Shippin' Out Dec. 11-17: Gears of War 3 and Battlefield 3 DLC

The name of the column is "Shippin' Out," but there's very little actually shipping this week, as most of the notable new offerings are limited to downloadable storefronts. With no major new retail releases for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 until the new year, Nintendo snags the biggest retail release of the week with Fortune Street for the Wii.

Fortune Street for the Wii lets players control familiar characters from the Nintendo and Dragon Quest universes in a board game that challenges them to play the real estate and stock markets wisely to win. It also marks Nintendo mascot Mario's fourth new game appearance in the last month, following up on Super Mario 3D Land, Mario Kart 7, and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

On the downloadable front, Battlefield 3's Back to Karkand update finishes its release rounds this week, arriving for the Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game. The add-on features four classic Battlefield maps, as well as a new mode called Conquest Assault. Another new addition is the assignments system that provides a new way to unlock weapons. Back to Karkand will sell for $15 (1,200 Microsoft points) and is free for those who picked up the Limited Edition of Battlefield 3.

Back to Karkand isn't the only noteworthy new add-on this week, as Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow will be the first piece of story-based single-player DLC to hit Epic Games' third-person shooter. This add-on places players in the boots of Zeta Squad as it tries to evacuate the human settlement of Ilima City in advance of a Locust Kryll storm. RAAM's Shadow will cost $15 (1,200 Microsoft points) and will be available free to Season Pass holders.

Finally, the Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue pack is set to introduce four new tables to the comic-themed pinball title on the PS3, or Pinball FX2 on the Xbox 360. The new tables are based on Thor, Moon Knight, the X-Men, and Ghost Rider and will be available for $10 (800 Microsoft points).

For further details, visit GameSpot's New Releases page. The full list of downloadable games on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Live Marketplace, and Wii Shop Channel will be revealed later this week. Release dates are based on retailer listings and are subject to change.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13
Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Ancestors Character Pack--X360, PS3--Ubisoft
Battlefield 3: Back to Karkand--X360, PC--EA
Doctor Lautrec and the Forgotten Knights--3DS--Konami
Fortune Street--Wii--Nintendo
Gears of War 3: RAAM's Shadow--X360--Microsoft Game Studios
I Heart Geeks!--DS--cdv Software
Marble Arena 2--PC, MAC--Brightside Games
Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue--PS3--Zen Studios

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14
Joe Danger: Special Edition--X360--Hello Games
Marvel Pinball: Vengeance and Virtue--X360--Zen Studios

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 15
Grand Theft Auto III: 10 Year Anniversary Edition--IP, AND--Take-Two Interactive Clone Wars Adventures: Battle of Umbara--PC--Sony Online Entertainment
Seal Force--IP, AND--Nordisk Film Games Publishing, Tactile Entertainment