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Fable 2 hits US Oct 21, Europe Oct 24; Pub Games Aug 13
Lionhead dropped a veritable bomb today, announcing the release date for Fable 2 along with its XBLA Pub Games. On top of that, we now know the entire contents of the Limited Collectors Edition. Fable 2 will hit US shelves on October 21 and will land in Europe on Oct 24. The Fable 2 Pub Games will arrive on Xbox Live Arcade on Aug 13. Pub Games will be available for free to those who pre-order Fable 2 "at participating retailers", while those who haven't can snag them for 800 Microsoft Points. We're not sure which retailers are participating, but we imagine we'll find out soon enough. The Limited Collector's Edition of Fable 2 will retail for $79.99 and will include: Bonus DVD Bonus in-game content 5 printed "Fate Cards" 48-hour Xbox LIVE trial card Collectible Hobbe Qee figurine (you remember Qees, don't you?). The bonus DVD includes a "Making-of Feature" and a concept art viewer. The in-game content includes "'The Hall of the Dead' Dungeon, 'The Wreckager' Legendary Cutlass Weapon and Otherworldly Bonus." We're not exactly sure what Fate Cards are (like Tarot cards maybe?) but all in all the Collector's Edition sounds very hefty indeed. Now everyone has just over two months to start saving for it. Gallery: E308: Fable 2 (Screenshots) Gallery: E308: Fable 2 (Art)
Official Braid walkthrough: Don't use a walkthrough
After finishing Braid yesterday afternoon (yeah, we like it that much) we found ourselves contemplating the game's beautiful, fragmented story. "What does it all mean?" we wondered. So, we decided to look for an FAQ that might help explain things a bit. After searching high and low, we found one in an unlikely place: the official Braid website. We eagerly clicked ahead. The first page detailed the very beginning of the game through the first puzzle piece. The second page begins thusly: "... once you get into the actual puzzles, solve them for yourself and do not use a walkthrough!"The rest of the "walkthrough" goes on to note that all of the puzzles are "reasonable" and that we should be diligent in solving them without resorting to a walkthrough. D'oh! Duped by those crafty creators! We have to admit it's pretty funny though. Also, we heartily agree. If you are having trouble solving the puzzles in Braid, just stick to it. Move on to the next puzzle and come back later. Like the walkthrough says, "you will feel cool and smart" if you do.We feel cool and smart. Now if someone could just help us understand the story, we'd be set.[Via Joystiq]
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Braid
Braid, put simply, is a gem. Not everyone will like Braid, but those that do like it will like it a lot. It's a beautiful game. Period. From it's visuals to its soundscape to its wonderfully clever puzzles, Braid is something that really should be experienced by anyone who considers him or herself to be a gamer. That said, 1200 points is a hefty price for an XBLA game. Chances are good that by the time you finish the trial version you will already have made up your mind one way or another. Frankly, we think Braid deserves all the love it can get.[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Golf: Tee It Up! and Schizoid
This is a very special XBLA in Brief ladies and gentlemen. Why? Because this week we take a look at Schizoid, which has a very special achievement in it. The Sploderific achievement, you see, is named after a word coined by our own Dustin Burg! Does that make us biased towards the game? Maybe, but it doesn't hurt that it's actually pretty good. Oh, we also take a look at Golf: Tee It Up!, which is a pretty decent game as well. Watch the latest episode and learn how you too can earn the badge of honor that is the Sploderific achievement.[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
E3 XBLA release is ... Coffeetime Crosswords? [update]
You know, ever since Microsoft released DOOM in the middle of X06, we've become used to the idea that we should expect some killer games during big events. Last year's E3 gave us Golden Axe and Sonic the Hedgehog. During GDC this year, Microsoft released demos of XNA Community Games, including the highly anticipated XBLA release Dishwasher: Dead Samurai. Naturally, we were really fired up to see what would happen during E3 next week. So, what are we getting? Coffeetime Crosswords. Yes, SRSLY. Other than that, there will be free Buku Sudoku DLC and Puzzle Quest is joining Arcade Hits at the reduced price of 800 MS Points (a 400 point cut).Barring any surprises, it's looking like the tradition has been broken.Update: Looks like we might be getting another XBLA game after all.%Gallery-27396%
Oh no! It's the Castle Crashers Killer Beekeeper
Is there really anything more terrifying than bees? It seems like every few years there is another killer bee scare. We have a feeling that Castle Crashers just may incite the next one. The latest Castle Crashers character reveal is none other than the Killer Beekeeper. While the name implies that it is the Beekeeper himself who is a killer, we think there's something to be said for the bees he is throwing at the enemy. Just look at the stingers on those things! Clearly, the Killer Beekeeper is no one to be trifled with.
Happy Tree Friends and Ticket to Ride hit the XBLA rails
Hey kids! It's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday and that can only mean one thing. That's right, it's time for some new XBLA games. Huzzah! This week's releases are Happy Tree Friends False Alarm and Ticket to Ride. False Alarm has you guiding your favorite furry friends through various hazards, doing your best to keep them from being sliced, diced, burned, or otherwise mutilated. Ticket to Ride, on the other hand, is a board game in which you relive the spirit of expansion brought on by the advent of railroads. In other words, you build trains. It's more fun than it sounds. Both are available now for 800 MS Points each. Stay tuned for the next XBLA in Brief and we'll tell you whether or not they're worth the scratch.Source - Happy Tree Friends False Alarm on Xbox.comSource - Ticket to Ride on Xbox.com
PopCap promises "coolest collaboration ever"
PopCap are well known for their catalog of casual games, having released a bunch of them on the Live Arcade, and even more via other release channels. So it was no surprise when in an interview with Gamasutra, both the co-founder and CEO reasserted their commitment to continuing to make games that appeal to the widest possible audience. A surprise did come toward the end of the interview though, when it was announced that PopCap is collaborating with a company that has extensive console experience but also highly values casual games. In a fleeting moment of hyperbole, the project was described as "the coolest collaboration ever, I promise," then pulled back to the more reasonable "I'll maintain that it will be one of the top ten collaborations (in gaming)."Whatever it turns out to be, if the co-fonder of the company thinks this highly of any specific project out of all the ones that PopCap oversees, it's quite likely to be good. Or maybe this is all just marketing designed to get us to think that ...
Castle Crashers scares up a skeleton
Those Behemoth jerks just keep teasing us with more content for Castle Crashers. Earlier this week, we were treated to a new ninja character and now we discover that there is also a skeleton. We don't know much about him (or her) apart from the fact that he wields a bone firing bow as his long range weapon. Since we know so little, we'll have to make something up. His name -- we have decided -- is Skelly. Now, someone please tell us when we can buy this game.
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Aces of the Galaxy and Roogoo
It's another double dose of games this week for XBLA in Brief. This time, we examine Aces of the Galaxy and Roogoo. Aces of the Galaxy is an on-rails space shooter, whereas Roogoo is a puzzle game. What are the odds that both of them are actually pretty good? Frankly, we think those odds are fairly slim, but we're happy to say that both games manage to impress in their own way. Watch the latest episode and find out if either game is right for you.[iTunes] Subscribe to X3F TV directly in iTunes.[Zune] Subscribe to the X3F TV directly (Zune Marketplace link coming soon).[RSS] Add the X3F TV feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[M4V] Download the M4V directly.
Frogger 2 & Commando 3 xbox.com pages appear
While there has yet to be major news of them, both Frogger 2 and Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3 now have their respective xbox.com pages online. Judging from the screens Frogger 2 doesn't look like its Dreamcast cousin, using sprites, a new kiddy art style, and possibly more puzzles. Commando 3 on the other hand is an arcade shooter with that Incredibles/TF2/BFH art style that seems to be gaining in popularity lately. While Frogger is a bit of a quantity, Commando 3 could be a pleasant surprise if it manages to differentiate itself from the myriad of other arcade shooter currently on XBLA. Release dates are of course unknown, but our best guess would be before the month is out.%Gallery-24324%%Gallery-24325%[Read, Frogger 2][Read, Wolf of the Battlefield: Commando 3]
Potentially delisted XBLA games revisted
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox/Delisted_XBLA_games_Revisiting_those_on_the_chopping_block'; We know which Xbox Live Arcade games are potentially on the chopping block, but what makes them tick? Do they really deserve to be condemned to the XBLA graveyard? Joystiq took it upon themselves to play each and every game that has been on the service for more than six months and have a Metacritic average of less than 65%, two of the three criteria a title must meet to be considered for delisting (the third criterion, a conversion rate of less than 6%, isn't known outside the hallowed halls of Microsoft). Press the delete key above to check out the best and worst.
Sonic and Golden Axe speed to Xbox Live Arcade
This week's Xbox Live Arcade titles are Golden Axe and, finally, Sonic the Hedgehog. Both cost a mere 400 Microsoft Points, with Golden Axe allowing for co-operative play on Live and locally. The Achievements for both titles were made available yesterday, and led us to believe that at the very least, GA was coming today. Fortunately, we were only half right, as Sonic finally made its debut under the Sega Vintage Collection line of titles. With any luck, we'll see Ecco and Sonic 2 follow suit.
Bomberman Live rated, on XBLA soon?
Old school gaming fans rejoice! The official page for Bomberman Live has appeared on Xbox.com. Well, to be more precise, it's not published on the Xbox Live Arcade page yet, but it's available for those who know where to look. It's actually been there for some time, but now we have some new reinforcement that the game is on its way to XBLA soon. Yes, the game has been rated by the ESRB, so things are looking good. We're so excited that we just might explode. Get it? Get it?! Oh, never mind.
T. Hawk gets HD Remix'd, plus more remastering info
Just so you fanboys know, that shot of T. Hawk is full resolution, from Super Street Fighter II HD Remix, of course. Capcom Digital posted that image, complete with an analysis of how they remaster frames to incorporate the new artwork. They use Sagat's standing Roundhouse as an example. Rey then demonstrated how the art is broken up into tiles, and they use those as a guide for when they're redrawing the frame. This prevents a scenario causing a foot to go through an opponent's head due to a hit detection issues. A good read, and it also shows the comparison shot of T. Hawk, as well as the line art for Sagat. Go take a look!
Missile Command Launches onto XBLA
Today's Xbox Live Arcade release is Missile Command, the retro crap Atari shooter where you fire at ... oncoming missiles. With updated graphics, a new Throttle Monkey gameplay mode, and multiplayer over Xbox Live or locally, this nostalgic classic costs 400 Microsoft Points. Unfortunately, according to the read out at Major's blog, this game is currently unavailable in Japan or Korea, but everyone else is free to check out the trial and see if this oldschool goodness is up their alley.
Missile Command arrives this week on XBLA
Well kids, we knew it was coming. Yes, it was prophesied long ago that Atari's Missile Command would hit Xbox Live Arcade some day. That day is this Wednesday. This ain't your grandpa's Missile Command either. Nope, this Missile Command comes with fancy new 3D graphics and updated music. Sure, the primary goal is still to destroy incoming missiles, but now it's in kuh-razy 3D and it has achievements! The press release informs us that you destroy said missiles in order to defend planet Zardon (not to be confused with Zordon). The game features 2 person multiplayer locally or over Xbox Live and ... um ... well, that's about it. It's Missile Command. Take it or leave it (for 400 points).%Gallery-4486%
Assault Heroes finally patched ... almost
Let's say your game shipped with a horrendous multiplayer bug that prevented many people from connecting to online co-op sessions. Would you fix it? Would you fix it quickly? If you're part of Wanako and Sierra Online, and your game is Assault Heroes for Xbox Live Arcade, then your answer is clearly "no." Yes, Assault Heroes was added to the XBLA library last December and played host to a serious co-op problem, namely that co-op games could not be joined by many people. Now, seven months later, a title update for Assault Heroes has finally been released. There's only one problem: you can't download it. In a particularly delicious bit of irony, you are greeted with an error message the moment you accept the update prompt. Oy vey. Let's hope the Assault Heroes team gets their ducks in a row and fixes this problem soon.
More Sneaky Soltrio Solitaire DLC
Those sneaky solitaire solicitors! They're at it again. Yet another batch of downloadable content (DLC to the kids) for Soltrio Solitaire on XBLA has hit Xbox Live Marketplace. In fact, it came out yesterday, and we didn't even notice. That's how sneaky it was. The pack includes an entire 10 new solitaire modes, all for a measly 150 points. According to our friends at XBLArcade (the sleuths who uncovered this info), the PC version contains dozens of modes, so more DLC for Soltrio Solitaire is a distinct possibility for the future. We're sure that somebody, somewhere, is very excited about this.
PopCap talks casual game design, XBLA
A few years ago, if someone used the phrase "casual games," you probably would have imagined someone playing darts or shuffleboard in a newly smoke-free bar somewhere. Only recently, aided by Nintendo's DS and Wii juggernauts and download services like Xbox Live Arcade, have casual games become serious business. Everyone and their dog is stumbling over themselves to create casual games. EA, Eidos, Ubisoft: everyone is doing it. Of course, PopCap has been doing it for a while now. Gamesindustry.biz recently sat down to talk with Jason Kapalka, chief creative officer for PopCap games.Speaking to the success of casual games, Kapalka notes that PopCap enjoys nearly a 20% conversion rate on Xbox Live Arcade titles. That's 1 in 5 people who decide to buy a PopCap game -- Heavy Weapon, for example -- after playing the trial version. This is compared to less than 10% rates for the PC and mobile markets. So, yes, casual games can certainly mean big bucks for a smart company.