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Vision library expands beyond Uno
As expected, Microsoft has updated following Arcade titles for use with the Vision Camera: Bankshot Billiards 2 Hardwood Hearts Hardwood Spades Hardwood Backgammon The press release also reminds parents to check their family settings. Good idea.Speaking of adult-oriented action, Activision's World Series of Poker: Tournament of Champions, the first game to take advantage of the Digimask facial mapping stuff, hits store shelves today. So Microsoft has camera support covered as far as pool sharking and problem gambling are concerned. Now where are the gesture-based games, starting with Totem Ball? I have read that the Vision is supposed to come with a download code for that flailing effort, but the $40 SKU I picked up at Toys R Us included only Uno and one month of XBL Gold (There are no titles mentioned on the packaging). I'll try out the facial mapping feature in WSoP tonight and let you know if it does my handsome mug justice.
TGS: XBLA hits Tokyo with Contra and friends
Tucked in Microsoft's TGS press release announcing 1080p support and Japanese HD-DVD info, was a short bit on Xbox Live Arcade's presence at TGS. They revealed the following list of Konami and Namco Bandai titles: Contra Gyruss (previously unannounced) Dig Dug Track & Field New Rally-X (previously unannounced) Rush'n Attack (previously unannounced) Ms. Pac-Man Yie Ar Kung Fu: a "Japan-exclusive Xbox Live Arcade game" and "one of the very first fighting games" will be released in 2007 Some of these we've known about, others we've seen before (Contra was at Microsoft's E3 event, and, oh yeah, it's also ingrained in our consciousness), but there are some interesting additions, including a Japan-exclusive title. Our question is, why is Konami wasting their time with some of these games when all we want are those classic Konami beat 'em ups? You're sitting on a gold mine Konami! Seriously, you're sitting on it. Get up and let us at it. Microsoft's TGS press briefing:Xbox 360 to add 1080p support, PS3 to lose bullet pointHD-DVD add-on hits Japan Nov. 17th for ¥19,800Blue Dragon hits Japan this holiday
New XBLA franchise in the next two weeks
XBLArcade managed to notice a snippet from yesterday's press release that completely slipped our Sauron-like gaze. From the release:"In total, more than 100 pieces of new downloadable content will be available during the nine day period, including a never before announced major franchise on Xbox Live Arcade."Major franchise, would we? The possibilities addle our brains, but we can't help but speculate. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Mega Man? Bomberman? It could be anything, and your guess is as good as ours. We can only hope that this is a real arcade classic, or, better yet, an entirely original franchise for XBLA (something episodic perhaps?). Anyone care to make a guess? If anyone gets it right, we'll be sure to drop his/her name when the game is officially announced.
Lumines to hit it October
Those of you hoping to see Lumines Live and Dig Dug hit on the same day (it could happen, right?) are about to be sorely disappointed. In a recent interview, Lumines creator, Tetsuya Mizuguchi, was asked when Lumines Live will release on XBLA. His answer: "Next month. The middle of next month. I think so." Not exactly the hard confirmation many of us were hoping for, but at least you don't have to stay up late checking Marketplace for Lumines tonight. Of course, we can't stop you from waiting up for Dig Dug.
Small Arms preview
1UP has a preview to go alongside the Small Arms video we posted yesterday. There aren't many surprises to be found, though we can at least confirm that there are melee attacks if you run out of ammo. The most interesting bit actually covers the graphical prowess of the game."This may be a Live Arcade game, but it takes full advantage of the 360 hardware. Three of the six processing pipelines are devoted to special effects alone, and it shows. Every projectile throws off sparks and particles when it hits. Thanks to some amazing mastery of compression, it all looks fantastic too. Textures and models have been created at mural size, so large that they come to almost 1 Gig, but Gastronaut has managed to squeeze it all down to the Arcade game limit of 50 Meg. And with all that, the team still takes a no-compromise approach to hitting a smooth 60 frames per second. As far as they're concerned there's no room for anything else."It's nice to see an Arcade developer really latching on to the horsepower that the 360 has to offer. We're pretty confident that Gastronaut has an Arcade hit on their hands with Small Arms. Will it reach Geometry Wars levels, or could it outperform Street Fighter? Only time will tell. Unless something catastrophic happens, we're dropping the MS Points on day one.[Via Evil Avatar]
Vision Camera: Uno uncensored
I picked up a Vision Camera a few days early thanks to the stock first, ask questions later policy at the local Toys R Us. After a weekend spent playing Uno under the watchful gaze of complete strangers (at the expense of this blog I'm afraid), I can report that the camera is a worthy purchase based on that cool watery dashboard effect alone. Webcams have been around forever, but it still feels strange to have to check your boxers for complete scrotal coverage while playing a console. Just pray the guy on the other side does the same. I talked to a couple girl gamers who had already witnessed Uno hands that devolved into a sordid game-within-a-game of "show me yours, I'll show you mine" to the shrieking glee of the zit-faced participants (and presumably, the horror of the ESRB). Wild Cards never had so much economic clout. Expect this type of seedy peep show bartering to take off as the Vision makes its way into more sweaty palms this week. It will probably take a couple months before the novelty of pimping out your girlfriend for color changes wears off, or at least settles to a tolerable level. In the mean time, YouTube should prepare for a flood of poorly lit softcore with the same soundtrack.
XBLA Wednesday, it's Dig Dug!
Many of you probably noticed that Scramble marked the last official title on the lineup for Live Arcade Wednesdays. We all wondered what, if anything, would come out this Wednesday, September 20th. No, it's not Small Arms. It's still pretty good, though. That's right, it's Dig Dug, Namco's classic, um, digging simulator. At this point, it's all but official, as Microsoft has added an official page for the game to Xbox.com with a release date of September 20th. Expect something official before then.[Via K1lla's Xbox Domain]
Small Arms in action (not shaky cam!)
A new video of Small Arms has popped up on Gamevideos. The video gives us an long overdue glimpse of Small Arms' gameplay. Even better, we can nail down a few features. First, it looks like the game should (digitally) ship with 12 selectable characters. Second, the ninja character makes it obvious that melee combat is at least possible. Also, we can see that each weapon has a limited amount of ammo, though it's a little unclear what your offensive options are if you run out of ammo and can't find a replacement. Now we can't decide what we want to try more, the sniper rifle or the katana. Watch the video after the jump.
That should be on XBLA: Solomon's Key
Last week it was action puzzler, Lode Runner. This week it's Tecmo's Solomon's Key (submitted by ctrl-alt-del). Solomon's Key, like many arcade puzzlers of its time, has a simple formula. It's easy to pick up and play -- you should be able to get through the first few levels easily -- but it get's much harder as you progress. Equal parts strategy and reflex, Solomon's Key is yet another example of a great game for Xbox Live Arcade (and the ladies love it). Read on to discover its block destroying devilry.
Developer responds to HoopWorld's XBLA delay
Earlier this week, Streamline Studios announced they would be delaying their Unreal Engine-powered, basketbrawling XBLA title, HoopWorld, until 2007 in order to ensure that the title conforms to Microsoft's stringent Xbox Live Arcade guidelines, notably that itsy-bitsy 50MB footprint Ross Erickson told us about. To help them achieve that goal, they've employed "hardcore engineering house" Virtual Toys who've been tasked with the alchemical magic of crunching the game down without removing any gameplay elements. That's like, something for nothing.As a matter of fact, Hector Fernandez, Chief Creative Officer of Streamline Studios, told us that not only would they not be paring the game down, but they would actually be "adding things in that [they] were contemplating having to cut before." Magic. Continue reading for the rest of our short email Q&A.
Microsoft: Lode Runner in a "safe place"
After we ran this week's "That should be on XBLA" we got a comment from Ross Erickson, portfolio manager for Xbox Live Arcade. To wit:"Rest assured, Lode Runner is now in a VERY SAFE place.... :-)"We decided to hit up Ross' inbox and get a little clarification. Long story short is this: Doug Smith, creator of Lode Runner, has indeed recovered and sold the rights to another company -- a VERY SAFE company (please, not EA). This is significant because many older IPs can get lost in the fray. The fact that Lode Runner has a definite owner bodes well for its future on XBLA (and in general). We know that Mr. Erickson has a soft spot for the game so, here's hoping Microsoft will throw us a bone. A hole digging, robot evading bone.
Scramble now available on Xbox Live Arcade
Scramble is not Lumines Live. Now that we've accepted that, let's consider the once delayed 1981 shooter and why you might be inclined to spend 400 MS points ($5) on it. Clearly, its educational value with regards to the many dangers of spaceship travel (observation: everything is out to kill you) is unsurpassed, but the core gameplay is quite easily sussed out. Scramble is a very basic and very traditional shooter -- more than enough description for shooter fans to show interest and everyone else to write it off as old hat. As with Konami's other Xbox Live Arcade releases (like the excellent Time Pilot from two weeks ago), the download includes updated graphics and sound, online matches, achievements and scoreboards. Microsoft should be announcing the next round of Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays within the next week. Hold on to your plummeting, musically inclined blocks until then.
That should be on XBLA: Lode Runner
Last week, we gave you Power Stone as a great XBLA candidate. However, after going through the comments, we've decided to revise our rules a little bit. A few of our readers pointed out that they'd rather see a full blown next gen sequel to Power Stone rather than a Live Arcade rehash. You know what fanboys? You're right. From now on we will try and steer clear of games that might actually get legitimate sequels. And with that out of the way, we present this week's pick, Lode Runner (as submitted by BklynKid). A puzzle game of the highest order, Lode Runner has all the right curves in all the right places for an XBLA title. The game is simple, fun, addictive, and easy to play in quick bursts. Read on to find out what makes Lode Runner super special.
Unreal Engine 3 prepares to Roboblitz XBLA
Time to take another look at the trailer for Roboblitz from indie developer Naked Sky, the first Xbox Live Arcade game to sport Unreal Engine 3. Mike from K1lla's Xbox Domain spotted a forum post from one of the devs that says:The game is super close to complete. Design and art wise, we're pertty much locked, now we're just making sure the game is bug free and fully optimized. An exact release date...still don't have one. But considering the state of the game, it can't be much longer. Believe me, we want the game out asap! The only thing we know for sure is that it'll be 1200 MS points, and the PC version will include (TBA) bonus content. SOOOON!!The best part is it actually looks like it's worth 1200 MS Points.
Bioware demonstrates digital actors at Austin Game Conference
An intriguing article on Gamasutra details Bioware's visit to the Austin Game Writers Conference and their resulting presentation, "Creating Characters for Games: Writing for Digital Actors." One of the few developers that puts as much, if not more, emphasis on stories and characters versus other elements of their games, Bioware outlined a change in writing methodology required for visually lush next-gen games. Unlike older, less ambitious role-playing games which furthered the story via motionless character portraits or a handful of canned animations, the upcoming Mass Effect has tasked writers with taking things such as body language and subtle physical gestures into account. It's an interesting case where the writer can rely on the graphics to tell a part of the story -- usually it's the other way around.The article also delves into the creation of the story and how the player's choices need to be plentiful while still remaining within the framework of the overall game. Again, the digital actor can be used to guide the player down certain paths, avoiding erratic or non-sensical behaviour that has a character suddenly going from cheery to murderous after the press of a button. There's definitely a tug of war going on between the player (who wants freedom) and the storyteller (who wants to tell a coherent tale). With more realistic graphics and lifelike characters being introduced in the coming years, it's unclear as to who will end up having the greatest grip. See also: Bioware defines Mass Effect Video of E3 Mass Effect demo hits XBLM Joystiq's impressions of Mass Effect at E3
25-year-old XBLA game delayed by a week
In a moment that's sure to elicit a grin or an unstoppable urge to fling your retinas into the back of your head, a game that was released in 1981 has somehow managed to be delayed for a week in the year 2006. Konami's side-scrolling shooter, Scramble, was all set for release this Wednesday when Microsoft's elite and possibly overworked team of testers concluded that the game simply wasn't ready to hit Xbox Live Arcade. The official word reveals that "during the final testing and certification of the title, we discovered some minor issues that should be addressed. Therefore, we are going to take an extra week and fix these items to ensure a high quality game experience for all when the title does launch on its new date of Wednesday, September 13." This isn't the first time the weekly XBLA release schedule has had to make due without a new game -- this week's replacement is a Project Gotham Racing 3 UNO deck priced at 100 points ($1.25 in non-funny money). As exciting as theme decks and picture packs may be, the consistency of game releases has been somewhat shaky so far. Let's hope future XBLA Wednesdays don't have more games taking XBLA sick days. Har.[Thanks Matt!]
Rumorang: Xbox 360 HDMI cable officially yanked
A newly discovered Gamestop and EB Games listing reveals an Xbox 360 HDMI cable, a rather ponderous product considering the fact that the console does not have the necessary port to accomodate such a miraculous transmissive device. Is it an expensive adapter that automagically goes from the bulky 360 AV connector to an HDMI output? Feel free to entertain such a possibility, so long as you remember that Microsoft wants nothing to do with it. After constantly pestering them for a comment, they informed us that the product was not one of theirs and that "Microsoft has not announced any additional support beyond component video for HD output. MS is watching the market closely and they will continue to evaluate any options in the face of consumer demand." Unless the face of consumer demand becomes crumpled in a furious frown regarding the lack of HDMI support, don't expect this retail listing (and they're usually so reliable!) to signify a change in Microsoft's strategy. Back in July, when handed the rumor of a new Xbox 360 equipped with an HDMI port, Microsoft promptly tossed it away and insisted that "you don't need HDMI for HD gaming." We fully expect the HDMI rumorang to return again sometime in the future -- catch it here when it does.[Via Digg, Xbox Evolved. Thanks Jayman16]See also: High-end PS3 shipping without HDMI cable
That should be on XBLA: Power Stone
Last week we took a look at Bubble Bobble as a likely candidate for Xbox Live Arcade. This week: Power Stone. One of the first games released for SEGA's ill fated Dreamcast, Power Stone was a gorgeous and innovative fighter in it's day. Part Smash Brothers and part Jackie Chan, Power Stone allowed players to use anything and everything to win a fight. Of course, the eponymous power stones were a big help as well. Read on to see why this overlooked Capcom classic would make a great addition to Live Arcade.
XNA confusing? Get the tutorial
Most of you are probably aware that the beta version of XNA is now available for download. So you downloaded it, and are now staring at your computer, waving your arms at it, trying to make it do something. Lucky for you, the fine folks at XNA Spot have got your back. They posted a tutorial that promises to help you install XNAl, build the included Space War kit, and start making your own creative changes. Now, we won't go into all the technical details because, frankly, we don't understand them and are in fact frightened by them. But you guys go ahead. Go get it and start making the next Live Arcade game all by yourself. Seriously. Go ahead. We'll wait.[Via Let's Kill Dave]
Time Pilot not worth the time
The early 80s coin-op "classic" Time Pilot is the latest retro title to hit Xbox Live Arcade. Unfortunately, according to Xboxic's review, it's a total waste of time.[Thanks Alex]
