Upcoming Xbox Live Marketplace Goodies

Microsoft marketing tool Major Nelson has posted a bunch of upcoming Xbox Live Marketplace goodies that are hitting the service between now and early February. Check ’em out:

Xbox Live Deal of the Week:
Feb. 1: Splosion Man, 400 Microsoft Points

Xbox Live Games on Demand:
Jan. 26: Dead Rising and Halo Wars
Feb. 2: Medal of Honor: Airborne

Xbox Live Arcade:
Jan. 27: KrissX, 800 Microsoft Points
Feb. 3: Chime, 400 Microsoft Points

Xbox Avatars Marketplace:
Jan. 28: Assassin’s Creed
Feb. 4 : Valentine’s Day and Carnival collections

Game Add-Ons:
Jan. 27: Pinball FX Excalibur Table, 240 Microsoft Points
Jan. 28: Assassin’s Creed II: Battle of Forli, 320 Microsoft Points
Feb. 2: Halo 3 Mythic 2 Map Pack, 800 Microsoft Points

Anything on the list interest you?

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Apple Tablet Most Important Thing Steve Jobs Ever Did?

“This will be the most important thing I’ve ever done.”

That’s (allegedly) what Steve Jobs has been telling senior Apple executives and colleagues in regards to the Apple Tablet. Those are bold words from a man that helped launch so many “insanely great” Apple products and helped Pixar become a movie powerhouse.

Is this more of Jobs’ Machiavellian marketing? Or does he really believe that the Apple tablet will change the world? Not to be morbid, but I think it’s a case of sentimentality caused by a near-death experience.

What do you think of Jobs’ words? Will the Apple tablet be the most important part of his storied career?

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Portal: Still Alive is the Xbox Live Deal of the Week

Microsoft’s Xbox Live Deal of the Week is Portal: Still Alive for 800 Microsoft Points. Originally part of The Orange Box, Portal received a ton of critical hype and all of it was deserved. Blending puzzles, action, and great storytelling, Portal wasn’t what I was expecting at all (and I mean that in the best way possible). If you haven’t played this game, I highly recommend it. It’s unique, fresh, and inventive — just an amazing experience.

The good news is that it’s on sale for $10. The bad news is that it might be a better deal to just buy The Orange Box for less than $20.

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Heavy Rain “Four Days” Online Game Details

Can’t wait for Heavy Rain for Sony PlayStation 3? I’m sure a lot of you are in that boat (me too!). To help market the game and add some hype, Sony has launched the Heavy Rain: Four Days online game to help tide you over until its release. Sony Computer Entertainment of America product marketing manager Jefferson Dong (aka “The Donger”) served up some details on Four Days Challenge:

You can experience “Four Days”: The Heavy Rain Online Experience, a live online mystery that plays out in real time across three weeks, drawing you into the mystery and lore of the Heavy Rain universe. Between Tuesday and Friday every week there will be daily tasks for you to complete (leaving you the weekend to catch up if you fall behind). Each task will lead you to the next part of the journey. At certain key stages you will be prompted, while on other occasions you will need to deduce the right thing to do.

I like that publishers are using online games to create excitement for console games. EA and BioWare did a fine job with Dragon Age: Journeys, though that title offered items that could be imported into the main game. With the wizardry of HTML 5, I’m sure these online games will get even cooler in the future.

Any of you going to give Four Days a spin?

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Today’s Poll: Tomorrow’s Apple Presser and You

Apple is holding a press conference tomorrow and it’s rumored to be unveiling quite a few new products. Some of the updates are expected (iLife), while others are like the Love Boat — exciting and new (iPad). I wanted to see which possible announcement has you the most excited. So please vote!

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Coffee Talk #73: Are You Single Player or Multiplayer?

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, tomorrow’s potentially huge Apple press conference, this excellent “Pants on the Ground” cover, or if Shawn Michaels will end The Undertaker’s streak at WrestleMania, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As I mentioned yesterday, MAG is available for Sony’s PlayStation 3 console. A lot of people are into the game simply because it supports 256 players. It’s a notable achievement, for sure, but for the most part it doesn’t interest me. For me, playing is a game is similar to watching a movie — it’s something that I enjoy by myself.

Certainly there are exceptions and I’ve definitely played my share of competitive multiplayer games. I went through a pretty big Quake/Unreal phase and I did have an EverQuest addiction at one point. I definitely enjoy playing cooperative games with a friend too. However, at the end of the day I love story-driven single-player games. When I watch movies at home or in the theaters, I pretty much shut everyone out. When I read comic books, it’s all about me getting absorbed into another world. This is my preference for gaming too.

How about you ladies and gents? Do you prefer multiplayer titles or single-player ones? Are games a solitary experience for you? Or do you enjoy sharing the excitement with a group of friends and strangers? I want to know what you’re thinking (pure energy)!

MLB 10: The Show Pre-Order Bonus: Free Classic Stadiums

Sony Computer Entertainment of America product marketing manager Chris Munson announced that gamers that pre-order MLB 10: The Show will receive a free voucher for six classic baseball stadiums that can be used in the game. The ballparks include:

  • The Polo Grounds (New York Mets)
  • Shibe Park (Philadelphia Phillies)
  • Forbes Field (Pittsburgh Pirates)
  • Crosley Field (Cincinnati Reds)
  • Sportsman’s Park (St. Louis Browns, St. Louis Cardinals)
  • Griffith Stadium (Washington Senators)

As a longtime baseball fan, I love this perk. I probably would have paid for the parks as DLC. Getting them for free is a great incentive to pre-order.

On a side note, the inclusion of The Polo Grounds reminded me of RPadholic and excellent pal @jpkmets. I’m sure he’d love to play on the old field.

Okay baseball fans, does this pre-order bonus make you want to drop money on a game sooner rather than later?

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Wii Classic Controller Pro Coming in April

Nintendo of America has announced that the Wii Classic Controller Pro will be available in April, both as a standalone product for $19.99 and in a bundle with Capcom’s Monster Hunter Tri for $59.99. A lot of gamers have been importing the controller from Japan due to its superior feel and modern shape. Here’s a snippet from the press release:

The Classic Controller Pro’s more traditional control configuration will give gamers the ultimate Monster Hunting experience when the bundle becomes available in North America this April at a suggested retail price of $59.99.

The new Classic Controller Pro includes a second row of shoulder buttons and ergonomically friendly grips. The Classic Controller Pro plugs directly into the Wii Remote controller, and until now, has been available only in the Japanese market.

I don’t know about you, but I generally hunt monsters with a large, bladed object or a gun. Okay, none of that is true. I’m not the least bit interested in hunting real creatures, but I’m completely interested in the Classic Controller Pro.

Are you guys and dolls going to pick one up? If so, with or without Capcom’s game?

PadCast: The One with SwitchGames’ Jason Crawford

Today’s RPad.tv “PadCast” features SwitchGames founder Jason Crawford. In addition to getting an update on Crawford’s burgeoning peer-to-peer game-trading service and community, we…kind of go all over the place. Things start off with an update on SwitchGames and move on to your excellent questions, where Crawford reveals how digital distribution will affect his business. From there we chat about the Apple tablet, what James Cameron and Rivers Cuomo have in common, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and more!

It’s long, but I think it’s a fun and informative conversation. As always, huge props to N8R for putting the video together. Please check it out and let me know what you think (please)!

This Week’s Videogame Releases

It’s not big week in terms of the number of games coming out, but it’s frickin’ huge for enthusiast gamers! On Xbox 360 there’s BioWare’s Mass Effect 2, which a bunch of you were looking forward to. The PlayStation 3 has MAG, if you’re interested in getting your multiplayer groove on in mind-shattering numbers. Wii fans have Tatsunoko VS. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars and No More Heroes 2 to look forward to. As for the handheld systems? I didn’t notice anything worth mentioning or making fun of.

Are you buying any of these games this week? (If so, feel free to use those handy Amazon links above! *wink* *wink* *nudge* *nudge*)