- We’ve all had the wish that ordering pizza would be as easy as using an app on Xbox Live, and now you can do just that. Too lazy to pick up your phone? Log right into the Pizza Hut app and order away. It’ll even save you 15% off your order until May 6th.
- The CW has also received its own app. You’ll be able to watch next-day episodes of your (not) favorite shows for free, and even use Xbox SmartGlass to interact with them. You can find more details on Major Nelson’s blog.
- Microsoft reported that sales revenue is up 55% year-over-year for the third quarter of 2013. Unfortunately, revenue is still down for the full fiscal year. The numbers were reported on the investor relations part of the Microsoft website, but you can find a more friendly rundown of the numbers over at Polygon.
- Press Play, the studio behind Max and the Curse of Brotherhood, says that Microsoft hasn’t forgotten about Indie devs, and they have a hard time relating to stories saying the opposite. Lead designer Mikkel Thorsted had some highly encouraging words, which you can read over at OXM.
- On The Official Microsoft Blog they revealed a big upgrade to Microsoft accounts by adding a two-step verification process. Major Nelson later posted on how it would directly affect your Xbox Live account, with a step-by-step process on how to use it. With how non-secure services involving your credit card can be, it may not be a bad idea to take a look and use it yourself.
Sales Archive
Minecraft surpasses 6 million sold
Have you played Minecraft? With the newly released sales figures for the game, odds are high that you have. 4J Studios, the developer behind the mega-hit, took to Twitter today to announce an impressive feat: more than six million copies of the Xbox 360 version have been purchased to date.
Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition has now sold over SIX MILLION copies !!! #MinecraftXBLA
— 4J Studios (@4JStudios) March 26, 2013
For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to jump into Minecraft‘s world, you’ll have another option for doing so when the retail version of the game releases on April 30.
Source: Joystiq
Minecraft ends 2012 with 5M served
At this point, it’s safe to call Minecraft a legitimate phenomenon – especially the Xbox 360 Edition, where it’s one of the best-selling games in XBLA history and spent the months since its early May release smashing records like crazy. Keeping with that tradition, 4J and Mojang Studios announced that the little game that could finished the year by hitting a staggering milestone: It passed five million sales Monday. Not bad for a game that released just a little over a third of the way into the year.
That achievement caps off an already impressive year for Minecraft: The world-building adventure game sold two million copies within its first month of release on XBLA (and at one point was averaging close to 20,000 sales a day), and a special Halloween-themed DLC skin pack raised over $500K for charity in just two weeks. The game also made history by knocking Call of Duty from the top of the Xbox LIVE Activity Charts, a first for an XBLA title. More recently, the game sold 453K copies on Christmas Day alone (although that was across all platforms, not just XBLA). To say Minecraft has been popular is a bit of an understatement; to say it’s been a huge boost to the visibility of Xbox’s digital platform even moreso.
Minecraft, originally released for PC in 2009, unleashed its highly-anticipated Xbox version in May to rave reviews (including our own, though not all our staffers agreed) and, obviously, smashing sales success. The game is currently available on XBLA for 1600 MSP, with numerous add-ons available at varying price points.
Stuff your virtual stocking now with these great XBLA deals

As is tradition during the holidays, Xbox Live has some great sales on Xbox Live Arcade games going on now until November 26. Also included (but not shown here) are a handful of Games on Demand games, some avatar props and DLC that has also been discounted. Be sure to sign in to Xbox Live on Black Friday and Cyber Monday for special deals as well. We haven’t heard official word on those sales, but if tradition stands a few XBLA games will be anywhere from 66—80% off. Check out Major Nelson’s blog for more information on other deals related to this promotion.
- I Am Alive – was 1200 MSP now 800 MSP
- Daytona USA — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light — was 1200 MSP now 600 MSP
- Magic 2013 — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Magic 2013 Expansion — was 400 MSP now 200 MSP
- Rock Band Blitz — was 1200 MSP now 600 MSP
- Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co. — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Sega Vintage Collection: Golden Axe Collection — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World Collection — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage – was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- South Park: Tenorman’s Revenge — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Space Channel 5: Part 2 — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
- Spelunky — was 1200 MSP now 600 MSP
- Warp — was 800 MSP now 400 MSP
Source: Major Nelson
One million riders have played Trials Evolution

We love us some Trials Evo. It’s a game that provides a perfect balance between thrills, and replayability. It’s a game that perpetuates itself with some of the most amazing user-created content in gaming. It’s a game that brings friends together for some good-natured competition, both via Supercross and the game’s leaderboards. When those ingredients are all mixed together they churn out a game well worth its 1200 MSP asking price (we’d pay more, but don’t tell RedLynx that).
And today we’re happy to report that according to the game’s official leaderboards our friends over at RedLynx have surpassed 1 million players. Bravo! And while this isn’t a wholly accurate number for sales due to the fact that multiple gamertags could have played on one copy of the game, it’s the closest thing we have. Therefore we’ll also congratulate them on “almost 1 million” in sales. The multiplayer leaderboards are quickly approaching 200,00 players, so congrats to them on that, too.
If you don’t own Trials Evolution, then shame on you. Nowhere else will you find a game that provides such constant-yet-evolving replay value. When the core game gets stale you can hit up Track Central, which hosts well over 100,000 community creations. Even if being tied to two wheels isn’t your thing the sheer number of unique skill games is more than enough to warrant the game’s asking price and keep you coming back. Doom-inspired first person shooter? Check. Accurate-to-the-last-detail Pac-Man clone? Check. Need the Snake game that was on your old Nokia phone back in the day? The Trials Evo community has got your covered. There are even Bionic Commando-esque levels, Minesweeper, an Arkanoid-style game, Space Invaders and so many more. You can finally put the Atari back in its sealed box for your posterity.
XBLA Wednesday plus this week’s sales – October 24
Only one XBLA release this Wednesday. Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus, the 2D fighter from Arc System Works, is available from today for 1200 MSP. Players can choose from among 25 fighters and engage in high-speed combat and compete in story mode or offline and online multiplayer modes. Hell Yeah! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit also received some DLC today, The Virtual Rabbit Missions for 400 MSP and the Pimp My Rabbit Pack for 240 MSP.
Deal of the Week didn’t include an XBLA games this week again, but there’s still some sales to be aware of. A Shoctober special sale sees 50% off Alan Wake’s American Nightmare (now 600 MSP) and Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon (now 400 MSP), and the Kinect Central sale this week gives gamers 50% off the enjoyable Leedmees (now 400 MSP). If you’re lucky enough to be in a region with access to the Sales & Specials App then this week’s Scratch & Match losing offers are Gripshift, Ikaruga and Geon all priced at 400 MSP each. All sales are expected to last until October 29.
Amazon currently discounting Xbox Live Gold Memberships
If you are looking to extend your current subscription to Xbox LIVE Gold, Amazon is currently selling a Xbox LIVE 12 Month Gold Membership to the service for $46.00 instead of the usual $59.99. There appears to be no rhyme or reason to the sale, however, so act fast if you’re interested.
Source: Amazon
Wreckateer and the ‘Kinect Tax’

A few days ago, Polygon posted an interview with Iron Galaxy Studios CEO Dave Lang, who released the XBLA game Wreckateer during this year’s Summer of Arcade promotion. Chief among the points raised by Lang is his belief in a “Kinect tax” in the gaming media — a belief that games utilizing the Kinect interface receive “wildly varied reviews,” partly because “some players and reviewers dislike using the Kinect peripheral.”
The use of Kinect lends itself to different gaming experiences than a more traditional controller. That being said, XBLA Fans certainly did not mind Wreckateer’s use of Kinect. In the discussion of the game, we mentioned that Wreckateer “may be the best Kinect game ever,” and that compared to the other games in the Summer of Arcade, “it’s the second best game after Dust this year.”
You can find our full discussion of Wreckateer here. Regardless of your thoughts on the game, do you think that Kinect games are viewed differently than other XBLA titles? Let us know in the comments below.
Source: Polygon
Minecraft passes 3.6 million served

Roughly 45 days ago we posted the above image celebrating 3 million Minecraft players. That number was after only two months of sales. Now inching towards its fourth month the king of all Xbox Live Arcade sellers has surpassed 3.6 million. That’s crazy. This game has shattered every record, cleaned up the shattered pieces, replaced the glass, and shattered it again.
We looked for a picture of Notch sitting on a pile of money. We couldn’t find one. Apparently he’s more mature than we would be with tons of the green stuff.
Source: Daniel Kaplan’s Twitter via Joystiq









