Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Banjo-Kazooie Hops on Live Arcade

I cannot wait to play this game again. God I loved it.

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

E3 2008: Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2 Hands-on
The XBLA sensation makes a triumphant return with new game modes and co-op play.

Most would argue that Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved defined Xbox Live Arcade in the early days of Xbox 360. More than two years later, the series has spawned some iterations on other consoles, but a true sequel has yet to hit Xbox Live Marketplace. That finally changes on August 6 with the release of Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2.

At its core, Geometry Wars is still the same addictive game that captivated early 360 adopters. You use the left thumbstick to move your ship around a rectangular arena while aiming and firing your weapon with the right thumbstick. You won't see tons of new enemies either -- in fact, those new to Xbox 360 were introduced on other consoles. But that doesn't really matter. You can play 20 different kinds of solitaire, but the cards never change. It's the game modes that really matter. And for Geometry Wars 2, the six modes plus co-op and There are six game modes available in Geometry Wars 2: Deadline, King, Evolved, Waves, Sequence and Pacifism.

[Behindshadows]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

That does sound a bit dissapointing.

Actually the demo is pretty damn long. I've finally finished it, took me around 51 minutes total.

Game graphics are nice, controls are iffy at times. I love the voices and the overall graphics appeal to it.

Enemies sometimes are cheap and without spoiling it, dying is a cool act too.

Nice demo will play it some more, weapons upgrades and armor upgrades are well done.

[bkfount]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

so will the DRM tool work if the games are tied to a console, but not a profile? I traded for a 360 off craigslist that had a bunch of XBLA games, and I can still play them under my profile since they are on the console and HDD he bought them on. However, when I take the HDD elsewhere and get online, it won't let me play them.

[Lordcledus]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

so will the DRM tool work if the games are tied to a console, but not a profile? I traded for a 360 off craigslist that had a bunch of XBLA games, and I can still play them under my profile since they are on the console and HDD he bought them on. However, when I take the HDD elsewhere and get online, it won't let me play them.

They are tied to the console only, not the HDD or gamertag. That's why when you take your HDD somewhere else, the games don't work anymore unless the original gamertag who downloaded them is signed into Xbox Live. If the person who you got the console from ever used the DRM tool to assign his DLC to a new console, you wouldn't be able to access anything unless you used the original gamertag to sign in to live. They could use the DRM tool anytime, unless they gave you their old gamertag and you didn't change any of the contact information so they couldn't access the account settings.

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

E3 2008: Castle Crashers Hands-on
Better save your Microsoft Points for this one.

Some developers have a keen understanding of what it takes to make an awesome Xbox Live Arcade game. Take Namco Bandai, for instance. They remade Pac-Man to near perfection and look to be on the right track with Galaga. The folks at Behemoth, creators of Alien Hominid, also have a great knowledge base for how to deliver a cool and simple game that still has plenty of depth to keep players locked to their couch. Castle Crashers, their latest cartoonish creation, looks to be moving in a similar direction with awesomely simplistic hack-and-slash gameplay that's deepened by RPG mechanics and some classic arcade-style multiplayer.

For those that don't know, Castle Crashers is a title that we've been looking forward to since 2006. Thankfully, based on my hands-on time with it at this year's E3, it appears that this little gem is almost ready for release.

There were three modes for us to try out: Arena, All You Can Quaff, and Castle Crashers. Arena is a never-ending flow of enemies and is a great place to sharpen your combat skills, or those of three of your friends who can join up. All You Can Quaff is a button-mashing eating contest mini-game with four contestants competing to eat as many pieces of meat and fruit as possible by tapping X and Y.

The Castle Crashers mode is the real meat of the game, as you'd expect. Players choose from one of four characters. There's a green guy, a blue guy, an orange dude and a red one to round out the mix. Each has its own magic specialties. The blue knight specializes in freezing enemies in a block of ice while greeny has the ability to unleash a deadly gas cloud that infects enemies.

When you're not casting magic against your foes, you'll be wielding different weapons like swords and maces. The combo system begins simply enough with three taps of the X button bringing three quick attacks. Throw in a press of the Y button and the animation changes, causing a bit more damage due to the heavier attack.

The real kicker to Castle Crashers is that it's actually rooted in plenty of RPG elements that fans of the genre will instantly recognize. Every downed foe yields an experience point boost and leveling up expands your list of combos. I was only able to get to level 3 in my time with the game, but my character had already unlocked a flying swirl attack and a sprinting move. Apparently magic is also expandable but I didn't get to check that out for myself.

I did get to experience the interesting juggling attack mechanic and a boss battle that featured what can best be described as a Trojan Ram. Essentially enemies piled into a massive wooden ram (the animal) who then marauded his way around a portion of the level, spitting out baddies for you to fight along the way. I then discovered that the jumping swirl attack that I unlocked actually let me keep enemies in the air a bit longer than I was expecting. As it turns out you can stay airborne for as long as you're attacking a foe. There were times when I'd gather up two or three enemies at a time, reigning blows as I glided along.

There are also animal orbs that can be found on the battlefield and used to your advantage, but I didn't get to try them in my demo. The other disappointment was the fact that Microsoft had only one controller setup at the kiosk. Castle Crashers is clearly a game built on the idea of delivering a similar experience to the X-Men and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle arcade games of old, but those were at their best when playing with friends. Crashers does support up to four players for all of its modes, so why not take advantage of it?

The graphical style is another aspect, aside from the deep yet simplistic gameplay, that will grab you. Looking at the characters you'd assume that they're cute little avatars but as soon as they engage in battle you'll see that things aren't so cuddly. Heads are lopped off and blood shoots everywhere, all the while my little character is smiling back at me. It's very similar to the slightly dark Ren & Stimpy cartoons, not to mention Alien Hominid.

With four different characters that have different abilities and attributes that can be built up, Castle Crashers looks like it'll pack some serious bang for the proverbial buck. I've got my fingers crossed that it makes it out this fall, but whenever it's released, I'm betting people will realize that it was worth the wait.

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Jade Empire Coming to Xbox Originals

On July 21st, 2008, you will be able to download and play Jade Empire on your Xbox 360.

Jade Empire

Microsoft Game Studios
ESRB M (Mature - Blood and Gore, Violence)
1200 Microsoft Points
(Worldwide)

In the ancient, mysterious world of Jade Empire™, train under your master’s watchful eye and learn powerful Martial Arts fighting styles and mystical powers.

Travel across the world, from the harsh mountains of the Land of Howling Spirits to the lush gardens of the Imperial City. Face powerful human and supernatural foes. Learn exotic and magical Martial Arts.Discover the darkest secrets of the world ...

Only by mastering the greatest fighting styles and defeating the most powerful enemies will you earn your place as a master of Martial Arts in the world of Jade Empire.

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

E3 2008: Castle Crashers, Braid and More Due Out This Summer

The long wait is almost over. A Microsoft representative confirmed to IGN today that Castle Crashers is coming out this summer. That means it will release prior to September 21, 2008. The same can be said of the other four games on the E3 show floor. Braid, Bionic Commando: Rearmed, Galaga Legions, and Geometry Wars 2 will all be made available on the Xbox Live Arcade in the summer months.

[jmood88]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

I really want to know when that dishwasher game is coming out.

[bkfount]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Jade Empire Coming to Xbox Originals

I still don't get the appeal of these when most people only have 20 gig HDD's, and most of the games can be found used for less than the $15 MS charges...except maybe for poorer selling stuff like Psychonauts and Indigo Prophecy.

It's not even like they are adding games that weren't BC before. Like where the **** is Chronicles of Riddick still? It's middle 2008 and the remake that was supposed to happen is vaporware.

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Castle Crashers Achievements

http://www.achieve360points.com/game/castlecrashers/

...

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Banjo-Tooie also coming to XBLA

Ten years after the release of the original Banjo-Kazooie on Nintendo 64, gamers around the world will not only have the chance to play it again with slightly improved visuals on an upcoming Xbox Live Arcade port announced last week, but also discover the most obscure feature that Rare ever conceived. The plan for Banjo on XBLA is far most ambitious than what it has been announced to date, since it will include a Banjo-Tooie port and connections between all the three titles, in a Stop ‘n’ Swop extravaganza that will make Sonic & Knuckles look like an unfinished demo.

MundoRare has confirmed through different insider sources that, apart from BK XBLA, external developer 4J Studios is also working on its sequel, Banjo-Tooie, which will hit our consoles sometime in the future, provided all goes as planned.

Therefore, the idea is not only to provide players with a new connection between BK XBLA and Nuts & Bolts (which would obviosly be different than what was originally planned in 1998 for Tooie), but also -quite possibly- bring back the original (or, at least, similar) feature between BK and BT that Rare wasn’t able to add on Tooie due to later revisions of the N64 circuitry. If Tooie XBLA will also connect with N&B remains to be seen.

Moreover, as CVG confirmed last week, the many references to Nintendo from Banjo-Kazooie (such as Mumbo playing a xylophone with a Nintendo logo, or Banjo having some fun with a Game Boy) will remain untoched. We have also confirmed that those will be possible thanks to an agreement with Nintendo, which sadly wasn’t possible in the case of GoldenEye XBLA.

Expect much more about the return of Banjo as the release dates for BK XBLA and Nuts & Bolts approach this Fall.

[The GIGGAS]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

I think I have to go change my pants.

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Microsoft Brings Comic-Con to Xbox Live

So Funny, It's Scary: Hollywood's Top Horror Directors to Bring Original Comedy Pilots to Xbox 360 This Fall

Microsoft's "Bringing Comic-Con Home" offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Comic-Con show floor through exclusive content on Xbox LIVE, Xbox.com, MSN and Zune Marketplace

SAN DIEGO — July 23, 2008 — Horror and comedy often come together on the show floor at Comic-Con International, just never like this. Microsoft Corp. today announced that a set of original short film pilots will be coming to Xbox LIVE this fall, free to all members around the world. The unique concept of masters of horror taking on comedy, conceived by filmmaker James Gunn (“Slither,” “Dawn of the Dead”) and producer Peter Safran (“Scary Movie,” “Meet the Spartans,” “Disaster Movie”), will see some of the world’s greatest horror directors bring their comedic visions to life. Microsoft is teaming up with Safran Digital Group to produce these exclusive shorts.

Beginning this fall, the short film pilots will be available worldwide on Xbox LIVE from influential horror directors James Wan (“Saw,” “Death Sentence”), David Slade (“30 Days of Night,” “Hard Candy”), James Gunn, Lucky McKee (“May,” “The Woods”), Andrew Douglas (“The Amityville Horror”) and Marcus Nispel (“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Friday the 13th”). All of the pilots will be free either for download or streaming on Xbox LIVE. The new short film pilots available on Xbox LIVE this fall include the following:

• “Doggie Heaven (Woof!)” — The creative team behind the smash hit “Saw” films, James Wan (“Saw,” “Death Sentence”) and Leigh Whannell, tell the story of a young man who is having a dog of a day. He’s just been shot dead, but his real problems are only just beginning because of a clerical error that has sent him to the wrong heaven.

• “Humanzee!” — James Gunn (“Slither,” “Dawn of the Dead”) directs and stars in a sitcom about his human-chimp hybrid son, the Humanzee (played by Gunn’s brother, Sean Gunn, from “Gilmore Girls”). It’s a delightful mix of “South Park,” “Wonder Showzen” and “Small Wonder.”

• “MEATDOG: What’s Fer’ Dinner” — Director David Slade (“30 Days of Night,” “Hard Candy”) presents MEATDOG, an animated mutt made up of cold cuts. MEATDOG is pitted against a church of evil occult pigs while being pursued by a carnivorous rabbit and a slobbering hound. It’s dogicide when everyone wants MEATDOG on their menu.

• “Blue Like You” —From director Lucky McKee (“May,” “The Woods”), “Blue Like You” follows the antics of old friends Patrick and Cyndy as they get to know their mysterious and extraordinary new friend Blue, a beautiful young woman who doesn’t seem to understand how the simplest of things work.

• “The Miracle of Phil” — From director Andrew Douglas (“The Amityville Horror”), “The Miracle of Phil” shows that the best relationships are full of screaming, shouting and cursing, but when Phil gets knocked up, Chris is the one who feels screwed.

• “Adrenaline Slam” — Director Marcus Nispel (“The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” “Friday the 13th”) brings “ADRENALINE SLAM,” a high-octane hybrid of hidden camera reality and Hollywood fantasy that exposes ordinary people to extraordinary events.


In addition, Microsoft has sought pilots from emerging online talent John Clisham:

• “Assorted Nightmares: The Janitor” — From online director John Clisham and starring Jenna Dewan (“Step Up”), somewhere in the darkness just beyond “Tales From the Crypt” and a little south of “The Twilight Zone,” is “Assorted Nightmares,” a modern-day horror anthology show. The first episode pays homage to the 1980s horror-slasher genre, as things at school for Jennifer don’t turn out as expected.

“We’re excited to launch the Xbox original content with these world-class directors, who are all tremendously talented and at the cutting edge of their craft,” Safran said. “Their youthful and innovative approach is the perfect combination for this unique digital venture with Xbox 360, and we expect to see some very creative, horrifying and hilarious shorts as these masters of horror present their comedic vision. We can’t wait to give fans at Comic-Con a taste of what’s to come.”

Microsoft will also be “Bringing Comic-Con Home” on Xbox LIVE from Wednesday, July 23, to Sunday, July 27, so anyone can get a behind-the-scenes look at all of the action. The Xbox 360 team will be covering every inch of the show floor with daily coverage on Inside Xbox and Xbox.com, as well as MSN and Zune Marketplace. The Xbox 360 team is joining forces with Warner Bros. to provide sneak peeks of all the panels and videos shown at the event, along with interviews with talent for movies and TV shows, including the upcoming feature films from Warner Bros. Pictures “Watchmen” and “Terminator Salvation,” as well as “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” “Fringe,” “Chuck,” “Supernatural,” “Lost Boys: The Tribe” and much more. Xbox LIVE members will also be among the first to see the following:

Warner Premiere’s Motion Comics’ “Batman: Mad Love” draws on a massive amount of source material to bring a visually engaging experience to life, through the use of subtle movements, voice-overs, sweeping music scores and stunning comic book artwork.

The exclusive branded consoles for “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” “Watchmen” and DC Comics, and the upcoming “Gears of War” comic book-inspired console, with all the limited-edition consoles being given away at Comic-Con.

New gamer pictures and themes from DC Comics, available only on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

“Bringing Comic-Con Home” will also give people an exclusive look at two Xbox 360 panels at the show:

In the “Xbox 360 ‘Gears of War’ Showcase” panel, Cliff Bleszinski, design director at Epic Games Inc., will be joined by comic writer Joshua Ortega and novelist Karen Traviss to discuss upcoming installments to the “Gears of War” universe, including a look at the holiday blockbuster game “Gears of War 2” for Xbox 360. The panel will be held on Saturday, July 26.

In the “Horror Meets Comedy Xbox Original Short Film Pilots” panel Friday, July 25, the audience will see a sneak preview of what is coming this fall, and will hear from all the directors on their creative vision for the shorts.

[Flawless]

Re: Xbox Live Marketplace and Live Arcade discussion Part III

Geometry Wars 2 next week

Activision let us know that Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 has been bumped up one week to July 30. Following the amazing success of the 2005 blockbuster Xbox LIVE Arcade launch title Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved, Bizarre Creations thrusts players back into the pilot’s seat and introduces Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved™ 2.

Featuring all the signature eye-popping visuals, lightning-quick action and mesmerizing music that fans have come to know and love, gamers can now test their skills and prove their prowess in up to six different gameplay modes. Providing a complete package, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 offers an all-new adrenaline rush to gamers of all shapes and sizes with the opportunity to compete either head-to-head, or blast enemies cooperatively with up to four players in multiplayer pandemonium.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 is now scheduled for release on July 30 for 800 Microsoft Points.