You know, zombies have to take a lot of heat from the living. I mean, is it their fault that they are doomed to roam the earth, lurching from brain to brain in a murderous rampage? They’re doing the best they can with the hand they’ve been dealt.

That’s why I’m asking you, the PS3 community, to welcome some zombies into your home this weekend. The Rezurrection DLC pack comes out today for Call of Duty: Black Ops, and it contains five maps that many will approach as a thrilling first-person horror experience – or maybe, just maybe, it could be a very special chance to connect with the dearly departed.

Four of the maps are a joyous reunion anyway; they’re upgraded and remastered versions of levels first seen in Call of Duty: World at War. There’s Nacht der Untoten, which some see as a desperate standoff in a dilapidated building, but could just be the perfect place for zombie peace talks. In Verruckt, how do you know the asylum isn’t just a nice, padded place for a zombie nap? Shi No Numa takes place in a swamp – a relaxing vacation spot for you to get to know your new friends. And Der Reise is a huge factory – basically, you’re inviting yourself into the zombies’ home. Be a polite guest by not blasting their faces off with a shotgun, huh?

The fifth map is all-new – a trip to the Moon, where you will be forced to interact with your zombie friends in a whole new way. Zero gravity looks like fun, plus you get to play with new toys like the Wave Gun and the Quantum Entanglement Device. Don’t you think your putrefying pals would like to have a turn, too?

My point is, this new batch of content represents a fantastic opportunity for greater understanding. The zombies are making the effort to be your friend – that’s why they’re stumbling directly toward you. They come bearing gifts! Who do you think suggested that Rezurrection include a free Zombies soundtrack and a Moon theme on PS3? And who said “Hey, if you already have the first four maps from the Hardened or Prestige Editions of Black Ops, you can download Moon, the soundtrack, and the theme for free?” That’s right. And think about how you’ve been repaying them for that kindness – with headshots. Splattery, splattery headshots!

Trying to eat your brain is just a zombie’s way of seeking knowledge, direct from the source. Tonight, grab the Rezurrection DLC pack and learn more about zombies — and give the zombies a chance to learn more about you. I think you’ll find that the screeching, lumbering undead are just like you and me; it’s what’s inside that counts. And since they’re zombies, you can easily see their insides.

Heads up, PlayStation Fans: The Major League Gaming Pro Circuit is coming to Raleigh, NC August 26th-28th. We’ll be there holding head-to-head UNCHARTED 3 and Resistance 3 competitions in the PlayStation Compound. Join us for your chance to win awesome prize packs, and experience these highly anticipated games before you can buy them.

Raleigh, NC also marks the fourth stop of the 2011 Call of Duty: Black Ops Pro Circuit season. Competition is fierce, with the best players coming out for the circuit. Think you can handle it? Passes for the event are available now (details here) Whether you’re planning to compete in Black Ops or just observe, remember to drop by the PlayStation Compound to play, compete or just chat us up. Event details and programming below:

Venue:

Raleigh Convention Center

500 South Salisbury Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

The PlayStation Compound will be open for business during the following hours:

Friday: 1:30pm – 10:00pm

Saturday: 10:00am – 10:00pm

Sunday: 10:00am – 5:00pm

Admission is $15 for spectators, but we’ll be giving out tickets through the events and promotions Twitter account, @HeyPlayStation. For those of you who can’t attend follow us on twitter all weekend long know to stay in the know! Below is just a taste of this weekend’s activities going on inside the PlayStation booth:

MLG Mortal Kombat Tournament

The online tournament culminates in Raleigh with a 1v1 competition and a prize pool worth $7,000. Didn’t qualify online? That’s okay walkups are also welcome, so grab your friends and come out to join in on the tournament and show off your fighting skills. For more details click here.

PlayStation Compound Competitions

Friday, August 26th – Resistance 3

Compete against the best MLG has to offer in a 5v5 competition. Experience the campaign before your friends in mind-blowing stereoscopic 3D and with the PlayStation Move sharp shooter.

Saturday August 27th – Mystery Title

Battle for bragging rights and PlayStation prizes. You’ll have to stay tuned to find out which title we’ll be showing, but trust us you won’t be disappointed.

Sunday, August 28th – UNCHARTED 3: Drake’s Deception

Having beta withdrawal? Us too. That’s why we’ll be showcasing UNCHARTED 3 and hosting LAN competitions all day. That’s right, no internet required. If you want to take home the top slot you have to be here!

Can’t make it to the event? Don’t forget you can watch the live stream on Majorleaguegaming.com. Follow us @HeyPlayStation with live updates and chances to win cool free stuff!

Annihilation — the third pack of DLC maps for Call of Duty: Black Ops – comes to the PlayStation 3 late tonight after 2am Pacific Time. The DLC offers four new multiplayer arenas and a new jungle-based Zombies survival experience in Shangri-Li. In celebration of the big release, developer Treyarch has deemed that the double XP will flow all weekend long. I’ll be hosting a gameplay session this Friday night to soak some of that up myself, and my favorite game type is Domination. Truth be told, I’m not that good a shot, so objective-based modes like this one let me help the team and keep leveing up even if I’m nowhere near the top of the K/D ratios.

In that spirit, I wanted to offer some tips for the four new maps. I don’t know if we’ll meet up on the same team or on opposite sides of a red dot sight, but I’m willing to take that risk in the name of having fun…

Drive In

I like this map a lot. Snipers perched in the projection room and in the screen will no doubt trade fire over the B flag in the middle of the map, but that also makes them susceptible to backstabs and grenades while they’re preoccupied. If you sneak up behind them, beware their defensive claymores. If you prefer to play defensively yourself, the box office near A is often underutilized as a hiding spot; you’ve got a good view of the flag and the most popular paths for advancing troops, so don’t be afraid to crouch in the ticket booth and guard your flag. Since all three flags fall in a line (more or less), consider Napalm Strike as a killstreak reward; if you drop a bit of linear fire, you can often shut down A & B or B & C and force the opponents to the edges of the map. Oh, and while you’re off to the left side, stop in the arcade and check out the pinball machines for a nice in-joke.

Hazard

This golf course is a sniper’s dream – the gazebo over A and the bridge near C give you clear lines of sight all the way down the fairway. As a result, expect B to be a nightmare to capture, especially since it’s easily attacked from the left or the right side as well. Gas grenades are great defensively at B, so consider a loadout with Tactical Mask to counteract that if you’re trying to capture. Personally, I prefer to try to control A and C and wait it out; sneak a claymore in near the chess table at C to help conceal it, and use the shadows at A to your advantage on defense.

Hangar 18

This level’s flags are spread out in a wide triangle pattern, with the B flag directly under the nose of the SR-71 Blackbird. B is particularly hard to capture because it’s so exposed and can be protected by long-range fire – there’s a building directly above on the A side that’s perfect for someone with a sniper or assault rifle, not to mention the tarped shipping crates that provide both height and cover for guards. But while everybody’s paying attention to the nose of the plane, don’t neglect its engines – flanking from the hangar itself (especially if you lead with a flashbang or concussion) is usually quite effective.

Silo

Silo can be overwhelming, as there are many blind corners and unusual pieces of cover – those cement cylinders, for instance. There’s a fair amount of verticality to the map; it doesn’t immediately look like Kowloon, but with several ladders, staircases, and scaffoldings to climb, it kind of plays like its Russian cousin. Plus, its highs are very high, giving snipers excellent views of B. However, A and C are less open from the most popular sniper perches – each has a tall wall between it and the middle of the map – so load up with shotguns and SMGs and storm them. The best team balance I’ve seen for Domination is two dedicated snipers and four roamers/cappers, working together. You really need teamwork on this one to be effective.

Above all, regardless of what map you play, use your voice! Most Domination games can be aided by simple status reports – every player can act as a scout. If three people took you out at A, say “Three at A” to prepare anybody else on your team. Simple, direct intel like that is always appreciated by teammates who want to work together.

Enjoy the new maps, enjoy this weekend’s double XP, and jump in for my Friday night session if you can; my PSN ID is OneOfSwords.

First Strike was fun. Escalation rocked. But Call of Duty: Black Ops fans want more – they crave new battlegrounds and new experiences. Black Ops developer Treyarch knows this, so they’ve been busy creating another fresh batch of DLC maps: Annihilation. The newest add-on content will be ready for download from the PlayStation Store starting Thursday, July 28th.

Annihilation features four new standard multiplayer arenas – Silo, Hangar 18, Drive-In and Hazard – and the deadly jungle Zombies experience, Shangri-La. “The goals we set were about quality and variety,” says Treyarch’s Online Director, Dan Bunting. “We wanted to make everything feel unique and distinct.”

Annihilation delivers on those goals with five all-new environments:

Drive-In: This one-time American movie paradise once showed war movies; now it’s the location for one. The holes in the screen have been filled with snipers. The popcorn is stale, but they’re still serving up hot lead in the concession stand. “Drive-In is a small map, very fast paced,” says Treyarch’s Online Director, Dan Bunting (the nice bearded man from all those behind-the-scenes videos). “It’s similar to Nuketown in that it’s a fast, close-quarters map.”

Hazard: Ah, the Cuban good life! This swanky golf course features lush greens, oceanic driving ranges, and long-range sniping opportunities straight down its deadly fairway. Never mind getting a hole in one — try not to get lots of holes in you. Those skilled with assault rifles and sniper rifles will enjoy this one.

Silo: If you’ve ever said to yourself, “This is a great map, but what it really needs are missiles launching right next to my ear, so every time I line up to snipe someone, I pee myself instead” – and really, who hasn’t? – this is the map for you. Muddy sloped terrain, a smattering of construction equipment, and a few carefully placed sniper towers make this military outpost a tactical challenge regardless of game type.

Hangar 18: This one’s a tribute to the Groom Lake military base where the government developed the SR-71 Blackbird – or, depending on the conspiracy theories you choose to believe, where they stored a recovered alien spacecraft. Either way, you’ll be in an out of buildings frequently here, not to mention using a multi-million-dollar piece of reconnaissance aircraft for cover. But that’s not the only secret project it’s hiding. “Hangar 18 has a couple of fun easter eggs,” hints Bunting. “I can’t talk about them because it would ruin them.”

Shangri-La: Welcome to the jungle, where the Zombies have taken over an ancient shrine. But be extra careful – the environment’s many hidden tricks and deadly traps can be used against you as easily as your undead enemies. “It’s one of the more creative and clever map designs we’ve got so far,” says Bunting with pride. “The diehard fans are really going to appreciate the story hooks in this one as well.”

Annihilation will be available in the PlayStation Store July 28th — less than two weeks away. And as is the custom, the weekend that follows will offer all players double XP in celebration. See you at the drive-in!