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May 28 Marketplace Update - 28/5Posting a little early today because I'm going to be in meetings for the next two days, so if you're reading this before 10am BST you'll need to wait a few minutes before the content becomes available. The meetings are going to be cool - getting to see all our plans for the next year...
Remember that Buku Sudoku (800 MS Points) and Warlords (400 MS Points) are today's XBLA games.
May 27 Buku Sudoku and Warlords Hit XBLA TomorrowYour number's up, because tomorrow sees the arrival of the first Sudoku game ever on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Buku Sudoku is the ultimate version of the granny-bothering numbers game and it'll set you back 800 MS Points:
"Experience the excitement of the world’s hottest number game sensation on Xbox LIVE Arcade with “Buku Sudoku.” The title upgrades the traditional paper-and-pencil game with beautiful HD graphics, informative tutorials, multiple grid sizes and new ways to enjoy the game via multiplayer modes. With multiple themes that allow players to choose the audio and visual environment, over 1,200 puzzles total and three levels of difficulty, “Buku Sudoku” has something for everyone.
“Buku Sudoku” multiplayer modes feature support for up to four players offline and up to eight players via Xbox LIVE. More casual players can experience the game with friends and family through the cooperative mode, and competitive players will enjoy an entirely new concept – an active duel where the player’s performance directly impacts his opponent’s puzzle."
ALSO! The four-player Atari classic Warlords will also be available tomorrow for 400 MS Points:
"“Warlords” offers single and multiplayer action as up to four players battle to protect their fortress from attack, while battering down their opponents’ at a frenetic pace! Defend yourself from incoming fire with your mighty shield and smash down your enemies’ defenses by firing flaming balls at them, or blast a hole through and bring their Warlord tumbling down along with his castle walls!
“Warlords” returns in both a pixel-perfect copy of the original arcade cabinet game, plus a brand new “Evolved” version featuring cool new 3D graphics and the opportunity to be your own Warlord using the live video feed! Single player is supported, along with 2, 3, and 4 player local and Xbox LIVE multiplayer choices."
Don't forget that you can download free trial versions of both games too! Marketplace Update - 27/5Hey! How was your holiday weekend? I was up in Scotland watching Queen of the South put in a brave performance against Rangers and then basically playing Rock Band all night at a birthday party. It was ace! There was one lad there who has been playing it on PS3 for a few months already and is Expert on guitar and drums - unbelievable. I've never seen anything like it...
Any good Rock Band stories from your weekend? We've got some cool news coming up this weekend that will require you to get some practice in, so get busy...
May 23 IMPORTANT: Xbox Newsletter Correction - Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix BetaIf you subscribe to the Xbox Email Newsletter and you're sharper than a katana you may have noticed that in the latest edition it mentions the Street Fighter beta that comes free with Wolf of the Battlefield: Commandos 3, which is coming soon to Xbox LIVE Arcade. The Newsletter erroneously states that the beta will allow you access to a pre-release version of Street Fighter IV. THIS IS WRONG!
The beta you WILL be able to access is actually the Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix beta (this is the souped-up and re-balanced version of Street Fighter II Turbo, not the totally new Street Fighter IV).
Apologies for any confusion, and as we speak the Xbox Newsletter team is being soundly battered with a barrage of Dragon Punches and Hundred-Hand Slaps. Marc Whitten On Spring Update, DRM, Retiring XBLA Games and the Future of LIVE...A lot of you have been asking why we haven't announced anything about the spring LIVE update yet. That's because, er, there isn't going to be a spring LIVE update - at least not in the way you are used to. But that doesn't mean nothing's happening behind the LIVE scenes, OH NO. In fact, there's so much beavering going on that real beavers are up in arms about how its making them look bad.
To shed more light on the subject Marc Whitten, Xbox LIVE's General Manager, gave an in-depth and exclusive interview to Next-Gen.biz. You can read the full interview here, but in the interests of media-snacking or whatever name they have for it these days here's the main points that YOU need to KNOW NOW:
Thanks to I Daz I from Xbox Live Addicts for the heads-up on this! May 22 Where's the Blog Header Gone?This is an excellent question, and one that lv54spacemonkey deserves a prize for asking. Unfortunately I don't know the answer - it seems to have disappeared into the ether somewhere. However, I was planning on getting a new header done anyway so I'm taking this as a sign that the time is right.
Any suggestions? I'm thinking a bit slicker and less twee this time... Marketplace Update - 22/5Quality Star Wars: Force Unleashed videos available today - check them out to prepare you for the Inside Xbox video we've got in the locker for July!
May 21 Exclusive Sneak Peek: Rock Band UK TV AdCheck this out - it's the 90 second version of the UK Rock Band TV ad, and I love it. You can catch the 30 second version tonight during the Man U v Chelsea Champion's League Final. It'll also be running in France and Germany over the coming days and weeks.
And of course the game is out this week in France, Germany and the UK. For those about to rock, etc... Marketplace Update - 21/5Few things to catch up on today! First up, today's XBLA game is Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, an adventure/RPG game based on the brilliant Penny Arcade comics. It's 800 MS Points or the trial version is free, and you can get more details and screens over at Gamerscore Blog.
Next up is some new content on Video Store:
UK:
France:
Germany (Coming Friday 23 May):
And also available on Marketplace today:
May 20 Alone in the Dark Event InvitesHey everyone - I've just finished sending out all the invites for the Alone in the Dark event this Friday, so check your mail to see if you've got one! Hopefully I'll see you there! Full List of Rock Band PDLC Available From LaunchIf you hadn't noticed, Rock Band launches in the UK, France and Germany this week. Not only do you get 70 songs on the disc (including a batch of Euro-exclusive tracks) but the full suite of downloadable tracks currently availlable in North America will also be ready to rock. What's that? You want to see them all? For those about to check out this list, we salute you!
Please note these are listed by Song name, artist name, MS Points and any further details you need. The spreadsheet I pulled these from wasn't too friendly...
May 18 Your Chance to Preview Alone In the Dark – VIP-Style!Here’s an amazing opportunity for you to see one of the hottest upcoming Xbox 360 games up-close and personal – in true VIP style! I’ve teamed up with Atari to offer 5 lucky AceyBongos readers and their friends the chance to get hands-on with Alone in the Dark ahead of its launch, speak to the developers, and generally live it up in an event hosted EXCLUSIVELY for the community!
The event will take place in the plush Everyman Cinema in London’s Hampstead on Friday, May 23 from 1pm to 6pm. Refreshments will be provided on the day and you’ll be looked after like videogaming royalty! We’ll even have the Inside Xbox team there to shoot video, so you might even get the chance to appear on Xbox LIVE!
All you need to do to be in with a chance of coming to the event is send me an email to AceyBongos@AceyBongos.com telling me the name, address and date of birth of you and the guest you would like to bring. Get your mail to me before 5pm on Tuesday, May 20 and, if you’re lucky enough to be invited, I’ll have all the details back to you on Tuesday night!
Please note that you and your guest will need to be over 18 to enter the event on the day and Atari will be checking IDs, so please bring something along to avoid disappointment. You will also need to pay for any transport or accomodation costs.
Good luck, and remember to get those emails in quick! Marketplace Update - 18/5Crikey, feel like I haven't been around here for a while! Sorry for the radio silence again - had my big diploma presentation on Wednesday so things have been especially hectic around the Bongos house lately. Good news is that it all went really well and I can now get back into the swing of posting - starting with this nice gentle Marketplace Update!
One of the worst things about being so busy was not being able to play GTAIV, but luckily I got to spend all last night playing it. I reckon I'm about halfway through (I just unlocked Alderney) and I'm loving it, alhtough I haven't even played it once on LIVE yet. Need to sort that out... And only 250 Points from 20k now... May 13 Tomb Raider Anniversary PDLC Drops to 800 MS Points From May 30If you like a bit of artifact-bothering but you're also prudent with your MS Points then you'll be pleased to know that Eidos is planning to drop the price of the Tomb Raider Anniversary PDLC packs from 1200 MS Points to 800 MS Points each, from May 30. Each pack contains two episodes of Tomb Raider Anniversary as Lara Croft gets on the trail of the mysterious Scion artifact, and they both also include the Croft Manor bonus level.
Remember that you'll need a copy of Tomb Raider: Legend to play both packs. Marketplace Update - 13/5Did you see that Assault Heroes 2 is the XBLA game tomorrow? I absolutely LOVED the first game so I'm well looking forward to it - details and screenshots over at GamerScore.
May 09 The Force Is Strong In This One...Had a great day today - went along to an event in London for Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and shot some video for Inside Xbox. It's embargoed until July 7 so you'll have to wait a wee while for the full details, but the game's looking amazing and some of the stuff you can do by harnessing the Force is ridiculous!
I met some really nice people there too, as you can see from the photos. The Dark Side doesn't seem so bad actually...
Marketplace Update - 9/5Nice little lot of content today:
May 08 EDITED: Exclusive Ninja Gaiden II Costumes For Pre-Order and MarketplaceReady for Ninja Gaiden II? It launches in Europe on June 6, and you've got the chance to kick off your ninja adventure in an exclusive Ryu costume.
The Fiend Hayabusa costume will be available with extremely limited pre-orders from speicifc retailers in the UK, Netherlands, Italy, France and the Nordic countries. Watch Xbox.com for more details on the retailers over the coming weeks.
This costume and two other costumes will also be available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace from July. Each costume pack will inlcude five colour variation and will be priced at 200 MS Points each.
Here are the full details:
"Inspired by the Hayabusa family’s namesake, the falcon, this demonic costume mirrors the intensity of Ryu’s vengeance and fury as he fights to regain the honor of his clan. It’s almost as if he’s been transformed into a Fiend by the evil powers of the underworld with this costume – but retains all the honor of the Hayabusa Ninja Clan.
Starting July 2008, Xbox Live members worldwide will be able to download 3 unique Hayabusa costume packs for 200 MS points each to use in Ninja Gaiden II. Each costume pack is a completely new and never before seen look for our Ninja hero, Ryu Hayabusa.
The first of the 3 costume pack designs is being revealed today. This will be exclusively available in selected countries to 39,000 gamers on launch day as part of pre-sale or launch promotions with specific retail partners. Look for more details on other two designs and specific country promotions to be revealed in the coming weeks. Go to xbox.com/ng2 or your favorite retailer to pre-order Ninja Gaiden II today!"
Pretty nice eh? And don't forget that you can play the exclusive Unleash Your Wrath Ninja Gaiden II mini-game - and pre-order your copy - at Xbox.com!
And here's the first of the three Fiend Hayabusa costumes. NINJA!
EDIT: Clarified that each costume pack (200 MS Points each) will include five colour variations of the costume.
 GTAIV Stats - The World's Gone To Liberty City...The Gamerscore Blog team have just sent me through some GTAIV stats - these are US only, but it makes for some reall interesting reading!
"The Gamerscore Blog would like to congratulate Rockstar on the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV. GTA sold over 6 million units, and broke the entertainment record with over $500 million in sales.
We got some data from the US team, and we’re here to share that news with you:
Regarding Xbox LIVE:
May 07 EDITED: Marketplace Update - 7/5Today's XBLA game is Wits and Wagers, a multiplayer trivia game you can play with the Xbox 360 Big Button controllers (the ones that came with Scene-IT?). It's only available in the UK, sorry about that.
"Just like the award-winning board game, players don’t have to be trivia experts to excel at “Wits & Wagers,” which balances social and betting skills with trivia knowledge. Choose your wacky dancing character and then dive into the game. You can win by making educated guesses, playing the odds or just knowing the interests of other players, whether they are local or online.
Break out the Big Button pad controllers and invite friends over for an entertaining couch vs. couch multiplayer experience on Xbox LIVE, supporting 1-4 players offline and 2-6 players in online multiplayer mode. With 700 trivia questions, great character costumes and dance moves, catchy music, achievements, leaderboards, support for the Xbox LIVE Vision Camera, the Xbox Big Button Pad and more, “Wits & Wagers” is the fun party game you can play with your family and friends starting this Wednesday!"
I've had a go myself and it's a really good laugh, especially with four players (and some forfeits sorted out in advance for the loser!). Some other stuff on Marketplace too:
EDIT: Wits and Wagers is unfortnately only available in the UK. Apologies, should have made this clear earlier. |
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