Electronic Arts has confirmed that a demo of its arcade boxing game Facebreaker will hit the Xbox Live Marketplace next week July 31. A release on PSN will follow suit on August 7.

The demo promises to give players a taste of the game’s solo mode and offline multiplayer, featuring three playable characters and two boxing arenas. Additionally, players will be able to upload custom photos of themselves or others to create their own unique character. Created characters can then be imported into the final game.

Over on the Xbox Live Arcade front, Activision has bumped up the release date of Geometry Wars 2 to next Wednesday, July 30.

Titles based on the fabled 007 license after the release of Rare’s oft-heralded N64 masterpiece Goldeneye have been, for the most part, forgettable. Now with Activision in control of the license, developer Treyarch is determined to break this troubling trend with Quantum of Solace, the new Call of Duty 4 engine-powered Bond game based on the upcoming movie of the same name. Says executive producer Garrett Young:

We’re not trying to fix anything EA did wrong, because that’s just what they did. I’m sure the series pissed off a lot of gamers over the last few years as the games started to go downhill, but we have no control over that.”

The pressure we feel is more about launching this franchise in the right way. We know that you only have one chance to make a really great first impression, and this is it.

Indeed. Let’s hope it turns out well. Gamers across the globe been waiting for a Bond game that lives up to the standards set by Goldeneye.

‘Second-rate James Bond games a thing of the past’ [MCV]

Capcom producer Rey Jimenez has confirmed that a patch for the bug-ridden Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix beta will be released in the near future, despite Sven explicitly stating last month that the company would not release a patch.

Details are forthcoming, but according to Jimmy, the overall experience in the beta will be “vastly improved.” Meaning, many of the near game-breaking bugs that were discovered in the current build will likely be fixed.

With Final Fantasy XIII coming to the Xbox 360, is Sony concerned that it lost a major exclusive? Nope. Speaking in a recent interview, SCEA senior vice president Peter Dille shared his thoughts on the announcement, comparing it to Grand Theft Auto IV. He believes that since FFXIII is now a cross-platform title, it will not move consoles in the same way that exclusive titles do, like Metal Gear Solid 4 for instance.

What you have with “Final Fantasy XIII” is a lot like what they’ve paid for with “GTA.” It’s not an exclusive on their platform. It’s now a cross-platform game. And I think if you look at how “GTA” behaved in the marketplace and how it drove — or didn’t drive — either console, that’s what I’m talking about. Consumers responded to “GTA” on the PS3 just as they did on the 360.

He’s probably right. After seeing the effect of GTA IV on both consoles, I’m expecting a very similar situation with the release of FFXIII. Either way, any time a publisher drops exclusivity on another platform is a victory for Microsoft, as it levels the playing field.

Sony: ‘Final Fantasy XIII’ Going To XBox 360 Creates ‘Jump Ball’ [MTV]

Make games. Make money. That’s the motto of Microsoft’s Xbox Live Community Games initiative, which will officially launch to consumers this fall, alongside the forthcoming dashboard update.

As the company’s first foray into democratizing game development on a console, indy developers will be able create their own game using the XNA framework, then submit it to Microsoft for peer review. If approved, you’ll be able to set a price on your game, ranging from three suggested retail price points at 200 to 800 Microsoft Points. Developers will receive a 70% return on any game sold, with the remaining 30% going to Microsoft.

Microsoft expects community-created efforts to “double the size” of the Xbox 360 library. more »

Attending this year’s Comic Con? You may walk home with a limited edition Xbox 360 console featuring artwork by Brandon Badeaux from the upcoming Gears of War based comic book. As part of an exclusive promotion, Microsoft is giving away two of the consoles in the Xbox 360 (#5225) and DC Comics (#1915) booths.

Additionally, fans can drop by the Xbox 360 booth from 2:00 to 2:45 p.m. on July 26 to get an autographed Gears of War 2 poster from Cliff Bleszinski and lead writer Joshua Ortega. More details can be found after the jump. more »

Microsoft today announced that Go! Go! Break Steady, a rhythm-based puzzle game, will hit Xbox Live Arcade this coming Wednesday. Developed by Little Boy Games, the title features twenty break dancing songs in all, along with a unique visual style. Additionally, players can bust their moves online or offline with friends in the game’s multiplayer mode, which supports both versus and co-op.

Joining Break Steady is Capcom’s World War II themed shooter 1942: Joint Strike. Featuring 2 player online and offline cooperative play, coupled with a music score performed by Metal Gear composer Norihiko Hibinio, Joint Strike serves up a satisfying combination of frantic top-down shooting action with HD visuals presented in widescreen.

Both titles hit this Wednesday for the usual 800 Microsoft Points. more »

Developer Team Ninja and its parent company Tecmo plan to release an original, big-budget console title in 2009, according to Temco president Yoshimi Yasuda.

Yasuda said the company’s renewed development motto can be summed up in eight words, “new title, new genre, new location, new leader.” Location in particular is of great significance, as this new title will cater towards the Western market. In further clarifying the new genre bit, Yasua said that the title will not follow any of Tecmo’s previous offerings, which crossed the genres of fighting, action, survival horror, and adventure.

With Itagaki now officially gone, Ninja Gaiden Sigma director and Zin Hasegawa of Fatal Frame fame are reportedly heading up the project. Specific details, such as platforms, have yet to be announced.

Team NINJA [Bloomberg]

MTV Games and developer Harmonix have announced that next week’s round of downloadable content will feature tracks from platinum artists Nine Inch Nails and Shinedown. The full listing of content is as follows:

Nine Inch Nails 3-pack
“Burn”
“Capital G”
“Last”

Shinedown
“Devour”
“Junkies For Fame”

Each track will be available for 160 Microsoft Points ($1.99) or 440 Microsoft Points ($5.49) for the three-pack. As usual, the tracks will hit the Xbox Live Marketplace next week on July 22, with a release on PlayStation Network following on July 25.

We know that Square Enix is showing off a number of its highly anticipated titles at the exclusive Japan-only DKΣ3713 fan event starting August 2. What we didn’t know - until now - is that the folks over at SE are prepping an announcement that will “shock” fans in attendance, or so says company exec Shinji Hashimoto:

You can look forward to the upcoming invite-only fan event DKS3713 [taking place in Tokyo on August 2 and 3], where we’ll have a major announcement that will shock the fans in attendance.

Interestingly, the question that prompted his response was in reference to the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children Complete Blu-ray release. So perhaps another FFVII movie is on the way? Or - dare I say it - an FFVII remake? Seems unlikely, but to be honest, what else would qualify as shocking? We’ll find out soon enough, I suppose. Hopefully they aren’t getting our hopes up for nothing.

E3 2008: One More Final Fantasy XIII Interview [1UP]