Microsoft has announced that Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise will be released exclusively on the Xbox 360 on the 5th of September.

Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise features over 30 additional new Piñatas species as well as expanded co-operative options, various difficulty settings and numerous game play modes. The game will allow players to explore wild areas outside the garden where they can attempt to attract exotic Piñatas.

Whether it be the cold of the Pinartic to discover Pengums and Polollybears or the heat of the Dessert Desert to find Camellos and Jameleons, players will need to bait and retrieve these Piñatas as they will not come willingly into your garden. Once they are in your garden simply add snow or sand patches to make them feel at home.

For more information why not read our previous coverage.

Activision has announced that Guitar Hero: On Tour has sold over 300 000 units in the US in just seven days since the game was launched. This makes the title the largest North American launch for the Nintendo DS in Activision’s history by more than a factor of eight.

The sales also mean that Guitar Hero: On Tour ranks as one of Activision’s Top 5 best selling launches on any title on any platform in Activision’s history.

“Guitar Hero is one of the most successful entertainment properties and continues to push the boundaries of innovation with Guitar Hero: On Tour,” said Mike Griffith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Activision.

“The game’s breakthrough peripheral brings the Guitar Hero experience to the 41 million DS users in North America and Europe, where they can play anywhere, anytime.”

Sony has pulled firmware update v2.40 following problems with the highly anticipated update that introduces XMB in-game access and trophies.

According to SCEA’s PlayStation blog, firmware v2.40 has been taken offline “temporarily.” The update was pulled following reports of PS3’s locking up after downloading v2.40.

Director of Corporate Communications and Social Media Patrick Seybold noted that “We’ve received a limited number of calls from consumers experiencing an issue with installing the system software update on their PS3.”

Seybold goes on to say that only a low volume of calls about the firmware problem has been encountered but that Sony is “committed to providing the PS3 community with XMB access features delivered in the v2.40 update.”

Expect an update on this problem soon because apparently Sony is “working diligently to isolate the problem for those few consumers and to identify a solution before we put the firmware back up.” Keep checking back on the blog for updates.

Microsoft has cut the price of the Xbox 360 in Australia.

Effective from today the Xbox 360 Arcade unit will retail at AU$349, down from yesterday’s price of AU$399. This now makes the Arcade AU$50 cheaper than the Nintendo Wii down under.

The Xbox 360 Pro bundle will retail at AU$499, down from AU$579 and the Elite Xbox 360 will sell for AU$649, down from AU$729.

Earlier this year Microsoft cut the price of the Xbox 360 in Europe and Asia but rumours of a cut in the US have yet to be confirmed.

Activision is offering the ‘Top Gun Anthem’ as a free downloadable track for Guitar Hero III in celebration of the fourth of July.

The iconic song will be available to download for free from the 3rd of July from Xbox Live Marketplace and in the PlayStation Store.

Go ahead, enter the Danger Zone!

Majesco has decided to whip up another Cooking Mama title for the Wii in time for the holiday. Cooking Mama World Kitchen features 3D graphics, new recipes and modes as well as comedic kitchen mini-games.

Developed by Cooking Mama Limited, the game sees players simulating cooking using the Wii Remote as a kitchen utensil. Prepare to chop, slice and stir your way through new recipes but look out for comedic mini-games if you slip up during preparation. For example, Mama will try and save a burger you flip too high in her apron.

A new game play mechanic that integrates Wii Remote utensil play with additional rhythm and motion to make cooking more fun and easier.

“The Cooking Mama franchise continues to be a best seller at more than two million units sold to date. An original idea, inherently fun execution and Mama’s appeal have clearly resonated with both Wii and Nintendo DS audiences,” said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco.

“Mama’s newest iteration, Cooking Mama World Kitchen, builds on this success with a host of feature enhancements that improve the cooking experience and deliver more of the unique personality that has made Mama such an endearing video game character.”

Konami has announced that Castlevania Judgment is currently in development for the Wii. It is scheduled to be released across North America this fall.

Developed by Castlevania series producer Koji Igarashi, this marks the franchise’s next-gen debut on the Wii and its entry into the fighting game genre. The game will pit several generations of the Belmont clan against characters that span the series’ 22 year history.

The game will feature 3D environments rendered on the Wii and sees players choosing sides in a battle between good and evil using famous Castlevania characters. Players will use the Wii Remote and Nunchuk to slash, stab and whip through various stages and environments using surrounding objects as weapons.

Players can also use select characters to set traps and use monsters. In addition players will be able to compete head-to-head using Wi-Fi as well as unlock bonus game play content by connecting with Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia on the Nintendo DS.

“We wanted to take this addition to the signature Konami franchise in a direction that really sets it apart from the previous Castlevania titles in the series,” said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami.

“The Wii Remote and Nunchuk capabilities, along with the iconic characters, make this game the ideal entry point into the fighting game genre. This combination is certain to thrill old and new fans of the franchise.”

After several delays the day has eventually dawned upon us where the most anticipated, hyped about game has been released. Rockstar North had the most difficult task ahead of them of having to outdo themselves as they had very few competitors who took them on in their own game – free roaming.

This is Grand Theft Auto with the nasty bits trimmed off, the rough parts smoothed over and fun squeezed into every possible nook and cranny. The bad bits are gone, the good bits are better, and it’s very rare that you will find yourself bored sitting on your sofa, staring at your TV.

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Grand Theft Auto IV.

Soulcalibur is the week’s Xbox Live Arcade offering. You will also be able to get your hands on 280 new questions if you download the new content for Wits & Wagers.

Soulcalibur will be available on XBLA tomorrow for 800 Microsoft Points while the DLC for Wits & Wagers will set you back 320 Microsoft Points.

Dubbed to be the highest-rated console fighting game, Soulcalibur features new HD graphics, sixty leaderboards for each character and mode as well as local-play Versus mode.

The game features nineteen playable characters, including Kilik, Ivy, Siegfried, Edge Master and Nightmare, as well as eight different modes such as Story, Versus and Museum Mode (which enables players to view artwork, character models and animations).

Harmonix, MTV Games and EA have revealed Rock Band 2 will be hitting shelves this September. Rock Band 2 will debut on the Xbox 360 with an exclusive launch window in North America. Other platforms have not yet been confirmed with the press release stating only that the game will arrive on additional platforms later this year.

Rock Band challenges players to assemble a band with drums, vocals, lead and bass guitar, touring to gain fame and money. Rock Band 2 is said to build upon its foundation with co-operative band game play, multiple instruments, online multiplayer as well as downloadable content.

It features backwards compatibility with Rock Band downloadable music content, meaning you can load your purchased tracks straight into Rock Band 2 without re-purchasing or re-downloading any tracks. The game features master recordings and is said to boast the “biggest and most diverse soundtrack ever featuring some of rock’s most prolific acts.”

The game will also include new and dynamic online modes that promise to connect Rock Banders locally and around the world. It features more instruments with new and improved drum and guitar peripherals, enhanced functionality and new designs – and the best thing is that they are all fully compatible with the original Rock Band instruments.

MTV Games and Harmonix also announced that The Rock Band online music store has recently passed 15 million paid downloads since Rock Band was launched in late November 2007. Currently there are over 200 tracks available to download.

Stay tuned for more details regarding features and music for Rock Band 2, which were promised to be revealed at E3.

“As successful as the original Rock Band continues to be, we’ve now had the benefit of the last eight months to listen to our fans’ requests and to build upon that foundation,” said Alex Rigopulos, co-founder and CEO of Harmonix. “Rock Band 2 is a second-generation band game that will elevate the music game experience to the next level.”

“We expect Rock Band 2 to continue to drive an amazing social music experience on Xbox 360, said David Hufford, senior director, Xbox Product Management for the Interactive Entertainment Business, Microsoft. “We look forward to supporting Rock Band 2 on Xbox 360 as gamers continue to download hundreds of new music tracks from Xbox LIVE so they and their friends can perform the rock music they love most.”