Official Xbox Live Arcade Thread

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PRESS RELEASE: NAMCO BANDAI GAMES' PAC-MAN® CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION™ NOMINATED FOR 2008 GAME DEVELOPERS CHOICE AWARD
Press release supplied by Games Press 14:06 (GMT) 08/02/2008

SANTA CLARA, CALIF., (February 7, 2008) – NAMCO BANDAI Games today announced that Pac-Man Championship Edition, now available on Xbox Live® Arcade for the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, has been nominated for “Best Downloadable Game” by the eighth annual Game Developers Choice Awards. The award is one of the most prestigious honors in the industry as nominees are both chosen and voted on by fellow game developers. The “Best Downloadable Game” category recognizes the overall best game released on console or PC platforms, specifically and solely for digital download.

“A Game Developers Choice Award nomination for Pac-Man Championship Edition is an honor and testament to NAMCO BANDAI Games’ ingenuity and success in enhancing a classic arcade game for the Xbox Live Arcade community,” said Todd Thorson, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. “Pac-Man has been a pop culture icon for more than two decades and we are thrilled to bring the fun and amusement of the franchise to the next generation of gamers.”

Pac-Man Championship Edition was created specially for the first-ever Xbox 360™ PAC-MAN World Championship held in New York City in 2007. The game brings players back to those classic days of pizza parlors and arcades with the first brand new mazes released in more than 26 years. Try the Darkness Course where maze walls are invisible except for those directly around Pac-Man and the ghosts or the Freeway Course where everything moves at twice the normal speed of the game. Pac-Man Championship Edition also features enhanced environments where the traditional Pac-Man look has been completely updated with a new, modern high-definition appearance and soundtrack.

Since its April 2007 release, Pac-Man Championship Edition has successfully launched the famed arcade game into the new millennium and onto the Xbox 360. Additionally, Pac-Man Championship Edition has received numerous industry accolades as one of 2007’s best downloadable games from MTV.com, G4’s X-PLAY, Next-Gen.biz and Gamasutra.com.
 
Sean said:
Live Activity week of 1/28

Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions)
1. Rez HD (New release)
2. Chessmaster Live (New release)
3. Metal Slug 3 (-2)
4. UNO (-1)
5. Bomberman LIVE
6. Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (+1)
7. TMNT 1989 Arcade (+1)
8. Worms (-2)
9. Marble Blast Ultra
10. Arkadian Warriors

The above arcade list is based on full versions purchased.

======

Both MBU and Arkadian Warriors were not on last weeks chart and Boogie Bunnies has fallen off the list completely. Rez HD debuted very well, will be interesting to see how long it stays in the top ten.
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Nice to see Rez doing well, let's hope it stays up there. Easily the best game on XBLA.
 
A third candidate enters the arena.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/850/850725p1.html

Discs of Tron Enters the Arena
Coming to XBLA next week.
by Hilary Goldstein

February 8, 2008 - Discs of Tron, the second arcade game inspired by the classic '80s sci-fi flick, is coming to XBLA on February 13. Priced at a modest 400 Microsoft Points (US$5), Discs of Tron takes the fan-fave arcade hit, ands spiffy new backgrounds, upgraded audio and online multiplayer modes.

For readers born in the '90s, Tron was a Disney movie old folks geeked out to. It starred Jeff Bridges as an arcade genius who gets sucked into a computer program where he meets Bruce "Scarecrow & Mrs. King" Boxleitner, a rebel out to bring down the Master Control Program.

"Discs of Tron is considered an arcade classic as it mesmerized fans who wanted an entertaining and challenging experience derived from the innovative film," said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. "The game's release on Xbox Live Arcade enables multiple generations to play the addictive game in both its original form from 25 years ago and an enhanced mode with upgraded graphics and sound."
In Discs of Tron, players square off against the evil Sark with a Frisbee-like discs in hand. Throwing the disc off walls while jumping across precarious platforms in an attempt to "derezz" Sark.

You can also take DoT online for two-player co-op, VS matches, VS Speed Mode and VS Deadly Disc.

End of line.
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Gowans007 said:
so three games this Wed?

N is a defo, still teetering on the edge of a poker smash purchase
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I doubt it, more like one game gets pushed pack, most likely N+ sin ce that is small and indie published.
 
virtuafightermaster said:
I want my ikaruga.
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Yep. Same here. I want it more than any other XBLA game on the proverbial docket. The only other game that comes close is Castle Crashers, and that's seemingly fallen off the face of the planet.
 
Diablohead said:
Sonic 2 is still doing great, now whoever brought it play online plz :lol
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why? if you're not the person hosting the game there's a significant chance you get lag. even a bit of lag makes games like this unplayable.
 
Darunia said:
why? if you're not the person hosting the game there's a significant chance you get lag. even a bit of lag makes games like this unplayable.
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It's a classic game with a great multiplayer scoring system, the only time I ever got to play seriously in sonic 2 multi was years ago with a friend from school before I got a playstation, even then the matches were tipped to my side :P

I think it's because I know the game like the back of my hand, also i've tried mame stuff over the net before and platformer lag is nowhere as bad as shooting lag in fps games for me.
 
I think I might start writing some review-ish comments on XBLAH. Thing is I currently post up all the reviews from other sites anyway, so I can't really say all that much more in a regular review anyhow, and I'm not that keen on review scores.

Instead I've written up a little dot-point setup with just gives my opinion on what was good and what was bad or needs improvement. Even just being picky, since that sort of trivial stuff never shows up in reviews anyhow.

I wrote one up for Poker Smash:

http://www.xblah.net/2008/02/xblah-blah-blah-poker-smash.html

Hope you like it dcard :)

Also, Teamxbox has reviewed Commanders: ATOG, so that looks like it'll be the second release this week.

http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1467/Commanders-Attack-of-the-Genos/p1/
 
So I was incredibly drunk last night and tried the Chess Master Live demo. I hadn't played timed chess before and after a few shaky games (I couldn't even beat the ranked 1 AI dude, the monkey with a hat on), I started to get into a groove and really had a great time. I balked at the idea of paying 800 points for it though, there really is no reason why it should be so expensive. It's chess for god's sake.

But, I was very drunk and ended up buying it anyway. I was playing until 2am last night until I was literally falling asleep on the couch. Excellent game.
 
GSB has confirmed Commanders: Attack of the Genos and Discs of Tron for this week. No N+ yet.

Commanders is a turn-based strategy game where you fight alongside a - you guessed it - commander to protect your territory as well as trying to take out your enemies. With missile launchers, bombers and infantry, this Sierra Online game is sure to be a blast (blast - get it? ha ha! Ok, nevermind - Seriously, though, the game looks awesome.)

The game will be available worldwide (with the exception of Japan and Korea) for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated E10+ by the ESRB.

As well as Commanders, we have Discs of Tron for you. This blast from the past allows you to play as Tron as he uses his discs to fight off Sark in 12 levels of play. Also available with the game, will be a downloadable theme and picture pack.

“Discs of Tron” will be available worldwide (with the exception of Japan and Korea) for 400 Microsoft Points and is rated “E” for Everyone by the ESRB.
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Remy said:
GSB has confirmed Commanders: Attack of the Genos and Discs of Tron for this week. No N+ yet.
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Yea, I posted those in thier respective individual threads, forgot about this one. I suspect N+ is coming next week, I think I am going to keep an eye on that one thread over at the Metanet forums.
 
MicVlaD said:
Most of them are quick 'n easy ports with pretty borders and nothing else. Pac-Man: CE is the only exception right now. Namco hardly puts some effort into their ports (again: other than CE) and they even exclude content that was available in other versions of the same game. Galaga for example has no co-op whatsoever and I'm pretty sure they released a version before that did have co-op. And then there's the fact they sold two Pac-Man games before (one of which was free on the original Xbox Live Arcade) before they provided us the Championship Edition.

Either way, I'm not a fan of how they're doing business on XBLA.
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If joaomgcd automated sales stats are anything to go by, PacMan:CE is well beyond all of Namco's other efforts in terms of sales. Now, one issue with the sales tracking via his method is that it looks at the achievements recieved by users, and being a competitive game there could be multiple users per 360. But I think that even if you divided that number by 4, it's still higher than the other titles.

Hopefully $$$ speaks louder than anything else and Namco does more of PM:CE ish titles.

Rlan: Checked out XBlah again, loving it. One of these days I should sign up to comment...one of these days. :P It's the site I've been waiting for since the launch of XBLA!
 
Aw, guys, don't hate on Commanders. It's the second XBLA game from my little country of Sweden! Do your buddy aku a favor and give the game a chance. It is actually quite charming.

Sinatar said:
If the 360 version is anything like the PC version...

Yea... no thanks.
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Oh, no, it still sucks balls.
 
http://www.xblarcade.com/node/1696

The Future of the Arcade? Blobbies Wars!

When I think of a party, I don't think of waiting through long, boring turns in a tactical strategy game. Blobbies Wars, a new game that is looking to make it onto Xbox Live Arcade, wants to change that by creating what they consider the first tactical party game. The game features tribes of cute, small creatures that you will control in turn-based battle over a hex board. The party comes from the fact that during each player's downtime they will use a minigame format to collect magical energy, which is spent during your turn to move and battle your opponent. It is an interesting concept that if done properly could help fill a weak spot in the XBLA portfolio.

Characters of Blobbies Wars

As this game is so early in development, there isn't much information or media on the title. One possible source of more information for this title is that the official Blobbies Wars site has very frequent developer blog updates and an in-progress comic strip. There is also the following trailer for an older GBA version of the title.

The game is very early in development. They haven't even had the chance to approach the Xbox Live Arcade team yet to even start the approval process, but they are pushing for an Xbox Live Arcade version of the title. The concept seems perfect for XBLA, so I am hopeful that we will one day be playing this game. We will keep you up-to-date on the progress of this title.
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http://www.360sync.com/2008/02/11/monopoly-and-scrabble-to-xbla

Monopoly and Scrabble To XBLA?
POSTED BY Devin "DaKing240" Kofsky on Feb 11 under EA, Monopoly, Scrabble

Before today’s press release, I had evidence that Monopoly and Scrabble was possibly coming to Xbox Live Arcade. However, we were asked to not post anything, so we waited for EA to make the first move. This morning, they did…

We got a press release which detailed EA’s plans to release many Hasbro games to Pogo.com and the Nintendo Wii… yet no news about Xbox Live Arcade. After reading it all over though, we found this very important sentence…

EA also is developing new Monopoly and Scrabble ®(in North America) titles for multiple platforms, as well as other titles that will be announced later this year.

Does this mean that Xbox Live Arcade will be getting Monopoly and Scrabble by the end of the year? We believe so, but again, consider this a rumor for now since we don’t have any hard evidence that we can show… just yet.
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Right, if I may say the real interesting parts are not the one sentence found in that PR that was posted today but rather the apparent fact that DaKing here is sitting on some solid evidence that EA is holding back.
 
They're going to seriously need to up the production value on that Blobbies game to be competitive, though I'd welcome more strategy games to the system.
 
svenuce said:
They're going to seriously need to up the production value on that Blobbies game to be competitive, though I'd welcome more strategy games to the system.
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Well, to be fair, that is a trailer of the GBA game.
 
FightyF said:
Rlan: Checked out XBlah again, loving it. One of these days I should sign up to comment...one of these days. :P It's the site I've been waiting for since the launch of XBLA!
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Thanks man, I'm working hard on it :)
 
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/15678/SouthPeak-to-Announce-Roogoo-for-Xbox-Live-Arcade/

SOUTHPEAK GAMES ANNOUNCES 'ROOGOO' ON XBOX LIVE ARCADE AND WINDOWS-BASED PC

Save the Planet in this Imaginative Multi-Player Puzzle Game

SouthPeak Games today announced Roogoo for Xbox LIVE® Arcade and Windows-based PC, slated for release this April. Developed by SpiderMonk Entertainment, Roogoo is an innovative and unusual 3D puzzle game that has players guide and stack different shaped blocks through various platforms to not only save planet Roo, but the entire Roogoo race.

"Roogoo is a rare, multi-player puzzle game that combines compulsive play and an engaging storyline," said Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games. "The game's intuitive controls, unique charm, and production quality, will compel anyone to pick up and play but also challenge those looking to be the guru of Roogoo."

Roogoo tasks players with guiding meteors in the form of shaped blocks though a series of rotating disks as a means of saving planet Roo and the entire Roogoo race. If aligned correctly, the disks allow the blocks to reach the ground and scores are awarded. Various obstacles and enemies will impede the blocks' movement and with the flow of meteor blocks steadily increasing as the game progresses, players will have to think on their feet to save the Roogoo and rack up seriously high scores.

The new puzzle game features more than 45 puzzle levels with single-player, two-player split screen and party game modes. Roogoo introduces bonus challenges and stages as the game progresses with new shapes and characters.

"We set out to build an addictive, casual game that would be easy to play yet difficult to master," said Scott March, President at SpiderMonk Entertainment. "SouthPeak gave us the freedom to push the limits of creativity and it resulted in a game that is truly different and has something for everyone. Not only do we have solid gameplay mechanic, but we have added a story element to the experience to really keep players engaged."

Roogoo on Windows-based PC includes high-end and low-end versions on the same disc to ensure PC compatibility with system requirements. More information about Roogoo coming soon. To learn more about SouthPeak Games go to www.southpeakgames.com.
 
Shard said:
http://www.360sync.com/2008/02/11/monopoly-and-scrabble-to-xbla



Right, if I may say the real interesting parts are not the one sentence found in that PR that was posted today but rather the apparent fact that DaKing here is sitting on some solid evidence that EA is holding back.
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God if this is true, it will be so awesome. I owned Monopoly for the NES and that somehow got more playtime that the physical board game. Hopefully it has all of the crazy customization and that the NES game had.

Also, RISK make it happen!
 
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Awww...

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Ahhh!!!
 
So after buying Rez as my first XBLA game I'm considering Poker Smash as my second... played the trial and loved it!

I think I am now a believer in Digital Distribution
 
That wacky fellow Jeff Minter has silently uploaded footage of his new Xbox Live Arcade game! While he had announced it on his blog back in October, we now have actual footage of Gridrunner+++! That's a whole plus more!

It doesn't show off footage of the new version of the game - instead it shows off some of the additional features the game will have, notably - emulated versions of the original Gridrunner! Both VIC-20 (classic PC) and Commodore 64 versions are included from what we can tell, along with Gridrunner+++ itself. You can also see the current title screen, clearly with Achievements and Leaderboards.

Post to the Youtube video
XBLAH News topic

I hope he can get some more well-rounded praise after the split of opinion on Space Giraffe.
 
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