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Update: We've closed the comments and will contact a winner this week. Check the email tied to your commenter name, folks!

For this week's not-quite-the-holidays-yet giveaway, we've got a Band Hero prize pack for the Nintendo Wii and DS lined up for one lucky winner. That's right! Not just Band Hero for your silly old home console, but also for your handheld (that is, unless you have a Nintendo DSi or XXL -- sorry!). Prepare to be embraced by friends and relatives as a genuine American (or Canadian, excluding Quebec) hero while playing along to your favorite Taylor Swift song.

In honor of last night's Video Game Awards (and the subsequent flood of news and trailers), we're asking you to tell us what your favorite trailer or news was from the World Premiere-stravaganza. We'll pick one winner at random this week, so as always, be sure to keep an eye on the inbox!

• Leave a comment telling us what your favorite trailer or news was from last night's World Premiere-stravaganza (the VGAs).
• You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec -- likely because of The Kids in the Hall).
• Limit 1 entry per person per day
• This entry period ends at 7:31PM ET on Monday, December 13
  
• At that time, we'll randomly select one winner to receive one copy of Band Hero for Nintendo DS ($50 ARV) and one copy of Band Hero for Nintendo Wii ($50 ARV).
• For a list of complete rules, click here

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What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. For more info on our policy, click here.

The multi-platinum rock band No Doubt has filed a lawsuit against Activision in a L.A. County Superior Court claiming its likeness was "transformed" into a "virtual karaoke circus act" in over sixty songs in the recently released music title, Band Hero. According to TMZ, No Doubt claims gamers were only supposed to be able to use their likeness with three of its own tracks; however, the band is available as playable characters through the game's entire music catalog.

Of particular note is lead singer Gwen Stefani's displeasure that her likeness can be used to sing "Honky Tonk Woman" by the Rolling Stones -- a song which references sex with prostitutes -- using a male voice and mannerisms. For its "circus act" inclusion, No Doubt is seeking an injunction to halt the "unauthorized use" of the band's name and likeness, as well as an unknown amount of damages (aka mad monies). Seems like Activision can't keep rock stars happy, dead or alive.

[Via TeamXbox]

No, that isn't your high school gym teacher (pictured right), that's Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo and he's joining with Nintendo to help launch the upcoming Pop-centric music title, Band Hero. Tomorrow, November 1, beginning at 11AM (EDT) at the Nintendo World Store in Rockefeller Plaza, players will have a chance to play both the Nintendo Wii and DS versions of the game before lining up for an exclusive autograph session with the singer from 3PM to 4PM.

Need more incentive to join the party? The first fifty players in line will walk away with a pre-release copy of the game to call their own and other random giveaways. Finally, you yourself can interrupt your sister's Taylor Swift karaoke sessions in homage to Kanye West's VMA performance. We call that, "emergent gameplay."

Marvel has finally confirmed the price and release date for the first batch of DLC for Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2. The pack will debut on November 5 for $9.99 on the PSN and 800 ($10) on Xbox 360. Included in the pack will be new simulator missions, boosts and, most important of all, three new characters. Namely, players will be able to get their hot little hands on Carnage, Psylocke and Cable.

In addition to the DLC pack, Juggernaut will also be released as a downloadable character. Originally, he was available only as a pre-order bonus but, starting November 5, anyone will be able to tell Charles to get out of their head for the price of $1.99 on PSN and 160 ($2) on Xbox 360.

Activision is making people believe in the weird DS "drum skin" attachment for Band Hero the best way it knows how: by finding the most excitable shills it can in shopping centers, and putting the game in their hands. Predictably, they love it. We've never seen a mall so full of people willing to dance awkwardly to a DS game.

The buttons that go on top of the DS's buttons are only one of the selling points espoused in this trailer. Band Hero's extensive track list and flexible multiplayer (just like in the console version, you can combine instruments in any configuration) get lip service too. But they aren't as noticeable as that thing you put on the DS to play drums.

Cable, the mutant with the amazing power to have a gun (he has other powers, but the gun one is the standby), appears in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 as an NPC, but the latest announced downloadable content for the game adds him as a playable character. Soon, you'll be able to have a big futuristic space-gun in the game as well! Activision didn't specify a time frame for this DLC. It's just "upcoming."

Video game fans might know Cable best as one of the cheapest characters in Marvel vs. Capcom 2. For the sake of this game, let's hope he's a bit less powerful now.

In a recent blog post, Marvel.com spotlights upcoming downloadable content for the superhero action title Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, which will add simulation missions and the previously Wii- and PS2-exclusive character Psylocke to the game. According to Marvel Games Intern Randy Ma, the katana-wielding "ninja babe" -- his awkward words, not ours -- is a welcome addition to the HD version of the game, giving Jean Grey's mind powers "a run for her money."

In the spotlight, Marvel also reveals tidbits of information for two of the game's upcoming simulation missions. Insidious Alliance pits players against some of the universe's toughest bosses in an arena-style match and adds an achievement/trophy for defeating the mission without using any health canisters, perfect for gaming masochists. According to scenario designer Mark Webster, the mission Balance is an homage to classic 2.5D brawlers like (get this!) the original X-Men arcade titles. More DLC news is expected in the coming weeks.

[Update: Corrected quote attribution]

The Major sends word that a Band Hero demo is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. The demo allows players to try out three different songs in the new, family-friendly Hero title and offers both the Party Play mode and the new Sing-Along mode. The three playable songs are:

• Finger Eleven - "Paralyzer"
• Katrina & The Waves - "Walking on Sunshine"
• Taylor Swift - "Picture to Burn"

That's right, Taylor Swift is right there. With some clever positioning and a few mirrors, you might be able to convince your daughter this is the full game, saving you the trouble of actually buying it. Good luck.

We can only imagine the meeting at Vicarious Visions where the development team behind Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2's DLC was arranged. "Well, we've already got Spider-Man and Venom, but we really feel like the game's still lacking in the Spider-Man spinoff department -- what about that other Spider-Man guy?" And thus, Carnage enters the fray as the game's first downloadable character.

Known for his stint in the super-violent Spider-Man mini-series "Maximum Carnage" and, um, that SNES game we played so long ago, Carnage will assuredly lend an over-the-top je ne sais quoi to MUA2's proceedings. We're not exactly sure what happens when you pair him with Spider-Man and Venom on screen, but we worry they might get eaten by Carnage, which could be really awkward.

Joining confirmed characters Juggernaut, Penance, Songbird and Deadpool is the latest addition to the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 cast: Ms. Marvel. Activision just sent us a press release with some media showcasing the super-strong, super-fast super-blonde doing, well ... doing what looks like a lot of the same stuff she did in the first game. There's flying, there's lazerin' and plenty of dudes getting the business. Check out the video above to see her in action, then be sure to head into the gallery below for some in-game shots.

Gallery: Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (8.14.09)

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Activision's announcement that songs from Guitar Hero World Tour and Smash Hits can be "imported" into Guitar Hero 5 (and Band Hero) had everyone thinking back to Rock Band 2's ability to rip songs right off the original Rock Band disc. As it turns out, in this case you won't need a disc at all.

We followed up with the publisher to find out exactly how the process works, as it had been referred to as both "importing" and "downloading" on an initial info sheet. The short answer: you'll be downloading new versions of your old songs. "Within the Guitar Hero 5 song import menu, gamers will key in their unique ID from the manual of the previous game, pay a small re-licensing fee and then be given access to download the available songs (like DLC) in a big batch," we were told this morning. That's for PS3 and 360; with the Wii version, the songs can be downloaded on a track-by-track basis.

"This is done to bring these songs up to date with enhanced Guitar Hero 5 features like band moments, expert+ drumming (new for World Tour songs) and the new vocal star power. The game reacts to these songs as though they were DLC and are available in the same play modes," Activision explained.

So, you just need the manual (and a decent internet connection). Unfortunately, this means that some second-hand copies of GHWT and Smash Hits can't be used for the process, as they'll either be missing the original game manual, or their previous owner already redeemed the 20-digit code. "These codes can be used only once," a PR rep revealed. "However, once you have downloaded the content, you are free to re-download it at anytime at no extra cost, if you need to make more hard drive or SD [card] space."

We recently went hands, feet and ... voice-on with the latest Guitar Hero installment, and while we didn't come away with our world totally rocked by innovation, we can confirm that there's more to Guitar Hero 5 than just a new song list. It's a game that does more to challenge hardcore series veterans than Guitar Hero World Tour did, but its variety of new mechanics and modes make it clear that Neversoft (and Vicarious Visions on Wii) haven't forgotten those who just want to party.

And we thought the announcement of a returning feature from a previous game was exciting. In an interview with IGN, Vicarious Visions' Karthik Bala revealed that the Wii version of Guitar Hero 5 won't bother you for Friend Codes when you try to play online.

"For GH5, we've implemented support for your global Wii Friend Codes," Bala told IGN. "If you've got friends in your Wii address book, they'll automatically be added to your friends list in game, so you can easily connect up with them in online multiplayer games."

GH5 on Wii is now at "full feature parity" with the other versions, Bala said. It includes eight-player online play (no longer limited to two Wii consoles), and also adds a couple of Wii-exclusive features like a "Roadie Battle" mode and DS control of aspects of the (updated) Mii Freestyle.