The first downloadable pack for Codemasters' Race Driver: GRID (Xbox 360, PS3) was dated and detailed today in a press wire sent out by the company. The pack, dubbed 8 Ball, will feature eight new cars, two new online events, and an additional four achievements for the Xbox 360 version. Hit the jump for details.

Electronic Arts has announced that the Army of Two (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3) Veteran Map Pack will be arriving very soon on both the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation 3 store. To find out more about this, head on over to the full article by clicking on the "read more" link below.

Halo 3. IMAX screen. 'Nuff said. As part of the huge line of promotions events that have invaded even 7-Eleven and Burger King, Pontiac is holding a "First to Play" promotions event where winners get a chance to play Halo 3 on the very, very, very big screen.

Two events will be held in San Francisco and New York. Even if you aren't part of the lucky few to be able to play, 1000 winners will still get a copy of Halo 3 on September 24, on the eve of the game's release.

If you want to join, all you have to do is register, give some info, and take a look at a lovely Pontiac car. Follow the Read link if you want to have a shot at playing Master Chief in an IMAX theater.

While Bungie Studio's Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 isn't expected to be out until September 25, the game is already beginning to break sales records online. Microsoft has just sent out a press wire announcing that the game has already surpassed the 1 million mark in pre-orders.

Further confirming this announcement is a related statement made by Best Buy movies and games VP Jill Hamburger:

The excitement for Halo 3 is incredible. From our pre-orders online and the buzz we're hearing in our stores, we know this release is going to be one of the biggest entertainment events of the year. We're thrilled to be able to bring it to our customers.

Several consumer brands have also announced their own promotion campaigns for Halo 3: Mountain Dew, 7-Eleven, Pontiac, Comcast, Burger King Corp., and Projekt Revolution. Here reads a shortlist of what to expect  in the upcoming days:

• Mountain Dew:
• The new Game Fuel drink: A citrus, cherry-flavored version of the original Mountain Dew beverage with increased caffeine content. The drink will come in 20-ounce bottles, 2-liter bottles, and 12-packs of 12-ounce cans, and will be in circulation come August 13, 2007.
• 7-Eleven:
• Game Fuel and Doritos combo promos (watch your sugar intake, kids).
• In-store promotions including the introduction of three three Halo 3-branded collectible Slurpee cups.
• Store contests offering various prizes, such as a chance to be a voice actor in Ensemble Studios' upcoming Halo Wars game for the Xbox 360.
• Limited edition aluminum Game Fuel bottles, designed by the Bungie Studios devs.
• Pontiac:
• Gamers Garage events in select locations will provide fans with an opportunity to play the game before its release this September.
• The company will be releasing 1,000 copies of the game, with one lucky winner receiving a Halo 3-themed G6 GXP Street car.
• Burger King:
• Halo 3-themed food wrappers, including a 42-ounce cup and King FyPod. The promo is expected to take effect from Sept. 24 through Oct. 22.
• Comcast:
• Hosting for exclusive video content, including user-generated movies and machinima.
• Hosting for standard- and high-definition Halo 3 videos on its "On Demand" service.
• Projekt Revolution tour:
• Halo 3 is reported as an official sponsor of this event, which features Linkin Park and My Chemical Romance.
• Game-related VIP events will take place at certain cities in the tour. Visitors get a chance to receive Halo 3-themed merchandise, and a chance to meet members of Linkin Park.
  

Keep your eyes peeled when these events and merchandise hit the streets.

Ready for another serving of metal-rending action? We've got this week's Transformers Friday video courtesy of GameTrailers, and let us say that it's awesome.

This new Transformers: The Game video showcases another boss fight, and this time the brawl's between Autobot Jazz and Decepticon Starscream. For those too young to remember, Jazz (Pontiac Solstice) is Optimus Prime's right hand bot while Starscream (F-22 Raptor) is his counterpart on the Decepticon side of the fence as Megatron's lieutenant. Anyway, they both look very different from their previous incarnations though the size ratio seems accurate enough.

Who do you think will win this battle? The jet or the convertible? More news on Activision's upcoming next-gen video game (PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) as it happens. Stay tuned.

If you love College Hoops 2K7, you play decent basketball and you've always wanted to own a brand new Pontiac is a marque of automobile produced by General Motor">Pontiac, then you might just be the person that 2K Sports is looking for. To all those who fit the description above, then you should know that 2K Sports and Pontiac have just officially announced the start of the Second Annual Pontiac Virtual NCAA Final 4 Tournament. And this year's grand prize? Nothing less than a spankin' new 2007 Pontiac G5 GT.

For those who want to take a shot at this opportunity, the first thing that you will need is an Xbox Live Gold account. Then just register at the 2K Sports website to join the competition, and complete ten online ranked games of College Hoops 2K7 by March 10. The 192 top-ranked players will then move on to the tournament proper where they will be slugging it out until only four finalists remain.

These last four contenders will then be receiving free trips for two to the 2007 NCAA Men's Final Four in Atlanta, Georgia, and will get to compete head-to-head in front of a massive crowd. The last one standing will get to drive back home in a Pontiac when the tournament ends on April 3.

So, brush up on those virtual lay-ups and flex those fingers, and imagine how nice your new ride could possibly be.