Activision and Treyarch told us about their co-op multiplayer plans for Call of Duty: World at War following the game's unveiling back in June. Now they've put their promises into video form – although the roughly five minutes of footage is entirely focused on two-player action (the final game is pegged to support four-player teams through the entire campaign).

So far it looks to be ... pretty standard fare. Still, with the historically high intensity of COD's firefights, it will be a huge plus to have as many as three buddies backing you up in battle. Also, as nice as co-op is, we're extremely eager to see what Treyarch is working on to (hopefully) out-do COD4's stellar competitive mutliplayer modes.

Even more metal is making its way next week to Rock Band as DLC. All songs will be offered at $1 apiece for a month, then the price will double. You may commence the banging of heads ... now.

Roadrunner pack (480 / $6 for one month, then it jumps to 800 / $10)

• "Runnin' Wild" - Airbourne (80 / $1 for one month, then it jumps to 160 / $2, same applies to all other songs)
• "Clouds Over California" - DevilDriver (80 / $1)
• "Constant Motion" - Dream Theater (80 / $1)
• "My Curse" - Killswitch Engage (80 / $1)
• "Aesthetics Of Hate" - Machine Head (80 / $1)
• "Sleepwalker" - Megadeth (80 / $1)

Videos for the tracks can be found after the break. The songs will be available for download next Tuesday and Thursday for Xbox 360 and PS3, respectively.

How many DVDs does it take to screw in a light bulb? ... Are we talkin' a Mega Texture light bulb that casts penumbra shadowing?

In an update to id Software's data dilemma, John Carmack tells Tom's Games, "We're pretty much resigned to the fact that we're going to make [Rage] fit onto two DVDs on the 360." In other words, Microsoft isn't about to write off the steep royalties that allegedly add up with each additional game disc. The good news is you'll only have to whine for mom to swap your Xbox 360 discs once. The bad news, as headlined last week, is that Rage for Xbox 360 will supposedly look worse than the PlayStation 3's Blu-ray version due to data compression. But how much worse?

"All of the key scenes, the things anyone is going to take a screenshot of are going to look exactly the same on both platforms," Carmack explains. "They'll get the high quality compression. But if you go into some areas in the wasteland, like behind a fence where nobody will typically go and explore, this is where the 360 version may look a little blurry compared to the PS3." We hear id's been sweeping some artifacts under the rug too. And watch out for those jaggies hiding beneath the bed!

Capcom has officially announced its release dates and pricing for Bionic Commando Rearmed and, except for two tiny issues, everything looks pretty good for next week's launch. Turns out the PC version, available August 14, will cost $15, which is $5 more than on Xbox 360 and PS3, for no apparent reason [update: apparently, "$14.99 represents an appropriate price for the platform," Capcom says -- full statement on Shacknews]. The other thing is that the European PSN has no release date scheduled at this time.

PS3 owners in Japan, along with Xbox 360 owners worldwide, will be able to purchase BCR for $10 on August 13, US PS3 owners need to wait until the PSN updates the following day. We'll let you know when a European PSN release date is given.

[Via Big Download, PS3 Fanboy]

IGN was able to pin down seven new tracks for Guitar Hero World Tour and it's, well ... it's a mixed bag, to put it kindly. Let's take a look:

• Airbourne – "Too Much Too young..."
• At the Drive-in – "One Armed Scissor"
• Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – "Weapon of Choice"
• Bob Seger – "Hollywood Nights"
• Dinosaur Jr. – "Feel the pain"
• Silversun Pickups – "Lazy Eye"
• Survivor – "Eye of the Tiger"

Anything jump out at you specifically? Yep, Bob Seger. Now, of the Bob Seger songs you could choose from, you could do a lot worse than "Hollywood Nights." But Seger is also responsible for "Old Time Rock 'n' Roll," which is scientifically, quantifiably the second worst song ever recorded (after Phil Collins' version of "Groovy Kind of Love.") Shouldn't that preclude Seger's involvement with anything ever? Or are we being too restrictive?

EA has opened the briefcase on Godfather 2, revealing that the sequel you can't refuse will ship for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in February 2009.

EA also shed a bit more detail on the previously revealed "Don's View," which promises to kiss the gameplay with a touch of strategy. Here you'll build up, expand, and defend crime rings against rival families by hand picking "Made Men," and sending them out onto the streets to do your bidding. Godfather 2 will also include the previous game's BlackHand control scheme, promising "more visceral hand-to-hand brutality" this time around. As the old saying goes, if you want something done right, do it yourself.

There's a part of us that wants to compare The Ant Commandos' Illuminated Drumsticks to one of those ridiculously absurd Wiimote attachments; however, there's something stopping us. It's just ... it's just ... these are drumsticks that glow when you hit them on the drum pad. Come on, that's awesome!

At $20 the price is a bit silly, but then again, so is the whole concept. We're sure that under the right chemical conditioning these things will add a whole new level of glee to drumming. There's a horrible video after the break to see how it works.

[Via GayGamer]

It's time for Veronica Belmont to show us around the Qore again. Episode 3 covers DC Universe Online, Lego Batman and a couple other titles. As an added bonus, Qore annual subscribers will gain access to the Resistance 2 beta this month. Speaking of betas, downloading the Home theme in this week's update will sign you up for a chance to enter the Home beta. There's some other goodies to be found in the PSN update this week, but we're sure you're still enjoying that purchase of PixelJunk Eden from last week, right? RIGHT?! At least try the demo.

The Trophy-addicts over at PS3 Fanboy have the details on this week's European update. Be sure to check out their Trophy portal while you're over there.

No previous job experience necessary. No references or extracurriculars. Heck, you don't even need a first grade diploma. All you need to do is download the PlayStation Home PS3 theme released today on the PS Store and you'll have applied for access to the expanded Home beta test (a mundane magical world brimming with "stuff" -- just like real life ... only avoidable). Of course, there's one thing you can do to make sure your application rises to the top of the heap: Play. "We will be using a variety of criteria including activity on the PlayStation Network to determine eligibility for the Beta community," Home director Jack Buser explains on PlayStation.Blog.

If you do make the cut, please remember to wear your hard hat. This Home is still very much under construction.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Namco Bandai's ridiculously cross-branded Soul Calibur IV has cut a deep swath into retail shelves worldwide, shipping not one million units but two since its July 29 debut.

Still, and not to make an example out of you, Namco, but really all of this chest puffery over units shipped is a bit overblown. It's like bragging about how many pencils you threw at the ceiling, rather than what's really important, namely how many stuck. Then again, we imagine it's difficult to look up and count while you're ducking under the desk from falling profits.

If you had asked us what Ozzy Osbourne had in common with Bret Michaels just yesterday, we would have only been able to come up with "relentlessly unwatchable reality shows." But today we learn that both are members of the proud fraternity of artists featured in Guitar Hero games that aren't really known for playing guitar. G4 reported today that Ozzy would appear in Guitar Hero: World Tour, as would his tracks "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley."

Arguably, Ozzy makes for a more logical addition now that the game includes singing as well as shredding. But we're still happy to hear that he'll be bringing actual guitar hero Zakk Wylde along for digitization.

[Via ScoreHero]

Xbox World 360 magazine brings forth details of EA's forthcoming Godfather 2 game – helpfully extracted by sister-publication CVG – describing the sequel as "Scarface meets Total War." To further contextualize that pairing, the game is dropping some of that GTA-clone vibe in favor of the far less popular "sandbox game with RPG, RTS and erm, board game elements"-vibe.

If the game isn't content straddling just one game type, why should locales be any different? Following the plot of its cinematic namesake, Godfather 2 jet-sets from Miami to Havana to New York City. Want more numbers? The game packs six character classes – "bruiser, demolitions expert, arsonist, medic, safe cracker and engineer" – and each character can have one of twelve different "personalities." Here's some simple back-of-the-box math for y'all: six character classes times twelve personalities equals an amazing 72 playable characters (except not really).

Other features include "Don's View" (that's where the RTS magic comes in) and a perks system (thanks, board games!). No word on multiplayer, but EA's just getting this hype machine started before the game's ought-nine release. Give 'em time.

With Brett Favre booked for a one-way ticket out of retirement and into New York (as a Jet!), Madden NFL 09 will look decidedly vintage when it releases next week with Favre on the cover ... as a Packer. Some may attribute the gaffe to evidence of the "Madden Curse" at work (c'mon, it can do better than that!), but EA Sports boss Peter Moore assures, "There's a plan."

While IGN has already confirmed there will be no second printing -- Favre will remain a Packer on the surface of Madden 09, at least -- a Crispy Gamer interview with Moore and marketing director David Tinson published last week addressed the possibility of Favre switching teams; to which Moore offered his vague assurance. "It will ship with what you've seen. Yes. And then we'll have a plan if he's not [a Packer]," Tinson added. Day-one roster update confirmed!

Update: EA will indeed release a day-one update placing Favre on the Jets (and reflecting any other relevant roster changes), reports MTV Multiplayer. But that's not all: "We do not plan to re-issue packaging, but WILL offer a free downloadable cover in the coming days on easports.com featuring Brett Favre in a Jets uniform. Fans can print this new cover out and insert it into the case of Madden NFL 09," a company spokesperson revealed to MTV. See, EA did have a plan! ... But if you're not feelin' it, why not make your own cover?

[Image credit: FirstCuts]

If you're already an annual subscriber to the PlayStation Network's Qore "magazine" then you're undoubtedly already content with your purchase, having scored Calling All Cars, a beta invite to SOCOM: Confrontation (beta forthcoming), some interstitial advertising and, of course, two issues of interactive-y content. If you've been waiting to drop your virtual bucks on an annual subscription, today's installment should probably be on your radar because, as you undoubtedly remember, that subscription grants one access to the Resistance 2 beta program in September.

Here's the bad news: That access to the SOCOM beta you've been waiting for ... well, it won't start until September 8th (incidentally a full week after it kicks off for those who pre-ordered). The Resistance 2 beta: also September (and also after those pesky pre-order folks). So what we're trying to say here is this: your September is probably going to be pretty busy playing multiplayer PlayStation 3 shooters that aren't out yet. For more details on this month's episode of Qore, hit up that Source link or watch the trailer after the break.

Right, so there's good news and bad news about the SOCOM: Confrontation beta details released today. It's still pretty early in the morning, let's go good news first. The good news is that, if you pre-order the game at GameStop, not only will you get an invite to the beta of the game that kicks off Sept. 1, you'll also receive codes that you can give to two friends so you can all play together until it wraps up on Sept. 30.

The bad news? Those who'll get entry by having purchased the June issue of Qore won't be able to join in the fun until Sept. 8, which is sure to be a bitter pill if you bought the digi-mag just for the beta invite rather than the peerlessly charming Veronica Belmont.

[Via The Real SOCOM Blog]