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XBLA in Brief: Xotic
This week's release on Xbox Live Arcade is the peculiar first-person shooter, Xotic. Rather than killing enemies, the focus of Xotic is purely on points. There are new Xbox Live Arcade games released every week. We realize that our readers are busy, attractive people, and may not have time to download and examine each and every new XBLA game. You've got busy, attractive person stuff to do, after all. Not to worry though, because we've done the work for you, downloading every single trial game and giving you a taste of what to expect. Watch XBLA in Brief every week to see which games deserve a closer look. When you have the time, of course.
Exceptionally colorful FPS Xotic announced for XBLA
No one can accuse Xotic of having that generic brown-and-grey FPS "look." Developer WXP Games has some experience in the genre, having developed last generation's Greg Hastings Tournament Paintball, but is going decidedly sci-fi with this XBLA-exclusive title. Like another colorful FPS -- Bulletstorm -- the game features a bright organic environment and even seems to share a focus on racking up combos. Single-player elements such as leveling up skills and weapons using experience points are listed in the feature set, but multiplayer isn't mentioned. Currently without a pricetag, Xotic will be available this summer.%Gallery-121285%
Greed Corp coming to PC this summer, getting retail release
W!Games' hex-based, eco-friendly turn-based strategy title Greed Corp isn't going to stay confined to the XBLA and PSN platforms. A press release from the game's aptly-named publisher, The Games Company, has revealed plans to release the game as a retail PC package. The title will hit store shelves this summer for $19.99 (and €19.99 overseas), and will include "an all new tutorial, improved campaign, simplified mouse controls and better graphics," as well as a few heretofore unannounced improvements over the console versions of the game. We bet it'll change the game board's spaces from hexagons to heptagons. Can you handle the extra corner and side? Psh, we doubt it.
Easy Piano for Nintendo DS shipping now for little Tchaikovskys
Mention piano lessons to kids and watch them cringe. Mention playing really awesome games on the Nintendo DS and watch them get all excited. Now, mention piano lessons on the Nintendo DS and watch them squirm in confusion, a definite improved reaction that's all thanks to Easy Piano, which is now shipping to retail. It's a $40 game (of sorts) plus 13 key mini-piano that, if you're lucky, your children might confuse for the Guitar Hero: On Tour controller. Upon it gamers can learn to tickle the (plastic) ivories and even compose their own tunes of up to three minutes in length. That's not enough for a proper concerto, but plenty for your little wunderkind to get an early taste of chiptuning.
European PSN releases for February 25
There's new content for both PS platforms in the latest PSN Euro update, ranging from an unimaginably beefy demo for Darksiders, W!Games' strategy title Greed Corp, the The Secret Armory of General Knoxx expansion for Borderlands, the totally free third installment of Blue Toad Murder Files and a PSP demo for The Eye Of Judgment Legends. Check out the full list of releases after the jump! Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Greed Corp, Lazy Raiders, Fret Nice
Three very different games on Xbox Live Arcade this week, gang. We've got the turn-based strategy of Greed Corp (800 / $10), the reverse platforming of Lazy Raiders (800 / $10) and the ... guitar-controlled platforming of Fret Nice (1200 / $15). Okay, so both Lazy Raiders and Fret Nice are basically platformers, but they're definitely different. Watch all the games in action in today's XBLA in Brief. Shortcut: Download the trial version of Greed Corp [via Xbox.com] Shortcut: Download the trial version of Lazy Raiders [via Xbox.com] Shortcut: Download the trial version of Fret Nice [via Xbox.com] [iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes. [Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly. [RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [M4V] Download the M4V directly.
This Wednesday: Fret Nice, Greed Corp, and Lazy Raiders strike a chord on XBLA
PS3 owners have had access to Pieces Interactive's Fret Nice since February 4, leaving Xbox 360 owners nothing to do with their guitar controllers but play rhythm games. According to an announcement from Major Nelson, those Xbox 360 guitarists will be able to experience Fret Nice's new type of guitar heroism this Wednesday, Feb. 24, at a cost of 1,200 ($15). Fret Nice uses both the buttons and the tilt function of guitar controllers to move members of the Vibrant Chordblasters, as they fight against Hair Bängers by jumping into the air and playing riffs corresponding to the number of eyes on the enemies. Major Nelson also confirmed to Joystiq that both Greed Corp and Lazy Raiders will be out this week, despite not appearing in the official announcement. You'll be able to get lazy and greedy this week, in addition to nice!
XBLA in Brief: Polar Panic, 0 day Attack on Earth
We're not going to say that the two games released on Xbox Live Arcade this week -- this week being Christmas -- were released as afterthoughts. However, they probably aren't games you've been dying to play. You can choose between block-pushing puzzle goodness or alien-blasting action in Polar Panic or 0 day Attack on Earth, respectively. Polar Panic will set you back 800 ($10), while 0 day Attack on Earth expects 1200 of your hard earned points ($15). Watch the latest XBLA in Brief and see if either demands your attention. Shortcut: Download the trial version of Polar Panic [Via Xbox.com] Shortcut: Download the trial version of 0 day Attack on Earth [Via Xbox.com] [iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes. [Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly. [RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [M4V] Download the M4V directly.
Greed Corp coming to PSN, XBLA and PC early 2010
It's been so long since we've heard anything about Greed Corp that the conservationist-friendly strategy game nearly qualifies as a retro classic. Fortunately, today brought us the first news about the title since it was announced. In addition to PSN, its lead platform, Greed Corp will also be coming to Xbox Live Arcade and Windows-based PCs in early 2010. Today's announcement mentions that Greed Corp is just the "first in a series of games based in the rich Mistbound universe." Considering the heavy appearance of Don't Break The Ice-esque elements present in this game, we wonder if future installments in the franchise will adopt other popular board game tropes. For the record, W!Games, if you made a Mall Madness RPG, we would buy that.
Easy Piano bringing keys to the DS Lite in 'early 2010'
We've got a sneaking suspicion that the DS Lite will be old ancient news by the time Easy Piano hit the market, but those who've learned to be content in life (and have somehow managed to resist the urge to snap up a DSi in place of their older handheld), have probably been hunting for this date. Valcon Games has just announced that its piano-teaching title (and the highly comical / interesting 13-key accessory) will be landing in North America in "early 2010," but it didn't go so far as to fess up to an MSRP. Not like it matters -- you know you're totally lining up to snag this during a midnight launch, regardless of how many heirlooms are forced onto Craigslist.
Easy Piano easing into North America next year
Band Hero's reign as the DS music game with the silliest peripheral in America will soon be over. Valcon Games has announced that it will release Easy Piano, the piano teaching game with the 13-key keyboard attachment, in North America. It'll join the piles and piles of other games coming out in early 2010, but then those don't have keyboards. Easy Piano includes a piano teaching system -- a mini Miracle Keyboard, essentially -- but also allows players to record four three-minute long performances, and includes a piano-based rhythm game. What it doesn't include, for obvious reasons, is DSi compatibility. Maybe the company will make a version for the DSi XL that connects wirelessly to one of those floor pianos from Big. Also, we've changed our minds -- Band Hero is still the silliest.
Greed Corp bringing environmental turn-based strategy to PSN
We possess equal amounts of affinity for hexagonal turn-based strategy games and mother nature -- naturally, W!Games' upcoming PSN strategy title Greed Corp really resonated with our green-tinted hearts. The trailer above gives a pretty good depiction of what the game's about -- four corporations are struggling to take control of a dying planet, while trying to balance out their own resource consumption and environmental preservation. Fail to do so, and you'll either end up too weak, or plummet to certain death. It's a neat concept for a game, incorporating elements from Halo Wars, Risk and ... Don't Break the Ice. We'll be getting our hands on this bold mixture when the game lands on the PSN near the end of September.
Raiden Fighters Aces confirmed for North America
After listings were spotted on both GameFly and Amazon, the North American release of Raiden Fighters Aces has been made official by Valcon Games. You may recognize the company as the publisher of Totally Spies! Totally Party! for the Wii. No? How about Ski-Doo Snowmobile Challenge for the Xbox 360 and PS3? Still no? Never mind then. The point is that Valcon will be bringing Raiden Fighters Aces -- a compilation of all three games in the Raiden Fighters series -- to North America, thus ensuring that Japanese gamers don't have all the fun.There is no official release date, though both Amazon and GameStop point to an April release and a $29.99 price tag.[Via Siliconera]
Amazon and GameFly list Raiden Fighters Aces for North America
According to listings on both Amazon and GameFly, Japanese shooter Raiden Fighters Aces may see life Stateside. Back in March, a demo for the top-down shooter landed on the Japanese Xbox Live Marketplace for all of our phantom accounts to enjoy but, we didn't think the retail game would ever hit North America. The product pages, discovered by Verbal Spew, list two separate publishers: GameFly notes Valcon Games, the house that brought Daisenryaku to North America, will publish, while Amazon lists Zoo Games as the import culprit. No official word on the listings yet, but we're hopeful the shooter will eventually find its way to our Xbox 360s.
