Images: Madden leads off upcoming video game releases

Madden NFL 10 is shipping on Friday. The game's release, historically, has been the first of many major releases that have helped buoy video game sales through the holiday season.

That's why we've compiled a slideshow of video games coming to multiple consoles in the coming months. (Release dates are subject to change.) You won't find any exclusive titles in this slideshow. If you're looking for that, check out the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii image galleries.

Madden NFL 10

Release Date: Friday

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Sony PSP, PlayStation 2

Madden NFL 10 starts the fall gaming season each year. This time around, the game will sport updated player models. It also will have a new Pro-Tak feature giving gamers more control over each play.

Wolfenstein

Release Date: August 18

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

Wolfenstein will bring you back in time to have you face off with a supernatural force of Nazi soldiers as they try to stop you from discovering their new, secret power. You'll use both Axis and Allied weaponry to take on the enemy and bring back what you've learned to your superiors at the Office of Secret Actions.

Guitar Hero 5

Release Date: September 1

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 2

Everyone loves to perform. And with Guitar Hero 5, you will soon have another chance. This time around, you'll be rocking to songs from the Rolling Stones, White Stripes, Kings of Leon, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Santana, and many others. It looks to be a fun ride.

The Beatles: Rock Band

Release Date: September 9

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii

It has been a long time coming, but finally, the Beatles will be making a splash in the video game market this September. The Beatles: Rock Band will not only allow you to trace the career of the Fab Four, but it will also let you partake in their music-making by strumming guitars and banging Beatles drums. And yes, many of your favorite Beatles songs (45 to be exact) will be featured in the game.

Need for Speed: Shift

Release Date: September 15

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Sony PSP

Need for Speed: Shift promises to get your blood pumping with fast action. The game will let you race cars that are impossibly fast through cities around the world.

Rogue Warrior

Release Date: October 1

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

As a Navy SEAL, you'll play Dick Marcinko in Rogue Warrior, as you shoot your way out from behind the Iron Curtain. Actor Mickey Rourke is doing the voiceover for the game's protagonist. Not bad.

Star Wars: Clone Wars Republic Heroes

Release Date: October 6

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, PC, Sony PSP, Nintendo DS

Stars Wars: Clone Wars Republic Heroes will allow you to play your favorite Jedi and clone troopers from the animated series. Whether you pick Anakin Skywalker or Clone Captain Rex, you'll find yourself amid a story that bridges the gap between the show's first and second seasons. Your job: stop a villain to "restore peace to the galaxy."

Tekken 6

Release Date: October 27 (Sony PSP version: November 24)

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Sony PSP

Tekken 6 will be the latest in a long line of action-packed fighting games that have made the series last so long. This time around, the game will feature 40 fighters--34 classic characters and six new fighters--and the option to fight online with players around the globe.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Release Date: November 10

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

If it's anything like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 should make you happy when it's released in November. Infinity Ward is staying relatively tight-lipped about Modern Warfare 2, but one thing is certain: if it can improve upon its predecessor, it could easily be a contender for game of the year.

Assassin's Creed 2

Release Date: November 17

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC

If you loved being an assassin in the first Assassin's Creed, you should be happy to hear that its highly anticipated sequel isn't too far off. The game throws you into the Italian Renaissance as you work as Ezio, the game's assassin. You'll be using weapons designed by Leonardo Da Vinci. Classy.