SOCOM: Confrontation will soon join the DLC fold, with new content scheduled to drop later this summer. While details on the new content are slim, the game's official site promises more information will be made available in the upcoming weeks. What we do know is the content will include a new area of operation, a new game mode, along with new maps (teased in the tiny image above), characters, weapons and attachments.

Audiophiles will also be happy to hear the game's music will be updated and players can select a new voice-over when the content arrives. Now that SOCOM: Confrontation has evolved beyond its original feature-sparse retail release, we're excited for new ways to get tactical on our online enemies.

Let's just say it before you do ... old! Over a month ago, we spotted signs of future DLC for Tom Clancy's HAWX and were proven correct when Ubisoft revealed the US Eagles pack at the beginning of May. Although we knew aircraft from Russia was next on the list, we've waited patiently. Today, we wait no more.

Ubisoft has finally confirmed a new DLC pack for Tom Clancy's HAWX en route to the Xbox 360 and PS3. The Russian Falcons pack clocks in at 400 / $4.99, adds five new flying, killing machine variations and is available now. If you'll excuse us, we need to translate this Kenny Loggins album into Russian.

This week's Wii Rock Band DLC offering delivers a stack of new tunes for the popular music game that spans multiple generations. Like last week, Haromix delivers 25 new tracks from the old school sounds of The Allman Brothers Band to the headbanging vibes of Disturbed. Regardless of your style, there is surely something for you then the tracks go live tomorrow (May 19). As usual, each track is priced at 200 Wii Points ($2). The full track list can be found after the break.

Ubisoft has revealed new DLC for Tom Clancy's HAWX is on the way, but some might call the announcement old news. When Ubisoft sent us images of its first DLC pack -- titled European Assault -- last month, it also attached two additional folders of aircraft images; one labeled US Eagles and the other marked Russian Falcons. At the time, deductive reasoning told us the two folders were hints at future DLC; today our theories were proven to be correct.

The US Eagles DLC for Tom Clancy's HAWX is set to hit the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Store tomorrow. The pack will set ace pilots back 400 / $4.99 and includes five aircraft variations, from the sleek and stealthy A-12 Avenger to the battle hardened F-4 Phantom II (pictured). Now, we eagerly await the release details for the Russian Falcons DLC.

Activision just sent word that the multiplayer map DLC for Call of Duty: World at War (otherwise known as Map Pack 1) has surpassed a combined worldwide download milestone of 2 million units across the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Needless to say, Activision seems pleased ... and why wouldn't it be? Map Pack 1 already broke Xbox Live sales records, selling one million units in its first week of availability.

Treyarch studio head, Mark Lamia, took a moment to comment on the "milestone," thanking the loyal community of World at War players for supporting the game -- and presumably, for not being completely tired of World War II themed shooters. Lamia also reminds gamers the World at War team expects to deliver new DLC sometime this June.

The third, and final, "deleted scenes" DLC for the platform-puzzler The Maw will be released next week on the PC and Xbox 360. The final scene, The Speeder Lane, sees Frank and Maw hijack a Bounty Hunter Speeder GTA-style, which eventually leads to an "old school boss fight."

The final add-on from developer Twisted Pixel is priced at 100 ($1.25). The Speeder Lane is set for release on the Xbox Live Arcade next Wednesday, April 29, and for PC via Steam, Greenhouse, and Direct2Drive soon after. We'd hope more Maw content was on the horizon but Twisted Pixel is busy trying to 'spode people in preparation of its next (strange) title.

Ubisoft just swooped in and let us know that Tom Clancy's HAWX will soon receive a fresh delivery of planes direct from Europe. The European Assault Pack DLC launches on April 23 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 -- priced at 400 and $4.99, respectively -- and includes six new vehicle variations from the "robust" Saab-37 Viggen to the FB-22 prototype bomber.

Along with the press release, Ubisoft sent us a gaggle of images for the content... as well as images for content that wasn't announced. A folder marked Russian Falcons included images of five yet-to-be-announced aircraft and a folder titled US Eagles revealed another five, including the sleek A-12 Avenger. HAWX fans should keep their discs handy, as it looks like this one is getting a few more upgrades in the near future.

We have good, bad and ugly news today. First: the bad news, and any Stilwater 2.0 regulars should pay close attention because their plans for a return trip may have to wait. According to the game's official blog, the first DLC package for Saints Row 2 has been pushed back a week to April 23.

The good news is that gamers will also receive new character clothing with the DLC, which is already set to include new missions, pornstar assistance and the four maps shown in the gallery below. Oh, and the ugly news? Giant bunnies have been spotted near town and are poised for an attack. You should probably run for your lives.

[Thanks, TheDarkWayne]

DLC can expand a game in many ways. Not only can it expand the experience offered by a title, but it can also expand your wallet, take out your money, and place it in the hands of publishers and developers. And, by 2010, EEDAR predicts that "the average AAA title should be able to earn an additional 10% in revenue by releasing additional content through digital distribution."

It's not a hard pill to swallow; DLC packs such as The Lost and Damned and Call of Duty: World at War's Map Pack 1 have been selling like virtual hotcakes, and Sony has been milking LittleBigPlanet in all the appropriate ways. Also, let's not forget about Criterion Games, the company that has been adding value consistently to its Burnout Paradise game. Of course, gamers have been complaining about paid DLC just as consistently.

Speaking to Gamasutra, Bethesda VP Pete Hines shared his company's philosophy regarding DLC. After crafting plenty of DLC for Oblivion ranging from small quest packs to the full expansion of Shivering Isles, Hines says that the team decided to focus on small, but still significant, pieces of downloadable content for Fallout 3. According to Hines, Bethesda decided to shy away from full expansions like Shivering Isles because "those things just take so damn long to do."

The goal then was to create enjoyable DLC in "smaller, digestible chunks," which led Bethesda to use the Oblivion DLC "Knights of the Nine" as the model for Fallout 3. This model, said Hines, is "substantive and it adds multiple hours of game play and new items, but we can do it in a time frame that allows us to get it out without waiting forever."

What say you, Fallout fans? Do you prefer the small, but frequent DLC packs, or would you rather see a full-blown expansion a year from now?

Resident Evil 5 controversy -- much like a zombie -- refuses to die but Capcom says claims of charging gamers for on-disc content are false. Already taking shots for charging for content gamers expected in the retail release, Capcom was recently accused by IGN of charging for its Versus DLC, claiming the content was already on the disc. The controversy stems from the DLC's file size, which sits at a slim 1.8MB on Xbox 360 and 351KB for PS3.

According to Capcom's VP of strategic planning and development, Christian Svensson, the file size is because all assets for the DLC are being pulled from the retail disc; however, the download itself is programming code that "does not exist on the disc."

"Keys are 100K or less. It is not a key," Svensson replied to a forum thread regarding IGN's claim. We're not programmers but it sounds feasible for file size to remain slim for content that pulls all assets from the disc, but you're the consumer. Do you believe Capcom?

[Via Siliconera]

With more and more people taking advantage of the convenience of downloadable content, some might assume that this new trend will start to take away from traditional brick-and-mortar retail. Not so, says Microsoft UK 's Neil Thompson, as he told MCV that there is "growth of the download and digital content market – but it is complementary to boxed content and services." He doesn't see the packaged good business declining at all.

Think of it as the peanut butter on that PB&J sandwich. It's essential, yet complimentary at the same time. And delicious.

New content is set to pull up alongside Saints Row 2, flashing gang signs and a new set of platinum rims. Developer Volition revealed that it is working on three new downloadable packs for the game, with the first, Ultor Exposed, set to arrive April 16 on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 for 800 Microsoft Points or $10.

Players expecting something comparable to last month's Lost and the Damned, however, will need to seek the comfort of fellow gangstas after learning that this initial pack adds just three new missions, a competitive co-op "metagame" and porn star Tera Patrick as a homie to watch your back. Some new vehicles, weapons and maps are also promised. Still, compared to last month's GTA IV update, this downloadable comes off as lacking, but at just a tenner at least you won't have to sell your real gold grills to play.

Accidental downloadable content and info leaks are about as prevalent as our use of comic book captions and now, thanks to Xbox.com, we can kill two birds with one stone. According to 360Sync, Xbox.com's Marketplace RSS accidentally revealed two upcoming vehicle packs for Midnight Club: LA -- which brings MCLA's DLC leak count to two.

According to the Marketplace post, which has since been removed, the South Central vehicle packs will add seven new vehicles to the game. The first pack was listed to include the 2008 Mercedes-Benz CL 65 AMG, 2008 Audi S5 and 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT, with the second pack bringing the 2008 Ducati 1098 R (listed as free), 2008 Cadillac XLR V, 2008 Lancer Evolution X and 2007 Aston Martin DB9 into the game.

360Sync also points out that all seven of the vehicles are currently available to use during delivery missions added in the recently released South Central Premium DLC, but are not available to buy from the garage -- leading the Xbox-centric blog to believe the content packs will simply unlock the ability to purchase them in the game. Time to wait and see, but something tells us gamers won't like paying for that content.

After a few bumps in the road, Midnight Club fans can finally cruise an expanded South Central with the release of the free and premium Midnight Club: LA DLC packs. Both released on Friday, the downloads expand the racing game's environment beyond the disc, adding new areas to complete the South Central section of the game. The basic map expansion, available free to Xbox Live Gold members, adds four new neighborhoods, bringing racers to familiar landmarks like Exposition Park, Crenshaw Plaza, the L.A. Memorial Coliseum and more.

The premium South Central expansion -- priced at 800 ($9.99) -- adds the new areas as well as 9 new vehicles, 26 new races, 12 new battle maps, 10 new delivery missions, over 100 new red light races, more cosmetic and under-the-hood options, as well as fist-pumping anthems (aka music). If you plan on racing online, but aren't down with the premium content, make sure to download the map expansion -- it's required content if you plan to cruise with gamers that have MS points to burn.

Download -- 'South Central' Map Expansion (0)
Download -- 'South Central' Premium Upgrade (800)