With the game breaking the 11 million mark last month and the unprecedented success of the 2 previous Map Packs, Activision and Treyarch have revealed today the first details of the upcoming Map Pack 3 for Call of Duty: World at War (PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Wii).

Get your pens and calendars out, the first Call of Duty: World at War map pack has been given a release date: March 19 for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions. Check out the map pack details and screenshots in the full article.

The first batch of DLC for Call of Duty: World at War has finally been detailed. The content will come in the form of a map pack that features three new multiplayer maps and an additional level for the fan-favorite Nazi Zombies mode.

Samsung has revealed their plans for the future: Blu-ray is clearly winning now (with maybe five more years left in its lifetime), so they might want to focus on other technological areas in which they can win. If Sony's got the media format down pat now, Samsung will be striving to bring us competitive OLED displays in the future.

One of Russia's most distinguished game developer and publisher, 1C company, has announced two new game projects that will be their first on the next generation consoles. The two games are based on Captain Blood novels and the successful IL-2 Sturmovik flight combat simulation series.  Both are now heading to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (to North America with help), but even handhelds will feel some love as well.

Over at Blu-ray.com, we've gotten an interesting piece of information about the status of PS3 pre-order. To date, a total of one million PS3 units have been pre-ordered. This was brought up in relation to the Blu-ray and HD-DVD coverage of Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA) 2006. Its the world's largest electronics and IT show, which was held from September 1-6, 2006 in Berlin, Germany. 

The site also covered other brands that also have Blu-ray features in their products. It's not clear whether the numbers refer to the pre-orders in North America or worldwide. One thing's for sure though, demand for the PS3 is never an issue. The question is whether this demand will be met come launch time. In one of our articles, Sony's representatives said a total of 1.2 million PS3s are expected to hit US and Japanese markets by the end of December.

We came to know the first one as "The Finest Hour." Then they gave us the "Big Red One." Now, with the release of the third installment of Call of Duty just around the corner, it's about time this WWII epic game from Activision receive a proper name.

We found this development at GameKult, a French online publication. And we can't help but think how appropriate and coincidental everything is. Call of Duty 3 bring us back amidst the fury of combat during the Normandy invasion. This historic campaign went down in history as the very mission that made the liberation of Paris possible and brought the Allies a step closer to Berlin.

With this in mind, Activision very well thought to name the new title En Marche Vers Paris (March to Paris). Also, GameKult added that March to Paris will be shipping together with the first two titles. As of the moment, this California-based publisher has yet to comment about the matter.

Call of Duty 3 is a multi-platform title that will see earliest release for Wii on October 1. The PS3 and X360 versions ship a little later on November 17.

  

From the looks of it, Blu-ray is getting all the support it needs...and maybe even more. Recently, the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) announced that Sun Microsystems will join their board. Why? Sun's Java powers the interactivity of Blu-ray, so it would be more surprising if they weren't given that illustrious seat in the BDA board. Among Sun's future seatmates in the boardroom are Apple, Sony Corporation, Twentieth Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures, Samsung among many other big time companies.

In the still-running Berlin IFA, it seems that Blu-ray is gaining more support compared to its adversary, HD-DVD. Mike Dunn, President of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, announced a roster of 8 films that will be released on Blu-ray, including Ridley Scott's Holy Wars epic movie, Kingdom of Heaven (Director's cut). The title boasts of extensive use of Java-driven interactivity, including a video game that uses scenes from the film.

On a more personal note, we would like to thank TheProfessor for the tip.

Executive Producer Marcus Iremonger and Producer Dan Bunting talks about the latest installment to the best selling Call of Duty 2 - Call of Duty 3. The game's astounding graphics can mess with your head, leading you to believe that you have been literally transported back to World War II. As Iremonger points out, they want to project a certain kind of cinematic intensity to keep audiences engaged in the game, not as a gamer but a WWII soldier. Achieving such illusion required them to keep a keen eye on details, from the stitch used on the helm of a uniform to the color of the thread.

Another exciting feature is an all-new close-quarters battle mechanic that allows players to fight hand-to-hand. Seeing the gnarling teeth of your opponent while trying to escape from his tight grip will definitely drive players into mashing those buttons for dear life. If there are up-close battle actions, there are also times when you'd be in command of a vehicle such as a tank, a jeep or a motorcycle to execute your missions.

What's most fascinating is that the game is like a moving piece of history. The seamless narrative will make the players understand the fury of combat during the Normandy Breakout, the historic campaign that made the liberation of Paris possible and brought the Allies a step closer to Berlin. If anything else, Call of Duty 3 is a manifestation of virtues lost like unity, camaraderie and courage.

Download: [Call of Duty 3 (Multiplayer)]
[Call of Duty 3 (Single Player)]