This marks the second of the Operation Rainfall trifecta to be released in North America. The first, Xenoblade Chronicles, will be released April 6th, exclusively at Gamestop.

Source: Nintendo Direct

Releasing in Japan this spring as Persona 4: The Ultimate in Mayonaka Arena, Persona 4 Arena is a fighting game based on the Shin Megami Tensei: Persona series. The game takes place ten years after the events of Persona 4, with characters from both it and Persona 3 returning to duke it out.

Persona 4 Arena is currently in development by Atlus and Arc System Works, who is also known for creating the BlazBlue series of fighting games. The game will be released in arcades across Japan this spring, and on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in Japan and North America this summer; specifically, August 7 for the latter region, if GameStop and Amazon are to be trusted.

Source: Examiner

Gamers will be able to complete Desmond’s story on October 30th, likely on Xbox 360, PS3, PC, and potentially Wii U.

North American fans of the series can expect to see Darksiders II on store shelves on June 26 of this year for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC; a release date for the upcoming Wii U version has yet to be given. In addition to the release date, THQ has announced several retailer-exclusive pre-order bonuses for North America.

If the game is pre-ordered at GameStop, the buyer will receive a code to download the Death Rides Pack. This pack features several side-quests, and allows players to retrieve Karn’s lost treasure.

Best Buy customers will receive the Angel of Death Pack, which contains exclusive armor and scythes, as well as a neat visual trail for their crow.

Finally, Amazon’s customers will receive the Deadly Despair pack. This gives Death’s horse a boost in speed.

Darksiders II is currently in development by Vigil Games.

Source: Darksiders II Official Forums

Metal Gear Online’s online shop will be closed on March 21, while registration for new players will become unavailable beginning April 24. On that same day, however, all of the game’s expansion and Preset Codec Message Appeal packs will be available for free to pre-existing players. Finally, on June 12, exactly four years after the game’s release, Metal Gear Online will be completely shut down.

Metal Gear Solid 4 was one of 2008′s biggest releases, and was very well-received for its story and gameplay. While Metal Gear Online’s closing may sadden some, the game’s single player portion should still satisfy most fans.

Source: Official Metal Gear Online Website

Instead of the usual security-related updates, the latest update, version 4.10, changes several things, and improves performance in other areas. With the update, users will be required to accept the PSN’s updated Terms of Service. Speaking of the PlayStation Network, the service’s accounts are now being renamed as Sony Entertainment Network accounts. The change is being made in “an effort for more unity” between Sony-related services. Aside from the online changes, the console’s web browser has received a small update that improves display speed.

As of now, the update has gone live in North America.

Source: US PlayStation Blog

In a statement released to Giant Bomb, the company stated that the UMD Passport program will be staying in Japan, at least for the time being. The program is geared towards PSP owners who own games on UMD’s that are also available on the PlayStation Network; the owner insets the UMD in their PSP, and starts up a program that verifies that the disc in question hasn’t been registered yet. After the game has been registered, the PlayStation Network account in question will receive an undetermined discount on a digital copy of the game. Currently, the program is only available in Japan, with a launch in other territories not announced.

While the program does have its faults – some games receive lower discounts than others, and the fact that you have to buy the game again is rage-inducing – a small discount is better than no discount at all. This may be enough to convince some players to simply stick with their PSP for a while longer instead of buying a Vita close to launch.

Source: Giant Bomb

A price drop would be a great business move by Nintendo, with Sony’s PlayStation Vita only a week or two from release. Nintendo has made it pretty clear that they plan on playing hardball with Sony, and this could be the first shot fired in the new handheld wars.

Regardless of whether it’s a sale or price cut, if you want a new 3DS, you can save $20 by buying it from GameStop right now.

Source: GameStop

The change will not affect the PSP, however, as that system will still show “PlayStation Network Account” upon logging in.

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With all sorts of high-profile games coming out early in the year – Final Fantasy XIII-2, The Darkness II, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, Mass Effect 3 – some may find it difficult to think of a reason to purchase Tales of Graces F before others. Namco Bandai is hoping to convince potential buyers to do just that with exclusive pre-order bonuses.

When Tales of Graces F is pre-ordered at EB Games in Canada, the buyer will receive several goodies upon the game’s release. Not only will he or she receive a Tales of Graces F-themed theme for their PlayStation 3, they will also receive codes to download costumes from the PlayStation Store for use in-game. The costumes are all based on characters from Tales of Destiny and Tales of Destiny II– Asbel will be dressed as Kyle Dunamis, Sophie will appear similar to Rutee Kartrea, and Richard will be dressed in Judas’ attire. The set of costumes can be seen above.

So far, the bonuses have only been confirmed for Canadian EB Games stores; there has yet to be any announcement of the bonuses elsewhere. Tales of Graces F releases on March 13 for the PlayStation 3 in North America, with a European release dated for sometime this summer.

Source: EB Games Canada