A multiplayer demo of THQ’s Frontlines: Fuel of War for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions except India via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 1.11GB.
Please note: As of late November, it appears that Microsoft has re-instituted the one week wait before free content becomes available to Xbox Live Silver members. As such, if you're not an Xbox Live Gold member, this demo most likely won't be available for download until sometime next week.
February 12, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Demo, FPS, THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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You know gang, I don't know how to feel about this next bit of news… according to Gamasutra, THQ has entered into negotiations to buy Big Huge Games. Now I know that the two have been working closely together since March of 2007 or so on some unnamed RPG, but I still have to say that I get an uneasy feeling about this one. I don't know, maybe I was just hoping to see Brian Reynolds and company come back to the Rise of Nations franchise following 2006's somewhat weakly received Rise of Legends.
One thing of interest in the article is the statement that it was actually a new intellectual property Big Huge was working on that prompted THQ to make an offer;
"We asked what else Big Huge is bringing to the table, given that one of THQ's stated goals in addition to increasing its internal development capabilities, is to expand its portfolio of owned IP.
He replied, "I would say that the RPG was enough, but what definitely sealed the deal for us on both sides is the next one. It's more innovative, more unique, and we just felt like it requires both long-term thinking from both sides. But also from THQ's perspective, it showed us that this is a studio that can gen some new concepts. Anything else coming out of Big Huge is icing on the cake."" – Gamasutra
Now being as big a fan of Big Huge and Brian Reynolds as I am, I've got to say that the idea of some new concept coming out of the studio is more than enough to snag my attention. I remember talking with a good friend of mine back when Rise of Legends came out that while the game made wasn't the best RTS title I had ever seen, it would certainly be a great backdrop for a massive multiplayer online game.
I almost wonder if this new, long-term game would be just such a thing. Certainly, the profits coming to Activision Blizzard from World of Warcraft are more than enough to make anyone consider trying to grab a piece of the pie. Admittedly, there's been nothing to make me think that's whats going on beyond that conversation – in fact, I'm not even sure if the "Rise" IP is actually held by series developer Big Huge or publisher Microsoft Games.
Getting back to the matter at hand, there is one (hopefully) bit of good news to be found here – according to the Gamasutra article, THQ currently plans on taking a hands-off approach to managing the company. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that this all works out in the end.
January 17, 2008
Posted by nylatenite |
Announcements, Big Huge Games, Brian Reynolds, Mergers & Acquisitions, THQ |
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So this post is a day late, sue me. Because of the holidays and such, it should have been expected… besides, it's not like you're missing all that much…
Yup, if you thought that there'd be something new in the Xbox Live Arcade this week to buy with those points someone gave you for the holidays, you were probably wrong. What we've got this week is Spongebob Squarepants Underpants Slam! – a game that is geared towards kids, and probably is going to be about as entertaining as playing with a box of tissue paper. Maybe it's just me, but any game with a title that sounds like the main character is crapping in their pants is just not going to be high on my list of future purchases. (I'll admit it – I was so non-thrilled about this one, I even forgot it was coming out yesterday)
While I'm really not sure what the story behind this one is, it appears to be a side scrolling platformer, so the kids may indeed like it. As always, a demo is available, so be sure to try it out before shelling out the required 800 points ($10) to purchase it.
Title: Spongebob Squarepants Underpants Slam!
Developer: Blitz Games
Publisher: THQ
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 12/26/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-4
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E (Everyone) – Comic Mischief & Mild Cartoon Violence
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"SpongeBob SquarePants Underpants Slam! is a fast-paced, side-scrolling multiplayer slapstick collect 'em-up, set deep in the ocean. An incredibly powerful storm current has disrupted a Royal Laundry shipment of the undergarments of Neptune, Lord of the Sea, and has spread his unmentionables across the bottom of the ocean. Neptune now calls upon all the commonfish to collect his lost undergarments, and fix this "delicate" situation. He's offered a bounteous reward to the sea creature who collects the most bloomers!
- All the popular characters: Play as all your favorite characters from the animated series, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star, Eugene Krabs, Sandy Cheeks, and Sheldon Plankton.
- Visit familiar environs: Search the kitchens of the Krusty Krab, visit the Flying Dutchman's ship, and explore the depths of the all-new Armoury of Atlantis for rare pairs of pants.
- Wild arcade action: It's every sea creature for him or herself! Use your character's slapstick moves to knock down and slow your opponents, and gain special powers from pickups that allow you to move at super speed, hit twice as hard, or even steal pants from other players!
- Single player modes: Take on the tricky Time Attack Mode where beating the clock means everything, or engage in the full Quest Mode, where you must collect 99 pairs of Neptune's underpants to win the game.
- Multiplayer game modes: Play Tag Mode, and avoid being "it" at Bikini Bottom. Play with a friend offline or take it online to Xbox LIVE® Arcade with up to four players" – Xbox.com
As for last week's Live Arcade titles, due to the issues surrounding it's release, I never got a chance to try Sensible World of Soccer, so you're on your own for that one. Tempest, on the other hand, suffers from the same fate as all the other "updated" Atari classics – the updated graphics actually hurt the game. As with Asteroids, the damn explosions in the "enhanced" Tempest just ruin the experience by making things difficult to see. How anyone could think these versions are improved is just beyond me. Look, If you love Tempest, go right ahead and pick it up (I did) – but don't expect to be wowed by the updated version of the game.
December 27, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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A demo of THQ’s Frontlines: Fuel of War for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions except India via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 1.69GB.
Please note: As of late November, it appears that Microsoft has re-instituted the one week wait before free content becomes available to Xbox Live Silver members. As such, if you're not an Xbox Live Gold member, this demo most likely won't be available for download until sometime next week.
December 13, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Demo, FPS, THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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A demo of THQ’s MX vs ATV Untamed for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions except Hong Kong, India, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 911.78MB.
November 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Demo, Racing, THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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You know, it's been awhile since I've been thrilled by an Xbox Live Arcade release and it looks like the string of yawners is going to continue for at least another week. Sure, last week's set had one passable, yet overpriced, game in the form of Switchball but I still find that, of late, there just hasn't been much to get excited about. I'm hoping that it's due to the end-year rush of A-List titles and no one wanting to get lost in the shuffle. Oh well, as they say, the show must go on… which leads us to Screwjumper! and Shrek-n-Roll.
We'll open up with Screwjumper! – a game that certainly qualifies for the "games that sound dirty, but really aren't" genre. I sometimes look at the flavor text the marketing folks at Xbox.com come up with for these games and wonder if they have as much of a hard time finding things to say that are interesting about the game as I do writing about Live Arcade games that I couldn't care less about. That little bit of random trivia aside, I decided that I'd give Screwjumper! a fair shake and load up the demo to see what it was all about. The game itself isn't horrible, it's just a little too basic. Fall down a shaft, avoid some obstacles while hitting others. Then do it in reverse. Try the demo and see for yourself – I think you'll agree that there are better Live Arcade titles for the money they're asking.
Title: Screwjumper!
Developer: Frozen Codebase
Publisher: THQ
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/14/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2 / 2-4 Online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E10 – (Everyone 10+) – Mild Violence, Tobacco Reference
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Take the plunge in Screwjumper!™ Freefall into the depths of the chaotic underworld as a Screwjumper, and drive the aliens back to their home world by destroying their precious mining equipment. Demolish structures in freefall as you increase your destructive power by increasing your velocity. Use dynamite to pick off hazards and high value targets. Destroy the mine core and jetpack out alive. Dead screwjumpers don't get paid!
- Multiple levels and characters: Descend and destroy 20 mines on four different planets with six different characters, including Skruii the foreman of the Screwjumpers Union, Filch the reckless thrill-seeker, Zyree the unpredictable, Xoona the aloof, Ula the mad, and Zomar the mysterious.
- Ultimate destruction: Chain your destruction by plunging through objects at ultra-terminal speeds. You're a screwjumper. Go for it!
- Single player modes: Risk your neck in four single-player modes including Destruction, Race, Time Trial, and Score.
- Multiplayer: Compete with your friends via split screen and Xbox LIVE® multiplayer." – Xbox.com
Which brings us to the second release of the week, Shrek-n-Roll. Looking at this title, all I can say is "at least they didn't try to release it as a retail title for $59.99". It looks much like that kids game where you bounce a marble down a board with pegs in it to see what prizes you get. In other words, certainly not something worth playing as a videogame nor something worth 800 points. ($10) – Needless to say, unless someone comes along and says this is the greatest thing since ice-cream, I'm not even going to bother with the demo.
Title: Shrek-n-Roll
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Activision
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/14/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Join Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots, and 20 other twisted fairy tale friends in Shrek-N-Roll, an addictive and hilarious puzzle game designed for ogres of all ages!
Navigate through 16 challenging mazes across four unique evironments in Far Far Away's newest competitive tournament. Test your tilting and rolling skills in Single Player mode, challenge others in Versus mode, work together with friends and family in Co-op mode, or gain bragging rights with the highest points in Score Attack mode.
- Adventure through Shrek's world: Start rolling at Worcestershire Academy, venture forth onto the Pirate's ship, visit Shrek's Swamp and brave the Evil Queen's Castle. Mastering each of the 16 levels allows you to move on to more fun and challenging puzzles.
- Play the whole Shrek gang: Play with 24 twisted fairy tale characters, including Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots and other unlockable heroes and villains.
- Enjoy signature Shrek humor: From fast-talking Donkey to sword-fighting Puss in Boots, the animation, dialogue and environments throughout the game bring the humor of Shrek alive!
- Experience multiple game modes: Test your tilting and rolling skills in Single Player mode, challenge others in Versus mode, work together with friends and family in Co-op mode, or gain bragging rights with the highest points in Score Attack mode." – Xbox.com
As for last week's Arcade titles, like I mentioned earlier, Switchball was an enjoyable enough game that, while not having the same charm as Marble Madness, at least kept things varied enough to stay interesting throughout the demo. Unfortunately, while I would have rated it a buy at 400 points ($5), I don't quite feel the same about it at 800 ($10). As for Word Puzzle, I didn't even bother with the demo and I
doubt I ever will. Don't encourage trash is my motto.
November 14, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Activision, THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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You know, it's been awhile since I've been thrilled by an Xbox Live Arcade release and it looks like the string of yawners is going to continue for at least another week. Sure, last week's set had one passable, yet overpriced, game in the form of Switchball but I still find that, of late, there just hasn't been much to get excited about. I'm hoping that it's due to the end-year rush of A-List titles and no one wanting to get lost in the shuffle. Oh well, as they say, the show must go on… which leads us to Screwjumper! and Shrek-n-Roll.
We'll open up with Screwjumper! – a game that certainly qualifies for the "games that sound dirty, but really aren't" genre. I sometimes look at the flavor text the marketing folks at Xbox.com come up with for these games and wonder if they have as much of a hard time finding things to say that are interesting about the game as I do writing about Live Arcade games that I couldn't care less about. That little bit of random trivia aside, I decided that I'd give Screwjumper! a fair shake and load up the demo to see what it was all about. The game itself isn't horrible, it's just a little too basic. Fall down a shaft, avoid some obstacles while hitting others. Then do it in reverse. Try the demo and see for yourself – I think you'll agree that there are better Live Arcade titles for the money they're asking.
Title: Screwjumper!
Developer: Frozen Codebase
Publisher: THQ
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/14/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2 / 2-4 Online
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E10 – (Everyone 10+) – Mild Violence, Tobacco Reference
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Take the plunge in Screwjumper!™ Freefall into the depths of the chaotic underworld as a Screwjumper, and drive the aliens back to their home world by destroying their precious mining equipment. Demolish structures in freefall as you increase your destructive power by increasing your velocity. Use dynamite to pick off hazards and high value targets. Destroy the mine core and jetpack out alive. Dead screwjumpers don't get paid!
- Multiple levels and characters: Descend and destroy 20 mines on four different planets with six different characters, including Skruii the foreman of the Screwjumpers Union, Filch the reckless thrill-seeker, Zyree the unpredictable, Xoona the aloof, Ula the mad, and Zomar the mysterious.
- Ultimate destruction: Chain your destruction by plunging through objects at ultra-terminal speeds. You're a screwjumper. Go for it!
- Single player modes: Risk your neck in four single-player modes including Destruction, Race, Time Trial, and Score.
- Multiplayer: Compete with your friends via split screen and Xbox LIVE® multiplayer." – Xbox.com
Which brings us to the second release of the week, Shrek-n-Roll. Looking at this title, all I can say is "at least they didn't try to release it as a retail title for $59.99". It looks much like that kids game where you bounce a marble down a board with pegs in it to see what prizes you get. In other words, certainly not something worth playing as a videogame nor something worth 800 points. ($10) – Needless to say, unless someone comes along and says this is the greatest thing since ice-cream, I'm not even going to bother with the demo.
Title: Shrek-n-Roll
Developer: Backbone Entertainment
Publisher: Activision
Genre: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: 11/14/07
Console: Xbox 360
Players: 1-2
Full Game: 800 points ($10)
Rating: E – (Everyone) – Comic Mischief
Demo?: Yes
From the Xbox.com product description;
"Join Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots, and 20 other twisted fairy tale friends in Shrek-N-Roll, an addictive and hilarious puzzle game designed for ogres of all ages!
Navigate through 16 challenging mazes across four unique evironments in Far Far Away's newest competitive tournament. Test your tilting and rolling skills in Single Player mode, challenge others in Versus mode, work together with friends and family in Co-op mode, or gain bragging rights with the highest points in Score Attack mode.
- Adventure through Shrek's world: Start rolling at Worcestershire Academy, venture forth onto the Pirate's ship, visit Shrek's Swamp and brave the Evil Queen's Castle. Mastering each of the 16 levels allows you to move on to more fun and challenging puzzles.
- Play the whole Shrek gang: Play with 24 twisted fairy tale characters, including Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss in Boots and other unlockable heroes and villains.
- Enjoy signature Shrek humor: From fast-talking Donkey to sword-fighting Puss in Boots, the animation, dialogue and environments throughout the game bring the humor of Shrek alive!
- Experience multiple game modes: Test your tilting and rolling skills in Single Player mode, challenge others in Versus mode, work together with friends and family in Co-op mode, or gain bragging rights with the highest points in Score Attack mode." – Xbox.com
As for last week's Arcade titles, like I mentioned earlier, Switchball was an enjoyable enough game that, while not having the same charm as Marble Madness, at least kept things varied enough to stay interesting throughout the demo. Unfortunately, while I would have rated it a buy at 400 points ($5), I don't quite feel the same about it at 800 ($10). As for Word Puzzle, I didn't even bother with the demo and I doubt I ever will. Don't encourage trash is my motto.
November 14, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Activision, THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade |
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A demo of THQ’s WWE Smackdown vs RAW 2008 for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions except Korea via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 1.21GB.
October 16, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Demo, THQ, Wrestling, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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A demo of THQ’s Conan for the PlayStation 3 is now available for download via the PlayStation Store. Download size is approximately 541MB.
October 13, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Demo, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Store, THQ |
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A demo of THQ’s Conan for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions except Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and Taiwan via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Download size is approximately 483.84MB.
October 9, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Demo, THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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A demo of THQ’s Ratatouille for the Xbox 360 is now available for download via the Xbox Live Marketplace in all regions except Japan. Approximate download size is 708MB.
August 21, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Demo, THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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A demo of THQ’s MotoGP ’07 for the Xbox 360 is now available for download via the Xbox Live Marketplace in all regions except Asia. Approximate file size is 901.46MB.
July 26, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Demo, Racing, THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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Just a quick note here to let you know that a demo of THQ’s Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights for the Xbox 360 is now available for download in all regions except Japan and South Korea via the Xbox Live Marketplace. Approximate download size is 1.31GB. Is it just me, or does the title of this game sound like something other than a racing game?
July 20, 2007
Posted by nylatenite |
Demo, Racing, THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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Major Nelson reported today that the Collateral Damage Map Pack for The Outfit is now available in the Xbox Live Marketplace for free. The pack was originally priced at 500 points ($6.25) but as was done with the Halo 2 premium maps, it has now been reduced to a free download. I’m sure there will be plenty of griping from the 6 people out there who bought it.
July 26, 2006
Posted by nylatenite |
Downloadable Content, Free Stuff, THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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Gamesindustry.biz is reporting that THQ has settled their dispute with The Tetris Company with an agreement to publish Tetris for the Xbox 360 in the United States and Europe. I can only assume a Xbox Live Arcade version should follow this news shortly. Check out the Gamesindustry.biz news blurb here for further details.
June 12, 2006
Posted by nylatenite |
Tetris, THQ, Xbox 360 |
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Gamespot reports that THQ has announced that they will have another map pack for The Outfit available later this month. The download, available via the Xbox Live Marketplace, will contain 3 new multiplayer maps and sell for 500 points ot less ($6.25). While I personally didn’t like The Outfit at all, it is good to see developers taking advantage of the marketplace concept. I just wonder what happened to the concept of the micro-transaction – $6.25 for 3 maps isn’t really my idea of a “bargain”
May 6, 2006
Posted by nylatenite |
Overpriced, Ripoff, THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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The Arnhem Mayhem map which was previously only available to Xbox 360 owners who purchased The Outfit at BestBuy is now available for free in the Xbox Live Marketplace. Guess someone figured what good is a map, if no one plays it due to a limited audience.
May 1, 2006
Posted by nylatenite |
Downloadable Content, THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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The Arnhem Mayhem map which was previously only available to Xbox 360 owners who purchased The Outfit at BestBuy is now available for free in the Xbox Live Marketplace. Guess someone figured what good is a map, if no one plays it due to a limited audience.
May 1, 2006
Posted by nylatenite |
Downloadable Content, THQ, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Marketplace |
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NYLatenite's Gamer's Paradise 