Following the failure of its uDraw tablet for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and December's shutdown of it's children's game division, THQ has officially announced today that it's focusing on its core franchises. So Spongebob is out, UFC, Darksiders, Company of Heroes, inSANE, Saints Row and Warhammer 40,000 are in.

In Vigil games' upcoming Darksiders II, players assume the mantle of Death, who is pretty much the only "personified supernatural force" more badass than War, the protagonist of the first game. The video above demonstrates gameplay from the early chapters of the game, showcasing Death's lighter move-set and quicker combat abilities.

Our intern Pierre saw a demo of Darksiders II last week; by his telling, the game will feature a larger scope and a more open map than its predecessor, much more platforming and a more nimble protagonist, and more armor customization options for Death. You can see a lot of that in the video.

Check the gallery above for shots for the game's most recent trailer the game. We'll have some more in-depth impressions of the summer-bound sequel later today.

The trailer above depicts how Death, man's simplest and greatest fear, has evolved over the ages to become the character that we will take control of in the game.

In between all the talking there's quite a bit of gameplay footage here of the upcoming Darksiders II.

If your ears tune out to the sound of developers talking up their own game—and really, who can blame you—know they're basically saying they're going to try and fix all the empty and boring bits from the first game.

Next week, Saints Row: The Third players will get the weirdest DLC for the game yet (and that's counting the gun that launches shark-attacks) with Genki Bowl VII.

The trailer above gives the gist, as crazy-killer-feline-human-thing Professor Genki takes his Running Man-style competitive/deadly reality show out into the real world. Among the various challenges:

Sail through the skies with Sad Panda Skyblazing. Fight through dark, shark-infested jungles in Angry Tiger's Apocalypse Genki. And crush your way to victory in Sexy Kitten Yarngasm. But don't forget to help Professor Genki maintain his excitement before any public appearances in Super Ethical PR Opportunity.

"Yarngasm?" "Shark-Infested Jungles?" Yep, this can only be Saints Row: The Third. (Read our review of the full game here.)

The DLC launches next Tuesday, January 17th for an as-yet unannounced price. (Update: THQ got back to us and let us know it'll cost $7 on both XBox Live and PSN. That's 560 MS Points on Xbox.)

It's slim pickings this week for new additions to the PlayStation store, with a full-game download of the often-overlooked but quite enjoyable Darksiders leading the way for full retail releases. Rock Band 3 gets some good-times pop rock tunes, and Rocksmith gets a whole bunch of Black Keys DLC, which I would imagine is a lot like Jimi Hendrix DLC only not quite as good. (Zing!)

Read the full list below:

Games & Demos for PlayStation 3

TNT Racers + Trial ($9.99)
NFL Blitz ($14.99)
Darksiders ($19.99)

Game Demos

TNT Racers
Learning With The Pooyoos – Episode 2 Demo

Add-ons & Expansions

Resistance 3 The Legacy Grenade (free)
Resistance 3 SPRA Black Ops Skin (free)
Resistance 3 Infected Nathan Hale Skin and Taunt (free)
Champion Jockey – Music Pack 4 ($1.49)
Apples to Apples A Bushel of Fun ($2.99)
Rocksmith – Gold On The Ceiling By The Black Keys ($2.99)
Rocksmith – Just Got To Be By The Black Key ($2.99)
Rocksmith – Mind Eraser By The Black Keys ($2.99)
Rocksmith – The Black Keys Song Pack (Bundle) ($7.99)

Rock Band 3 tracks

• "2112: Discovery, Presentation" – Rush ($1.99)
• "2112: Oracle: The Dream, Soliloquy, Grand Finale" – Rush ($1.99)
• "2112: Overture, The Temples of Syrinx" – Rush ($1.99)
• "Billionaire" – Travie McCoy ($1.99)
• "Boy" – Ra Ra Riot ($1.99)
• "Can You Tell" – Ra Ra Riot ($1.99)
• "Dawn of Spring" – Christopher J ($0.99)
• "Found Me the Bomb" – Buckmer & Garcia ($0.99)
• "Frankenstein Teaser Trailer" – Richard Campbell ($0.99)
• "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" – Panic at the Disco ($1.99)
• "Panic" – Sublime With Rome ($1.99)
• "Pressure" – Paramore ($1.99)
• "Revenants" – The Cold Goodnight ($0.99)
• "Riptide Resort" – Freen in Green ($0.99)
• "Rush '2112″ – artist ($5.49)
• "Stereo Hearts" – Gym Class Heroes (ft. Adam Levine) ($1.99)
• "The End of Progress" – Mystakin ($0.99)
• "The Thief in the Night – Part I" – Chaotrope ($0.99)
• "The Way It Ends" – Prototype ($0.99)
• "You Make Me Feel." – Cobra Starship ($1.99)
• Fueled By Ramen Pack 01 ($9.99) – Build your Rock Band library by purchasing this song game album: Fueled By Ramen Pack 01 . This pack includes "You Make Me Feel…", "Stereo Hearts", "I Write Sins Not Tragedies", "Pressure", "Panic", and "Billionaire" by various artists.

Game Videos

NBA 2K12 – Legends Showcase Launch Trailer
Battlefield 3 Back to Karkand Gameplay Premiere Trailer
EA SPORTS FIFA STREET Announcement Trailer
FIFA Street 4 Announce Trailer
Sonic CD Time Trailer
Sonic The Hedgehog 4 Episode II Announcement Trailer
Wwe '12 Launch Trailer
Assassin's Creed Embers Trailer

Themes, Wallpapers & Avatars

Just Dance 3 – Baby One More Time ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Barbra Streisand ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Da Funk ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – I'm So Excited ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Kurio Ko Uddah Le Jana 2 ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Lollipop ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Master Blaster ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Party Rock Anthem ($0.49)
Just Dance 3 – Take On Me ($0.49)
Metal Gear Solid 2 Art Theme ($1.99)
Metal Gear Solid 3 Art Theme ($1.99)
Mayan Temple Dynamic Theme ($1.99)

PlayStation Store for PSP

Alien Havoc & Bubble Trubble Bundle ($3.99)

Every year thousands of PC gamers around the world sacrifice some of their play time in order to make the games they play even better that the original developers, and every year the community at modding hot spot ModDB choose the very best. Who made the grade this year?

This is the joy of PC gaming right here. Long after console gamers have shelved their old favorites for the next big thing, PC game modders are doing things like adding online multiplayer to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, creating new levels for Company of Heroes, or crafting an entirely new game from the code of another.

MOTY Players Choice - Mod of the Year - Mod DB

Hit up ModDB for the full list of this year's deserving nominees, and then dig out those scratched and dusty discs and have some fun.

Mod of the Year Players' Choice Awards [ModDB]

Oh please God let this be true.

The rumours section of the latest issue of PC Gamer magazine says that, in addition to its work on yet another Dawn of War game, THQ's Relic is also gearing up for something to do with Company of Heroes.

They don't explicitly say what that is, but the chances of it being an expansion to a 2006 game are, well, remote. So after I get down hoping this is true, I'm going to hope it's a sequel, and not some action game spin-off.

We've contacted THQ for comment and will update if we hear back.

PC Gamer January 2012 [PC Gamer]

Kim Jong-il, who has ruled the Communist state of North Korea since 1994, has passed away. Which means 2011 shooter Homefront was only two weeks off making one of the most timely (if accidental) fictional statements in video game history.

In Homefront, a game which takes the death of Kim as the catalyst for a series of North Korean actions which culminate in a Communist conquest of Northern Asia and subsequent occupation of much of the United States, his demise is listed as having taken place in 2012.

With North Korean authorities reporting that he died two days ago, on December 17, 2011, that's pretty damn close. Two more weeks and they'd have been right on the money.

Developed by Kaos Studios, Homefront's overall story was actually penned by John Milius, who not only co-wrote Apocalypse Now but, more poignantly, both wrote and directed Red Dawn, another tale of Communists invading the United States.

In the real world, it's expected that rule will pass to his third son, Kim Jong-un, otherwise known as "The Brilliant Comrade", who the BBC speculates is in his late-20s.

In Homefront (the above image is a screenshot from the game), Kim Jong-il is succeeded by...his third son Kim Jong-un, who quickly moves to unify North and South Korea before annexing Japan and South-East Asia. Then invading Hawaii. And then the continental United States.

According to Wikileaks reports made public last year, Kim Jong-il's second son, Kim Jong-chol, "is 'more interested in video games' than governing".

Kim's death was announced on North Korean State television earlier today, with the cause of his passing said to be due to "physical and mental over-work". It's reported he died while onboard a train outside the North Korean capital, Pyongyang.

Kim Jong-il suffered a series of health setbacks in 2008, including what was believed to be a stroke, while in 2009 it's suspected he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Homefront had to be edited for its Japanese release on the grounds that it portrayed Kim as having passed away, which at the time was not the case. Whether THQ bother re-editing the game now that it is true is unclear, given the game was released a while ago and wasn't exactly Japan's biggest-selling game of the year.

Few tears will be shed outside the Communist state over his passing. So let's take this opportunity to take one last look at the wonderful "Kim Looking at Things" site instead.

Back in March, PR firm TrashTalkFCM thought it'd be a good idea to promote upcoming shooter Homefront by releasing a ton of balloons. It wasn't.

Not only did the game stink, but when most of the balloons ended up in San Francisco Bay, it attracted the attention of Bay Area water control officials, who have decided to fine the company $7,000 for the stunt.

While publisher THQ initially defended the move, saying they were "soy-based, biodegradable balloons", San Fran officials said their landing on the water presented "a hazard to birds and aquatic life".

They did not comment on the hazards Homefront posed to people who paid money for it.

Red Balloon Marketing Ploy Gone Awry Ends In $7000 Fine [SF Appeal, via VG247]

I wasn't the biggest fan of the first Darksiders game, but even I'll admit, that's a pretty snappy tagline for its sequel.

This trailer was released over the weekend. It's short on gameplay, but long on soft focus and dripping blood.

Darksiders 2 is out on PC, PS3 and 360 sometime in 2012.