Major Nelson has just announced a bunch of new stuff already up and available on Xbox Live Marketplace. And among them are brand-spanking NHL 2K7 team themes, a Viva Piñata theme, new Kameo UNO theme deck, and the Rainbow Six: Vegas demo.

Alright, first things first, as of 1:00 a.m., the Kameo Uno theme for Arcade has been pulled out due to a deck issue, but it will be fixed and put back up as soon as they fix the problems. But the Viva Piñata theme is now up for grabs in all Xbox Live regions for 150 points. Download this theme and prettify your dashboard with the piñatas!

EXCEPT for Hong Kong, Japan, Korea,  Singapore, and Taiwan, you can now have the following NHL 2K7 team themes for 150 points each:

Anaheim Ducks, Atlanta Thrashers, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Phoenix Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, Washington Capitals, and a general NHL 2K7 theme.

And lastly, some of you guys may already be aware of this, but for those who don't check their XBL constantly, the Rainbow Six: Vegas demo is now downloadable for free, but ONLY in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. The QJ staff is on board 24/7 to bring you the latest Xbox Live updates so stay tuned for more.

Major Nelson announces that hockey fans can now shred the ice their Gamer Profiles with these new Gamer Picture packs from NHL 2K7. Pick the pack of your favorite team for just 80 MS points, and show your team pride (you could also show your team pride by jumping onto the ice and fighting with the entire opposing team yourself, but... uh, good luck with that!).

Each Pack features team logos, jerseys, pucks, and the center ice. This pack is available everywhere except Asian Marketplaces and features 2K7's team lineup, from the Anaheim Ducks to the Washington Capitals. The screenshot we've capped above comes from the Xbox Live Marketplace website, and should give you a preview of the pics to expect in each pack.

Pictures do not include any bloody murderous fights on the ice. Neither do they include any material from the "Mighty Ducks" movie trilogy.

Word is out that the LEGO Star Wars 2 demo is now available in the Xbox Live Marketplace. Along with this treat are the trailers for Forza 2 Physics & Damage, NBA 2K7, Sonic The Hedgehog, Shrek 3, Just Cause, NHL 2K7, and The Darkness. Also, players can now avail of Alan Wake Picture Pack for 80 Points, Alan Wake Theme for around 150 points and a new Kameo Design-a-Skin pack. All of these are still part of Microsoft's Bringing it Home downloadable content galore in line with the TGS and X06 season.

Speaking of X06 season, every Xbox 360 fan is now looking forward to more downloadable content that will be announced in Barcelona on Wednesday, September 27. We got hold of news that Microsoft will be first dishing out  Blue Dragon and Lost Odyssey trailers. Blue Dragon will be released in Japan this winter and is expected for international release along with Lost Odyssey by the end of the year.

Microsoft's X06 will happen on the 27th to 28th of September in Barcelona. A great time to expect for more updates, so keep it here at QJ for more news.

Publisher 2K Sports announced that NBA 2K7, their latest sports title for the PS2, Xbox and Xbox 360, has finally gone gold. This means that the game is fully-geared up to hit the shelves of gaming retailers on September 26. All of the features that have previously been reported on are ready and the game is in a finalized state, passing the testing stages with flying colors.

NBA 2K7 features improved Shot Stick control, an enhanced arena atmosphere which is always good to get those sporting juices flowing, online fantasy leagues for you to play in, and more. If you're not sure whether this title is good enough for your hard-earned cash, then make sure you check out the NBA 2K7 Demo on the Marketplace. Is this game better than NBA 2K6? We'll find out soon.

Buy: [NBA 2K7]

You all might have noticed that Christmas is just around the corner, and game developers and publishers probably noticed this too. And here's another hint that the holidays are so near: great game releases. And there's enough to get every gamer excited.

If you ask us though, gamers who fancy the sports games will be the ones who'll find it very hard to sleep at night especially with this list of titles that will be released in the coming days, weeks, months... Just be sure you won't be cranky in the morning for lack of sleep from anticipating - or playing - the games.

So here's the list of Xbox 360 games' European release dates:

September:
22:  Just Cause
30:  Mad Tracks
TBC:  LMA Manager 2007
TBC:  World Snooker Championship 2007

October:
6:  Import Tuner Challenge
6:  Open Season
20:  Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent
27:  NBA 2K7

November:
3:  Need For Speed: Carbon
10:  WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2007
17:  Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas
TBC:  Cars
TBC:  Eragon
TBC:  Football Manager 2007
TBC:  Pro Evolution Soccer 6
TBC:  The Sopranos

Click "Full Article" for the complete list.

After months of anticipation and a substantial list of blogs dedicated solely to the September release of NHL 2K7, the game has finally arrived. But that doesn't mean the updates are finished; we now present the latest on the Xbox 360 version of the game. NHL 2K7 sets a record for its innovative features such as a new skating engine, the Cinemotion, ProControl, and online gameplay. Nothing has come close to realism in hockey games than this.

The NHL 2K7 for the Xbox 360 retails at $59.99. It's now available in stores across North America. Check out these latest screens to get a closer look at what's rocking Xbox 360 these days!

More screens after the jump!

Buy: [NHL 2K7]

Three games are out for the Xbox 360 this week on September 11. For some of you this draws out a "meh, whatever" reaction. But for some of us, this is a tough news with a tough choice: NHL 2K or NHL 2007? Here are the three releases:

Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy

You either love it or hate it, are excited by it or have grown bored by it. The LucasArts Star Wars game franchise has always done well, and if lots of people are buying it, then it must be worth buying, right? Not all of you agree. For example, one big thing that might make you immune to the bandwagon effect is that the whole "Lego + Star Wars" formula might seem so "been there, done that." We'll see what the reviews are, and if you're sure you want to try this game out, let us know what you think.

NHL 2007 and NHL 2K7

2007 and 2K7 both mean the same number, but we're waiting for your feedback on which game's the bigger one. You know how game developers only reveal the best screenshots, so previously-shown screens might not be the best way to judge, so I guess we really have to rent both and try them out. Or you could go with recent track records: NHL 2007 is from EA, a long-time industry leader; but some fans think they're losing or have already lost their touch (NHL 2k7 is from 2K Sports).

This has to be a great week for Hockey fans who own an Xbox 360 as the other NHL game, NHL 2K7, has received a demo of its own over on the Marketplace. The game is being made by 2K Sports and should be hitting stores on September 12. The demo weighs in at 1.01GB, so if you've been downloading a lot lately you might have to clear a little room off of your hard drive to add the demo to your collection.

So, if you're a big NHL fan then you can play both of the Hockey games that will be available for this year before you decide on which one to pick up next week.  If you just want to try out another game for free go ahead and download the demo on the Marketplace.

If you can't get enough of NHL action, then feast your eyes on these brand-spanking-new screenshots from 2K Game's NHL 2K7. Hockey fans would be delighted with the visual realism of this game through the Cinemotion feature. Its dynamic gameplay  coupled with other features that mirror today's NHL events will surely be something to look forward to. It promises to be a truly immersive and authentic NHL action.

Based on the new screenshots, NHL 2K7 is looking good. Aside from Cinemotion, NHL 2K7 has also other superb features like the Franchise Focus, Skating Perfection and the Pro Control. With these new improvements, NHL 2K7 will definitely be a treat to hockey fans.

   
  

Dave Littman Executive producer for NHL 07 takes us on the ice and behind the scenes of the motion capture session for the Next-Generation goalie AI. He reveals that for this year the focus is on goalies and shooting. Alex Auld makes incredible saves for the camera that will go into the game. Littman says that they want to showcase on butterfly style of goaltending and Auld is just the man who knows how to do it right.

The butterfly style is one of the most effective ways to deflect a puck. It is done by a style of goaltending in which the goaltender frequently drops to his knees, facing the shooter and spreading his legs across the goal line like the wings of a butterfly. Glenn Hall is one of the first goaltenders to to develop and make effective use of the butterfly style of goalkeeping.

Download: [Butterfly Style]