Electronic Arts will be shifting to a higher gear this December with the release of the first downloadable add-on pack for Need for Speed: Shift's PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Even better, it's gonna be free.

IO Interactive and Square Enix Europe (formerly Eidos) have confirmed the existence of the Kane & Lynch sequel, Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days. Details for the game remain scarce, but gaming blog Kotaku was able to unearth a few. Hit the jump for more on this game.

I'm sure I'm not the only one curious about what exactly Alexander is. Sometimes, he's a castle, sometimes a machine, sometimes he's like a statue. For Final Fantasy XIII, the big boy's a mecha. New screens and info popped up again, featuring the Esper in action, plus some Chocobo-riding, and the new Crystarium system.

We didn't think there could be any bigger news this week than the release of Modern Warfare 2. Apparently, we were all wrong. Dead wrong. Modern Warfare 2's thunder-stealer: Microsoft's banhammer.

Good news, RPG faithful. Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox360, PlayStation 3) now has a North American and European launch date. Hit the jump to find out when Lightning strikes the West.

Sega has some extra good news for our gamer friends across the pond. Sega Europe has put together a special edition bundle for Bayonetta that will be available come the game's January 8 launch. Details past the jump.

All these armor freebies for Mass Effect 2 (Xbox 360, PC) are frankly starting to get a bit ridiculous. Pre-order incentives (including one for a totally different game) are already giving away free special armor for Commander Sheppard, and now EA has announced another way for gamers to score some limited edition duds for the good commander.

Ubisoft's expecting a lot from Assassin's Creed 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, PC), especially since its predecessor holds the record for fastest selling new IP when it released. How much is that "a lot"? Yanis Mallat quantifies at the GameOn: Finance conference this week.

Action game fans now have another thing to look forward to for the New Year. Sega has penciled in an early January release for Bayonetta (PS3, Xbox 360) in the US and Europe.

Electronic Arts has announced that Battlefield: Bad Company 2 will be getting a Limited Edition version too. The good news is it won't cost you a penny more than the standard edition. It'll come with six customization unlocks that give players an advantage in multiplayer matches at the same price as the standard edition. Details past the jump.