Shard said:Scribblenauts Developer 5th Cell Creating 'Pretty Big' Xbox Live Arcade
[speculation]They're doing a Natal title[/speculation]
Shard said:Scribblenauts Developer 5th Cell Creating 'Pretty Big' Xbox Live Arcade
Alientrap Software, developers of the popular freeware FPS Nexuiz (nexuiz.com), have released the first media of their upcoming project, Capsized, to be released on Steam and XBLA in 2010.
The new trailer shows off the fast physics based gameplay of the platformer, along with it's stylized art and unique setting. The game will focus on fast paced action along with physics based puzzles, as the player attempts to exit the strange alien planet.
Arpharmd B said:Does anyone know what is on the plate for this week?
I'm praying for RayStorm HD.
Axel & Pixel (800 points) and Sam & Max Season 2 (1600 points) will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade this Wednesday.
CHR_AeON said:This week's games are: "Axel & Pixel" and "Sam & Max Season 2"...
Archie said:Is Blood Bowl still coming to XBLA?
Nasreddin said:It is going to be a retail release.
EA Sports Announces Madden NFL Arcade
Downloadable title designed around quick, 5-on-5 football.
By Kat Bailey, 10/14/2009
With varying degrees of success, Madden NFL has long been dedicated to delivering the most complete football experience available. EA Sports will be a stepping back a bit from that this winter though, having just announced Madden NFL Arcade.
The spinoff will be a 5-on-5 football game that's designed to be "fun" and "pick-up-and-play." All 32 teams will be available, with the game eschewing things like penalties and field goals in favor of simply giving players four downs to march 60 yards downfield.
Madden NFL Arcade seems to be a successor of sorts to 3 on 3 NHL Arcade, which was also released for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. We ended up giving it a B+ in our review.
"When you look around the office and see your whole team playing and having tons of fun with it, you know the game hit the right mark," said marketing director Nathan Stewart.
"We have diehard Madden fans who have worked on the franchise for a decade, and more casual gamers who are all playing together and enjoying it. If our productivity the past few weeks is any indication, we've created a game that everyone will love."
Madden NFL Arcade will be available on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network for 1200 MS Points and $14.99 respectively. Look for it in December.
There are 12 achievements with a total of 200 points.
Easy Three 5
Clear the Easy Level in either Planet Quest, Survival Four, or Co-op With COM.
Normal Four 10
Clear the Normal Level in either Planet Quest, Survival Four, or Co-op With COM.
Hard Five 15
Clear the Hard Level in either Planet Quest, Survival Four, or Co-op With COM.
Extreme All 20
Clear the Extreme Level in either Planet Quest, Survival Four, or Co-op With COM.
Five Wins 10
Get 5 wins in one of the online modes. Must be ranked matches.
Triple Five Wins 15
Get 5 wins in every online mode. Must be ranked matches.
Music Tank 20
Use the Beat-O-Matic analyzer and create 5 syncronized data files of your favorite songs.
Chain Wizard 20
Achieve more than 10 chains in the Single Player mode or 2 Player Co-op mode.
Hyper Sniper 15
Do 10 Hyper Modes in all 10 stages of the Single Player mode or 2 Player Co-op mode.
Twin Sync 20
In Co-op With COM mode, perform 5 Super Synchronized Bonuses within the 10 stages.
Beat Master 25
In a Single Player game, achieve 8 continuous Beat Drops on the max Beat Bonus Level.
Longest Snake 25
In a Single Player game, connect over 50 Pieces and then eliminate them.
There are 12 achievements with a total of 200 points.
First Termer 10
Complete Training.
Old Glory 20
Complete the American missions.
Union Jack 20
Complete the British missions.
Victory Banner 20
Complete the Russian missions.
Tank Breaker 15
Finish Hurtgen.
Rocket's Red Glare 15
Finish Rocket.
Flag over the Reichstag 15
Finish Berlin.
War Hero 30
Complete the game on the hardest difficulty.
Gunslinger 10
Get kills using a pistol, rifle, submachine gun, and grenade in a mission without dying.
Pea Shooter 20
Complete a mission using only a pistol and no melee attacks.
Survivor 15
Complete a mission without dying or loading a checkpoint.
Won The War 10
Complete the game.
Arhal_Katarn said:When is Serious Sam HD out?
Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network download-only shooter Battlefield 1943 was Electronic Arts Japan's top-selling game in the last year, as "incredibly crowded" store shelves help digital grow.
So says EA Japan's Rex Ishibashi, as part of a larger Gamasutra interview discussing sales and popularity trends for the publishing giant, which is now making DS title Tsumuji specifically for the Japanese market.
"Battlefield 1943, which we released download-only in Japan, is our best selling title in the last 12 months," Ishibashi states.
"I'm sure you've spent time in Japanese retail, here. Store shelves are incredibly crowded, turnover is incredibly important," he continues. "It's hard, frankly, as a Western publisher, to get the attention that a Dragon Quest is going to get -- a game that is specifically made for this marketplace."
"So, eliminating some of the retailer biases, and being able to go direct to consumer, is an important step for us."
In particular, Ishibashi says a significant volume of download sales happen right at launch, and the availability of demo versions plays a role: "I don't think we're publicly discussing the downloads, but again, a tremendous number of units over literally the first six days after release. We're getting upwards of 60-70% conversions on trial-to-buys."
The full interview with EA Japan's Ishibashi is now available on Gamasutra, including lots more specifics on the Japanese market in general, and Electronic Arts' efforts in particular.
Tower Bloxx Deluxe
"Discover all 6 massive game modes of this addictive smash-hit! The action-puzzle phenomenon is played by millions on the web, but Xbox Live players get the full HD experience with revolutionary social scoring, avatar support, power ups, and even multiplayer. Get ready for edge of your seat action that'll have you creating swaying, tipping and tumbling towers sky-high."
Tower Bloxx Deluxe will be available this Wednesday for 800 Microsoft Points
Panzer General: Allied Assault
"Panzer General is back with an all-new turn-based strategy game in Panzer General: Allied Assault! For the first time on Xbox LIVE Arcade, recreate actual battles during the last phase of World War II and experience the dramatic events of D-Day as they unfold in your hands. Build, customize, and fight with your personalized deck of 60 cards. Play with a friend in multiplayer mode, gain access to special units and cards, and become a Panzer General."
Panzer General: Allied Assault will be available this Wednesday for 800 Microsoft Points
Deal Of The Week - Golf: Tee It Up
This week's deal of the week is Golf: Tee It Up, the Xbox Live Arcade's premier Golf title. It will be available this week for half price - just 400MSP ($5) instead of 800MSP ($10)
Magic The Gathering: Dual The Dragon Expansion
Duel Magics iconic dragon Planeswalker Nicol Bolas with the brand new downloadable content featuring: Three new playable decks, including Tezzerets Relics of Doom Planeswalker deck, Three new unlockable cards for each of the eight original decks, New Two-Headed Giant co-op levels and Three new puzzling challenge levels.
The DLC will be available this Wednesday for 400 Microsoft Points.
Scrap Metal
Xbox 360 preview by Calvin Kemph, published on Monday 19th October 2009
Quality isometric racing games are few and far between. Scrap Metal yearns for the days of the retro racer, while throwing in a load of weapons aimed to fulfill your destructive tendencies. Developed by the two man team Slick Entertainment out of Vancouver B.C., the game looks to put another high point on the duos track record, following their co-development with Metanet of the critically acclaimed 2008 release N+.
Racing, demolition derby, and boss fighting gameplay modes were featured in the demo. In Scrap Metal youre rewarded for destroying opponents cars with the ability to bring the scraps of one of the destroyed cars back to your garage, so long as you place within the top three. Additionally, youll earn upgrade points which can be spent repairing your cars, or customizing attributes such as acceleration, handling, firepower, strength, and nitro capacity. There will also be Xbox Live multiplayer, when the games released, although it wasnt shown in the demonstration.
The racing game actually plays well. With the racing mode, players practically have to drive over the checkpoint arrows in order for them to register, or within close proximity to them. Controlling the vehicles wasnt difficult, they behave properly, with their own strengths and weaknesses and turn on a dime. Track layouts are cleverly devised to make them optimal for both destruction and racing. There were nitro and weapon pick-ups scattered about the track, over-lapping segments featuring neat jumps over previous areas, and flames shooting out from the walls to enhance the carnage.
Provided with the demo were several 3D glasses (specifically, ones from the film Coraline), which could be used in a separate visual mode for the game. This 3D theme is becoming increasingly popular, as of late. For Scrap Metal, some of your surroundings seem to be lifted right off the screen with the 3D glasses, but the change isnt drastic. Nothing to write home about, although theres nothing wrong with trying new things on Xbox Live Arcade. Its the perfect platform for developers to experiment on.
After my time with the game, Im definitely looking forward to its 2010 release, and am anticipating even bigger, better things from the independent developers in the near future.
If the name of Toki nothing to you, then you have not really experienced the heyday of the Amiga where excellent game platforms had such an address in the early 90s. Eh bien sachez que la bonne nouvelle de la journée fait état d'un remake de ce titre comme vous le prouvent les visuels ci-dessous. Well aware that the good news of the day reported a remake of this title as you show the visual below. Développé par le jeune studio français, Golgoth Studio, ledit remake est pour l'heure prévu sur le Xbox Live Arcade et Games for Windows Live . Developed by the young French studio, Golgoth Studio remake that has so far provided on Xbox Live Arcade and Games for Windows Live. Pas plus d'informations à l'heure actuelle même si on commence déjà à se frotter les mains à la vue de la réactualisation graphique témoignant d'un sacré coup de pinceau ! No details at present although it is already beginning to rub their hands at the sight of the updating chart showing quite a stroke!
There are 12 achievements with a total of 200 points.
Lurching Toward the Altar 20
Complete chapter 1.
The Missing Links 20
Complete chapter 2.
Tournament of Chumps 20
Complete chapter 3.
Country Clubbed 20
Complete chapter 4.
Memory Lane 15
Find an artifact from "A Matter of Loaf and Death".
One Gnome Too Many 15
Dispose of a mythical character.
Mmm... Cheese! 15
Track down a piece of Stinking Bishop for Wallace.
Common Tater 15
Hear Paneer commentate at each stage of Wallace's golf game.
Triple Mulligan 15
Three strokes in a sand trap.
Bleeding Heart 15
Unwittingly aid a villain.
Punchlined Out 15
Everybody likes jokes, right?
Wallaceism 15
Can you find 3 instances of this phrase, old chum?
The battle for pool table domination begins next week on the 360, when Dark Energy Digital s Inferno Pool hits Xbox Live Arcade . Inferno Pool pits up to four online or local players against each other, trying to clear their pool table while their opponents fire balls at them. Its just like regular pool, only with alliances, betrayals, fire, and explosions. Truth be told, it sounds far more interesting than normal pool, through you can still play a regular game if you arent up to the challenge. Inferno Pool was released last year on the PlayStation Network in the UK and Europe, but has yet to hit North American or Asian PS3 consoles. Developer Dark Energy Digital has teamed up with Koch Media to deliver the game to the Xbox Live Arcade service next Wednesday, October 28th, in both North America and Asia. Go figure. Find out more about the game at the official website , where two videos will start playing at once automatically when you load the page. Classy! Inferno Pool Hits Xbox Live Arcade on October 28th [Evil Avatar]
Rainbow Islands Set for 360
Taito adds avatar support for Xbox Live Arcade remake.
Xbox 360 owners have another Taito arcade classic to look forward to. The publisher announced today an Xbox 360 version of Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure, to be released domestically (and presumably worldwide as well) on October 28.
Towering Adventure is a remake of the classic Rainbow Islands game, which has Bubble Bobble series characters Bubby and Bobby building rainbows to climb their way up to the top of a tower. The remake was previously released on the Wii in March.
The 360 version promises story mode, challenge mode, and time attack modes, along with a worldwide one-on-one online competitive Xbox Live Match mode. Those who prefer to compete offline will also find a two player local cooperative mode .
Taito is also using making use of the 360's avatar support. Players will be able to substitute their own Xbox Live avatars for Bubby and Bobby.
Pricing for Rainbow Islands Towering Adventure is set at 800 MS Points.
LocoMrPollock said:It'll be out sooner or later.
Shard said:Achievements: Wallace & Gromit Episode 4: The Bogey Man
November, I think Telltale said a few weeks ago.steverulez said:..where well the hell is episode 2?!?!
Darwinia+ is ready to launch as well. I wonder what happened to Airburst.Nasreddin said:Serious Sam has been announced for this month. So maybe next week?
The Lamonster said:Looking forward to:
Perfect Dark
Serious Sam
Doom II
Any word on release dates for any of these?
Therefore, there is a chance that we may also release the game in Japan,
Europe and maybe an XBox360 edition someday.
lol I asked the same 2 posts up, still waitingsionyboy said:Does anyone know what is coming out on XBLA over the next few weeks (or when Doom 2 is out?) I've got 2200MS points burning a hole in my account.
besiktas1 said:lol I asked the same 2 posts up, still waiting)
except I have 10X the amount of points :S don't ask, stupid purchase, thought while I had spare cash lying round I'll waste it, still had more left so bought ton of MS points lol
In an interview with Shacknews, Telltale Games CEO Dan Connors said long wait times between episodic content releases on XBLA are "over." When asked why the XBLA follow-up to the first Wallace & Gromit episode has taken over five months, Connors said Microsoft's second-annual Summer of Arcade promotion had kept the second episode off the virtual store shelves, allowing Telltale to develop new episodes of the series to keep release dates between episodes close. "I think our goal, going forward, is to launch on as many platforms as we can simultaneously," Connors said.
With two episodic franchises under its belt on Microsoft's downloadable service, Connors said he "would love" to see Tales of Monkey Island -- its best selling episodic franchise based on the classic adventure series -- on Microsoft's downloadable platform. "I know they had great success with Monkey Island: Special Edition. We think there's definitely an audience there and we definitely want to get the game to them." Thankfully we're able to hold our breath just as long as Guybrush Threepwood, so the wait for a possible release shouldn't be too painful.
UraMallas said:Speaking of episodic content where in the flying fuck is my Penny Arcade 3 download? I've been holding off on playing them because I wanted to play the trilogy as a whole but I'm beginning to wonder if the third part has been canceled.
Social Networking can be a tricky thing sometimes - you may accidentally mention something you weren't meant to.
That's what has happened with one of Gearbox's level designers, who via Twitter casually mentioned that a fellow Gearbox developer showed him "Our XBLA character rigged" and that it made him "incredibly happy". In earlier tweets this designer also asked which Xbox Live Arcade games his followers played, and for what reasons.
Gearbox are currently hard at work on developing Aliens: Colonial Marines as well as new content for their recent release Borderlands. They also mention 3 mystery projects on their website, in which we assume this is one of them.
While Gearbox has been well known for their first person shooters they also did the port of Samba De Amigo to the Wii last year, so who knows what this game might be. Either way, I'm looking forward to it.
October 26, 2009 - Most football game fans love leaping into a match and proving their skills against the computer or another player online, but the biggest difficulty can come with finding the time to play a full game. Even setting games to the shortest time frame available, matches can easily take a half hour or more to complete, which means carving out some time in your schedule. But what if you were able to get a quick fix of football with a little arcade styled action without the time commitment? EA Sports is hoping to provide you with exactly this kind of experience with Madden NFL Arcade, a fast paced five on five football game with depth for casual and hardcore fans alike. Recently, I got the chance to get hands-on time with the upcoming downloadable game, and had fun scoring quick touchdowns on the ground and in the air.
Unlike simulation styled games, NFL Arcade is a fast paced game revolving around the best five players on offense and defense on the thirty two NFL teams. Football fields are shortened significantly: instead of the standard 100 yard field, each team takes to a sixty yard field and are provided with only four downs to reach the end zone for a score; fail and the opposing team takes over with their own set of downs. Penalties aren't allowed in the game, and neither are kickers, so you'll have to rely on the running or passing game to get you points. When you're at the line of scrimmage, you'll have one of four play options available to you: a running play or a short, medium or long pass play. Defensively, you've got four plays that you can run against your opponent, covering either the short, medium or long pass or blitzing the quarterback. Manage to score a touchdown, and you have the opportunity to take a free extra point or go for two. By default, the game ends when a team hits thirty points, although you have the option to manipulate the score, skill levels and other options.
Are you ready for arcade football?
Are you ready for arcade football?
It would seem like these limitations would be enough to foster a fast paced style of play to keep fans engaged, but NFL Arcade goes one step further with the inclusion of thirteen power-ups known as Game Changers. These range from freezing a player on the other team to slowing down both squads and even swapping scores to possibly give a team that's fallen behind a chance to get back in the game. Unlike other EA Sports arcade styled football games, like the NFL Street Series, there's nothing that you specifically do to earn these skills, nor are players aren't allowed to stockpile these abilities; instead, at the start of every down, both teams randomly have a chance to receive one of these items, which can be triggered once the ball is snapped. It's entirely possible to receive downs that don't have any Game Changers in them at all, forcing you to rely on your skills to defeat your opponent. If this feels a bit too unbalanced, the feature can be completely turned off at will.
Clearly, the art style of the game is exaggerated, which you can tell by simply looking at the images of the players on the field. Some receivers and defensive backs are thinner, wiry versions of their real life counterparts, while the linemen are large, hulking players that can lay punishing power hits with each tackle. The stadiums have also undergone their own creative tweaks as well, with large fireworks explosions during touchdowns and many more video screens crowding the sidelines. However, while each stadium has been included within NFL Arcade, don't expect to see signature celebrations at each place. For example, the cannons won't fire in Tampa Bay, nor will you see a crowd of patriots firing muskets at Gillette.
As I mentioned earlier, Madden NFL Arcade is designed for quick matches without feeling like you have to sink a ton of time into playing. In fact, most of the matches that I watched or played only took about five to seven minutes, which would allow players to get in one or two different games during a halftime break. Players will also be able to gather up to four friends to play co-op in a variety of configurations, including 1vs3, 2vs2 and four players against the computer. While there isn't a particular scheduled for Madden NFL Arcade, it should be released by the end of this year, and will cost 1200 MS points on Xbox Live or $14.99 on the PSN
LocoMrPollock said:Any word on Vandal Hearts? Supposed to be out by the end of the year last I heard.
Shard said:It should be out in the next two months last I checked.
In their last title, Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard, Developer Vicious Cycle threw in almost every imaginable videogame cliché. The in-game lore referenced the titular hero's past exploits, but Eat Lead's gameplay had more in common with Gears of War than any retro game. Mixing generic shooter tropes with overstretched, unfunny jokes, the whole mess was a recipe for failure. But with Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond, coming to PSN and XBLA, Vicious Cycle is trying a different, and much more appealing, approach.
Blood Bath and Beyond has more in common with the games it pokes fun at than its predecessor due to its throwback, side-scrolling perspective -- like the extremely popular Bionic Commando: Rearmed and Shadow Complex. This new entry in the Matt Hazard series' gameplay evokes old-school Contra more than anything else; you hop up and down platforms killing dudes wholesale as you progress through each level. Meanwhile items scattered throughout the stage modify your weapon's fire, like Contra's all-powerful Spread Gun.
Another nod to Contra is Blood Bath and Beyond's two-player co-op (local only); you team up with Hazard's longtime companion Dexter Dare and make like Lance and Bill through each stage, culminating in a multi-tiered battle against a ridiculously over-sized boss. The only thing "new" Blood Bath and Beyond adds is the ability to shoot at enemies on a 3D plane; luckily though, the game assists your 3D aiming so you've only got to get close before it sticks to the nearest baddie.
One level I played through, set in Japan, was populated by, you guessed it, ninjas. After making my way through the obligatory feudal-style buildings and shooting through any number of ninja foes, I was greeted by the level's boss, a mechanical rhinoceros-dinosaur hybrid that fires rockets out of its mouth. Keeping with the old-school style, the gargantuan robot has a weak point that you've got to shoot at until it is no more. While a dino-rhino combo is already far out, it only scratches the surface of Blood Bath and Beyond's ridiculous humor.
Blood Bath and Beyond's story involves something about Matt Hazard revisiting games from his past in a quest to...who cares? The plot takes a backseat to the over-the-top, irreverent humor. Another level I saw, set in the world of one of Hazard's adventures called Chest of the Pirate Queen, pits the game's hero against a horde of transgender pirates with walking, sentient lighthouse as the level's boss. The game's explanation for the unique enemies is that faulty programming in the original Chest of the Pirate Queen game code caused what were originally supposed to be female pirates to become transgender.
What I played of Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond was fun, if a little mindless. As a fan of Contra-style gameplay I can't help but look forward to making my way through the absolutely insane levels with a friend at my side, and with a sense of humor that doesn't pull any punches I'll probably be quietly chuckling as I do so. If you enjoy titles with retro-fundamental gameplay and a ClayFighter-esque sense of humor (but with an M rating), look to download Matt Hazard's latest adventure this winter.
Artech Studios have been quet on the digital distribution front since Aces of The Galaxy, but a new document reveals they're hard at work on Dragons Hoard - a medieval coop adventure for Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.
The document is the very same one that we mention in our Capybara game reveal, and has details on Canadian developers who are recipients of the OMDC Screen-based Content Initiative. The document dates back to February of this year, but it looks like nobody caught onto it.
Dragons Hoard description states that you can "Soar, slash and burn your way through 19 destructible levels with co-op and multi player", and that there are plans for downloadable content, unlockable power-ups. Whether this is a game similar to Castle Crashers or more of a loot fest akin to Neverwinter Nights isn't clear from the description, but hey - sounds good in theory.
Artech Studios' webpage also delegates that they're actually working on two Xbox Live Arcade titles, and plans to have them out by 2009 - but considering the backlog of games in the XBLA queue I wouldn't expect them until 2010.
Hopefully we'll hear more about them soon - Aces Of The Galaxy and Boogie Bunnies were actually quite good games in the early days of Xbox Live Arcade and I would like to see what they can do two years later.