners for GameStop.

Pachter is hopeful for 2010, expecting a full-on rebound in game sales starting January. He points to the great exodus of fourth quarter 2009 as a factor behind the increased game sales, with first quarter releases of Bioshock 2, Splinter Cell: Conviction and Army of Two: The 40th Day mentioned as expected top earners. He says this uptick in sales will benefit GameStop, which he surmises will have about 30 percent share of the software market in January -- something that will insulate against what he expects to be a year of gradual decline in Wii hardware sales.

Just a few weeks before the game is due for release in North America, Capcom revealed one final new character for Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Yatterman-2. For those of you unfamiliar with the Yatterman series, Yatterman-2 is the girlfriend of "Yatterman-1" Gan, who accompanies him on his superhero-ing work, and uses an electrified baton in fights. For the more pragmatic among you, Yatterman-2 is another character you'll get to try in the game, which should be exciting on its own merits. This is the last of the rumored new characters to be revealed.

You can see Yatterman-2 in action at GameSpot -- the character premiered exclusively on that site's "On the Spot" video feature.

You might not be able to play as Banjo and Kazooie in the Wii version of Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing, but you will be able to play as ... The Notorious B.I.G.! No, Sega hasn't added a selection of deceased rappers to the game's playable cast (no matter how many times we ask) -- the publisher has merely announced Mii support.

Much like the racing Avatars in the Xbox 360 version, the Wii version of Sega All-Stars Racing allows your Miis to compete against Sonic, Knuckles, Ryo Hazuki, and the rest of the assembled Sega crew. Hey, this is one way to get Segata Sanshiro back in the game -- where he belongs.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is ready to head into the WiiWare courtroom this Monday, Capcom reveals. You'll be able to relive the classic lawyer-em-up for 1,000 Wii Points ($10), where your Hamilton will net you the first four episodes from the original GBA game -- Capcom says the final fifth episode will be available later as DLC for 100 Wii Points ($1).

And if you're scratching your noggin, wondering what the big deal is, feel free to check out some recent videos from the game.

We're not sure what the tagline will be – "Is it first-party? Or is it Memorex?" – but the storied consumer electronics company best known for its blank cassette tapes (remember those?) has been busy branching out, and a new series of video games accessories targeting Nintendo's various products is its latest endeavor.

The company has taken the opportunity at CES to unveil a Wii racing wheel, a Wii wireless sensor bar, some sleeves for everything from your Wiimote to your Wii Fit balance board, a charging kit for your Wiimotes, a rechargeable battery pack for Wii Fit, and some DSi goodies as well. Like most of these offerings, there isn't much you'll find exciting here. Check out the full specs in the press release after the break, or, if you're a visual learner, flip through the gallery for some eye candy.

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Avatar may be the big buzz in 3D flicks these days, but for many, the technology is always going to be associated with monster movies and those red-and-blue anaglyph lenses. For those of us hopelessly infatuated with those ridiculous-looking lenses and cheesy movies, Majesco is publishing Attack of the Movies 3D for Wii.

The on-rails shooter features set pieces heavily inspired by movies, for up to four players to blast point-and-click their way through. With your friends, you'll "battle large alien space cruisers, shoot underwater monsters, join the resistance against the machines and more" against enemies "culled from the annals of film history." And you'll get to do it in glorious red and blue -- the game includes four sets of 3D glasses!

Attack of the Movies 3D is expected for release this spring.

If you're the type of person who spends the weekend stuffing wads of cash into your Skeet shooter, only to blow 'em to pieces with your golden shotgun once they're airborne, then the $250 Omega Music Technology's GM-1 may be the perfect accessory to your expensive hobbies. The system is essentially an intermediary between Guitar Hero or Rock Band gaming drums, allowing you to play along with the games' drum tracks on the real thing ($500 drum set sold separately).

As Ars Technica points out in a recent hands-on with the product, "It's an interesting idea, but you need to be willing to put some serious time and money into the project to get worthwhile results." Aside from owning a set of real drums, you'll need the "fake" ones, too -- the GM-1 sensors send feedback from your drum set to the attached Guitar Hero or Rock Band drums, which then send the in-game cues to the gaming console. Sure, it might work, but who's got the time and money? Oh, that's right, you, Mr. I Own the Biggest Music Game Peripheral Ever. Congratulations.

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has offered the first concrete information about the next DS system -- as in, not the next revision of the current DS, but the true next Nintendo handheld system -- in an interview with the Asahi Shimbun newspaper. "[It will have] highly detailed graphics," Iwata said, "and it will be necessary to have a sensor with the ability to read the movements of people playing." Sort of like the iPhone, yes, but Nintendo isn't exactly an also-ran in the field of motion-controlled gaming. Iwata declined to specify a release window for this DS2 -- or a better name than our suggestion.

Iwata also addressed potential service changes for both the current DS network and its successor, suggesting that there would be no "monthly service plan" offered for games. He indicated that Nintendo was looking to increase the number of businesses that host DS Wi-Fi hotspots instead of supporting a 3G-like service (à la Kindle or iPhone) for the DS. The "Mac de DS" service Nintendo provides in partnership with McDonald's offers free wireless connections for the handheld, along with exclusive downloadable content.

In Wii news, Iwata dropped one bomb that will delight fans ... and one that will probably initiate eyerolls. First, the good news: The new Zelda game -- sort of revealed at E3 last year -- is scheduled for release by the end of 2010. And now, that other news: The Wii Vitality Sensor, the bizarre biofeedback attachment also unveiled at E3, will be released somewhere in the neighborhood of July, following a press conference about the device.

[Via Kotaku]