Toy-Soldiers
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Toy Soldiers Complete advances onto Steam Early Access
Signal Studios is on standby for a full Steam release of Toy Soldiers Complete after launching it on Early Access over the weekend. The bundle includes tower defense/shooter mash-up Toy Soldiers, follow-up Toy Soldiers: Cold War, and the two games' downloadable expansions. The Early Access price is $10 in North America, and £7/10 euros in Europe. While both games launched on Xbox Live Arcade, you can already find the little plastic paratroopers on PC; Toy Soldiers is available as a Steam standalone, while Toy Soldiers: Cold War is on Windows 8. So it's a bit curious to see Signal taking the Early Access route, but the Ascend: Hand of Kul studio says it's looking for players to "help us find bugs, give feedback and most of all – help us shape the game before its full release!" [Image: Signal Studios]
Grab a free toy biplane for your avatar on Xbox Live today
You've already won something in 2013 – it's a free Toy Soldiers-themed biplane for your avatar on Xbox Live. We admit, it's a little hard to get to, but if you've got a few minutes to spend browsing around Microsoft's interface (and about 150 MB free on your hard drive), the biplane avatar prop (usually 240 MSP) is yours for the taking.So here's how you do it: The prop is being given away as part of the Chain Reaction deal inside Microsoft's "Sales and Specials" app, which is a free app designed to point you toward games and content on sale. If you don't have this app, you'll have to download it – go to the Games tab on Xbox Live, and then choose "Browse Games." The "Sales and Specials" link is up in the top right corner (it currently features a Madden 2013 graphic), and then you'll just need to click on "Get the Free App" to download the app. It'll update once if you don't have it yet, taking up about 150 MB of hard drive space.Once you have the app, you can simply navigate over to the "Chain Reaction" set of deals, and the first deal in the chain is a free biplane, no strings attached. Sure, it's a little complicated, but the holidays are over, right? Might as well pick up one more present while you can.[Thanks, Karl.]
Toy Soldiers storm PC today, DLC for XBLA's Toy Soldiers: Cold War tomorrow
Signal Studios dropped several information bombs today about its Toy Soldiers series, with the first volley announcing that the original Toy Soldiers will be available on Steam and Games for Windows Live Marketplace today for $9.99. The Steam version will be 25 percent off during launch week.Wait a minute, but Toy Soldiers on XBLA is $15! Not anymore. The XBLA version is receiving a permanent price drop to 800 MSP ($10).Signal Studios, which notes the Toy Soldiers franchise has had over 1 million paid downloads, also announced DLC for last year's excellent co-op XBLA sequel, Toy Soldiers: Cold War. The "Evil Empire" and "Napalm" packs will expand the single-player and co-op campaigns, having players take on the role of the USSR or Americans."As a thank you to our fans, we are releasing a Multiplayer DLC compatibility pack for free," said Toy Soldiers: Cold War Game Director Jason Ilano. "This will give them a chance to join matches hosted by players that have the new content, play it, and decide if it is for them."The dueling side expansions will be 400 MSP ($5) apiece and the launch codes are set to execute tomorrow, April 25.
Microsoft discounts Xbox Live for Windows Phone games for Easter, offers iOS / Android prices
If your smartphone Sunday lacks the holiday flair you were hoping for, Microsoft is serving up a basket full of economically priced Easter eggs. Seven Xbox Live Windows Phone games have shed their premium pricing for the weekend, letting patient gamers pick up titles like Angry Birds and Max and the Magic Marker for the standard 99 cents. Other titles in the hitherto unannounced sale include Burn the Rope, Doodle God, Toy Soldiers: Boot Camp, IonBallEX and De Blob. Just in time for folks who need more than bunny-shaped GPS routes to celebrate Easter.
Toy Soldiers, TMNT Re-Shelled and other XBLA games on sale
Psst. Hey, buddy, over here. We've got a line on some Xbox Live Arcade titles that ... fell off the back of a truck, if you will. A handful of back-alley deals on games like Prince of Persia Classic, TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled and Toy Soldiers are buried on the Xbox Marketplace. Fortunately, we've shined the "spotlight" on all of the sales after the jump. We were just kidding about that "falling off the back of a truck" thing, by the way. There appears to be nothing dubious about these discounts. Also, unless our understanding of how the internet works is wildly off base, we're pretty sure trucks aren't involved in the digitial distribution business.
Top Xbox Live game launches of 2010
It's a curious way to organize data, but Microsoft's Major Nelson has posted the top Arcade and Indie games of 2010, based on "full versions purchased" during a game's first seven days of activity. Topping the Arcade list is Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, which definitely owns its place as Capcom's "most dynamic sales weapon" ever. Capcom's other Dead Rising 2 standalone tie-in, Case West, also did some faaaaa-ntastic numbers, taking the seventh spot. Limbo, which was one of our top games of 2010, took the second spot, while the Perfect Dark refresh can be spied in third. Super Meat Boy, prime at five on our best of 2010, hunkered down on this list at spot 17. In the Indie section, Baby Maker Extreme popped up in first place, followed by several games that have "Avatar" in the title. A game called Try Not To Fart also made it into the list. Check out the top 20 Arcade and Indie titles after the break.
December XBLA deal: Buy two games, get 400 MS Points free
In yet another Xbox Live Arcade deal, Microsoft is now offering a free batch of 400 MS Points for purchasing two qualifying XBLA games. Don't run off downloading games just yet though, because you'll need to head over to the Xbox Live Events page and download the Arcade Offer gamer picture to register for the giveaway first (the direct link to the gamer picture is currently broken, but it's the first one listed on the events page). Once that's done, snag two of the games listed after the break (including favorites like Limbo, Lara Croft, Monday Night Combat, Super Meat Boy and more). Within four weeks, the free points will be added to registered Live accounts automatically or sent as redemption code via email. If you're planning to pick up any of the eligible games, you might as well get some free points too, right? The promotion ends December 20, so get to it. [Thanks, Grand Kerfuffle]
Toy Soldiers' final add-on 'Invades' XBLA September 29
Signal Studios has announced that the final DLC expansion for its successful XBLA strategy title, Toy Soldiers, will launch next Wednesday, September 29. The pack, titled "Invasion," will add a new, three-level mini-campaign, 50 Gamerscore worth of new Achievements, some additional enemy units and new driveable vehicles -- most of which are based around the main campaign's alien invasion motif. You can check out some screenshots of the new, otherworldly content in the gallery posted below and a trailer after the break. If you're jonesing to bust up some more playthings, you'll be able to grab "Invasion" for 400 Microsoft Points ($5).%Gallery-102811%
XBLA sales stats for first half of 2010, as deduced from leaderboard data
Gamerbytes has compiled a list of several Xbox Live Arcade games and their performance in the first half of 2010 based on data derived from leaderboards. First, there are the top performers: Trials HD apparently had the biggest user base, jumping from 600,000 players to over a million during the first half of 2010 (not counting its DLC, which had almost 300,000 players over that period). But how about games that launched this year? Well, Perfect Dark enlisted 265,000, and Toy Soldiers and its DLC managed to recruit a combined 346,000 players. Risk: Factions and Snoopy Flying Ace have yet to reach 100,000. Other games didn't fare so well, with several failing to capture the attention of even 1,000 users -- Voodoo Dice, Ben 10 and Fret Nice were near or below that mark -- and of the 24 new games that Gamerbytes catalogued, only 13 managed to reach 10,000 players. Seeing how deals and promotions affected the growth of user bases on older titles is particularly interesting in the case of Zombie Apocalypse and TMNT: ReShelled, both of which came darn close to doubling their respective audiences when discounts were applied.
Toy Soldiers DLC this week, Worms 2 DLC on July 7
In addition to announcing release dates for Blacklight: Tango Down and Monkey Island 2: Special Edition, Microsoft has also revealed that new DLC is on the way for XBLA's Toy Soldiers and Worms 2: Armageddon. The Toy Soldiers "The Kaiser's Battle" add-on ($5) arrives tomorrow, June 30, and lets players try out the French army, take on a new boss, grab three more Achievements and enjoy new multiplayer and survival maps. On Wednesday, July 7, the Worms 2 "Battle Pack" ($5) will be released and includes six new weapons, new speech banks, 10 new forts, a new "Survivor" game mode, more Achievements, new player titles, leaderboards and 30 new single-player missions. Sheesh -- you'd think Team17 would save something for a future DLC pack.
Toy Soldiers does big business in March
Gamasutra has the analysis of the March Xbox Live Arcade sales and (as you probably could have predicted even without a Farsight XR-20) the revamped FPS Perfect Dark did well with around 195,000 units sold. But the big surprise of the month has to be the tower-defense/action hybrid Toy Soldiers that, with little in the way of marketing, reached nearly 240,000 units by the end of the month-long Block Party. Sure, Toy Soldiers had two more weeks (its March 1 launch versus Perfect Dark's arrival on the 15th), but it's still a convincing testament to the power of word of mouth (word of Tweet?) advertising, especially in the download space.
Swag Saturday: Toy Soldiers! (XBLA)
Signal Studios' new game Toy Soldiers might sound like any other tower defense game at first glance, but it has art direction that will knock your socks off. It's one thing to pit the Kaiser's forces against the boys from England, but Toy Soliders turns them into little clockwork toys, full of cogs and springs. Combine that with addictively fun gameplay and Facebook integration and you have a winner. So worry not if you have moral objections to pumping howitzer shells into approaching baddies, they're just toys! We want to share this toybox full of fun with you, so we're giving away three codes for this game on Xbox Live Arcade. All you have to do is follow the rules below, and tell us what your favorite toy was. Or is. There's no shame in still playing with toys, is there? Leave a comment telling us what your favorite toy was (or is). You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec, at least in part due to our vehement opposition of the Montreal Canadiens). Limit 1 entry per person per day. This entry period ends at 7:01PM PT on Sunday, March 7. At that time, we'll randomly select three winners to receive a code good for one copy of Toy Soliders on XBLA (ARV: $15). For a list of complete rules, click here. What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. Please note that Joyswag may be in "used" condition. For more info on our policy, click here. %Gallery-73953%
X3F TV -- XBLA in Brief: Toy Soldiers
Tower defense fans, rejoice, for Toy Soldiers has arrived. Take note, however, because Toy Soldiers adds a few twists to the standard tower defense formula. First and foremost, players can take direct control of the various towers, turrets and vehicles that are placed on the map. Whether it's sniping army men from the sniper tower or dogfighting enemy planes, there's plenty of variety. The game even packs Facebook integration (note: stay away from the Facebook app if you value productivity). Watch the latest XBLA in Brief and decide if Toy Soldiers is worth 1200 ($15). Shortcut: Download the trial version of Toy Soldiers [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: Toy Soldiers storms XBLA
This week Toy Soldiers kicks off Microsoft's month-long XBLA Block Party. While a tower defense game at its core, the game adds a small twist to the genre, allowing players to take control over individual towers and units. In other words, if you think your sniper tower is focusing on the wrong units, you can snap into first-person control and do something about it. Toy Soldiers lands this Wednesday on XBLA for 1200 ($15). In the meantime, be sure to check out our impressions of the title back from TGS.
Stay for the entire XBLA Block Party and receive parting gifts
Microsoft has announced more details about its Xbox Live Arcade "Block Party," which is ... right around the corner. Next month's lead-up to the launch of the Xbox Game Room will see a promotion similar to the one offered during last year's Summer of Arcade, and then some. For Xbox Live Silver members that purchase all three Block Party titles released next month -- Toy Soldiers, Perfect Dark and Scrap Metal -- and then download the free Game Room "client," Microsoft will credit your account 400 ($5). So, 3200 ($40) spent on the participating XBLA titles will get you back five bucks. If you're a Gold member, though, the deal gets a little sweeter: Purchase the three titles, download Game Room, and you'll get the 400 refund and a free month of Xbox Live Gold service (worth $4 and change if you're an annual subscriber) credited to your account. A free "everyone's a Gold member" (no, not that Goldmember) weekend is also scheduled, permitting Silver members to play the three Block Party releases online (but only the Block Party releases) from 12pm ET on Friday, March 26 through 12pm ET on Monday, March 29.
Xbox Live Arcade Block Party games, Game Room dated
March is going to be a pretty intense month for XBLA releases. So intense, in fact, that it's all being bundled under one promotional moniker: Block Party. Microsoft recently announced specific dates and prices for each of the games therein, and boy oh boy, has its saved the best for ... um, next-to-last. We already knew March 3 would see the release of Toy Soldiers for 1200 ($15). On March 10, we'll get our hands on Slick Entertainment's brutal racer, Scrap Metal, for 1200 ($15). On March 17, we'll be stocking up on supplies, boarding up the doors and windows, and enjoying Perfect Dark, available for 800 ($10). Things will come to a crescendo on March 24, when the Game Room hub will be released at no charge. The platform's games will run you 400 ($5) for a PC and 360-friendly version, 240 ($3) for just the 360 version, or 40 ($.50) for a single play.
XBLA Prices: Perfect Dark, Toy Soldiers, Scrap Metal
A press release from Microsoft has revealed the pricing of all games offered in the upcoming March XBLA Block Party promotion. Think of the Block Party as Microsoft's first-quarter crack at the Summer of Arcade, combining a month of releases under one convenient promotional banner. According to the press release the pricing for each title will be: Perfect Dark -- 800 ($10) Toy Soldiers -- 1200 ($15) Scrap Metal -- 1200 ($15) Xbox Game Room -- Free to download (Each title costs 240 [$3] per single license, 400 [$5] for use on PC and Xbox 360, or 40 [50 cents] per play) %Gallery-85318%
X10: Perfect Dark, Game Room, Scrap Metal, Toy Soldiers part of XBLA Block Party this March
Thanks to the Summer of Arcade, we've been conditioned to compulsively check Xbox Live Arcade during the hottest months of the year. But it would seem that March is the new summer, since that month now plays host to the XBLA Block Party announced during Microsoft's X10 event today. So, what do you have to look forward to? Well, Toy Soldiers kicks things off on March 3. If that doesn't grab you, don't worry, it'll be followed throughout the month by Scrap Metal, Perfect Dark and classics hub Game Room. Also, if it's anything like every block party we've ever been to, cocktail weenies will also be served. So that's something.
TGS 2009: The Recap Post
Last week, the Tokyo Game Show brought in over 100 posts worth of news, previews, interviews, galleries, and videos. Clearly, a lot happened. If you're looking for a comprehensive list of all the goings-on during TGS 2009, Joystiq has you covered -- and organized! Click on a platform below to scan the highlights: (On the far right: that's "News" and "Culture" on the top and bottom, respectively)
TGS 2009: Impressions: Toy Soldiers (XBLA)
While it has become an extremely popular style of game over the last few years, tower defense titles have always struck me as a boring concept, personally. Perhaps it's my penchant for firing weapons at moving targets in first-person, but I can't really articulate my lack of enthusiasm for the strategy-style gameplay. My initial reaction to Toy Soldiers -- a tower defense game in a World War I setting -- in a behind-closed-doors Microsoft demo? Snore. Imagine my surprise, then, that I soon got genuinely excited to play the game when it lands sometime next year.%Gallery-73953%
