Release This: UT3, Orange Box Premiere for U.S. PS3s

Gamasutra's regular round-up of worldwide video game releases, "Release This!", takes a look at every game title we know to be shipping to stores this week, in an exclusively compiled list. As new releases slow to a crawl in Western territories, a select few standout releases manage to make the week interesting nonetheless. The Orange Box will soon see its PlayStation 3 debut in the U.S. and the UK. In addition, North American PS3s will additionally receive an awaited version of Unreal Tournament III. Japan, meanwhile, will receive Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, a much-anticipated preview of the next edition in the popular driving simulation series. The following list covers all of the game software we know to be available -- across all platforms and regions -- for the week ending December 15th, 2007. Games Released in the United States: Unreal Tournament III and The Orange Box have long stood among this year's most anticipated PS3 releases, and both will find their way to store shelves in the United States this week. The Nintendo Wii will receive a handful of racing and sports titles, meanwhile, as PS2 owners await niche budget releases like Dai Senryaku VII: Exceed and NeoGeo Battle Coliseum. Next week is shaping up to be the last major release week the U.S. will see until 2008, with titles like NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams and the PS2 port of Rock Band making their debut just before Christmas. Games Released in Europe: The busiest segment of the UK's holiday release season appears to have come to an abrupt end, with this week offering up a scant few titles across all platforms. The PlayStation 3 boasts a pair of heavy-hitters in The Orange Box and the Game of the Year Edition of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, however, and the PSP is scheduled to receive Disgaea: Afternoon of Darkness and WipeOut Pulse after a week's delay. Elsewhere, though, the pickings are slim, and according to UK retailers, further cross-platform releases are not expected to arrive until 2008. Games Released in Japan: Japan continues to outpace other regions in its quantity of weekly releases, with this week featuring an expanded lineup of anticipated titles. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue and NiGHTS: Hoshi Furu Yoru no Monogatari are currently generating the highest weekly preorder numbers of any of this week's offerings at Amazon.co.jp. Shooter enthusiasts will enjoy Shikigami no Shiro III on the Xbox 360 and Wii this week, while fans of the Xbox-born Kingdom Under Fire series await the release of Circle of Doom, an Xbox 360-exclusive sequel that could end up being a system-seller for the franchise's large Japanese fanbase.