I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna eat the whole tub!

This week’s new releases is brought to you by the Council for Realistic Console Body Image.  Remember when consoles weren’t afraid to show off their curves?  Remember when companies enticed you to buy their only-slightly-different new console by inventively putting a bigger number after the name, rather than putting them on a water and cucumber diet for three months?

That’s right, those were simpler, happier times.  The CRCBI has voiced renewed concern this week and is demanding more action from console developers to return to more realistic console body sizes.  Microsoft has been the latest company to cave in to this trend with the Australian release this week of the 250GB Xbox 360 Slim (in stores July 1, RRP $449).

The following titles will be making their way into Australian stores this week, where much to the chagrin of the CRCBI there’ll be more room on the shelves as a result of svelte consoles pushing the older, plumper models out:

• Arma II: Operation Arrowhead (June 30, PC)
• Lego Harry Potter: Years 1-4 (June 30, 360 / DS / MegaDrive / PC / PS2 / PS3 / PSP / Wii)
• Singularity (June 30, 360 / PC / PS3)
• Sniper: Ghost Warrior (June 30, PC)
• Singstar Chart Hits (July 1, PS3)
• Super Mario Galaxy 2 (July 1, Wii)
• Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 (July 1, 360 / PS3)
• Tournament of Legends (July 1, Wii)

In unrelated news, this week’s Equal Opportunity award (because I haven’t offended enough worthy causes in this post yet) goes to Lego Harry Potter for putting itself out on every single gaming platform known to man, dog and marmoset.  A’ight Harry!

And while it’s not really release date news, remember that Steam have a heaps-big sale on at the moment.  I’ve already got more games backed into a queue than my poor download limit can handle, reviews on a few of them coming soon.  Have a good week everyone!

Now all he needs is four LEGO crystal balls

Just to pack a little bit more plastic rock into your day, the LEGO®-fication of David Bowie for inclusion into LEGO® Rock Band was made official today.

It seems only fair that if Guitar Hero 5 could gloat about the inclusion of the Man In Black, then Rock Band can get some PR love from the Thin White Duke.  Here’s some delicious press release:

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and MTV Games today revealed that LEGO® Rock Band™ will feature the likeness of David Bowie, pop music icon and best-selling music artist, as a LEGO® minifigure.

Fans can play as Bowie while singing his song “Let’s Dance,” which will be included in the play list.

LEGO® Rock Band puts the power of Rock into the hands of tweens, teens, families and gamers of all ages as they go on a wild journey to rock stardom to “Build a Band and Rock the Universe”.

Notice how it basically says Bowie is song-locked to “Let’s Dance”?  I love how, even in LEGO (which is ®, by the way) form, Harmonix shows their guest charaters more respect than Activision.  You can check out a collection of LEGO Bowie screenshots over at GoNintendo, while Gaming Bits has posted up the video preview.

Yeah, well, same to you Lego rocker

The block-heads at MTV Multiplayer have posted up an exclusive trailer for the upcoming Lego Rock Band, which shows off the rather destructive element that Lego is able to bring to the rhythm game genre.

We haven’t seen too much aroud the web about the title, we’ve all been giggling far too concerned about Guitar Hero: Van Halen, but the trailer looks highly entertaining. Players appear to be able to rock out so hard that they destroy the environment around them. I would guess (just guessing, no facts!) that the amount of destruction caused by your rock is going to be relative to how well you play, kind of like a current-gen Bust-A-Groove. There’s no confirmed complete track listing yet, but I’d be eager to see it when it does.

Lego Rock Band is due out for the final quarter of 2009. Until then, take a look at the trailer, it’s pretty damn cool. Lookit the little Lego hammer-ons!