The latest update to the PlayStation Store offers a slew of new content, including new features for Housemarque's Super Stardust HD (PS3) and a playable demo of the game for those looking to give it a trial run.

New features added to Super Stardust HD include the addition of custom soundtracks, as well as an overhaul of the scoreboard which now tracks stats like session time and highest difficulty level reached. This patch is free to download for owners of Super Stardust HD, and available at the PlayStation storefront.

Additionally, the tracks announced earlier this week for Harmonix's Rock Band (PS2, PS3, X360) are now available to PlayStation 3 owners. Represented in this week's haul are "Die, All Right!" by The Hives, "Interstate Love Song" by Stone Temple Pilots, and a cover of Iron Maiden's "Number of the Beast," for $1.99 each.

As for downloadable game content, Game Republic's Folklore (PS3) has been updated ... Read more

With the Xbox Originals program, which allows gamers to download full Xbox games to their Xbox 360 consoles, expands in scope--and actually draws revenue--Microsoft is likely slowing or stopping entirely development on standard disc-based Xbox 360 backwards compatibility.

Speaking to Kotaku at CES, Xbox 360 group marketing manager Albert Penello said Microsoft has "kind of hit the point of diminishing returns" with freely-offered backwards compatibility. "I don't know if we have plans to do any more releases," he conceded.

Microsoft has often stated its goal with backwards compatibility was to cover all of the most successful Xbox titles, and Penello believes the company has achieved that. A full list of titles, last updated in November 2007, is available on Xbox.com.

Meanwhile, the next title to hit Xbox Originals is Criterion's Burnout 3, according to the basically-official Gamerscore Blog. It will be available Monday, January 14 for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15).

Update: When asked about a possible March debut of WiiWare, a Nintendo of America representative told Shacknews that the company has yet to announce any launch details.

Original Story: Netherland-based developer Engine Software has announced its first WiiWare title and provided a tentative date for the launch of Nintendo's upcoming download service.

According to Engine, WiiWare is slated to launch in March. Previously, Nintendo had only provided an early 2008 release for the Wii's original- and indie-focused download service.

Currently codenamed Project Bang!, Engine describes its game as "a casual game type with very addictive gameplay" for one or two players that utilizes the Wii Remote's various capabilities.

Engine Software's past works include a co-development credit on High Scool Musical: Livin' The Dream (GBA) and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody: Circle of Spies (NDS) with A2M and assisting with the Nintendo DS version of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords alongside 1st Playable and Infinite Interactive.

Xbox Live user and sales data recently unveiled on Major Nelson's blog shows Halo 3 (Xbox 360) at the top of the heap in terms of unique users through 2007, while TMNT 1989 Arcade (XBLA) won the #1 spot in sales of downloadable games on the platform.

Released in March, TMNT 1989 Arcade beat out Worms, Bomberman Live, Uno and other marquee releases for top sales on Xbox Live Arcade. Halo 3's lead in regards to unique users online was followed by Gears of War and Call of Duty 4 as second and third place, respectively.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the data also lists Halo 2 retaining its place as first on the list of the most-played original Xbox titles. A complete list of the top titles in all three categories follows. ... Read more

Over 1.2 million PlayStation 3s were sold in North America between November 23 and December 31, 2007, Sony Computer Entertainment has revealed.

The company also reported similar sales of the PSP and PlayStation 2 during that timeframe: the PSP moved more than 1.4 million units, while the PS2 sold in excess of 1.3 million.

Given the hardware sales of the PS3 and the ever-falling production costs, the company hopes that the system will become profitable in the next fiscal year.

"We want to get to the positive side of the equation as quickly as possible," SCE CEO Kaz Hirai told Reuters. "[Profitability] is not a definite commitment, but that is what I would like to try to shoot for."

Though Sony's gaming division has posted profit in the past, the high cost of the PS3 had a strong effect on its bottom line. Competitor Microsoft, meanwhile, expects its Xbox division to post its first-ever profit in the 2008 fiscal year.

Following Sony's hint of adding Skype VoIP functionality to the PSP earlier this week, GameSpot (via Japanese news outlet Nikkei Net) has reported further details on the service. The news site claims that the Skype functionality may be available for download as early as this month.

Unfortunately for original PSP owners, the downloadable Skype software will only work with the redesigned PSP Slim. PSP-to-PSP and PSP-to-PC calls will be free, with the option for Japanese gamers to pay for a standalone PSP phone number.

A special microphone--presumably forthcoming from Sony--will be required to place and receive Skype calls. More information on the service is expected next week during the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Shacknews has contacted Sony for comment, but has not yet received a response.

Microsoft-owned UK developer Rare may be working on a sports-themed Xbox Live Arcade title that makes use of the Vision camera, according to Xbox 360 Fanboy. The site claims to have the inside scoop on the project, punnily titled The Fast & The Furriest.

The game is supposedly a collection of sports minigames like the 100 meter dash, hurdles, and curling, all with a Rare twist--the curling game replaces the stone with timid Diddy Kong Racing (N64) turtle Tip Tup, for instance. Most of the games can purportedly be controlled using gestures in combination with the Vision camera.

Players can also use the camera to put their faces on Rare's stable of characters, giving the impression of animal-suited mascots competing in a sporting competition. According to Xbox Live Fanboy, Rare will later expand the game with downloadable content packs for sports like croquet, bowling, volleyball, and fishing.

Rare's last offering was the pinata life simulator Viva Pinata (PC, X360), and the company is currently developing a third title in the Banjo Kazooie series for Xbox 360. Shacknews contacted Microsoft for comment, but has not yet received a response.

Though Nintendo will eventually allow Wii owners to download DS demos and transfer them to the portable system, those plans do not include whole games, as was indicated earlier this week.

"In the future, the Nintendo DS will be able to receive demo versions of some DS games from Wii, but not the entire game," Nintendo informed Gamastura.

"The demo will be erased once the Nintendo DS is turned off," the company continued, allaying any hopes of a potential storage device to store and execute multiple demos.

The PlayStation 3's online PlayStation Store has been updated with a new demo several pieces of in-game content.

New to the online marketplace this week are a demo of EA Tiburon's NFL Tour '09 (PS3, X360) and the several $1.99 to $2.49 keys that immediately unlock several otherwise attainable vehicles in EA Black Box's Need for Speed: ProStreet.

Today's update also includes the downloadable tracks for both Harmonix's Rock Band (PS2, PS3, X360) and Neversoft's Guitar Hero III: Legend of Rock (PC, PS2, PS3, X360, Wii) that appeared on Xbox Live late last year.

Rock Band musicians net eight new tunes from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Rush, Black Crowes, All-American Rejects, and others. Prices for the tracks range from $0.99 to $1.99.

Guitar Hero III rockers, meanwhile, gain six new tracks, including songs from The Used, Linkin Park, and Extremoduro. The three individual songs sell for $2.49 a pop, while the other three are bundled together for $6.25.

Microsoft has announced that it will be giving all Xbox Live members a full Xbox Live Arcade game, with more details on the download slated to arrive in the coming weeks.

The offer was unveiled in a letter from Xbox Live general manager Marc Whitten, who explained recent Xbox Live issues as the result of a "massive increase in usage" over the holidays and expressed that the company was "disappointed in our performance."

Despite the problems, Whitten revealed that the Xbox 360's online service recently hit new records in regards to new member sign-up and and concurrent online users, with the latter reached yesterday, January 2.

"I would like to take this moment to thank you each and every one of you for your patience and understanding as our team has worked around the clock to return the service to a stable state," wrote Whitten.

Addressed to all Xbox Live members, the letter is reproduced here in its entirety.

Combining arcade-style light-gun action with hyper-patriotic terrorist hunting, Target: Terror was a throwback to Area 51 and games of its ilk when it came to arcades in 2004. Based on an updated version called Target: Terror Gold, Target: Terror is now being ported to the Wii with Zapper support, publisher Konami announced today.

Created by Eugene Jarvis, designer of arcade classics like Defender and Robotron, Target: Terror (Wii) charges gamers with defending the Eagle-strewn soil of America from savage terrorists in all-American locations like San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge or Los Alamos.

The addition of Justice Mode allows ambitious players to dual wield Wii Zappers when taking on terrorists desecrating the sanctity of the American homestead. Leviathan Games will handle the port, which is expected to arrive sometime in the first quarter of this year.

India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will likely adopt a bill giving India's government the power to censor and rate video games, according to Indian news outlet Daily News & Analysis.

"This is true that there is a proposal that the Censor Board should start censoring all video games--and I agree with proposal totally," India's Censor Board chairperson Sharmila Tagore told the news outlet. "We have already submitted our proposal to the ministry and the draft is being considered by them."

The country's official censors have the power to ban films, books, and certain Internet websites, and this extended authority over computer games would allow them to make certain titles unavailable to the Indian public.

The bill would also allow the Censor Board to rate video games as suitable for certain age groups, as is done by the Entertainment Software Rating Board in the states. Game manufacturers would be required to place these labels on a game's packaging.

Tagore also told Daily News & Analysis that the Censor Board would make developers remove certain features from a game if they "are not suitable for children" and would like their game to be available in the country.

Soon after Christmas, many Xbox Live members discovered they were unable to use most of the online platform's functionality, ranging from being unable to sign in at all to inoperable multiplayer in online-enabled games.

At nearly a week later, Microsoft still hasn't completely resolved the issue, but some sort of compensation may be coming for paying Gold members who've been affected by the downtime. "We will definitely be doing something for our Gold members that weren't able to get online over the last week," a Microsoft rep told The Bitbag.

Microsoft's Larry Hryb gave an update on the issues yesterday, saying the company has "made good progress" but still has "a bit more work to do." Shacknews contacted Microsoft for comment, but has not yet received a response.

Internet voice chat software Skype is headed to PSP, according to hardware manufacturer Sony's CES 2008 page.

As evidenced by this image, Skype is listed under the PSP's system features on the site. The software, which permits users talk to other Skype users for free and supports true telephone calls at a cost, was previously unannounced for the PSP.

Skype will likely be included in one of the PSP's frequent firmware updates, which sporadically add new functionality. Sony has previously released a microphone for the portable, with microphone-equipped camera on the way as well.

The 2008 Consumer Electronics Show runs from January 7 to 10 in Las Vegas. A formal announcement is expected then, though Shacknews has contacted Sony Computer Entertainment for clarification.

A sequel to BioWare's original action RPG Jade Empire (PC, X36) is purportedly in the works, according to San Jose Mercury News' games guy Dean Takahashi. The reporter claims on his blog that he's spoken with someone who's seen code for Jade Empire 2 on Xbox 360.

"It's coming for the Xbox 360, and it's real," Takahashi wrote. Although he's sure its coming at least to Microsoft's platform, Takahashi speculated the title could be arriving on other consoles down the road in light of BioWare's relationship with game giant Electronic Arts.

"It will be interesting to see if Jade Empire 2 will remain an exclusive for the Xbox 360, now that Electronic Arts has agreed to acquire BioWare/Pandemic," he wrote. The original Jade Empire retailed first for Xbox in 2005, with a special edition arriving last year for PC.

A sequel to Ubisoft Paris' Wii launch title Red Steel will be coming some time next year, according to the latest issue of the UK's Official Nintendo Magazine as reported by Gaming Target.

Currently in development, the game has yet to be officially named. The title will supposedly boast "better controls, better AI, better multiplayer and online play," according to the magazine. Critics panned the first game for its awkward use of the Wii's motion sensitive controller, among other flaws.

Many already speculated a sequel was in the works after Official Nintendo Magazine teased its current preview of the game in a prior issue with hints pointing to a continuation of the Red Steel series. Ubisoft has yet to release an official announcement of the title.

Now available on the North American Xbox Live Marketplace is a demo for Kingdom Under Fire: Circle of Doom. The 1.2gb download allows you to play through two stages of game's first act. The retail version of Blueside's action-RPG will be in stores January 8.

Kristin Kreuk (pictured left) will be starring as Chun Li in the upcoming live-action film Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li, reports ComingSoon.net.

Often referred to as "that cute girl from Smallville," Kreuk has also appeared in feature films EuroTrip and Partition as well as the long-running television teen drama Edgemont.

Jessica Biel (I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry, 7th Heaven, Blade: Trinity) had previously been rumored to play the role, which puts the beloved Street Fighter heroine in the central spotlight as she embarks on a seemingly-generic quest for justice.

Directed by Andrzej Bartkowiak (Doom, Romeo Must Die, Cradle 2 the Grave), written by Justin Marks (Masters of the Universe, Fast Forward, Unbroken), produced by Hyde Park Entertainment, and part of Capcom's increased focus on Hollywood, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li is expected to begin shooting in March.

Just in time for Christmas, Microsoft has unveiled the option for Xbox Live users to gift Microsoft Points, the currency used to purchase downloadable games and in-game content from the Xbox Live Marketplace as well as music from the Zune Marketplace.

Currently in a beta state, the program, which also allows users to buy points for themselves, is accessible from this website.

At present, the initiative is limited to people in the United States and gift-givers must know the Windows Live ID of the intended recipient, though Xbox Live director of programming Larry Hryb noted that the team is looking to add the option to gift by Gamertag in the future.

With Mario, Zelda, and Samus already making their appearances on the Wii, what could Nintendo possibly have in store for us in 2008? The answer: Mario, Zelda, and Samus.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Mario Kart hit the Wii next year, finally bringing some much-needed online play to the system. And with the white box still selling out, plenty of third party publishers are flooding the market with other offerings. Take a look at some of the confirmed, and unconfirmed, 2008 Wii titles.

Also be sure to check out the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3 calendars.