Joystiq [Xbox]

Today only: Castle Crashers for $7 on XBLM

With only two days of daily holiday deals left, it looks like Microsoft decided to make today's a doozy. Like the headline says, today's deal is Castle Crashers for a mere 560

. That's sevenearth dollars and, more importantly, a substantial savings over the usual 1200

($15) price tag. If you haven't experienced the co-op glory, now is the time. Trust us, people like this game. They like it so much that they build costumes of their favorite characters.

If you don't have it yet, you need that kind of joy in your life.

Shortcut: Add Castle Crashers to your 360 download queue [Via Xbox.com]

Here are your Darwinia+ Achievements

by David Hinkle { 7 days ago }

Now that Darwinia+ has passed Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade certification process, you likely have your passport ready for the upcoming trip to Darwinia's action RTS battlefields. According to Xbox 360 Achievements, lending a helping hand to your stick brethren in need won't just net you the warm fuzzies, but will also reward you with some Gamerscore.

There's 200

to be had in total, rewarding players for things like saving Darwinians, crushing invading ant hordes and winning matches on every map in the game. It's a nice, varied list that doesn't look like it encourages too much grinding -- well, except for the Stick Man Slaughter Achievement, which requires you to kill 65,536 enemies.

Report: Modern Warfare 2 was the most pirated game of 2009

by Griffin McElroy { 8 days ago }

Last year, TorrentFreak awarded Spore the dubious title of Most Pirated Game of 2008 -- this year, the victor (by an overwhelming margin) is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. According to the torrent news site's calculations, the PC version of Infinity Ward's shooter was unscrupulously downloaded 4.1 million times. When combined with the 360 version of the game, that number tops five million. Looks like boycotts do work! And by "boycotts," we of course mean, "mankind's overwhelming desire to get things for free through easily accessible, barely regulated channels."

[Via IGN]

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Gears of War now available via Xbox Live Games on Demand

by Ben Gilbert { 8 days ago }

Put down that can of Imulsion energy drink, friend, 'cause we've got some good news for you (and we wouldn't want you to choke, you know). The original Gears of War has arrived on Xbox Live's Games on Demand service, making it that much easier to get ready for next year's big announcement from series creator Cliff Bleszinski (spoilers: it's probably Gears of War 3!).

For the usual $19.99, all 6GB of Marcus Fenix's Locust murder opus can be yours -- without all that pesky 'physical media' nonsense -- through the Xbox Live Marketplace (except in Japan, sorry!). We've linked it below of course, for your convenience.

Shortcut: Add Gears of War to your Xbox 360 download queue (via Xbox.com)

Let Halfbrick's Blast Off soundtrack occupy your hard drive space

by JC Fletcher { 8 days ago }

Even if you have yet to check out Halfbrick's gravity-based puzzler Blast Off -- and even if you lack the Xbox 360 required to play the Indie Games version or the PSP or PS3 required for the Minis version -- you can enjoy the "ambient and introspective" soundtrack (as Halfbrick describes it) right now, because Halfbrick is nice.

Fire up the BitTorrent client of your choice, and you can have the Blast-Off soundtrack in either MP3 or Apple Lossless format. We couldn't be happier with this trend of using free downloadable game soundtracks as promotional tools! As it happens, we often enjoy listening to music.

Dragon Age 'Return to Ostagar' DLC on 360, PC Jan. 5; PS3 'later in January'

by Christopher Grant { 8 days ago }

click for "Return to Ostagar" gallery

While trailing behind what some of us might call "this holiday season" (as originally pledged), the latest expansion for BioWare's Dragon Age: Origins, dubbed "Return to Ostagar," has been given a more finite release date of January 5th for both Xbox 360 and PC. The PS3 release is slated for "later in January." Aaryn Flynn, General Manager and Vice President at BioWare Edmonton, says of the DLC offering, "Return to Ostagar represents BioWare's commitment to providing a steady stream of compelling post release content as we continue to expand the Dragon Age universe."

For just $5, and the promise of "the mighty arms and armor of the once great King Cailan," we imagine we'll be returning to Ostagar next week ... and as long as we're there, it won't hurt to find out what "King Cailan's top-secret political agenda" is, right? Check out a video of DLC expansion after the break.

Gallery: Dragon Age: Origins "Return to Ostagar" DLC

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SouthPeak bringing Blood Bowl to 360, PSP in 2010

by Justin McElroy { 8 days ago }

The spectrum of available games distribution is wider than ever before, but we're not sure we've ever seen this exact configuration. After previously appearing as a downloadable PC game, fantasy footballer Blood Bowl will come to Xbox 360 and PSP, with an additional retail version on PC, courtesy of SouthPeak. The Warhammer-inspired game will take the field in January on 360 and PC, followed by the PSP in the more nebulous "Spring."

Now's the time we turn the post over to your comments, and we can't wait to see what you have to say. We're sure someone has to be offended by this release constellation.

Gallery: Blood Bowl (360, PSP, PC)

North Star Musou videos punch a hole in our heart

by David Hinkle { 8 days ago }

If you're not excited by Fist of the North Star Musou, then maybe you should go watch that Gandhi movie or something. However, if the thought of punching stuff makes you want to punch stuff, then check out Musou's new internet digs.

The official site for the game has received quite the substantial update, assaulting our eyeballs with a variety of new screenshots, gameplay videos (past the break) and bios for characters and stages. There's even a flexing shirt rip that would make Balrog pee his boxing shorts!

[Via Andriasang]

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BioWare's Ray Muzyka on how to make single-player gaming more social

by Mike Schramm { 9 days ago }

The good folks at IncGamers had a chat with one of BioWare's founding medical doctors, Ray Muzyka, about the company's history of classic single-player gaming and its upcoming foray into the world of massively multiplayer with Star Wars: The Old Republic. Muzyka says that the line between solo and collective experiences is blurring: even traditionally single-player games are dipping into the vast realms of multiplayer co-op and competition through online social tools and downloadable content.

Speaking specifically, he says that Dragon Age: Origins is a good example, with online social features for what is definitely a single-player experience. And Mass Effect 2, he says, will explore these ideas through its own DLC. In fact, he outright guarantees us that BioWare is "planning more [DLC] than in Mass Effect 1." As players who couldn't get enough of the two packs on offer for the original game, that's Muzyka to our ears.

Exclusive: Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot gameplay trailer

by Christopher Grant { 9 days ago }

If more Borderlands DLC is just what the doctor ordered – not Doctor Ned, of course, star of the shooter slash RPG's first DLC outing – then look no further than this week's "Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot."

Developer Gearbox is giving Joystiq readers an exclusive look at the above gameplay trailer, showing off some of the pack's offerings: three new Riot Mode arenas, the "bank" where you can "'stache your loot" and a litany of modifiers, like "Hot Potato," "Loaded" and "Dodgeball." It's a slow week, folks – "Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot" spices things up on Xbox Live tomorrow, and PlayStation Network next week.

Now Playing: December 28, 2009 - January 3, 2010

by Andrew Yoon { 9 days ago }

It's the calm before the storm.

Choose your platform to jump to a specific release list:

Last updated: Wednesday, 4:45 PM

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New Arkedo Series game on XBLM: Pixel

by Richard Mitchell { 9 days ago }

If you spend much time checking out Indie Games on Xbox Live, there's a considerable chance you've stumbled upon the Arkedo Series of games. Fans will be happy to hear that Arkedo and Pastagames have released a third in the series. Entitled Pixel, the game features slick dot matrix graphics and simple platforming action. The game also has a nifty feature that allows players to zoom in on certain parts of the background and explore them at the pixel level. Check the game out in the video above and enjoy some screens in the gallery below.

You can snag the trial version through the link below and, should you enjoy it, the full game is 240

($3) or, as Arkedo puts it, "approximately the asking price for a nice latte."

Shortcut: Add Arkedo Series - 03 Pixel to your 360 download queue [Via Xbox.com]

Gallery: Arkedo Series 003: Pixel!

ASCII Media Works tracks Japan's top selling games of 2009 (so far)

by Griffin McElroy { 9 days ago }

[GAME Watch]

Yes, the year technically isn't over yet -- but let's be honest: Nobody's going to be buying any new games over the next four days. As such, Dengeki publisher ASCII Media Works thought it appropriate to track the 30 best-selling games in Japan for 2009. Or, rather, 99 percent of 2009.

There aren't too many big surprises; Dragon Quest IX took top honors with 4,089,136 units sold, and Pokémon Heart Gold and Soul Silver came in second with 3,301,873 in sales. Despite having only been out for a little over a week, Final Fantasy XIII actually managed a sixth place finish with 1,455,505 units sold. Check out the full list of top-selling games after the jump.

[Via Kotaku]

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Wife makes hubby a Halo screenshot quilt

by Alexander Sliwinski { 9 days ago }

Ironworks Gaming Crew user WillyQ has a great wife, as evidenced by the Halo quilt she made him for the holidays. The winter quilt features 20 of WillyQ's screenshots, along with game emblems and his name at the top (just in case someone tries to take it).

This is a good time to mention that the divorce rate in America is between 40-50 percent. If spouses did more thoughtful stuff like this we could easily reduce it by ... 1-2 percent, maybe?

[Via Hawtymcbloggy]

See screens and video from Perfect Dark on XBLA

by David Hinkle { 9 days ago }

We've all seen screens here and there from Rare's upcoming high def-ified Perfect Dark port for XBLA. Today, we're happy to report there's a whole bunch of new media out there to sift through, courtesy of Gamertag Radio.

Head past the break for video of Perfect Dark's Carrington Institute level or, if you're one who worries about a sudden outbreak of motion sickness, check out some stills from the game over on GTR's flickr page. Perfect Dark is currently scheduled for a "Winter 2010" release.

Source - Screens from Perfect Dark
Source - Carrington Institute level video

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