Activision has announced the first DLC in development for Call of Duty: Black Ops, a member of the franchise made by Treyarch fresh studies publishing market. This is the content called First Strike, which will offer four standard maps plus a "zombie" exclusive time on the Xbox 360. According to the statement, it seems that PlayStation 3 and PC this expansion will come at a later date still unspecified. First Strike will debut on February 1 next on Xbox 360, priced at $ 15 (1200 Microsoft Points).

Here are some screenshots for three of the new maps:

Berlin Wall

Discovery

Stadium

Sony Japan is putting a special Christmas gift in the stockings of Gran Turismo 5 owners in that territory. From December 24 to January 31, Japanese GT5 drivers will be able to download a Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640, a BMW M3 Coupe and a Jaguar XJ13 completely free for use in the game. The Lambo and the Beemer were originally included in the game's collector's edition, and the Jag was a promotional extra from Facebook.

The promotion is currently for Japan only, so you US and European players will have to live with the usual coal in your stocking. Maybe next year, try not being so naughty?

The famous U.S. weekly Time Magazine, known as the world Time, has published the ranking of those who, according to the editorial, are the 10 most important games of the year.

Top 10 Video Games

• Alan Wake
• Angry Birds
• Red Dead Redemption
• Halo: Reach
• Super Mario Galaxy 2
• Limbo
• Super Meat Boy
• Super Street Fighter IV
• Starcraft II
• Mass Effect 2

Lots of video-game covers have a bold M on their lower left corner, but none have felt as mature as Alan Wake does. Its unsettled titular character carries adult concerns — a stalled career, a troubled marriage — into a psychological thriller set in a town taken over by a shadowy occult force. Alan Wake's biggest triumph lies in turning metaphor into game play. Yes, you fight the possessed townspeople of Bright Falls with the typical pistols and shotguns, but only after shining light on them to burn the darkness off. Its mix of meta-awareness and Hitchcockian suspense make Alan Wake a unique and fun experiment and one of the best games of the year.

An update to a forum post by Treyarch developer Josh Olin (aka JD_2020) has confirmed that Title Update 4 is being released for Call of Duty: Black Ops at 2am PST today. However, in a post on his Twitter account, Olin warns players to be patient, as you may "have to give it time to propogate" through the system.

It has already been confirmed that more updates are planned for the future. In an interview with Joystiq, Treyarch head Mark Lamia confirmed their ongoing support of the game when he was asked what the studio would be doing next:

First thing we're doing is we're still working on Black Ops. Right now we are just focused on the PC and console skus that were just launched. There's millions of people playing every day, and we're focused on supporting that. The response that I've gotten is that people are happy with the game.

We'll keep you updated with news on any more patches when further information is released.

This animation was brought to my attention recently though and it's something that you simply must see for three reasons:

1. It's Tuesday, and anything slightly offbeat is sure to brighten up your day.
2. It's some seriously impressive animation by YouTube user, Keshen8.
3. It's Black Ops… and LEGO… under one roof. What else can you ask for?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smETLCCPTVo

Electronic Arts confirmed this morning that Mass Effect 3 will launch simultaneously on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC in holiday 2011. This marks the first time the franchise will set foot on all consoles on the same day. The first installment is still not available on the PS3, while the critically acclaimed sequel will "save the lost" on Sony's console beginning January 18.

Mass Effect 3 was officially unveiled over the weekend at the 2010 Spike VGAs. As evidenced by the trailer and the description from the EA Store last week, the "final" chapter in the Mass Effect saga will see Shepard saving Earth from the Reaper invasion. Come on, Shepard has saved the galaxy twice now -- he (or she) should have no difficulty saving one measly planet.

Mass Effect 3 revealed during VGA 2010

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKo87FF9RZU

The EA Store has added a pre-order listing for Mass Effect 3 for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. The listing includes a description that notes the "Earth is burning" and Commander Shepard (that's you!) has to gather the races of the galaxy to launch "one final mission" against machines striking from beyond known space. No release window is provided on the site. The game is expected to be officially announced today during the 2010 VGAs on Spike.

Also of note, the search screen which lists Mass Effect 3 releases for the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 platforms. This, of course, is likely placeholder data (evidenced by the PC release's unlikely $59.95 price tag) and there's no release dates, placeholder or otherwise, so it's anybody's guess as to whether all three versions will be released simultaneously.

Today I take a look at the best games which graced the PlayStation 3 over the course of the year, and what a year it was.

First off, is Gamerankings' top ten, which gives us an idea of the games which were the most highly regarded among the mainstream gaming media by aggregating review scores.

Gamerankings' top 10 PS3 games of 2010

1. Red Dead Redemption – 94.76%

2. God of War III – 92.07%

3. Super Street Fighter IV – 92.23%

4. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood – 91.48%

5. Rock Band 3 – 90.88%

6. MLB 10: The Show – 90.53%

7. NHL 11 – 89.72%

8. Heavy Rain – 89.30%

9. NBA 2K11 – 89.27%

10. GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City – 89.27%

Shockingly, Gran Turismo 5 did not cut the mustard, receiving an aggregate of 88.10%. One of the chief complaints coming in from reviewers is that the game's damage modelling is weak, however, recent reports have revealed that true damage modelling kicks in after level 40, in order to make it easier to progress through the early stages. This aggregate is based on 10 reviews, and may edge up as more publications weigh in. CoDBlops also narrowly missed making the cut, with an aggregate of 89.03%.

My Gaming's PS3 picks of 2010

God of War III

Heavy Rain

Gran Turismo 5

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Vanquish

Need for Speed: Hot pursuit

Lara Croft and the Guardian of the Light

Castelvania: Lords of Shadow

Darksiders: Wrath of War

Following in the big dinosaur-shaped footprints of Doritos Dash of Destruction, Microsoft has released two more free Doritos branded XBLA games, each with an unlockable gamer picture, multiplayer support and of course, 200 Gamerscore's worth of achievements.

Both games are a result of Microsoft's US-based Doritos promotion that invites people to submit their ideas for games, the best of which get made into an XBLA game. Doritos Crash Course is a multiplayer platformer that has 15 levels of obstacle-laden challenges to complete as your Avatar.

Harms Way meanwhile is a multiplayer racing game that pits drivers against snipers, with the drivers having to complete 3 laps to win as the snipers attempt to blow up the drivers before they manage to reach the finish line. Head over to Xbox Live now to add Doritos Crash Course and Harms Way to your download queue. They're free!

With 2010 drawing to a close, it is time to sit back, and take stock of all the great games we got to play this year.

To get us started, below is a list of the top rated PC games of 2010, according to Gamerankings, which takes review scores from numerous publications around the world, and aggregates them to get an average.

Gamerankings' 10 best PC games of 2010

1. Mass Effect 2 94.09%

2. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty92.36%

3. Sid Meier's Civilization V 89.82%

4. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 88.62%

5. Amnesia: The Dark Descent 88.18%

6. Bioshock 2 87.43%

7. Just Cause 2 86.09%

8. Sam & Max The Devil's Playhouse Episode 2: The Tomb of Sammun-Mak 85.80%

9. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II – Chaos Rising 85.71%

10. Fallout: New Vegas 85.43%

With the official stuff out of the way, below is a list of the PC games that stood out for me during 2010.

My Gaming's PC picks of 2010

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty

Without a doubt, our PC game of the year, and quite possibly game of the year goes to StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. Not only did it deliver a memorable single player experience with a neat unit upgrade system, but the multiplayer is still a firm favourite in the MyGaming offices. If you play StarCraft II online, be sure to check out our StarCraft II social league which kicks off in January.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2

Another firm favourite was Bad Company 2, which won us over with its rich, dynamic and vast multiplayer component. Its unique and tactical team based gameplay made it stand out from the masses as one of the best FPS's of 2010.

Mass Effect 2

How could we forget Mass Effect 2? It was the first game that blew us away in 2010, with its rich characters, slick gameplay, and revised RPG system. Upgrade the Normandy spaceship as you traverse the galaxy in pursuit of a team worthy of tackling a suicide mission to save humanity.

Medal of Honor

Possibly the most underrated game of the year, the PC version of Medal of Honor offers a solid, current generation, fast-paced online FPS. Not everyone's cup of tea, but for some reason it managed to win me over, and earn a place on this list.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Despite its rocky launch, we remain hopeful that Treyarch will get the game running properly soon. Lag and performance issues ruin what is a true online FPS gem, but when it's working, it's absolute bliss. A definite game of the year contender if not for the technical problems.

Sid Meier's Civilisation V

The second PC exclusive on our list, Civ V was everything we hoped it would be. A revised combat system, as well as a new hexagonal tile set to give the long running series a welcome facelift make it the best Civ game released in a while.