Xbox Live Arcade NEXT Promotion (Now With More Gamerscore..)

Microsoft has the Summer of Arcade, The House Party, and now it’s adding XBLA NEXT to it’s arcade promotions.  This is a pretty stout group of games ending with none other than the highly anticipated (at least by me) Minecraft.  Starting in June all Xbox Live Arcade games will be required by Microsoft to have 400 Gamescore spread across 30 achievements.  These titles will also implement that rule even though they come out sooner.

Trials Evolution – April 18th – 1200 MSP

“Trials Evolution” is on every front, the next dimension of the smash-hit, award-winning “Trials HD.” Bust out of the warehouse into an outdoor world of night and day, curved driving lines, and spectacular scenery. Multiplayer comes alive in your living room or on Xbox LIVE. Build your own tracks with the in-game editor or download those of any other player from the new Track Central. Customize your bike and rider with awesome gear and unique parts, enjoy innovative skill games, try ghost racing, beat your friends’ scores and more! Don’t miss the madness!

Bloodforge – April 25th – 1200 MSP

With a brutal combat system, stunning art style, and a deeply compelling story, “Bloodforge” empowers you to slaughter hordes of demonic soldiers, deformed worshippers, and the gods themselves, using ferocious Rage Kills, devastating Rune attacks, and furious Weapon Combos. Help seal Crom’s fate – and the fate of the rest of the world – in this dark, visceral story of revenge, betrayal, and destiny.

Fable Heroes – May 2nd – 800 MSP

“Fable Heroes” is an action-packed, hack-and-slash adventure built for Xbox LIVE Arcade. It delivers a fresh spin on the “Fable” franchise with a unique art style and gameplay that takes playful competition to the next level. Whether on the couch or using Xbox LIVE, up to four players work together to defeat enemies while also competing with one another to collect gold coins and level up. Precious gold collected in Fable Heroes can be imported into the forthcoming Kinect title, Fable: The Journey, providing players with a valuable head start from day one.

 Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition – May 9th – 1600 MSP

The infinite possibilities in “Minecraft” just got bigger. “Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition” brings the global phenomenon to console gamers for the first time. The Xbox LIVE Arcade version of the game features an innovative new crafting interface, natural controller movements, a full Tutorial mode to teach the basics and for the first time in “Minecraft,” split-screen multiplayer as well as over Xbox LIVE.

Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two Trailer – Confirmed For Xbox 360

Back in January we heard rumors of the Wii exclusive Epic Mickey coming to Xbox 360 & PS3.  Well, we can now officially confirm that it is coming to the Xbox 360!  Not only that, but two player co-op has been announced as well.  The first player, obviously, being the Mouse.  The second player will take up control of Oswald.

Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is being developed by Junction Point Studios. It currently has no set release date, but it is expected to come out this fall.

So what do you think of the trailer?  Are you glad that Epic Mickey is no longer a Wii exclusive? Post in the comments below or join us on facebook and let us know!

[Rock Band Weekly] March 27th, 2012

Shinedown has become a big hit around the world, selling over six million albums worldwide within 4 albums.  They were formed in 2002 out of Florida and personally I think they’re a really solid rock band.  Now they are coming your way on Rock Band March 27th, 2012.

Sounds of Shinedown Pack – 440 Microsoft Points (160 Microsoft Points each.)

X = 80 Microsoft Points per track for a Pro Guitar/Pro Bass upgrade

O = support for keyboards.

• Shinedown – “Second Chance” O X
• Shinedown – “The Crow and the Butterfly” O
• Shinedown – “Bully” O

[ACHIEVEMENTS] Kinect Star Wars

Kinect Star Wars [50 Achievements/1000 Gamerscore]

(Achievements Could Contain Spoilers)

Wookiee Life Debt (40)
Completed all Kashyyyk missions in a single session, alone or with a friend.

Who’s Keeping Score? (25)
Completed all Providence missions in a single session, alone or with a friend.

Felucia In a Flash (25)
Completed all Felucia missions in a single session, alone or with a friend.

Savior of Coruscant (50)
Completed the Jedi Adventures: Dark Side Rising campaign, alone or with a friend.

Two-For-One Discount (10)
Defeated at least two droids with a single use of Force powers, alone or with a friend.

Teras Kasi (10)
Defeated an enemy by kicking them off a ledge, alone or with a friend.

The Force That Binds (20)
Completed a co-op Jedi Adventures ground combat mission with neither player being knocked out.

[ACHIEVEMENTS] Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution (WP7)

Sid Meier’s Civilization: Revolution (WP7) [20 Achievements/200 Gamerscore]

Achievements Could Contain Spoilers

Armed and Dangerous (10)
Earn a special unit ability in combat.

This World is a Harsh Place (10)
Win as the Zulu.

A Knight Without Fear or Blame (10)
Win as the Arabs.

Technologist (10)
Research your first technology.

Difficulties Mastered (10)
Win a game with all Civilizations.

Uncharted (10)
Explore your first natural wonder.

Flower and Song (10)
Win as the Aztecs.

[WP7 Releases] March 14th, 2012

Gerbil Physics – $2.99

Adorable gerbil destruction!  Buildings formed of gerbils await destruction for your amusement using a variety of demolition tools.  Use bombs, explosives and disintegrators to wreak havoc across multiple danger-packed worlds, earn Xbox LIVE Achievements and dominate your friends on the Leaderboards!  A powerful physics engine ensures that gerbils respond to your mass detonations exactly as real gerbils might.

All is not well in the Kingdom of Gerbils!  The King of Toads has imprisoned them in indestructible blocks for his evil pleasures.  It falls to you to demolish the gerbil buildings and thwart the Toad King.  Carefully plan a destruction strategy using disintegrators or just let rip with a barrage of powerful explosives.  Complete levels cleverly or quickly to earn the elusive Wipeout badges and use your guile and intuition to earn Xbox LIVE Achievements.  Multiple Leaderboards are available to show off your skills to your friends so you can bask in the glory of your explosive successes!

Gerbil Physics is suitable for all ages.  Remember how much fun it was to kick down a sandcastle when you were 10 years old?  This game is that feeling made digital.  It is simple to play, has an intuitive interface, and is ideally suited to mobile gaming.

Gerbil Physics is a Windows phone exclusive ported from the highly rated and critically acclaimed Xbox 360 Indie game described by Kotaku as being “”as adorable as it is enthralling””.  It has been wholly rewritten to suit the mobile platform, with a new state-of-the-art physics engine, glorious new art and animations, tons of cunningly designed levels and an awesome new theme tune.

No gerbils were hurt in the making of this game.

For a quick link to download this game, click here.

Two WP7 Games Pulled From The Marketplace

Today, without warning, Microsoft pulled two games from the Windows Phone 7 marketplace.  The latest victims: Twin Blades & Butterfly.

These join another four games, Star Wars: Cantina | Star Wars: Battle for Hoth | Crackdown 2: Project Sunburst | Fast & Furious: Adrenaline, that have been deslited since the Windows Phone 7 marketplace has been up.

The reason for these games being delisted is because Press Start Studios shutdown recently.

So, is it fair for Microsoft to pull games of the marketplace without warning?  Express your thoughts in the comments below!

Konami 50% Off Sale (March 13th – March 19th)

Now is your chance to cash-in on some great deals.  From the classic X-Men Arcade to the odd BurgerTime HD…Konami is having a huge sale.  Everything below is 50% (price is already adjusted to reflect the discount).

X-Men Arcade – 400 MSP (50% off)
Castlevania: Harmony Of Despair – 600 MSP (50% off)
Castlevania: SON – 400 MSP (50% off)
Zombie Apocalypse – 400 MSP (50% off)
Zombie Apocalypse Never Die Alone – 400 MSP (50% off)
Battle: Los Angeles – 400 MSP (50% off)
Hard Corps: Uprising – 600 MSP (50% off)
BurgerTime HD – 400 MSP (50% off)
Puddle – 400 MSP (50% off)
Leedmees – 400 MSP (50% off)
Castlevania Lord of Shadow: Reverie – 400 MSP (50% off)
Castlevania Lord of Shadow: Resurrection – 400 MSP (50% off)

So are any of you planning on getting any of these games?  If so, tell us which ones and why!

[XBL Deal Of The Week] March 13th, 2012

Get ready to do some hack-n-slashing with this weeks’ Xbox Live Deal Of the Week.

• Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale – 1200 MSP 600 MSP

• The Baconing – 1200 MSP 600 MSP

• Torchlight – 1200 MSP 600 MSP

• Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team – 800 MSP 400 MSP

 

I, personally, own 2/4 of these games already.  Torchlight is a sweet little game.  This is a definate steal at this price.  So buy it.  As for D&D, it’s decent…but I don’t feel it captures what D&D games should truly be (i.e. Baldur’s Gate, Icewind Dale).

EA Shutting Down Select Servers April 13th, 2012

It’s that time of year again.  When EA says screw you people, I don’t care what you paid for a game we’re shutting the servers down.

So what games are the lucky canidates this time?

– Burnout Revenge
– Create
– EA Sports Active 2
– The Godfather II (This has no online achievements)
– EA Sports MMA
– Need for Speed: ProStreet
– The Saboteur (This has no online achievements)
– Spare Parts (Online not required for achievements)

This list really, in a way, suprises me…but doesn’t at the same time.  A couple of these games have been out for ages, while two of these have barely even been out a year.  That’s EA for you I guess.

If there are any of these games that anyone is wanting to boost, hit me up!

Peter Molyneux Leaves Lionhead For 22 Cans

Today Peter Molyneux, the great mind that brought us the Fable franchise, has announced today that he is leaving Lionhead Studios and departing for a new studio called 22 Cans.

Confirmation comes from his Twitter account where he states: “I have left the lovely amazing Microsoft & Lionhead. Now for something really amazing, scary, and brave…a new company called 22 Cans.”

It has also been confirmed he will be finishing Fable: The Journey which is due out September 7th, 2012

[ACHIEVEMENTS] The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings

The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings [50 Achievements/1000 Gamerscore]

(Achievements Could Contain Spoilers)

To Aedirn! (5)
Complete Chapter 1.

Alea Iacta Est (10)
Complete Chapter 2.

Once Ain’t Enough (15)
Complete Chapter 3.

Apprentice (10)
Use alchemy to brew five potions or oils.

Master Alchemist (10)
Acquire the Mutant ability.

The Butcher of Blaviken (30)
Kill 500 foes.

Miser (10)
Collect 10000 orens.