Microsoft Studios Archive

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54 minutes of zombie-blasting, car-exploding State of Decay footage

State of Decay XBLA

As we continue the agonizing wait for Undead Labs’ State of Decay and its June release, any glimpse of the gritty open-world zombie apocalypse simulator is like a cool drink on a sweltering day. Well it’s hot outside, too hot, and Undead Labs has delivered the refreshments with nearly an hour of unadulterated, blood-soaked, zombie-slaying goodness courtesy of Microsoft Studios and their exclusive sneak peek.

Join Brant and Gronk, Undead Labs’ representatives on your guided tour of State of Decay, as they show off some of the more daring and explosive elements the game has to offer. Though they steered away from story missions, their insight into the many ways to bludgeon, burn and buckshot the walking dead will certainly come in handy later this summer.

Source: Microsoft Studios

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Trials Evolution one year later: 1.3 million on the leaderboards, other stats

trials evo team

It’s been exactly one year since RedLynx’s smash it Trials Evolution hit the digital store shelves. The game was released to universal acclaim. Our own review gushed over it and it currently holds a Metacritic score of 90 (with no mixed or negative reviews).  Its downloadable content, Origin of Pain and Riders of Doom hold Metacritic scores of 85 and 81, respectively (with only one mixed review between the pair). Today we celebrate with the team as we run down a few stats and interesting points on the game.

  • Current Trials leaderboard totals:  1,311,918
  • Current Skill Game leaderboard totals: 1,042,965
  • Current Supercross leaderboard totals: 296,294
  • Total RedLynx-developed DLC packs released: 2 – Origin of Pain and Riders of Doom (both 400 MSP)
  • Origin of Pain leaderboard totals: 213,911 (as of April 3, 2013)
  • Riders of Doom leaderboard totals: 97,727 (as of April 3, 2013)
  • Total number of community-created Trials/Supercross tracks and Skill Games: over 300,000
  • Top player: Connz Yo with a total score of 23,227,158 and a total play time of 39 days, 23 hours and 32 minutes. That’s an average of a little over 2.5 hours a day.
  • Total Trials Tuesday episodes released since series reboot: 10 (shameless plug)
  • Trials HD leaderboards: 2,277,157 (core game), 489,446 (Big Pack), 305,464 (Big Thrills Pack)

Sources: RedLynx (1, 2), Gamasutra, Metacritic (1, 2, 3)

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Motocross Madness review (XBLA)

Motocross Madness was developed by Bongfish Games and published by Microsoft Studios. It was released April 10, 2013 for 800 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

Avatar Motocross Madness

Excitebike 64. Motocross Madness 2. MX Unleashed. These were the games that defined what a great 3D dirtbike should be. Each gave you the feeling that you could compete with the likes of Jeremy McGrath and Ricky Carmichael. They immersed players with their perfect blend of arcade-meets-simulation gameplay. With their tight control scheme and interesting courses they brought a semi-niche genre to the forefront and gave players the opportunity to soar like eagles while performing a Cordova.

With Motocross Madness Bongfish Games and Microsoft Studios seek to provide those same thrills and a fluffy, avatar-filled world. The result is an interesting take on an established formula. The game feels social, with a large portion dedicated to local and online play. Exploration of the open worlds is encouraged, and collectables entice players to return for more. And the draw of earning new avatar awards and playing using your existing avatar is always enticing. That being said, this avatar racer isn’t without flaws.

Continue reading “Motocross Madness review (XBLA)” »

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Next MineCon to be held in US

Minecraft-360-600x422

Though it’s not yet official, it looks like Minecraft fans in the United States can look forward to another MineCon. According to Joystiq, Lydia Winters, director of fun at Mojang, told a South by South West (SXSW) Interactive Festival panel in Austin, Texas that the next MineCon will “most definitely be held in the US.” The specific location is yet to be determined, but Winters said it was being discussed at SXSW.

Last year’s MineCon was held in Disneyland Paris Resort, and the first event was held at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Resort in Las Vegas.

Source: Joystiq

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Microsoft Studios deals out a new cross-platform poker game

A_WSOPFullHousePro_GDNPScreenshot2_1000x562Microsoft Studios announced today that World Series of Poker: Full House Pro will be coming to Xbox Live Arcade in Spring 2013. The game  will offer cross-platform play across XBLA and Windows 8 devices and be free-to-play. WSOP: Full House Pro offers multiple game modes, including single player as well as single table and tournament multiplayer modes. Players will get a chance to deck out their avatars in poker gear, as well as perform chip tricks. The World Series of Poker brand will be used during the game, including play-by-play commentary by ESPN poker personalities Lon McEachern and Norman Chad.

WSOP: Full House Pro will be the second game offering cross-platform play, with 17-bit’s Skulls of a Shotgun being the first.

Source: PlayXBLA

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XBLAFans’ most anticipated 2013 XBLA games: Part II

XBLA Games of 2013 Day 2

Here we are once again at the start of what’s sure to be another fantastic year of XBLA releases. Each day this week XBLAFans will be rolling out a list of eight of our most anticipated Xbox Live Arcade releases of 2013. While we can’t possibly cover every single XBLA game planned for this year, we’ll be giving you a varied list of 40 of the most promising titles we expect to release on XBLA in 2013. Once it’s all done, be sure to check back in next Monday when each staff member makes his/her picks for the game he/she is most looking forward to.


 

The Cave


Developer: Double Fine

An upcoming platform-adventure game, The Cave is the brainchild of Monkey Island and Maniac Mansion creator Ron Gilbert. Channeling Gilbert’s earlier work, The Cave employs classic adventure-style gameplay within an action-platform framework. While we expect The Cave to release this month, an official release date has not yet been announced.

Continue reading “XBLAFans’ most anticipated 2013 XBLA games: Part II” »

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Title Update hits Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition tomorrow

MinecraftMushroomBiomeIt looks like the holidays are coming early for Minecraft fans! Microsoft Studios has officially announced the release date for the next Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition update over at PlayXBLA. The eagerly anticipated Title Update 7 will be released tomorrow, December 19, though no specific time has been announced. We touched on the update last week, but for a quick recap, the update will include:

  • Animal Breeding
  • Brewing
  • Experience Points
  • Enchanting
  • Mushroom Biome
  • Nether Fortresses
  • Skin animations
  • Over a dozen new items
  • New mobs like the Mooshroom and Snow Golem

For more Minecraft holiday goodness, you can also get a peek at the Festive Skin Pack, which releases on the same day. It includes 24 holiday-themed skins for the pocket-change price of 80 MSP ($1). So if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to adventure through the Mushroom Kingdom as a man-size Christmas tree, tomorrow is certainly looking up.

Source: PlayXBLA

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Final Zen Pinball tables come to Pinball FX 2 as Zen Classics Pack

Pinball gurus Zen Studios have released the Zen Classics downloadable content for Pinball FX 2. The pack contains four tables previously for Zen’s PlayStation 3 pinball counterpart, Zen Pinball: El Dorado, Shaman, Tesla and V12. For table collectors this now allows players to have access to every table from Zen Pinball sans the Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 tribute table, which we’re unlikely to get as the game is a PlayStation 3 exclusive. The pack is available now for 800 MSP. TechGamingVideo posted a comparison video which depicts the differences between the Zen Pinball and remastered Pinball FX 2 versions. Look for it after the jump.

Continue reading “Final Zen Pinball tables come to Pinball FX 2 as Zen Classics Pack” »

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Meet the Minecraft XBLA Team

Last week, the Minecraft XBLA Team held a Q & A session at MineCon in Paris, France. Among some of the topics discussed at the event were: why mods were not included on the XBLA version of the game, limiting map size and SmartGlass integration. Another large issue among Minecraft fans is the question of deciding what updates will be included with the XBLA from PC versions of the game.

“I think the important thing to remember is this is not the PC version on an Xbox, so, we’re not going to be moving everything that’s on the PC over,” said Paddy Burns, project lead at 4J studios. “Imagine trying to type a book with your controller. I don’t think you want to. So there are certain things that just won’t work very well on the Xbox.” Minecraft sold nearly 4.5 million copies over the past seven months and continues to be one of the most-played titles on XBLA.

Source: Gamespot

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Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition update is waiting for you

As reported last week, Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition was scheduled to receive a healthy dose of fixes, changes and additions in the form of a title update. Today, Major Nelson, confirmed that the update was officially live. Among the additions are improvements to the user-friendliness of the title: the ability to toggle the HUD on and off, as well as your character’s on-screen hand, and several other conveniences. The update also adds a few crafting recipes including the Golden Apple and Pumpkin Seeds.

Lastly, the update introduces a whole host of fixes designed to make your block-breaking adventures run more smoothly. Be sure to check out the extensive list of what you can expect to find the next time you boot up your blocky worlds.

Source: Major Nelson

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