As always, we’re focused on bringing a little something for everyone in the Resurgence Package. Take Carnival, a desolate and large amusement park that’s perfect for objective gametypes and offers some amazing vantage points atop the wooden roller coaster “Dragon’s Den” or the looming sniper spot positioned high above “The World Of Tomorrow.” This place is like nothing you’ve ever seen in multiplayer before, with distinct locations all around the map which are perfect for calling out enemy positions and working tactically with your team.

Fuel is a sniper’s haven in this massive desert oil refinery with wide-open areas and extremely long sightlines. If you’re running and gunning, stick to the buildings in the center or take the underground tunnel route to get out to the snipers in the surrounding rocks and oil pumps. Trailer Park is maze of thin sheet metal fencing, torn up trailer units, and cluttered recreation areas. Trailer Park is ideal for the FMJ mod, and offers some insane Headquarters matches due to the soft cover points and thin walls that surround the objectives. We’ve also brought back two more fan favorite and classic Call of Duty 4 maps; Vacant and Strike. We’ve made some key tactical changes to both maps that veteran Call of Duty 4 players will pick up and start taking advantage of immediately. Such as the opening of the back room by Objective point C in the marketplace on Strike, and the now more accessible top floor of the flower shop overlooking the main street. On Vacant, the back gate of the office complex that leads to the hallway will now be open on specific gametypes like Demolition to give the defending team a faster route to the objective.

That’s just a bit of the new details you’re about to discover when you jump online and start exploring the five new locations the Resurgence Package adds to Modern Warfare 2. You’ll also notice we’ve changed up the playlists to introduce some new game modes and accommodate the new maps. You can now choose to play exclusively on the new Resurgence maps by choosing one of the two Resurgence playlists at the bottom. Just like last time, Resurgence and Hardcore Resurgence offers a variety of game modes to play. We’ve also introduced two completely new mosh-pit style playlists called “Barebones Pro” and “Objective Barebones Pro” which both have Killstreak Rewards disabled. So set up a new create a class, strip off Cold Blooded because you won’t be needing that, and see what it’s like to go head-to-head with no air support to worry about.

Most importantly though, let us know what you think. We’ll continue to change up the playlists based on YOUR feedback. So if there is a gametype variant or cool combination you’d like to see in a future playlist update, be sure to follow me on Twitter (@fourzerotwo) to keep track of those changes and let us know your thoughts!

To celebrate the release of the first ever DLC for what is inarguably one of the biggest titles of the current generation — Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 — the Community Management team will be in the Gamer’s Lounge this Friday, May 7th at 4:00pm PT (7:00pm ET) to launch into the new multiplayer maps of the Modern Warfare 2 Stimulus Package. You make the call as to whether you want to jump into the Bailout, Salvage, Storm, Crash, or Overgrown maps — just let us know when the time comes to set up the multiplayer session. More details, including host accounts, will be posted in our Message of the Day prior to the event start time this Friday.

Also coming this week into the ever-growing PlayStation Home universe (which is currently expanding at the rate of your average supernova) are special items from the upcoming remake of the classic martial arts film The Karate Kid. Available from the LOOT store in the PlayStation Home Mall, these hot new items are essential for fans of the classic film that are anxiously awaiting the June 11th release of this highly-anticipated remake. Be sure to grab yours first thing Thursday morning.

Those of you that, like me, obsessively collect each and every unlockable reward from your favorite PS3 and PSN games in PlayStation Home will be stoked to learn that Rockstar’s upcoming sandbox-style western game Red Dead Redemption (available for the PS3 on May 18th) will unlock exclusive outfits for your avatar upon reaching in-game milestones. We don’t want to spill any beans concerning the plot of this sure-to-be-hit title, so we’re not going to tell you how to earn these rewards just yet but trust me when I say that, if you love Red Dead Redemption, PlayStation Home is the place to be when you are looking for people to challenge to a good ol’ fashioned Mexican standoff in the 16-player max multiplayer.

In other news, Sodium is getting yet another update this week. Be sure to keep an eye out for Vendy – the artificially intelligent vending machine-bot conveniently placed in the Sodium Hub to provide all you scorpion stompers with Vetoxade, the anti-venom needed to stomp the fiendish blue scorpions.

Finally, we want to alert you to a pretty awesome event in which PlayStation Home will play a pivotal role. As the excitement builds for the highly-anticipated release of METAL GEAR SOLID: PEACE WALKER for the PSP, Konami, Best Buy, and Sony Online Entertainment will feed the frenzy by hosting a code-collecting contest that begins the month before the game’s launch. The CODE HUNT will have contestants 18 and older in the United States scouring locations for elusive Peace Walker codes, each of which gets them closer and closer to the grand prize. Hint: Hunters that visit PlayStation Home should keep their eyes peeled. The contest begins today, May 5th and will end just in time for the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker release on June 8th. Join the hunt now at http://www.konami.com/mgscodehunt and win big (official rules can be found at http://www.konami/user/rules)!

See you in Home!

First and foremost, the first downloadable content for Modern Warfare 2 — The Stimulus Package — will hit the PSN Store for $14.99 and bring with it five new maps to the multiplayer of MW2. Included in those five new maps are two classic Call of Duty 4 maps that we all know and love, and three completely new locations that offer a variety of unique locations for your favorite gametypes. The Stimulus Package includes:

Bailout – An American apartment complex that is amazing for objective gametypes, especially Capture the Flag, but one of those maps that works well regardless of what type of game you’re playing it on. Its long sightlines — like sniping from a blown-out wall of a second-story apartment suite — give it some nice spots for long-range sniping but also has plenty of flanking routes through the bullet-riddled gym, hallways, lobbies, and interconnecting units.

Salvage – A snowy junkyard covered in debris, crushed cars, and my favorite aspect — no place to hide (well, maybe one, but hiding in the dog house isn’t going to win you the game). This aspect of beautiful but simplistic design is what makes Salvage my new favorite map for Hardcore Team Deathmatch; it forces you to rely on your speed, accuracy, and skill. It’s all about offensive, sorry campers! This map is about getting in and STAYING in the fight.

Storm – A rainy warehouse district on the outskirts of a looming thunderstorm with booming lightning and rolling thunder. A massive interconnected warehouse with overhead walkways and plenty of machinery for cover makes this great for big team games. With plenty of surrounding outdoors areas for flanking or cutting through the connected buildings, this is a map that benefits from two teams working together to control their area and lock down domination points. This map has a great atmosphere and always results in some insane HQ games.

Crash – A war-torn urban environment with a crashed helicopter surrounded by several great vantage points. Whether you’re taking pop shots from the three-story building overlooking the map, or covering the center objective point from the second story of the appropriately named “blue room” windows, Crash is the first fan-favorite map to make a return from Call of Duty 4, and is one those multiplayer locations that is perfectly balanced regardless of the gametype you throw on it. Team Deathmatch is king on Crash for me personally and we’ve maintained every cover, sniper vantage, and perfect ‘nade spot you’ve grown to love, but have also filled the map out with even more detail.

Overgrown – A massive and open village divided down the center by a dried-up creekbed. Overgrown is a snipers paradise with its high grass, super-long sightlines, and earns its cred as one of our largest multiplayer maps. It’s back by popular demand from the community, and was one of my personal favorite maps of all time from Call of Duty 4. It’s been updated with some new lightning and atmospheric changes, yet maintains its trademark flow and appeal for big team games.

When you jump online to enjoy the new maps, you’re also going to be greeted with a few new additions to the playlists structure in multiplayer. You’ll notice two new playlists added to the bottom of the list: Stimulus & Stimulus Hardcore. These two playlists will allow you to play your favorite gametypes on ONLY the new maps. That way you get to experience them as much as you like.

Stimulus – This playlist will include all gametypes for 8-12 players and rotating through ONLY the new Stimulus Maps.

Stimulus Hardcore – This playlist will include Hardcore Ricochet Team Deathmatch, Hardcore Ricochet HQ Pro, Hardcore Ricochet Search and Destroy for 8-12 players and rotating through ONLY the new Stimulus Maps.

While these two playlists are reserved for those who download The Stimulus Package, the same day we’ll also be introducing an all new playlist for ALL Modern Warfare 2 players.

Team Tactical – 6-8 Players playing small team based games with Team Deathmatch, Domination, Capture the Flag, and Demolition. (First Person viewpoint)

This playlist is being added by HUGE demand from the community on our forums, Twitter, and other messages you’ve sent in to us; in addition to another requested change of adding the Ranger maps (Terminal, Skidrow, Highrise, Invasion) to the HC HQ Pro playlist.

When I said onslaught, I MEANT onslaught!

That’s not even all. When all these updates hit tomorrow on May 4th, we’ll also be flipping the Double XP switch for the first time, ON ALL PLAYLISTS, FOR ALL PLAYERS! So when you jump online you’ll be earning twice as many XP for your kills and objectives to help you finish off that Prestige you’ve been working on or, for all you level 70s, the deciding factor to take the leap into the next Prestige.

Tomorrow is all about adding even more mileage to your Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, giving you all new locations to play, new playlists to play them on, and Double XP to make it all that much sweeter. I look forward to seeing all of you online!

You can follow official Modern Warfare 2 updates and news on Twitter by following @fourzerotwo.

With many of our favorite franchises returning soon, the Qore team caught up with the folks responsible for these highly anticipated sequels in order to bring you the most recent developments.

Renaissance Man

The action/adventure game that focused on simulated ancestral memories now shifts locales to Italy in Assassin’s Creed 2. Audrey Cleo takes a look at the new tale of power, revenge and conspiracy that lets you put Leonardo Da Vinci’s inventions to good use.

Special Ops

Acclaimed developer Infinity Ward returns to the Call of Duty franchise with a direct sequel to 2007’s Modern Warfare. So how do you make one of the most popular games of this current generation even better? Add snowmobiles, of course!

Hell, (Un)frozen Over

Ten years after the events of Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, the ice and snow have finally melted—but that doesn’t make the planet any more hospitable! Capcom shows Veronica how players can team up to take down the enormous Akrid.

Sky, Land and Sea

The popular PC franchise is coming to the PlayStation Network in the form of Battlefield: 1943 – a fast-paced online shooter with multiple vehicles, 24 player combat, and environmental destruction in WWII Pacific Theatre locales.

Subscription Renewal Update

Initial subscribers from June 2008 can now take advantage of a special renewal offer. Please check your e-mail for details. You’ll need to visit the PlayStation Store and, under the Media category, find and select the special renewal ‘thumbnail’ to avoid missing an episode.

All annual subscribers and single episode purchasers will receive an exclusive Battlefield: 1943 theme this month, and don’t forget to look for a new mini-game in the Qore Arcade. Also, in celebration of Independence Day, check out your very own fireworks launcher built into the What’s Hot section where, of course, you’ll also find Audrey Cleo’s Blu-ray round up.

Look for Episode 14 tomorrow.