Already having a much smoother launch than its predecessor, the Resurgence Pack dominates the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 playlists. The five maps bring with them new strategies and further multiplayer variety, something that many of us who have sunk in an ungodly amount of time playing will surely appreciate. The timed exclusivity of this pack along with the Stimulus Package has proven its worth as sales dominate on the XBox 360 marketplace.

As with the Stimulus Package, three of the five maps in the Resurgence Pack are completely new (“Carnival”, “Trailer Park” and “Fuel”) while two are revamps of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare maps (“Vacant” and “Strike”). Activision has shown they have the power to set their own price point as years ago, many would have been up in arms about a $15 fee for only three new maps along with two they have played before.

Not surprisingly, “Vacant” and “Strike” both have very dated seen-it-before feels to them both. Even not having played them in the original Modern Warfare, they feel like incredibly generic scenery and layouts in comparison to many of the other maps in this game. “Strike” does nothing to make itself standout with its generic Middle Eastern city setting. “Vacant” goes on to feel like a map that has appeared over the years in everything dating back to Counter-Strike.

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While fans are still reeling from the “Stimulus Package” map pack for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, the geniuses at Infinity Ward are already gearing up for the next epic map pack, entitled the “Resurgence Pack.”

Some of our favorite maps are returning, such as Vacant and Strike, but there are also some great new maps available, including a desolated amusement park, a explosive gas station, an abandoned trailer park, and more. From Activision:

The second pack of new multiplayer maps from Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2, will hit first on Xbox LIVE® online entertainment network worldwide on June 3rd with the release of the Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2 Resurgence Pack. Featuring five maps, the Resurgence Pack follows on the heels of the record-setting Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 2 Stimulus Package of maps.

The pack will be available on XBox Live starting June 3rd for the same price that the Stimulus Package was set for, at 1200 Microsoft Points ($15). Take a peek after the jump at a few screens of each of the five new maps: Carnival, Fuel, Strike, Trailer Park and Vacant.

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As we have seen, tons of you have been closely following the Flickcast’s coverage of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. We even love it so much, we are giving away a download code for the Stimulus Package on the next episode of the Flickcast.  And luckily, there seems to be more news every day for us to cover about Modern Warfare 2.

First off, anyone who hasn’t played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, immediately drop what you are doing and head over to Steam for the chance to play the game’s multiplayer for free all weekend. Everyone can immediately download the full multiplayer version of the game with absolutely no obligation to purchase the game. For the PC gamers out there who are clamoring for something to play other than World of Warcraft, this is it boys and girls.

In XBox 360 news, the recently released Stimulus Package set records for XBox Live. Despite technical glitches with its launch, the downloadable content sold more than a million units sold in the first day and over 2.5 million units in its first week. At $15 a download, Activision rang in over $37.5 million dollars in just a single week. With the positive response and sales, players are already looking forward to the second timed exclusive pack to make its way to the XBox 360.

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As you may have heard on this week’s edition of The Flickcast podcast (if you aren’t listening to it, you should be), the next edition of the the show will feature the first installment of the Mailbag. What’s that mean? It means that we are inviting questions and comments from our readers and listeners to participate in our weekly podcast. Just email mailbag [at] the flickcast dot com with literally anything you want to ask.

The best question which will be answered on the April 14th edition of the podcast will be awarded a free download code for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2′s Stimulus Package for the XBox 360. All we ask is that you keep it clean and only one entry per person. Other than that, there are no limits. We want to encourage you to be a contributing member of our site community and being a part of our weekly podcast is a great way to do that.

After hitting a momentous fifty episodes of the podcast, over 2000 articles and being online for a full year, you readers and listeners are what matters most to us and having you as a part of our show and giving you guys prizes is just our way of saying “thank you.”

Last week, the much anticipated Stimulus Package of five downloadable maps for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was released to the XBox 360. For a company with tons of experience in the downloadable content market, it ended up being a very shaky launch. Because of technical issues, these five maps were basically unplayable with a variety of glitches. As a result, Microsoft announced today over their XBox Twitter account that anyone who purchased the Stimulus Package on its launch day, last Wednesday, would receive a free seven day extension to their XBox Live Gold subscription.

As we previously reported, the Stimulus Package which sold for 1200 Microsoft Points (or $15.00) contains five maps. Two of these maps, “Crash” and “Overgrown” are returning fan favorites from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Three additional maps, “Salvage”, “Bailout” and “Storm” are new additions to the series. Currently, these five maps are only available on two select playlists from the game’s multiplayer menu, “Stimulus” and “Hardcore Stimulus”. With playmodes like Team Deathmatch, Domination, Capture the Flag, Headquarters Pro and Demolition, players get a real taste of what these levels bring to the COD: MW2 table.

“Crash”, one of the original Modern Warfare maps brought back continues to prove its value for objective based games. With well balanced teams, it provides a great locale for Demolition. Set in the middle of a Middle Eastern town, the central area surrounding the crashed helicopter quickly becomes a killing field from snipers on the nearby rooftop as well as all the alleys where players can hide in. It is however a small map in comparison and feels crowded when full 12 man games are going on. Still, a great choice to return to the series.

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Without a doubt, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the most important gaming franchise on shelves right now. It claims the highest opening day gross in the entertainment industry. Not just video games, but ALL entertainment.

That’s nothing to sneeze at. And of course, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 came out to its share of controversy. Most notable is the level entitled “No Russian”.

Be warned, there are spoilers ahead if you are one of the four people left in the universe who haven’t played this game.

“No Russian” has the player in the role of an undercover agent attempting to infiltrate a Russian war criminal’s inner circle. He is forced to do the unthinkable as you will see in the video below in an effort to take this man down.

Machinima talent Michael Barnes takes this scene to an entirely level. Using interspliced footage from his own created camera angles of another level of the game as well as dramatic timing and footage from the actual “No Russian” level, he has retold this story in amazing cinematic fashion. The actions feel more brutal than the player pulling the trigger themselves could have even imagined.

If you don’t believe us, take a look at the video after the jump.

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If you’ve been playing Activision and Infinity Ward’s latest blockbuster game Call of Duty: Modern Warefare 2 and have pretty much exausted every level, weapon and adventure you can squeeze out of the game, then you’re in luck because there’s new stuff on the way. We’ve brought you news of this before and now it’s finally almost here and the companies have released a trailer for the upcoming Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 “Stimulus Package” map pack.

At just over a minute long it gives you a quick preview of the five new maps that will be coming to the game. Three of the maps, Bailout, Salvage and Storm are brand new, Overgrown and Crash are fan favorites returning from the first Modern Warfare.

The Stimulus Package will be hitting Xbox Live on March 30th for around 15 bucks. Sure, that may sound like a lot but with the cool maps and stuff it’s probably worth it. You be the judge by checking out the trailer after the jump. By clicking through you certify you are 18 years of age or older.

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Credited as the biggest entertainment launch in history, players have flocked literally by the millions to Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on XBox 360, PC and PlayStation 3 to battle through the game’s already legendary multiplayer mode. Since its release, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has dominated the top played games over XBox Live without anyone else even coming close.

It’s no surprise that the first new multiplayer maps will be coming to the XBox 360 in the form of the “Stimulus Package” as it has been dubbed by Activision. Other than its release date of March 30th, nothing else is known as of yet about the “Stimulus Package”. Many players are keeping their fingers crossed already for “Zombie Mode” maps to come to fruition as they did in Call of Duty: World At War through DLC.

In additional Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 news, in a move geared to give Activision a more positive image after the recent Infinity Ward controversy, it looks like XBox Live Silver members will get a chance to experience the game’s online multiplayer for free. While PC and PlayStation 3 gamers experience this already, Activision will be allowing XBox 360 users a free weekend between March 12th and 15th to play without the worry of XBox Live’s subscription cost.

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Numbers of console and games sales were released by the NPD group for the month of January 2010 today with some not so surprising results. The Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS (including the DSi SKU’s) lead the console war as they continue to dominate this generation in terms of sales. Even after their record setting Wii sales in December, the little white box with waggle controls still is flying off shelves. With that comes five of the top games being Wii titles.

The griefer’s paradise New Super Mario Bros Wii tops their charts, follwed by evergreen favorite Wii titles like Wii Fitt Plus, Mario Kart Wii and Wii Sports Resort. The only surprise on the Wii comes from the critically panned Just Dance from Ubisoft (averaging a score of 47 from Metacritic).

XBox 360 surged back in front of the PlayStation 3, no doubt with some help of their over half a million selling release of Mass Effect 2. The XBox 360′s version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 also outsold the PS3 version by a firm 65,000 units. Co-op shooter Army of Two: The 40th Day debutted on the charts in the number 8 spot, followed by the apocalyptic release of Darksiders, both the games being the XBox 360 versions.

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In the first half of The Best Video Games of 2009, we saw Best Portable, Wii, Playstation 3 and XBox 360 Exclusive titles. Now things are ramping up on the way to the Game of the Year.

Best Music Game

Tie – The Beatles: Rock Band and DJ Hero

The Rock Band / Guitar Hero formula has been done to death at this point. Players play songs in a set list to unlock more music. Repeat as many times as needed until all songs have been unlocked. But it was 2009 that the music game genre took two big steps forward. As loved as Metallica is, their Guitar Hero installment couldn’t hold a candle to the weight of the legacy that the Beatles would bring with them in The Beatles: Rock Band. For the first time, there was a career spanning take on the legendary act with amazing and unique visuals attuned to the songs being played out.

With the addition of harmonies for the first time in any music game, The Beatles: Rock Band stepped up the feel of being in a full band to another level. Along with the unrivaled set list that only the Beatles could produce, the game has a shelf life that can outlast the pop-centric songs of current game releases.

A little over a month later, music gaming took another leap but this time into the unknown. Many people grow up hoping to become famous musicians at one point in their life but nowhere near as many look to become famous DJs. DJ Hero from Activision brought in masters of turntablism with the likes of the original hip-hop DJ Grand Master Flash to DJ Jazzy Jeff to electronica legends Daft Punk in the ultimate mashup collection.

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