Earlier this year Microsoft announced that Xbox is coming to Windows 8. Now, Major Nelson has revealed the first wave Xbox LIVE games that will be coming to Windows 8 starting October 26th.
Wave one will bring many of the games you already know and love; and will include 29 titles from Microsoft Studios, some of which will be exclusive to Windows 8.
Many games will be available starting October 26th with ongoing new releases coming through holiday and beyond. This growing portfolio spans genres and delivers an innovative mix of fun-to-play titles that will be playable on any Windows 8 PC, laptop, or tablet.
Xbox games will be easy to find in the preinstalled Windows 8 Xbox Games app and available in the Windows 8 Store. In addition, all Xbox games for Windows 8 will have Xbox Achievements, and many will also take advantage of other Xbox features, including leaderboards, multiplayer modes, and connecting with friends, and more.
Check out all 40 games listed just after the break.
A Free Playable Demo for Kinectimals: Now With Bears is now available for download via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace. The demo weighs in at 1.55 GB.
Content: Kinectimals: Now With Bears (demo) Price: Free Availability:Check availability in your Xbox LIVE region Dash Text: “Kinectimals Now with Bears!” adds to the original five feline cubs, now with 5 additional cuddly bear cubs as you solve a mystery on the undiscovered islands of Lemuria and Mira! Meet the new bear cubs and share adventures as you build a bond that grows each time you play!
This week, Xbox 360 and Kinect make their debut at New York Comic Con, the East Coast’s biggest and most exciting popular culture convention.
Drawing in over 96,000 attendees in 2010, this event is the second largest comic book and pop culture gathering in the country. If you’ll be in the New York area and want to check things out, here is all you need to know about the biggest games for Xbox & Kinect and where you can find them at NYCC.
Xbox 360 Booth #322
As usual, Microsoft Studios worked with their fantastic third-party partners to bring NYCC attendees content they can’t play anywhere else. Stop on by the booth to try your hand at:
Dance Central 2: Sequel to the best-selling dance game for Kinect™ for Xbox 360® features a killer new soundtrack, revamped Dance Battle and import capability!
The Gunstringer – Launched on 9/13 by Twisted Pixel Games, “The Gunstringer” features Kinect-based targeting, shooting and melee as you guide The Gunstringer on his quest for vengeance against the posse that betrayed him and left him for dead. For more details on the game and to watch the trailer, click here.
Halo: Anniversary Created in celebration of the 10th anniversary of one of the most beloved franchises in gaming history, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is a spectacularly remastered version of the original Halo campaign.
Mass Effect 3: Go weapons-hot in a fully immersive sci-fi epic that reacts to every decision you make.
Various XBLA titles including:
“Orcs Must Die” – Launched on 10/5, this fantasy action-strategy game by Robot Entertainment features two dozen deadly weapons, spells and traps to defend twenty-four fortresses from twelve enemy types including ogres, hellbats and of course, orcs! For more details, click here.
“Trials Evolution” – “Trials Evolution” by RedLynx, Ltd. Is the follow-up to the smash hit "Trials HD". The game will have you flipping, climbing and racing your way across levels that span both indoor and outdoor tracks, or building your own level using the new level editor that lets you share your creations with anyone on Xbox LIVE. For more details on the game and to watch the trailer, click here.
In just 30(ish) measly days Halo turns ten years old! Join Alison Stroll, Doug Hebenthal, Dan Ayoub, Kevin Grace, and others from 343 Industries discussing where Halo has been and where it is going.
General NYCC Info
EXHIBIT HALL HOURS
Thursday, October 13th, 2011 – 4:00pm-7:00pm [media preview]
Friday, October 14th, 2011 – 10:00am-7:00pm
Saturday, October 15th, 2011 – 10:00am-7:00pm
Sunday, October 16th, 2011 – 10:00am-5:00pm
See NYCC Website for extended event hours and other evening activities.
Earlier today at the Gamescom 2011 event in Cologne Germany, Microsoft busted out a whole bunch of gaming news.
Announcements include details for Xbox LIVE Arcade Games, Xbox LIVE Games on Windows Phone, Forza MotoSport 4, Gears of War 3, Kinect Star Wars and much more.
Developer: Turn 10 | Publisher: Microsoft Games Studios
The biggest racing game of the year launches in North America on Oct. 11, Europe Oct. 14, and globally Oct. 20. Turn 10 Studios revealed the legendary Hockenheim Ring as one of the new tracks featured in “Forza Motorsport 4.” A revealing behind-the-scenes video is available detailing the lengths Turn 10 Studios took in bringing the track to life in the game – mapping every turn, capturing every detail, and replicating how the track drives for the most realistic experience ever in “Forza Motorsport 4.”
In celebration of its partnership with Turn 10 Studios and “Forza Motorsport 4,” BMW unveiled the 2012 BMW M5 for the first time at the Xbox booth. Fans will be able to virtually explore, race, and tune the 2012 BMW M5 in “Forza Motorsport 4” before it’s available anywhere else, whether it’s in game or on the road
Launching in Germany for the first time in the franchise’s history, “Gears of War 3” is the spectacular conclusion to one of the most memorable and celebrated sagas in video games.
Gamescom attendees will have a chance to experience the genre-defining Horde 2.0 mode at the Xbox booth and get an early taste of this year’s most highly anticipated blockbuster.
“Gears of War 3” begins hitting store shelves on Sept. 20.
For the first time in Star Wars history, players can become a Rancor, the monster Luke Skywalker battles beneath Jabba the Hutt’s throne room in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Through the power of Kinect for Xbox 360, players will control the Rancor with intuitive body movements like stomping, charging, roaring, and jumping. As the Rancor, players can grab, toss, and eat Jawas, stormtroopers, droids and other enemies, plus pull TIE fighters out of the sky, fight AT-STs, and destroy everything in sight.
Previously shown content for Kinect Star Wars included the Jedi and Podracing modes. First revealed at Comic-Con 2011, the Podracing game mode challenges players to race alongside the surviving participants of the Boonta Eve Classic in memorable Pods and other unlockable vehicles from the Star Wars universe.
Developer: Big Park | Publisher: Microsoft Games Studios
Launching in North America on Oct. 25, in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand on Oct. 27, and in Europe on Oct. 28, “Kinect Sports: Season Two” lets YOU be the champion with six of the world’s most popular sports, taking the most popular Kinect franchise to the next level with new in-game voice commands, enhanced full-body gameplay, and the ability to compete with friends and family any time through the new Challenge Play mode.
The roster of action-packed experiences in “Season Two” expands with two new sports from the line-up debuting at gamescom for the first time: Darts and Tennis!
BONUS OFFER: Pre-order your copy today and receive exclusive unlockable avatar gear for a limited time only! – details at www.xbox.com/kinectsportsseasontwo.
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. announce a licensing agreement with Microsoft to design and manufacture interactive plush toys.
JAKKS will produce a mainline plush assortment, which is expected to be sold at mass retailers in the U.S. starting in Spring 2011 and is slated to feature five unique plush animals in the first wave.
Limited collector's editions of the "Kinectimals" game packaged with a 7" plush toy are now available at select retailers around the globe. In the U.S., Toys "R" Us(R) will exclusively sell the King Cheetah limited collector's edition and GameStop(R) will exclusively carry the Maltese Tiger limited collector's edition. Both sell for $59.99 (US ERP).
JAKKS limited collector's edition "Kinectimals" plush toys work with Microsoft Tag (mtag) technology, allowing players to scan the tag on their plush toy with the Kinect for Xbox 360 sensor and watch the King Cheetah or Maltese Tiger appear in the game. With their very own plush pals, players can keep their new friends with them even when they're away from their Xbox 360s.
Jack McGrath, Executive Vice President, Operations for JAKKS Pacific, stated, "We are excited to launch an interactive product based on one of the Kinect for Xbox 360 launch titles and pioneer a new way of gameplay."
With the launch of Kinect coming up next month, Microsoft have announced that they will have 17 controller free games available as part of Kinect’s launch portfolio. Read on for the complete list.
Today, the countdown to Kinect begins, as Microsoft Corp. announced the launch of a multiyear advertising campaign and revealed the complete lineup of 17 controller-free games that will transform living rooms around the world starting on Nov. 4.
With pre-orders rapidly selling out and thousands of retailers across the country opening at midnight on launch day, Kinect is set to fly off store shelves and get everyone off the couch and on their feet this holiday season.
“The very first time we saw Kinect, we knew it would be a ‘must have’ item for the holiday season,” said Richard Barry, vice president, general merchandise manager, Toys “R” Us® Inc. “There is no better place in the world to introduce innovative new products than Toys “R” Us, and we are excited about the full day of activities planned in New York City, building up to the much anticipated sale of the first Kinect sensor at our flagship store in Times Square.”
Excitement for Kinect has reached a fever pitch. Over the past four months, tens of thousands of kids and parents, seasoned gamers and newbies alike jumped into the world of controller-free entertainment on the nationwide Kinect Experience Tour. This week, Microsoft continues to fan the flames with the launch of the Kinect global ad campaign.
“The Xbox 360 team created a multiyear, integrated campaign showcasing real people at the heart of the experience,” said Mike Delman, corporate vice president of IEB global marketing, Microsoft. “Kinect puts consumers at the center of their entertainment, and our marketing efforts follow that same charter.”
A Gift for the Whole Family
For less than the price of four tickets to see “The Nutcracker” this holiday, Kinect is a gift that awakens the living room all year round with laughter, camaraderie and the simple joy of new experiences shared with family and friends. The all-in-one Xbox 360 4GB Console with Kinect includes the new Xbox 360 4GB console, Kinect sensor and “Kinect Adventures,” priced at $299.99 ERP (U.S.). Or for those who have an Xbox 360 console1 at home, the stand-alone Kinect for Xbox 360 priced at $149.99 ERP (U.S.) includes the Kinect sensor and “Kinect Adventures” and works with the 42 million Xbox 360 consoles currently in homes worldwide.
With 17 Kinect-enabled titles debuting in November, Kinect for Xbox 360 offers something for gamers (and nongamers) of every stripe.
Family Game Night … With a Kinect Twist
Befriend a playful tiger cub, collect treasures from around the globe or cast a spell in the wizarding world. Whether adopting a new family pet in “Kinectimals” (Frontier Developments Ltd./Microsoft Game Studios), or embarking on a wet and wild rafting trip in “Kinect Adventures” (Good Science Studio/Microsoft Game Studios), Kinect for Xbox 360 is the one gift the whole family will enjoy this holiday season.
Included with every Kinect sensor, Kinect Adventures delivers pulse-racing adventure to you and your family. Work together to complete a variety of challenges that fire up the mind and body for players of all ages and skill levels. You’ll bounce through roaring rapids, challenge obstacle courses or explore a leaky underwater laboratory.
Kinectimals (Frontier Developments Ltd./Microsoft Game Studios)
Limited collector’s editions of the “Kinectimals” game packaged with a 7” plush toy that unlocks a new animal and toy in the game will be available at select retailers. $49.99 ERP (U.S.)/$59.99 ERP (U.S.) limited collector’s edition.
Terminator: Survivors confirmed for Xbox Series, PS5 & PC via Steam Play as a survivor in the aftermath of Judgment Day in Terminator: Survivors, a new open-world survival game by NACON (@Nacon). Build the resistance and defy the machines in Terminator: Survivors, com..
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With pre-orders rapidly selling out and thousands of retailers across the country opening at midnight on launch day, Kinect is set to fly off store shelves and get everyone off the couch and on their feet this holiday season.
