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Xbox Live Deal of the Week: Zombie Apocalypse for $5
Eventually, this is all going to come to an end. There won't be any more Xbox Live and the world will be overrun by the undead. It's, like, scientifically proven and stuff. In the meanwhile, game it up -- and what better to play than Zombie Apocalypse, a game that teaches you how to kill your inevitable enemy, the undead! Major Nelson is the individual who turned us on to this week's Xbox Live deal, which sees 50 percent of the price for Konami's end-of-days sim gnawed off for all Gold members, bringing it down to a more manageable 400 ($5). Hopefully this will allow more of us to receive the vital training we'll all need someday. Xbox.com: Add Trials HD to your Xbox 360 download queue ($5)
Dante's Inferno Avatar items escape the depths of Hell
On a crusade for some fresh Avatar gear? A couple of new Dante's Inferno items just popped up in the Avatar Marketplace, including the cuddly little Phlegyas Pet you see above. Look at the 'lil guy, ain't he cute? On top of that, there's also a branded tee and hat, as well as the full outfit Dante sports in the game. Hey, it's gotta be better than watching your Avatar sew some thread through its flesh, right?
Dante's Inferno 'Trials of St. Lucia' launched with new trailer
It's been a long time coming but the Trials of St. Lucia downloadable content for Dante's Inferno has arrived. Previously in the epic St. Lucia marketing campaign we've learned how the DLC's "trial" editor works, and picked up some survival tips from the development team. The launch trailer -- which we presume is the final trailer for the content -- gives us a longer look at the new playable character, St. Lucia, inspired by Christianity's Saint Lucy. Dante's Inferno: The Trials of St. Lucia is now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace and PlayStation Network for 800 in MS funny money or 9.99 Earth dollars, respectively. %Gallery-88277%
Split/Second demo now on Xbox Live, races to PSN May 11
The just-released single-player Split/Second demo, now available on Xbox Live to all subscribers, teaches you the most important thing about driving a race car through America: how to dodge massive explosions. One in 253 race car drivers meets their maker like that every year, you know. PS3 owners will be able to join in on May 11th and hurtle through the Airport Terminal level in race mode, triggering environmental destruction and aeronautical disaster on the way to the finish line. Split/Second hits retail on May 18.
Hot dog, check out these Saints Row 2 Avatar items
Look, we can sit here and tell you about the flashy pimp duds and other Saints Row 2 Avatar items available on Xbox Live Marketplace right now, but we just can't get beyond the inclusion of the pictured hot dog suit. Even at 400 ($5), we're tempted. Not only is it a great way to support one of the delicious staples of the American diet, but it also means you don't have to play Saints Row 2, go the Mall area and pick one up from the "Let's Pretend" store just to satiate your hot dog dress wear needs. Hooray for cutting corners with cash!
Battlefield DLC available tomorrow through Dr Pepper promotion
Not only has that fort you built out of old Dr Pepper bottles been the showpiece of your living space, but now you can have it work for you. Remember that partnership with EA? Starting tomorrow, you can use one of those bottles' cap to access some Battlefield: Bad Company 2 DLC: the Kit Upgrade. The add-on spices up each class in the cosmetic department, providing new looks for each outfit and specific camouflaged weaponry. Outside of the updated garb and stealthy guns, the update also includes 12 new awards and four Achievements. In North America, the DLC is only available via the Dr Pepper promotion. (In Europe, where the promotional partnership between EA and Dr Pepper is not in effect, Xbox Live users snag each class kit for 160 or the whole set for 440.) The DLC will be available on the Xbox 360 tomorrow, while the PS3 and PC platforms will get the Kit Upgrade "later on."
Skate 3 demo now on Xbox Live for all Gold members
As promised, a demo for EA Black Box's latest, Skate 3, is available for download today on Xbox Live. The demo weighs in at a hefty 862.54MB and features a Skate School section with Coach "Jason Lee" Frank, as well as a few different and online team challenges. As with the Skate 2 demo, there's a ticking clock as soon as you start -- 20 minutes total gameplay -- so keep that in mind when going for that ultra sick grind. Unlike the Skate 2 demo, however, you can restart the whole thing right from inside the demo itself. Xbox.com: Add the Skate 3 demo to your Xbox 360 download queue (FREE)
Xbox Live April schedule: Final Fight, Mega Man 10 DLC
Microsoft has unfurled some of its plans for Xbox Live downloadable content for April, including new additions to Games on Demand and Deals of the Week, as well as the April 14th release of Final Fight: Double Impact. On top of that, look for a half-priced The Maw on the week of April 12 and two add-ons for Mega Man 10 this week: Bass and Special Stage 1. Head past the break for the full list. %Gallery-79231%
Xbox Live Deal of the Week: Geometry Wars 2 for $5
Though the Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 leaderboards have all rocketed to unsurpassable heights since its release in summer 2008, Xbox Live Gold subscribers shouldn't be afraid of picking it up this week for the temporarily reduced price of 400 ($5). We mean, you should be afraid of its propensity for stealing your evenings away from you as you desperately attempt to unlock that pesky "Wax Off" Achievement. But hey, at least those attempts are pretty fun! (Or, at least, the first hundred are.) Shortcut: Add Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2 to your download queue [Via Xbox.com]
Modern Warfare 2 map update leaves Xbox Live in a world of hurt
We've held off as long as possible, but the tips just keep flooding in -- Xbox Live has a problem, and evidently it's a rather noticeable one. Word on the street has it that a new Modern Warfare 2 map update has made a number of Xbox Live features unusable, including online MW2 gameplay. We're also hearing that the Xbox Live Marketplace is off-and-on, and even Microsoft admits that quite a few other things are acting quirky. The good news is that a fix is on the way, so we'd suggest grabbing that lunch you've been denying yourself and trying again later. Hey, aren't you supposed to be working right now, anyway? P.S. - Let us know if you're running into any issues in comments below, cool? Update: Things seem to be working their way back to normal. Phew. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Xbox Live March schedule: Free Xbox Live Gold, XBLA sale
Major Nelson has dropped a new Xbox Live Marketplace schedule for the remainder of March and beginning of April and, while we knew about most of the major releases already, there's still some surprises to be found. First, the next two weeks will see some nice Deal of the Week promotions, with Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram falling to 800 ($10) and Geometry Wars 2 dropping to a paltry 400 ($5). Beyond that, Xbox Live Silver members will also be able to enjoy free Xbox Live Gold -- including online multiplayer, Netflix, last.fm, Facebook and Twitter -- from noon ET on April 1 through noon ET on April 5. And, as if all that wasn't enough, Major announced that ten Xbox Live Arcade games will go on sale from April 1 through April 7. The full list of games hasn't been announced, though it will include Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, South Park and Defense Grid. Check out the full Xbox Live schedule after the break.
Microsoft trademarks streamlined Xbox 360 DLC purchasing system
Nothing derails the excitement of playing games online with your friends quite like finding out that you don't have a certain piece of DLC required to join their game. The USPTO recently approved a Microsoft patent application (filed way back in August 2008) for a system that would enable users to seamlessly purchase and download game add-ons from the Xbox Live Marketplace when alerted by an in-game prompt, provided the content was required for a particular online game they attempted to launch. The process would allow you to make purchases without being forced out of a game lobby you might be sharing with friends -- though, really, what kind of "friends" wouldn't warn you about your game's newfound incompatibility before inviting you in? Inconsiderate friends, that's who. [Via Eurogamer; BrokeMyController]
XBLM listing reveals 5 maps, 2 CoD4 remakes in MW2 'Stimulus Package' DLC
We may have to wait until March 30 for Modern Warfare 2's first DLC, the "Stimulus Package," but thanks to an Xbox Live Marketplace listing for the map pack, we aren't in the dark anymore as to its contents. The blurb reveals the pack will contain "5 additional action-packed maps," including three all new ones ("Bailout, Storm, and Salvage"), as well as two remakes from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare ("Crash" and "Overgrown"). "Bailout" is said to be "a multi-layered apartment complex," while "Storm" is described as "an open industrial park littered with heavy machinery," and "Salvage" is "a snowy junkyard fortified by stacked debris and crushed cars." Presumably, if you're reading about the details of unreleased a MW2 map pack, you already knew that "Crash" is a "war-torn urban environment" and "Overgrown" is set in a large dry creek. No pricing is set, unfortunately, though you can ogle the XBLM listing for now if it makes you feel any better (though we wouldn't suggest it). [Update: Clarified Stimulus Package DLC date of release.] [Thanks CL4P-TP!]
You've spent 17 billion hours on Xbox Live
It seems impossible, right? Well, this Xbox Live thing is apparently pretty popular. Trixie revealed via her Twitter account that in the seven years since the service launched on the original Xbox, gamers have racked up 17 billion hours on Xbox Live, equal to 2 hours of play time for every person on the planet. And with 20 million subscribers on the service, you're looking at an average of 850 hours for every member. Another one of her Tweets states that there have been "more than 1.2 billion downloads of gaming and entertainment content," which averages out to about 100 downloads per second. And according to our completely scientific analysis of these figures, we conclude around 750 million of those 1.2 billion-plus downloads were free gamer pics and themes, Rambo stuff specifically. [Via G4]
Xbox Live deals, XBLA releases and Games on Demand for January
Major Nelson recently peeled away the veil separating us from the knowledge of when stuff would be coming out on Xbox Live Marketplace over what remains of the month of January. This new knowledge includes the upcoming Deals of the Week -- on January 18, both of the DLC packs for the original Mass Effect will be marked down to 240 ($3) each and Hasbro Family Game Night: Battleship will get rolled back to 400 ($5); and on January 25, Portal: Still Alive will have its price temporarily reduced to 800 ($10). The Major also announced two new Games on Demand: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2, available now for $20, and Dead Rising, coming January 26 for an undisclosed price. For the rest of January's bounty, including discounted Games on Demand titles, XBLA releases and Avatar items, head past the jump.
New Years Eve Only: 50% off Battlefield 1943 [update]
Update: It's your lucky day, folks! Battlefield 1943 is on sale for 560 ($7), not 600 as EA originally tweeted. Concluding its streak of daily deals during the holiday season, the Xbox Live version of Battlefield 1943 will be on sale for 50% off, tomorrow. EA's official Battlefield 1943 Twitter account revealed that the New Years Eve sale (and final daily deal on the Marketplace) would slash the popular shooter's price to 600 ($7.50 USD), for one day only. While we're avid fans of the WWII-themed shooter, we're still irked that the game hasn't received proper (read: any) DLC support, save for the unlocked Coral Sea "air superiority" map. Perhaps a rush of new soldiers will push EA to begin development on new content, but we won't hold our breath while we wait in that foxhole.
Gears of War now available via Xbox Live Games on Demand
Put down that can of Imulsion energy drink, friend, 'cause we've got some good news for you (and we wouldn't want you to choke, you know). The original Gears of War has arrived on Xbox Live's Games on Demand service, making it that much easier to get ready for next year's big announcement from series creator Cliff Bleszinski (spoilers: it's probably Gears of War 3!). For the usual $19.99, all 6GB of Marcus Fenix's Locust murder opus can be yours -- without all that pesky 'physical media' nonsense -- through the Xbox Live Marketplace (except in Japan, sorry!). We've linked it below of course, for your convenience. Shortcut: Add Gears of War to your Xbox 360 download queue (via Xbox.com)
Mechs stand tall among Japan's top ten XBLA games
Microsoft has posted Japan's top ten Xbox Live Arcade games of 2009. It's unclear whether it's a list organized by sales or critical response, but the top title is Virtual-On: Oratorio Tangram -- you know, the classic robot fighter from ... no? Just play along then. The rest of the list, scrawled down by Siliconera, features many titles that found a lot more success in the west. Battlefield 1943, Castle Crashers, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and Trials HD (another surprise) take spots two through five, respectively. Check out our XBLA in Brief on Virtual-On after the break if you'd like to know what all the Japanese fuss is about. %Gallery-46149%
Disney Avatar items flood XBLM (including Mickey ears)
Let's face it, childhood was disappointing. Every year, you begged your parents to take you to Disney World, forever dreaming that you might own your very own pair of Mickey Mouse ears, the accessory that screams, "Yeah, I've been there." And every year, your parents would say, "We're going to Disney World!" Filled with glee, you would pile into the car with the rest of the family, only to arrive at the local Pottery Barn. Okay, so it might not be everyone's childhood, but it's close enough. The point is that there is now a digital ton of Disney themed Avatar goodies on Xbox Live Marketplace. There's actually some fun stuff up there, including the enchanted broom from Fantasia, a Tigger doll and plenty of clothing options. And yes, there are Mickey Mouse ears. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, some of the Disney items, including the ears, are experiencing some technical difficulties. Fret not, however, as Major Nelson assures us that Microsoft is on the case, so we're sure our your childhood dream will soon be within reach.
Dante's Inferno demo now available on XBLM
Because nothing goes with the egg nog and sugar cookies as well as baby murder, right? As expected, the demo for Dante's Inferno has descended into the seventh level of the Xbox Live marketplace, which means that you Xbox Live Gold members can hack and slash your way past all of the buzz and see if the gameplay floats your ferry right across the River Styx. The demo is 1GB in size, and while we didn't see it available on the console itself (though it should be there soon), you can follow this link on over to the Xbox website and queue up the download from there. Just don't come crying to us when Grandma's shocked after walking in and seeing what you're doing on the "gamebox." Make sure you know where the smelling salts are.
