I've just partaken in one of many "Shred Sundays" to come. James Goddard of CrunchTime Games, the developers of Shred Nebula (read our review of the game), announced Friday a new initiative to help support the awesome online experience of Shred Nebula. I'll allow him to give the details in his own words:
Hi everyone, this is James from CrunchTime Games.
Due to the slow start of the game, we know finding multiplayer games is really tough. This sucks for all of us because this game at the end of the day is meant to be played in MP and it is so crazy with 4+ players!
So myself and many of the other developer and beta testers have teamed up to start a Shred Multiplayer club that will play ranked matches every Sunday from 10am-12pm PST (and longer when the action is there).
This way, we know there will be some crazy action for anyone out there interested in learning more about Shred MP features (we will do tips for anyone who asks) and offer you guys plenty of games to help build ranked stats and achievements!
This timeframe should allow more world wide players to match up, this is the current timeframe I find the most matches with UK players and North America players.
***Keep in mind when searching ranked games, if you get none available (during this timeframe) it might mean that there are games already in progress- that is just how xbox live is for ranked. I advise starting your own match to ensure you catch the next group that finishes a game. Add me (crunched) as a friend to see if I am on playing ranked so if you are not finding a match you can see if we are on.
This is a start to focus multiplayer action and hopefully make it easier to build our Shred community into something bigger.
Thanks to everyone who has been playing and we really appreciate your support on our game.
-James Goddard
SHRED RANKED MULTIPLAYER CLUB: Every Sunday from 10am-12pm PST
This kind of initiative by the developers is really cool to see. The CrunchTime guys are some cool characters as well, so it's never dull. I, for one, will be participating online quite often, even if only to get the Ranked frags achievement. Everyone who has the game should come play because it's a blast. Also, if you don't have the game or can't afford it right now for whatever reason, we will be giving away more codes as part of the ongoing contest here at XBLA Insider, so don't feel left out.
Well, you knew the day would come, but this soon? In any case it was announced earlier this week by Hothead that the second episode in the successful RPG series is on its way on the 29th.
Grab your gardening tool and watch out for giant spiders, out-of-control asylum patients and wacko sanitarium administrators! Hothead Games announced today that Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode Two will be available via Xbox LIVE® Arcade and via the Greenhouse digital distribution platform (www.playgreenhouse.com) for Windows®, Mac® and Linux® next Wednesday, October 29.
The madcap Penny Arcade experience continues in Episode Two of the RPG-Adventure romp! Rejoin Gabe and Tycho and go crazy in a whole new episode with more puzzles, areas to explore and levels to gain, all while moving ever closer to solving the sinister mystery hidden deep in the heart of New Arcadia. Players can jump right in with a fresh character and new customization options or carry over their looks and stats from Episode One. Plus, new difficulty settings allow gamers to play it safe or go insane, battling bigger and badder enemies than ever before.
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode Two will also boast music from The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets, a Canadian rock band dedicated to promoting the literature of H. P. Lovecraft and a recent performer at the 2008 Penny Arcade Expo gaming festival. The song, entitled "Some Things Man Was Not Meant To Know," will enhance the game's closing credits.
"This game is all about the strange and insane world of New Arcadia and the Penny Arcade-style humor to be found in it," said Hothead CEO Vlad Ceraldi. "With the cool gameplay additions we've made, including longer gameplay, completion tracking and difficulty settings; extra Lovecraftian overtones in the world and music; and the perfect time of the year, everything just came together."
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode Two is expected to offer players six to ten hours of gameplay, and is priced at $14.95 for the Windows, Mac, and Linux versions on Greenhouse and at 1200 Microsoft points via Xbox LIVE® Arcade. The game has been rated "M" for Mature by the Entertainment Software Rating Board for all platforms.
So there you go. On the plus side, it's $5 cheaper than the first game, but then again, I doubt it took anywhere near the amount of work to finish. In any case, we'll see soon enough.
First off, congratulations to Week 2's contest winners (listed below). Mike will contact you through your PM's shortly to get you your games.
WINNERS:
kevlar51 LegitLostLegend random0ne
Also, as was announced today by Gamerscore Blog, Portal: Still Alive will be making its way to the arcade on Oct. 22 (next Wed.). Now, this isn't necessarily the only game to make its way next week, but it's likely that any game released will be shadowed by this beast. Here's the official word, along with a short invite from GlaDOS.
You are invited to return to the Aperture Science Enrichment Center this Wednesday, October 22 at 9 a.m. GMT (2:00 a.m. PDT) via Xbox LIVE Arcade. Due to the unforeseen conclusion of your last visit, all necessary precautions have been taken to ensure that “Portal: Still Alive” is a sanitary, objective, and mostly non-lethal testing environment.
In addition to the original award winning first-person puzzle experience, Aperture Science is proud to provide 14 new challenge maps exclusive to Xbox LIVE Arcade. Six advanced maps will also be provided to help guide you along the way.
Though prior test subjects proved to be unstable and may have presented false information, Aperture Science is pleased to inform you that your cake is indeed waiting for you and that the Weighted Companion Cube misses you in your absence. Come visit them again for 1200 MS Points.
Please review the following incentivizing memorandum:.
Your prompt compliance is appreciated and will once again help us help you help us all.
Hello everyone! I hope you are all enjoying the new site. We're still working out some minor kinks, but overall everything is running much smoother than expected and we're very thankful to have the support of those who continue to help our community grow!
Today brought about not only another N+ Level Pack to crap your pants over, but also new on the Xbox Live Arcade this week is a strategy/action game that many people I know personally have been looking forward to as well as yet another sneaker game that was unannounced until today. I'm talking about, of course, Age of Booty and Crazy Mouse! Here's the skinny on these two gems:
Features
Fight for fortune and infamy in Age of Booty, Certain Affinity and Capcom's game of pirate strategy and cannon-blasting action that's fun for all ages. Sail the high seas alone or with friends as you build your pirate empire by plundering villages, sinking ships, and sending your enemies to the briny deep!
* Acclaimed developer: Age of Booty was developed in collaboration with Max Hoberman, designer of the multiplayer game for Halo 2 and Halo 3.
* Deep strategy: With 25 multiplayer maps and a fully-featured map editor, Age of Booty features easy-to-play game mechanics with deep multiplayer strategy.
* Multiplayer gameplay: Jump into pirate fun with up to four players on one console, and up to eight players over System Link or Xbox LIVE®. You can also play the free trial version online!
And don't forget Crazy Mouse!
Features
Crazy Mouse, the first original Xbox LIVE® Arcade title from mainland China, is a class arcade-style action game. Easy to pick up but tough to beat, Crazy Mouse features unique, funny characters and highly addictive gameplay. More than 30 single-player levels provide a variety of action and strategic challenges, and 16 multiplayer levels ratchet up the fun by supporting cooperative, competitive, tournament, and ranked play. Crazy Mouse is always a party, whether you're playing online or alone!
* Inviting gameplay: Crazy Mouse features easy pick-up and play controls, funny characters, simple rules, and diverse levels.
* Online extras: Crazy Mouse supports Xbox LIVE multiplayer matches and ranked matches.
And, even though we neglected to post about it last week, MLB Stickball, Beat'n Groovy, and Shadow Assault/Tenchu came on the scene. Stay tuned to XBLA Insider for the next contest to make sure that you get your chance to win!
Welcome to the new site!! We've made some changes to the site, as you can see. Personally I believe they are changes for the better. Everything should be a bit more functional, better looking, and slightly faster.
One of the major changes that was made is in the forum. Every game had it's own topic, and it was just getting ridiculous. In all categories but two, Action/Arcade & Coin-Op Classics, topics have been merged into one. It was unnecessary for every game to have it's own topic with one or two threads in it. In the two categories mentioned above, we have kept each game in it's own section for one reason...there are so damn many. Trying to find a topic for one of the 50+ Action/Arcade games would just be a chore. What we have done to make things a little easier on the eyes is added a new forum called Archived Action/Arcade & Archived Coin-Op Classics in their respective categories. All the older games will be put there, so people can find them fairly easily, but not be bothered by dead weight when browsing.
The other main change, as you have probably noticed, is the look and feel of the site. This design is MUCH more functional, and we can start adding more to the site without being limited by the menu length. We also have a new logo, which I think looks great.
Also, Contest TWO is starting right now!!! Up for grabs are 3 games again this week - Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords, N+, Double D Dodgeball!!
To enter this weeks contest, which will end on Friday, October 10th at 11:59 PM, you must go to the forum and state your opinion of the new site. Tell us what you like or dislike specifically! 5 post minimum still applies, and previous winners are not eligible. (Though they still can recruit others, come on!)
Well, I got the press release today, direct from the source, announcing that Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 2 has reached "Gold Master" status on Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms (it's probably safe to assume that the 360 version will be finished quite soon, since the Windows version would have similar code). Pricing for the new game was also announced as $14.95 or 1200 MS Points. The full press release follows:
Hothead Games is pleased to announce that the anxiously-awaited Episode Two in its well-received Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness game series has reached Gold Master status for the Windows®, Mac® and Linux® versions. In recognition of this momentous milestone, Hothead has further announced that Episode Two will be priced at $14.95 for download this fall via the Greenhouse digital distribution service (www.playgreenhouse.com) and other popular digital distribution systems or 1200 Microsoft points on Xbox LIVE® Arcade. The PLAYSTATION®Network version of Episode Two is also expected for release shortly thereafter with similar pricing.
"Episode One was a huge investment for us and established a great base from which we built Episode Two. It allows us to focus even more on the fans in developing future games in the series," said Hothead's CEO, Vlad Ceraldi. "Our new game has a lot of great enhancements that were made possible by direct fan interaction and we are extremely excited to get our game into their hands and get their feedback."
The madcap Penny Arcade experience continues in Episode Two where gamers return to the deranged 1920s universe of New Arcadia and rejoin Gabe and Tycho of the Startling Developments Detective Agency to visit crazy new areas, combat bigger and badder enemies, solve even more wacky puzzles and get ever closer to unraveling the mystery in the sinister heart of New Arcadia.
Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness, Episode Two has been rated "M" for Mature by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board for all platforms.
A last minute addition to the Arcade release schedule, Mega Man 9! It's an old....new...one!
12 new levels, 50+ new enemies.
Set after the events of Mega Man 8,
multiple riots have sprung up all over the world. While many people
suspect that this is another plot from Dr. Wily, Dr. Light is stunned
to recognize that some of the robots rioting on the TV screen are his
own creations. Even more stunning, Dr. Wily appears on television to
proclaim that Dr. Light is the evil mastermind behind these latest
catastrophic incidents and it's up to Mega Man to clear his creator's
name!
Classic Mega Man:
The fun and addictive Mega Man graphics and gameplay are focused around
defeating bosses and acquiring a diverse arsenal of weapons.
Challenging stages:
With more than a dozen challenging levels to tackle and more than 50
new enemy and bosses to battle, you'll need to be at the top of your
game.
Acclaimed developer: The character designs were directed by Keiji Inafune, the original character designer of Mega Man.
Online extras:
With the Xbox LIVE leaderboard ranking system, track your score and
time with other Mega Man 9 players. Plus, look for downloadable content
in the future!
Contests designed to blow your minds.
It's the Xbox Live Arcade Contest you've been waiting for. We are finally able to do something I've wanted to do for a long time. BIG CONTEST TIME!! This is going to be an ongoing weekly drawing, ending in December, or possibly going longer than December. There are going to be giveaways and lovely prizes. You might have to complete a fairly simple task to win, or you might just have to make a comment. There will be rules. But most of all, there will be a crapload of Xbox Live Arcade games given away.
There are a few things that must be stated ahead of time. There will be minimum requirements to win any contest. All of the rules and regulations can be read HERE. Please read them and follow them, I don't want to have to disqualify anyone.
Along with the weekly drawings, there will be a second contest, starting right now, and ending on 12/15/08. Right in time for Christmas vacations from school or work. All you have to do is…get the most people to join between now and December 15th. Go here for more details. The winner of this contest will be granted one copy of PopCap Arcade Vol 1(old I know, but I had it lying around, and there are some great games on it!) and your choice of 5 Arcade titles from our own secret stash. Right now there are over 10 titles to choose from, and that number will at least double by the end of the contest. A few examples are Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2, Feeding Frenzy, Shred Nebula, etc…
I can hear you saying *enough enough! How do I win?? What can I win?!?!*
I’ll tell you.
