Real news from the virtual world: — RIDE THE LIGHTNING: Activision's "Guitar Hero World Tour" is one of this year's most eagerly anticipated games, but the company has big news for fans who can't wait for that: Metallica will be releasing its next album, "Death Magnetic," as a "Guitar Hero III" download on the same day that the CD arrives in stores.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Matt Ringel knows there's a certain image that comes to mind when you start talking about hardcore video gamers: think teenage boys with messy hair and dark circles under their eyes from staying up all night, their eyes glued to a screen and their fingers frantically flitting about a keyboard or a controller.

In a result that will surely send fanboys into a rage, action-RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion beat out favorite Gears of War for Game of the Year at Spike TV Video Game Awards 2006. You can watch the star-studded event on Spike TV this Wednesday, December 13, at 10 p.m. ET/PT. List of nominees below, winners in bold:

Excited shoppers are already forming queues outside shops across the country to ensure they are among the first to own Nintendo’s much-anticipated new console, Wii (Review), when it launches tomorrow (you'll have to wait even longer to get your hands on the black version pictured). As the undisputed must-have this Christmas, the demand for Wii has reached unprecedented levels, with both gamers and non-gamers alike desperate to get their hands on the critically acclaimed console.

It is that time of year again. Retail outlets are scrounging for seasonal help, all the good movies are coming out, and gamers are watching that cliché fly buzz out of their wallet - even more so since this is a year with new consoles. It's the holiday season, the time when game publishers gear up to release the best titles of year to be scooped up and placed under a family's propped-up coniferous tree. If you're lost in the sea of video games or just wondering what to put on your list this year, here is the Starpulse Video Games Holiday Guide 2006!