Last week Call of Duty: Black Ops' First Strike downloadable content was the center of attention on Xbox Live. This week, however, the focus is on Russian stacking dolls.

Leading the pack this week on Xbox Live Arcade is Double Fine's Stacking ($15). The game arrives on Wednesday and follows the story of Charlie Blackmore, the smallest of a family of Russian stacking dolls, as he aims to reunite his family after they become separated in the wake of tough economic times. The game's puzzle element involves stacking the dolls and making use of each one's different abilities to overcome challenges that often have multiple solutions. Players will unlock more dolls as the game progresses and Charlie's story unfolds.

Stacking vaults to the XBLA this week.

Also debuting tomorrow on XBLA will be TNT Racers ($10). From dtp Entertainment, the zany racy title has up to four players racing around 18 distinct courses using power-ups like the confetti mines, candy cannon, space rockets, and other items to thwart the progress of competitors. The title also boasts online leaderboards, 45 challenges to compete in, time trials, and custom races.

Switching to the Games on Demand hub, Microsoft added two titles to the download space today, the first of which is THQ's Darksiders ($20). The game drops players into the role of War, one of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse of biblical fame. Astride his flaming steed Ruin, War triggers the end of days on Earth after falling victim to the foul machinations of a demon known as The Destroyer. He then sets out on a quest to vanquish The Destroyer's minions along with the archdemon itself.

The other Games on Demand title out now is Square Enix's Mini Ninjas ($20). The title tasks gamers with engaging in nonlethal fisticuffs, as well as stealth and magic, to rid the countryside of marauding samurai. Rather than collapsing in a heap of rent flesh and blood, defeated enemies revert back to their adorable animal forms and flee to greener pastures.

Gamers looking for a deal can enjoy savings on a range of retro shooters. Titles like Duke Nukem Manhattan Project, Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter, Geometry Wars 2, and others are marked down 50 percent or more. For the full list of discounted wares, check out Major Nelson's blog.

Nintendo rings in the first full week of February with six new titles spanning each of its download spaces. Gamers can pick up everything from a spot-the-differences game to a title based on Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson.

Leading the pack this week is Spot the Differences! (500 Wii points, or $5) for WiiWare. From Sanuk Games, the title has players spotting the differences on 160 environments, three difficulty levels, with a total of 1,600 differences to find. Gamers can spot the differences either solo or with a friend and can try their hand at four distinct game modes: Time Attack, Select Scenes, Multiplayer, and Arcade.

Spot the differences between Guinea pigs.

Also out now are two WiiWare demos, the first of which is for WayForward's puzzle game LIT. The other is a sample experience for Nordcurrent’s tractor landscaping title Urbanix.

Switching to the Virtual Console, Nintendo added one new title to the nostalgic download hub today. Natsume's S.C.A.T. (500 Wii points, or $5), which first debuted on the NES in 1991, is now ready to download. The game casts players as a member of the Special Cybernetic Attack Team, a group which must destroy an invading alien force in the year 2029.

Available now from the DSiWare are four new games, the first of which is G.G Series Dark Spirits (200 DSi points, or $2). The side-scrolling shooter has players attacking enemy ships and collecting the souls of the defeated foes as a means to upgrade the protagonist’s ship.

If Dark Spirits is too dark, gamers can download Gamelion's Boom Boom Squaries (200 DSi points, or $2) from DSiWare today. The chain reaction-style puzzle title sees gamers laying waste to the nefarious invader Squaries. The title boasts four game modes: Classic, Challenge, Time Trial, and Endless.

Shawn Johnson's Gymnastics somersaults to DSiWare.

Those wishing to download a virtual take on a classic game can download 505 Tangram (500 DSi points, or $5) today from the DSiWare. As its name would suggest, the title sports 505 tangram puzzles for players to solve, including those themed around animals, humans, and objects.

The last title out this week is Shawn Johnson's Gymnastics (500 DSi points, or $5). From Zoo Games, the title has players going for gold with 19-year-old Olympic silver medalist Johnson. Players will start as an amateur and work their way through challenges to make it to the world championships.

Bungie's Halo: Reach--the final Halo effort from the studio--was released in September to warm reception and minted over $200 million in its first 24 hours. The game has since welcomed the three-map Noble Map Pack add-on on November 30. But according to Microsoft, Bungie's postrelease efforts aren't yet over.

The carnage will continue in Reach's next add-on.

During a recent Inside Xbox video (viewable through the Xbox 360), Xbox Live's director of programming, Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, said Halo: Reach fans can "expect another add-on coming very soon." Unfortunately, he did not name the map pack or offer any additional details.

While Bungie has yet to make any mention of a Noble Map Pack follow-up, the developer has an established history of supporting its titles postrelease. Halo 3 welcomed three batches of map packs during its lifetime: the Heroic Map Pack, the Legendary Map Pack, and the Mythic Map Pack.

For more on the latest entry in the Halo series, check out GameSpot's review of Halo: Reach.

Call of Duty: Black Ops has broken sales records and was lauded by reviewers since debuting in November. Now, Microsoft has named it Xbox Live's top title of 2010.

According to data compiled by Xbox Live's director of programming, Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, Black Ops beat out the likes of Halo: Reach, Red Dead: Redemption, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 to secure the top spot.

Even the undead are excited.

Nelson formed the list by compiling each game's number of unique users logged in each game's first seven days. This strays from the lists posted in 2008 and 2009, which displayed a full year's worth of data.

Nelson defended his methodology by saying, "I did the first 7-days since that is a way to normalize the data and give all games a fair chance."

With that caveat aside, the top Xbox Live titles of 2010 are ranked below.

1. Call of Duty: Black Ops
2. Halo: Reach
3. Red Dead Redemption
4. Fable III
5. Battlefield: Bad Company 2
6. Medal of Honor
7. Mass Effect 2
8. FIFA Soccer 11
9. Fallout: New Vegas
10. BioShock 2
11. Madden NFL 11
12. Splinter Cell Conviction
13. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
14. Dead Rising 2
15. Kinect Adventures!
16. NBA 2K11
17. Crackdown 2
18. Aliens vs. Predator
19. Mafia II
20. Army of Two: The 40th Day

It's a bustling week on the PlayStation Network, as Capcom's classic reboot sequel arrives next to a complete edition of Assassin's Creed II, and the Yellow Chomper takes his travels to the Minis storefront.

Leading the pack this week is Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 ($15). The title is a direct sequel to 2008's well-received reboot of Capcom's 8-bit platforming franchise. The game picks back up with Spencer, who this time is sent after General Sabio. To thwart Sabio's technologically empowered attack on humanity, Spencer will again make use of the grappling hook affixed to his arm.

It's unclear whether or not Spencer's mustache is more pronounced in the Rearmed sequel.

Also out now on Games on Demand is Assassin's Creed II Deluxe Edition ($30). The title includes the full game, as well as every piece of postrelease content available for the stealth action title. Players are cast as Ezio Auditore da Firenze, an assassin bent on exacting revenge on the Templars, who dwell in the Mediterranean city of Italy.

Those who aren’t so keen on violence can download The UnderGarden ($10) now from the PSN. The puzzle solving title casts players as a petite creature, whose job it is to swim around the world and spread its pollen, which in turn brings plants to life. The title boasts 20 unique levels and is also playable with a friend in cooperative mode.

Gamers who prefer hand-to-hand combat can sample a demo for EA Sports' Fight Night Champion. The first M-rated title in the franchise's history, the demo for Champion lets players fight as Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Manny Pacquiao, and Miguel Cotto in three-round fights. The demo also includes online play, but only for the next two weeks. The game itself is due out on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on March 1.

Pac-Man CE took a bite out of the PSN this week.

Available today from the PSN is Pac-Man Championship Edition ($5). The title largely maintains the traditional Pac-Man gameplay, which sees the iconic jaundiced glutton chomping pac-dots and power pellets while evading four ghosts through mazes. However, Championship Edition also saw the introduction of time limits, pac-dot multipliers, and dynamically shifting mazes.

Notably, the PSP mini version of the game differs from the just-released DX edition, in that it does not include ghost trains, bombs, or slowdown effects.

Those looking to the past for their fun can download Mega Man 2 ($6) from the PSN today. In the second 8-bit Mega Man title, players will fight Dr. Wily and his robotic minions, which include eight new robot masters.

Sony added one title to the PSP storefront this week, Samurai Shodown ($6). From SNK, the fighting game is available via the NeoGeo Station, which boasts numerous other classic NeoGeo titles as well. Shodown has players fighting as samurai, ninjas, and other fighters through a variety of environments, ultimately striving to knock each other down and out.

PlayStation Plus members can download Tales From Space: About a Blob ($15) today from the PS3 storefront. The game will be made available to all PSN users on February 8. About a Blob is a puzzle-platformer that casts players as a Blob, an alien creature embedded on earth to eat the entire population.

Music gamers with an ear for The Clash are in for a treat this week, as the band's entire London Calling album is now available to download from the Rock Band 3 music store. Gamers can download each song individually for $2 each or pay $20 for the entire 18-song album.

A full list of the week's deals and new PlayStation Store content, including themes, wallpapers, demos, discounts, and add-on content, is available on the PlayStation Blog.

DC Universe Online hasn't even been out for a month yet, but Sony Online Entertainment has already announced plans for its first major content update. The publisher revealed today the superhero massively multiplayer online role-playing game will receive its first game update in late February and a bevy of new missions and items will be included.

The first of what DCUO game director Chris Cao said would be "monthly" updates will see the addition of an episode centered on Catwoman. Players will be able to chase the villainess across Gotham City's rooftops, as well as foil her heist of Egyptian artifacts from the Gotham Museum and engage in five boss battles. Catwoman will also be a playable character in the Legends player-versus-player mode, which lets users duke it out with one another as iconic characters. The pack will also include ancient Mayan armor for a player's wardrobe.

The next DCUO update will be packed with feline foes.

In addition to the Catwoman episode, the update will feature a seasonal update for Valentine's Day. The update will concern the aftermath of a battle between Wonder Woman and Circe, which has upset the goddess of love. As a result, fountains have popped up around the MMORPG's two cities--Gotham and Metropolis--which allow players to enter them and become cherubs. Once inside the cherub realm, players can engage in PVP battles to dunk the other team in fountains, as well as earn hearts by engaging in a variety of activities, including shooting civilians with love arrows. A boss battle with the goddess of love is also included.

Additional content included in the update includes a two-player fight against the villain Bane; a new PVP zone in Gotham; an eight-player raid zone added to the batcave; and a new broker functionality, which will let players swap gear with each other.

Speaking with GameSpot, Cao declined to comment on sales of DC Universe Online but said that the shortages of the game reported by SOE CEO John Smedley had been largely addressed. He said that the shortages had mainly been confined to the PlayStation 3 version of the game, which is proving more popular than the PC version by about 55 to 45 percent. PC players, however, tend to play the game longer.

Cao also said that for the moment, there are no plans to raise the level cap in the game, which currently stands at 30. However, he did say SOE was increasing the server cap on most servers, as well as adding new servers to accommodate increasing demand.

Since debuting in November, Call of Duty: Black Ops has won critical plaudits and smashed the sales records tallied by its predecessor. Now, Santa Monica, California, developer Treyarch has released an infographic for the title, which displays a gamut of gargantuan play figures.

According to Treyarch's infographic, 1.1 trillion shots have been fired in Call of Duty: Black Ops. Unfortunately, the graphic doesn't elaborate or offer what percentage of those fired were hits.

In short, Black Ops is a very popular game.

The graphic also displays players' preferences concerning weapons and perks. According to the graphic, the most popular gun in Black Ops is the Famas, followed by the AK47u and the Galil. The top three perks for Black Ops (in order) are Marathon (allows longer sprints), Sleight of Hand (faster reload time), and Lightweight (multiplies movement speed).

Also noted by Treyarch in the graphic was that players have created 43 million user-generated videos and that gamers have run the equivalent of 126,069 times around the earth while inside the game.

For more game information, check out the infographic, courtesy of Treyarch's community manager, Josh Olin.

These tallies are expected to rise, as Treyarch today launched the first volley of downloadable content for Call of Duty: Black Ops. The $15 First Strike DLC is available exclusively on Xbox Live today, with PC and PlayStation 3 versions to follow. The content packs in four brand-new multiplayer environments, as well as a new zombie locale dubbed Ascension.

For more on the latest Call of Duty entry, check out GameSpot's review of Black Ops.

Back in August, Amazon's French website teased the arrival of new PlayStation 3 trilogy collections for two of Ubisoft's biggest franchises: Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia. By December, Ubisoft had confirmed the Splinter Cell pack, saying the original game, Pandora Tomorrow, and Chaos Theory will arrive on the PS3 and PlayStation Network on March 22.

Now, Ubisoft has also confirmed an update for its Prince of Persia Sands of Time trilogy. Today, Ubisoft said that the Prince of Persia Classic Trilogy will also be available on the PS3 on March 22. As with the Splinter Cell collection, the Prince of Persia Classic Trilogy will benefit from an HD remastering, as well as a 3D stereoscopic view. Both bundles will also share a $39.99 price point.

The Prince has been given a face-lift.

Included in the rerelease will be 2003's highly regarded The Sands of Time, 2004's angst-ridden Warrior Within, and 2005's culminating The Two Thrones. Notably, all three games were released through the PSN with an HD and 3D upgrade at the tail end of December.

Nintendo's final update for the month of January packs in five new titles ranging in theme from astrology to marine mammals.

First out of the gate this week on WiiWare is Magic Destiny (500 Wii points, or $5). From Shanblue Interactive, the title is geared toward astrology fans, as it contains an encyclopedia of astrological education, as well as a number of astrology-themed minigames like Runeblock, Diamonds Link, and Stellar Memory. Players can also read their future with tarot cards, seashells, numerology, palmistry, and fortune cookies.

Astrology fans can download Magic Destiny today for WiiWare.

Nintendo added two WiiWare demos to its download space this week, the first of which is for Akaoni Studios' Zombie Panic in Wonderland. The sampler lets players get a glimpse at the game’s action by wielding a machine gun and bringing the pain to the undead.

The other WiiWare demo out now is for Racers' Islands - Crazy Racers. This racing game from Zallag has players competing on a fictional television show, where they will guide their vehicle with one hand and manipulate their weaponry with the other.

Because 100 dolphins are not nearly enough.

Switching to DSiWare, Nintendo added four new games this week, the first of which is All-Star Air Hockey (200 DSi points, or $2). The title re-creates the classic arcade game and boasts two modes: Practice and Tournament.

Also now out for DSiWare is Mahjong (200 DSi points, or $2). A pocket-sized iteration of the classic Chinese title, Mahjong for the DSi sports single-player and two-player options, as well as extra items in the form of dynamite, whirlwind, and an hourglass to help players get the edge over their opponents.

Those wishing to transform their DSi into a diary can download myDiary (200 DSi points, or $2) now. The title lets players set alarms, lock out unwanted eyes, and practice time management with to-do lists. Players can also unlock 12 unique themes and ink colors.

The last DSiWare title out now is 101 Dolphin Pets (500 DSi points, or $5). From Teyon, the marine mammal title lets players rear the sea creatures from infancy to adulthood. Players can select one of the 101 dolphins or choose to adopt all of them. Players will discover the personalities of their dolphins as they raise them, and as the porpoises mature, players can enter their dolphins into competitions and earn money to spend on toys, food, clothes, and accessories.