Unbeknownst to us Earthdwellers, a week in Paradise is like really long. 19 days after Criterion assured us that its update to an update would be released "in around a week's time" (by May 2, at least), Burnout Paradise's "Bogart" content has been reissued for Xbox 360 and freed of any totally un-paradise-like frame rate issues. The revised update will auto-download for players connected to Xbox Live. Next up: "Cagney."

Just a reminder that while Rock Band is riding high, its older brother is still the dominant sibling. In a conference call yesterday (start at the 29-minute mark), Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith confirmed that the Guitar Hero franchise has passed the 15 million mark in individual song downloads. Last week, Harmonix owner Viacom revealed that Rock Band had surpassed the 10 million mark.

New cities? Pfft! How about an entire state?! While rummaging through the Rockstar Social Club, a GTAForums poster uncovered the plane ticket pictured above (full view). Looks like Niko is headed to the fine state of San Andreas, famous for its lowriders and piping hot coffee. Whether it's the stuff of fan fiction or a not-so-subtle hint of content to come, your guess is as good as ours, but the ticket does rekindle last month's rumor that the exclusive GTA IV DLC for Xbox 360 will feature "new downloadable cities." What's curious is that the flight isn't destined for one of San Andreas' specific airports, but rather the state itself. What could it mean? Well, for one, that you'd need a bigger hard drive.

Alternate theory: The "San Andreas" on this plane ticket could be a reference to the original San Andreas, a top-down city based on San Francisco, from the first Grand Theft Auto.

[Via X3F]

Ninja Gaiden II hasn't even been released yet and we're already bored of Ryu Hayabusa's costumes. Why? Our attention spans are just that sho-- oh crap, look, it's a ladybug! ... What were we saying? Oh, right, ninjas. As we're already deep in the clutches of boredom you can imagine our relief to hear that three new costume packs for the game would be released this July for 200 points (that's $2.50) a piece. You can see a full-sized version one of the offerings right here.

The strangest part? You actually have to jump through some hoops to be able to buy the first one, seen above. According to the Gamerscore Blog, the armor "will be exclusively available in selected countries to 39,000 gamers on launch day as part of pre-sale or launch promotions," whatever that means. We'd love to sit here and be incensed about the whole thing, but we've got a ladybug to track down. Seriously, it was right here.

Downloadable content is a prized nugget we all not-so-secretly hope awaits us after taking any game home, but like the midday sun on a carton of fresh milk, it also has us spoiled. However, with Bizarre Creations now parking its ride in Activision's garage, the developer stated that it's closing the books on last year's Project Gotham Racing 4, adding that it will not be releasing any more new content for the stylish Xbox 360 racer.

According to a recent post on Bizarre Creation's official forums by a dev calling himself "Ben," the studio has washed its hands of the game. "Bizarre Creations won't be adding anything more to PGR4 in the future," he wrote. "We've completed the hand-over to Microsoft, so any further add-ons will come from them and not us I'm afraid." The news probably wouldn't sting so much had the last update not been so incredibly cool, leaving us now waiting to see what else the British studio has up its racing sleeves.

We probably shouldn't be telling you this, but updates on this site are very likely to cease tomorrow, what with the PSN update bringing us the expansion pack to Q-Games' addictive tower defense game, PixelJunk Monsters. Featuring a new island, 15 additional levels, five new music tracks and a $5.99 price tag, PixelJunk Monsters Encore will have us erecting towers for several days at least. Longer if we try to get all the rainbows.

Oh well, we suppose we'll just keep recycling all the posts about Grand Theft Auto IV.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

Serialized spookiness news now, with Sony Computer Entertainment revealing that survival-horror franchise, Siren, will be coming to the PlayStation 3 this Summer in gruesomely severed chunks. Or "episodes," if you prefer. Documenting the inevitably harrowing experiences of an American TV crew in the cursed village of Hanuda, Siren: Blood Curse hopes to be "the most terrifying game in the Siren series to date." The game marks the return of the "Sight-Jack" system, which allows you to peer through the eyes of enemies and be right on the money every time you scream, "It's behind yooouuuuu!"

Following Blood Curse's debut this Summer, Sony promises to eek out the series with 11 more episodes via the PlayStation Network. Let's just hope the gaps between the gasps are small.

"I'm perfectly satisfied," you say to yourself as your fingers dart across spongy, fake frets. "I don't need those fancy high-definition graphics. As long as I can make out the notes, I'm happy. Heck, I can even see them when I close my eyes." Indeed, you're more than delighted with the PS2 version of Rock Band, the musical friend that keeps you company as you rock out in the basement. Alone.

EA, Harmonix and MTV Games can't help you with your graphics or self-deception issues, but they can offer you some of the downloadable tracks that Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 owners of Rock Band have been enjoying. Mind you, they won't be "downloadable" so much as they'll be purchasable for $29.99. The Rock Band Track Pack Volume 1, headed for Wii (the full game is out on June 22) and PlayStation 2 on July 15th, will contain 20 songs from such artists as David Bowie, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Weezer and Oasis.

Peer past the break for the full list and see if you go, "Ah, there's that song I like! I will gladly purchase this standalone set of tracks! I'm still talking to myself!"

It seems that Activision has stumbled across the correct formula for getting us to drop our drumsticks and don our trusty, dusty Les Paul peripherals -- a three-song DLC pack for Guitar Hero III featuring the music of the epic British prog-rock trio, Muse. As of May 8, "Supermassive Black Hole" and "Exo-Politics" from their 2006 album Black Holes and Revelations as well as the fan-favorite "Stockholm Syndrome" from 2003's Absolution will be available to download for a heretofore unannounced price (we're assuming it will match the $6.25 price of former GHIII packs). We've got videos for all three tunes after the jump -- go decide which ones are purchase-worthy! (Hint: All of them.)

What're 200 points worth to you? Wait, don't answer yet, because a new DLC pack for Lost Odyssey released today may just change your whole perception of the value of a point. The "Triple Bonus Pack" adds "'Memory Lamp,' which allows you to watch the past event scenes all over again, 'Shattered Bond,' an antique that will bring back the memory of a forgotten dream, and a special ring, 'Killer Machine,'" all for 200 points ($2.50). Now, we don't know what any of those words meant, but they sounded awesome.

Also, just as a reminder, the "SSC Challenge" pack for Army of Two also arrived today for 600 points on XBL or $7.50 on PSN. If you sample any of today's DLC, make sure you let us know if they're worth the digi-dollars in the comments.

Last week we thought we had a better understanding of the ESRB's policy on DLC, namely that it has to stay within the game's rating or the title can be entirely re-rated. But ESRB president Patricia Vance has clarified the statement with MTV, saying that policy only applies if the content is part of a mandatory update. If it's optional, then just the content itself will have to carry a different rating.

This would seem to open the door for AO DLC, but it may be a moot point. At least one of the big three publishers (Microsoft) has already said it wouldn't allow that on its console. So those of you planning on buying the GTA IV DLC in the hopes of seeing some hardcore polygon on polygon action are just going to have to hold on to your ... points.

We're vehement followers of the logic that if something sounds too good to be true, it usually is -- still, in cases like these, that doesn't stop us from wishing and hoping hard enough to make our noses bleed. The latest, Microsoft-endorsed, Grand Theft Auto IV special edition issue of Computer and Video Games magazine suggests that the 360 DLC is to the perfect scoring GTA IV as "Vice City or San Andreas were [to] GTA III," and later, in simpler terms, "Rockstar is clearly hinting at new downloadable cities" for the title.

While this infinitely awesome feature might be technically and fiscally possible, we must keep a firm grasp on our cynically-tinted monocles until official confirmation arises. Still, it's tough not to wonder what cities Rockstar could build knock-off replicas of to add to their latest title -- perhaps an Atlantic City clone? A geographically-appropriate rendering of New Jersey? A mock-up of the bustling metropolis of Mud Lick, KY? The possibilities are endless!

Though they've had to wait several months before experiencing the thrills of chatting up aliens and gallivanting across the galaxy, PC gamers are going to receive yet another bonus alongside their version of BioWare's planet-hopping RPG, Mass Effect. The first batch of downloadable content, entitled "Bring Down the Sky" and available on Xbox 360 since March, will be offered for free to registered members of BioWare's community website. The 90-minute, $5 add-on won't be packed inside the box, but we imagine you PC folks can handle an internet registration and download.

Provided your system meets the technical requirements, you can also look forward to an improved inventory system, an enhanced HUD and (hopefully) much shorter elevator rides. Mass Effect PC is out on May 28.

Despite the name, D2C's recently announced WiiWare title SPOGS Racing has nothing to do with Northern English candy. Instead, the game features single-wheeled vehicles plastered afterburners, spoilers and "wacky" faces. Obviously! The title was a dead giveaway!

The fast-action racing game will feature 12 tracks -- including stunt tracks -- and gameplay based on ramming opponents and stealing their SPOGS-enhancing parts. Players can control their SPOGS by tilting the Wii remote or, more likely, using an attached the Classic Controller. The game is also planned for the PC and the PSP, but you all know we're only posting it because it's on the Wii's hip new download service. Plus we like saying it's name. SPOGS. SPOGS!

Check out the SPOGS-y video after the break.

We were a little lukewarm on Army of Two as a complete package, but the best part of the game was easily playing through with a friend. (And at-will fist pounding.) Now, EA's building on that strength with the "SSC Challenge Pack," four co-op maps that pit a pair of two-man teams against each other as they try to earn the most cash and join the SSC, AoT's private military group.

We should mention, in the interest of full disclosure, that the maps (to our knowledge) include no new fists pounds or air guitar solos. Sorry. The SSC Challenge Pack, which will hit Xbox Live Marketplace and PSN on April 24, will run you $7.50 or 600 MS points, if you prefer imaginary currency.