There will be no new release for the Xbox LIVE Arcade this week. Honestly though, it's a horribly time of year to release anything. With all the daily deals on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace, to the new games you picked up over Christmas and Boxing Day, it wouldn’t seem like a good idea to release a new title. Besides, game developers and publishers need holidays too, right?!

Still, there are plenty of Xbox LIVE Arcade games on the Xbox LIVE Marketplace that you probably overlooked this past year that deserve your attention. You know the games I’m talking about! So go back and have a look at some of those games this week or simply stock up on your Microsoft Points because next year is looking really good! The next two weeks include Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond and Serious Sam HD, so there's something to look forward to in the future.

The pinnacle of alien evolution, Maw is a cowardly fat blob concerned mostly with snacking and lounging. He can, however, absorb the traits of anything he eats, is virtually indestructible, and can grow to unlimited size. If he wasn't a danger to all life in the universe, he'd make the perfect pet. In the action/adventure game The Maw, he's the best friend of our hero Frank, and only by working together, can Maw help eat their way to freedom. The Maw was honored with the Audience Choice Award in the 2008 PAX-10 showcase of independent games, and is a finalist at the 2009 Independent Games Festival for Technical Excellence.

The Maw is now available from Monday, December 28th to January 3rd for just 400 Microsoft Points to Gold members as the final Deal of the Week for 2009. By the way, that’s a 50% savings! And it’s this week only!

Also, this Wednesday only Castle Crashers is 560MSP for Xbox LIVE Gold Subscribers. That’s more than half off! Go grab it now.

And finally, concluding the daily deals we have enjoyed during the holiday season, the Xbox LIVE Arcade version of Battlefield 1943 will be on sale for more than 50% off on Thursday, December 31st for one day only. EA's official Battlefield 1943 Twitter account revealed that the New Years Eve sale would slash the popular shooter's price to 560 Microsoft Points for one day only. You can pick it up here.