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This Wednesday: Something burrowed, something blue, something old, nothing new on XBLA
As expected, a trio of new, er, old games has joined the Arcade Hits lineup as part of this week's Xbox Live Arcade update: Worms (something burrowed), Feeding Frenzy (something blue) and Ultimate MK3 (something, well, old). Each game has been discounted to 400 ($5). And, as you may have gathered from the headline (if you made it to the end), there are no new releases on XBLA this week, ending a 26-week release streak that began on May 7th (according to our stat boy's research*). Perhaps the hiatus is intended to build anticipation for ... something big? (Our best guess: We're in store for "something giant," as in the Giant Avatar game, A Kingdom for Keflings -- NXE is just one week away!) *If we got that wrong, blame the intern! Update: CarpeD1em500 brings up a good point. If you pre-ordered Nuts & Bolts you may have received a download code for Banjo-Kazooie on XBLA, which is available to you now. The game should be released to the public on or around November 26th. And, oh! We almost forgot: The Street Fighter "table" is also available for Pinball FX today!
Three XBLA titles get prices reduced
After no announcement earlier this week and the discovery of three new titles on the Arcade Hits page on Xbox.com, we were fairly certain there would be no new Xbox Live Arcade title this week. After checking the Marketplace this morning, our suspicions have been confirmed. There is no new title, but Worms, Feeding Frenzy, and Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 have all had their prices slashed to 400 Microsoft Points. So, we've got a hardcore fighter, a casual fish eating simulator and one of the best party games around all for only five bucks each. It's not new, but it's not bad if you've ever thought about picking one of these up.
XBLA Hits adds Mortal Kombat 3, Worms, Feeding Frenzy
Although it isn't official yet, it appears Microsoft has dropped the price of three more titles in its XBLA Hits program. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, Feeding Frenzy and party favorite Worms should all cost 400 ($5) in the near future. We just checked the marketplace and all the titles are still listed at the current 800 price. We're currently checking with MS, but barring someone flipping an internet switch way too early, we expect this info to become official in the next 24 hours anyway. We'll update if it does. [Thanks, Chris]
Worms, UMK3, Feeding Frenzy now on XBLA Hits page [update]
Update: Yup. No new game on XBLA this week. These new Arcade Hits are all we get. Microsoft has yet to make any official announcements, but it looks like some new Xbox Live Arcade Hits are headed to our favorite download service. Three new titles have appeared on the official Xbox.com Arcade Hits page: Feeding Frenzy, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and Worms. All of them are listed at a new price of 400 Microsoft Points ($5), half of their original 800 Point price. We checked Xbox Live Marketplace and all three titles are still listed at their original price, so right now all we're really waiting for is an announcement from Microsoft. Given that Wednesday is the day that Xbox Live Arcade announcements are made, we wouldn't be suprirsed if these new discounts are announced today or tomorrow. We'll update this post when we have new information.After all, Worms + Friends = Party.
Doom and Assault Heroes now only 400 MS Points
If you're looking for this week's new Xbox Live Arcade games, don't bother. There aren't any you see, because this week all we're getting is the newly discounted versions of Doom and Assault Heroes. Yes, they are now both considered Xbox Live Arcade Hits, and are now both available for only 400 MS Points each, half their original price. Seeing as these aren't new titles, we won't be putting together a new XBLA in Brief video this week. Suffice it to say that both are very good XBLA games and easily worth 400 points each.
Assault Heroes and Doom go half price this Wed
This Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday, we will sadly not be treated to any new Arcade releases. And we agree, that's a stinker. But there is a bright spot this week when, this Wednesday, March 19th, both the previously released XBLA games Assault Heroes and Doom will graduate to Xbox Live Arcade Hits status. And, as everyone knows, when an XBLA game becomes an Arcade Hit it means that its price gets slashed and in this case, in half to 400 Microsoft points each. No new releases is a bummer, but we haven't seen any new Arcade Hits since the program's launch in December so how could we not be thrilled for discounted XBLA fun? Remember, there's always next week.
Reminder: This week's XBLA releases are the Hits
Just in case some of you were still anticipating a new Xbox Live Arcade game announcement for tomorrow, then you should know that there isn't going to be one. Technically, the introduction of today's Xbox Live Arcade Hits program is this week's XBLA goodness. So, as a result, there will be no new Wednesday XBLA game release. But cheer up guys, because you can still pickup Bankshot Billiards 2, Lumines LIVE!, Marble Blast Ultra, Small Arms and Zuma Deluxe at discounted prices. What's that you say? You already own all of them and paid full price? Wow ... well, no XBLA excitement for you then. You have a right to be an angry troll this week.
This Tuesday: Arcade Hits
Major Nelson has confirmed that this week's Xbox Live Arcade addition will be the launch of Arcade Hits tomorrow, temporarily replacing the usual new game(s) release on Wednesdays. The initiative kicks off with cost reductions of four aging XBLA games, along with the now permanent price cut of Lumines Live: Bankshot Billiards 2 (reduced from 1200 to 800 MS Points; $10) - Billiards ... with a gamepad. Lumines LIVE! (still reduced from 1200 to 800 MS Points; $10) - The same great "core" gameplay of the superb PSP puzzler; additional DLC comes at a premium. Marble Blast Ultra (reduced from 800 to 400 MS Points; $5) - Guide a lonely marble across irritatingly unstable terrain -- or race your friends. Small Arms (reduced from 800 to 400 MS Points; $5) - Is "poor man's Smash Bros." too cliché? Zuma Deluxe (reduced from 800 to 400 MS Points; $5) - Wait, they were charging $10 for this...? No doubt anticipating a chorus of moans from dedicated consumers, Microsoft has also name-dropped key new XBLA titles scheduled to arrive during the next few months when the regularly-scheduled Wednesday releases resume. The absence of a new game may tick off some fanboys, but it's clear that Microsoft wants to use this week to focus promotion on the re-branding of older content. Let's hope the discounts keep coming (along with some greater "hits").
Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update detailed: DivX, XBLA Hits, and more
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox_360/Xbox_360_Fall_Dashboard_Update_detailed_DivX_XBLA_Hits_and_more'; Things were a little different this year. For their second Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard Update, Microsoft decided to trickle the features out instead of dropping them on us all at once. Around Halloween, we realized things were awful quiet, so we asked you what you wanted to see in the Fall Update. On November 7, Microsoft kicked things off by announcing the Parental Timer, a feature we're certain you're all eager to try out. They followed that up on November 13 by confirming Xbox Originals, downloadable Xbox 1 games for your 360. On the 26th, they spilled the beans on the social-networky "Friends of Friends" feature, ostensibly to give paranoid folks some time to disable the functionality (which they can do here). Capping it all off a day later, MS Japan dropped some info, notably the ability to set your real name (your real name is xXsmokezmadbluntz420Xx?), your location, and a brief bio – more of that social networking stuff the kids are crazy about. Finally, after what seemed an interminable wait, Microsoft was ready to let us in on the big picture. We spoke with Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg about next Tuesday's update and what was still in store. "There are three different categories that speak to a majority of the updates," Greenberg told us.
