March 22nd 2012 9:00 am PT

Announcing ‘Arcade Next’

Spring’s most anticipated Xbox LIVE Arcade games are headed to your living room with “Arcade NEXT” from Microsoft Studios and Xbox LIVE. Beginning April 18, a new downloadable title will launch on Xbox LIVE Arcade from Microsoft Studios every Wednesday, through May 9. Also, starting in April, all new Xbox LIVE Arcade games (like these) will include up to 400 Gamerscore, with up to 30 Achievements available to unlock.

TRIALS EVOLUTION, April 18 for 1200 Microsoft Points
“Trials Evolution” is on every front, the next dimension of the smash-hit, award-winning “Trials HD.” Bust out of the warehouse into an outdoor world of night and day, curved driving lines, and spectacular scenery. Multiplayer comes alive in your living room or on Xbox LIVE. Build your own tracks with the in-game editor or download those of any other player from the new Track Central. Customize your bike and rider with awesome gear and unique parts, enjoy innovative skill games, try ghost racing, beat your friends’ scores and more! Don’t miss the madness!

Download the free trial

BLOODFORGE, April 25 for 1200 Microsoft Points
With a brutal combat system, stunning art style, and a deeply compelling story, “Bloodforge” empowers you to slaughter hordes of demonic soldiers, deformed worshippers, and the gods themselves, using ferocious Rage Kills, devastating Rune attacks, and furious Weapon Combos. Help seal Crom’s fate – and the fate of the rest of the world – in this dark, visceral story of revenge, betrayal, and destiny.

FABLE HEROES, May 2 for 800 Microsoft Points
“Fable Heroes” is an action-packed, hack-and-slash adventure built for Xbox LIVE Arcade. It delivers a fresh spin on the “Fable” franchise with a unique art style and gameplay that takes playful competition to the next level. Whether on the couch or using Xbox LIVE, up to four players work together to defeat enemies while also competing with one another to collect gold coins and level up. Precious gold collected in Fable Heroes can be imported into the forthcoming Kinect title, Fable: The Journey, providing players with a valuable head start from day one.

MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION, May 9 for 1600 Microsoft Points
The infinite possibilities in “Minecraft” just got bigger. “Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition” brings the global phenomenon to console gamers for the first time. The Xbox LIVE Arcade version of the game features an innovative new crafting interface, natural controller movements, a full Tutorial mode to teach the basics and for the first time in “Minecraft,” split-screen multiplayer as well as over Xbox LIVE.

Update: Here is the official Arcade Next trailer:

Arcade, Marketplace, Press Release By Larry Hryb, Xbox LIVE's Major Nelson

permalink: http://majornelson.com/2012/03/22/announcing-arcade-next/

http://www.facebook.com/people/Samuel-N-Jamie-McBee/1328434458 Samuel N Jamie McBee

someone called the whole raising the gamerscore in order to raise the price of arcade games, thank you minecraft!
- ElektroDragon
  
  That would have been me. *bow*
http://twitter.com/Jaystaffo Jay Stafford

1600 Points, wow Microsoft pushing it to the limit here
- http://twitter.com/SamLeDoux Samuel LeDoux
  
  penny arcade adventures part 1. =1600 in 2008 where you been bro?
http://twitter.com/GPNStudios GPN Studios

WTF!!!!!! MINECRAFT

MINECRAFT: XBOX 360 EDITION, May 9 THIS SUCKS !!!!!!!
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T7LOQAEEWPFE7UBMQGVCTNELQI huck
  
  sucks for who?
http://twitter.com/Inc0mp3rtus Ahmed Alsubaie

1600? Are you kidding me?
- Robert Pendell
  
  At the moment the PC version is about $27 so given that they plan to make the XBox 360 as feature filled as the PC one then this might be about right anyways.
tabicat

1600 points for an Arcade title? Forget it.

Sorry Microsoft, but there’s no way I’m paying more than 800 points for any title. And I almost never buy any in-game DLC. If I were given the opportunity to transfer my Marketplace licenses to another gamertag, then I would buy a lot more DLC. How about giving us that feature?
http://twitter.com/TheJoelFisch Joel Fischer

I wonder if this next promotion is a response to how bad House Party was. Then again, I really wonder how well Minecraft will sell when there’s 1-3 dollar pretty decent knockoffs on Indie Games that have sold really well.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T7LOQAEEWPFE7UBMQGVCTNELQI huck
  
  not every one has access to indie games unfortunately…
http://twitter.com/I_own_a_Yoshi Chris Jay Falcon

No suprise the Money grabbing half wits at M$ are making Minecraft that expensive. It should be cheaper because it has half the features of the PC, No Mods, or Texture packs.
- Robert Pendell
  
  They are working on figuring out how to deal with mods and texture packs are coming in a future version.
http://twitter.com/rogXue Justin Forsythe

I will NEVER spend 1600msp on an arcade game, it’s very rare I even spend 1200. G.O.D. is one thing but not an arcade game… you are overstepping your bounds MS and I hope you fail for it.
- Anonymous
  
  Seriously?! Judging by your Twitter feed you don’t seem to spend a single dime on any arcade game anyhow you greedy hypocrite scumbag!
  - http://twitter.com/rogXue Justin Forsythe
    
    aww how sweet, I have a stalker! Oh I’ve spent my fair of $ on arcade games as I’ve had the system since launch. At $20 the games will be 4 times as much as they were at launch, that’s not inflation it’s robbery. Also, look up the word hypocrite sometime…
    - Anonymous
      
      Are you sure you want to play a game of semantics with me, seeing as you aren’t even able to use the simplest of words the correct way? Here is the deal. I’ll look up “hypocrite” if you look up “robbery”, dimwit!
      - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T7LOQAEEWPFE7UBMQGVCTNELQI huck
        
        to the library!!….
    - Anonymous
      
      Yes, they’ll be four times as much but compare the size & quality of many of the original works that we’re getting on XBLA now, compared to the, often poor, ports of 20 year old games that we were mostly getting at launch.
      
      I’m quite happy to pay more when I’m getting more & we are definitely getting A LOT more in 2012 than we were getting out of XBLA games in 2005.
http://twitter.com/GPNStudios GPN Studios

1600 points for an Arcade title? Forget it.
http://twitter.com/Harley_Richards Harley Richards

1600 points? Forget that! would only pay that much for a massive expansion pack! not an arcade game!
http://twitter.com/Renaissance2K Eric Walklet

I don’t know why everybody is blaming Microsoft for this when the retail version of Minecraft is $26.95. Obviously, the developer was pushing for that price as well.
ElektroDragon

Ah ha! See, I KNEW the raise in gamerscore to 400 was an effort to justify charging more for games, and the 1600 point Minecraft is a prime example.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_D2DKBSKAIYE3O2WPKIHA4X6R2I liza
  
  The other games on the list have 400G and dont cost 1600?…. the price of Minecraft is well worth it because its not some arcade game that you’re going to play for 1 damn week.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_D2DKBSKAIYE3O2WPKIHA4X6R2I liza
  
  Also microsoft doesnt decide a price based on gamerscore.
Anonymous

To all the haters on Minecraft’s price: this is hardly the first time an XBLA game has been 1600 points (Shadow Complex, both GTA4 “add-ons”, etc) and it’s appropriate sometimes. Minecraft on PC costs $27, and is the type of game you could play for hundreds of hours. The value proposition on this game is extraordinarily high. I never had any other expectation than that it would be 1600 points on XBLA, and it’s a price I’ll gladly pay.
- Anonymous
  
  The term “haters” gets used way too much these days. It’s dismissive and used by lazy thinkers.
  - http://twitter.com/QuixoticRocket Alex
    
    This counter-argument is dismissive and used by lazy thinkers.
    - Anonymous
      
      Wow…you just said what I said but changed one little detail. I guess you wanted to show another example of lazy thinking.
      - http://twitter.com/QuixoticRocket Alex
        
        Wow. Free cookie for you. You figured out that I was pointing out how weak your argument is by using it against you. The original argument made a good point. Your response was the logical equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and sayign “nu-uh! I can’t hear you! NANANANANANA!”
      - Anonymous
        
        No, actually I was pointing out that you couldn’t come up with an original statement so you had to use mine because you were being lazy.
      - http://twitter.com/QuixoticRocket Alex
        
        Haha. Sure. You didn’t completely miss the irony at all. You also don’t see any hypocrisy in intimating that my counter-argument bad yet thinking yours is good when it’s the same argument. All this is fluff anyway since the original point made by pocketdave still stands unrefuted.
      - Anonymous
        
        That’s because there is no irony. What I said was true. It wasn’t an arguement against anything else he said. I was simply addressing the use of the word “hater” to describe those who didn’t agree with him. But somehow, you have seen that as an argument against everything he said. It’s just basic reading comprehension.
  - Anonymous
    
    @Superman64 hmm, fair enough. If I revise it to say “To all the dissidents” will that appease you? Or were you just looking for something in my post to attack because my logic is sound, but you’re still upset by the price?
    - Anonymous
      
      I know that would make you feel better if that was the reason, but no…I truly don’t like it when people use “haters” as a term to describe others because they don’t agree with them.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Joseph-Johnson/1088034764 Joseph Johnson
  
  I didnt know the add ons for GTA4 were considered XBLA games
  - Anonymous
    
    I’ve got a whole bunch of nits over here, if you’d like to pick them for me
- Anonymous
  
  While I agree with what you’re saying, I do want to point out that Shadow Complex was 1,200 points, not 1,600.
  - Anonymous
    
    mah bad, yo
Jason King

What the heck? 1600 points for an inferior and vastly outdated version of Minecraft? Was going to grab it for my kids but that price and other things makes me think twice.
- http://twitter.com/therealyocow William
  
  To be fair, it IS the same price as it was back then, about $20.
http://twitter.com/boeboelord Boe2

-definitely- buying Trials Evolution: Already a good candidate for best xbla game of the year, and nothing is as satisfying as crushing your friend’s scores

Minecraft however…when everyone has access to the cheap pc version with superior control and endless (and free) multiplayer options, how did it seem like a good idea to charge 1600 points for it? I can see how playing minecraft from your couch can be fun, but not at 1600 points. Maybe it’s best to actually reconsider that price. 1600 points = few people buying it = few reasons to have the online feature.
- http://twitter.com/weirdphil weirdphil
  
  Cheap PC version? Maybe for those of us who bought it in alpha and beta stages, but it ain’t cheap anymore.
  - http://twitter.com/boeboelord Boe2
    
    I bought it for 10 a long while ago, I heard it’s 20 now. Still, minecraft fans already own it on pc (and you don’t need a gaming rig to run the game), they won’t buy it again on xbox at that price.
    - http://www.facebook.com/adam.reber Adam Reber
      
      Yeah I bought it for $26. And you don’t see me complaining about paying $20 for an Xbox edition.
      
      EDIT: In reply to OP ha
Anonymous

@Jason King: You do know the PC version costs 20 Euro?
Anonymous

@Eric Walklet: Well said.
Anonymous

I just went to the Minecraft site… The PC version is $26.95. Explain to me how the 360 version being $20 is such a ripoff?
http://twitter.com/Olimite Olimite

Fable Heroes for me. Anything over that can GTFO.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1492128961 Bill Judge

Very disappointing. First Minecraft gets pushed back from a winter 2011 release, to Spring 2012. Then they start the over-hyping, culminating in the release of avatar items. They also release the “Guys, it’s here” video, when in fact it is still quite a ways off. SO not happy right now.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=544697634 Henry Leung

No discount for purchasing 3-4 of them? So what’s the point of this “Arcade Next” promotion?
- Anonymous
  
  They usually announce the lineup for these promotional periods first and then announce any incentives later so there may still be one.
http://twitter.com/Olimite Olimite

Shadow Complex was 1200.
http://twitter.com/korahn Eric Starr

1600 pts for Minecraft? So basically, in Canada, you would need to buy 2800 pts card for $40 or 2 1400 points card for $20 each and be left with a bunch of extra points. Seriously, with the dollar almost equal with the US dollar, why are we always screwed when it comes to points?
- http://twitter.com/seekul Luke Es | sE ekuL
  
  If you choose to buy via the dashboard (I don’t anymore) the amounts are different. Should be able to get just 2000 that way if you don’t mind your credit card being stored.
  
  And we’ll see if the MS points change to real currency later this year.
  - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T7LOQAEEWPFE7UBMQGVCTNELQI huck
    
    real currency eh… wat makes u say that?
- http://twitter.com/TrashMKX Chris
  
  Can you buy 1600 pts from xbox.com using PayPal in Canada like you can in the states?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Teds-McTeddington/100001210512687 Teds McTeddington

Yikes… 1600pts and 2 months away.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7FLKTTGYZVHJ37PSOPUU7C2RIY Joe

Are we gonna need Gold account to use Track Central in Trials Evolution?
http://www.facebook.com/woodstar22 Edward Woodward

you guys do realise 1600MSP works out to be roughly the same price as the PC based Minecraft game which is £16.95
you can buy 2100MSP from retailers at £17.99, so why are you complaining
http://profile.yahoo.com/THWZMQMLB7JYKVPGNDXMZVLCVM A B

who cares about minecraft… TRIALS TRIALS TRIALS TRIALS TRIALS
- Anonymous
  
  This.
  - Anonymous
    
    Exactly!
- Anonymous
  
  Exactly!
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_RL4W6IDNLLY4AIRBU6ZRRQTMTE Steve
  
  Oh yeah!!
http://twitter.com/EpicKxDtoid MilkySpectre Silky

…The game is $26.95 on PC.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T7LOQAEEWPFE7UBMQGVCTNELQI huck
  
  cool i like that movie…
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XOTBJKUR4IW74YLQH2LHQTE2BU Kairu

Lol, I knew Minecraft was going to be 1600. Don’t like the game myself, I personally think it’s overrated. But, this is solely to test the waters for future 1600MSP games. If future XBLA titles start moving towards the 1600MSP bracket then XBL can go ‘reproduce itself’ (I hope at least one person get’s that). Shady practices M$$$$$$$, shady practices. And at everyone saying it’s $26 for pc or w.e. yeah fair enough, but this WILL encourage other publishers to charge 1600msp as opposed to 1200msp for their titles.

I hate the direction XBL has been going in, you tools need to learn when enough is enough and stop being so damn greedy. Yes, you’re out to make money, but to the extent where you nickel and dime us? GoW3 skins come to mind, you know, what used to be an unlockable or cheat code last gen, but it’s now come to micro-transactions!? Unacceptable.
- Anonymous
  
  And if the games come with $20 worth of content, what’s wrong with charging $20?
  
  Also, this is not the first XBLA game to release for $20.
  - http://twitter.com/Navarin Bennijin Turbo
    
    No, just the first that sells more than ten units.
    - Anonymous
      
      I was always under the impression that the first Penny Arcade sold decently (not great but decent) & it was 1,600 & I don’t know about Puzzle Quest but I imagine that one did alright.
      
      The rest though, yeah.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ivan-Lopez/763768247 Ivan Lopez

This looks like a brilliant line-up. Not a Minecraft fan, but $40 is netting me Bloodforge, Trials Evolution, and Fable Heroes. I’m all over that. I might buy Minecraft if it netted me 1600 pts in return though. We’ll see, still got a whole month until april.
http://twitter.com/Custard320 Ned Flaherty

on an unrelated minecraft to expensive note… WOO NEW TRIALS!
http://twitter.com/ChrisRenton1994 Mister Equinox™ ◕‿◕

That sucks I want Minecraft on the xbox now!
http://twitter.com/EpicKxDtoid MilkySpectre Silky

You guys are the whiniest kids in the world that obviously don’t play PC games or understand the digital distribution market.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_XOTBJKUR4IW74YLQH2LHQTE2BU Kairu
  
  That’s hilarious, because looking at your twitter I found this “WHAT THE F@#* MICROSOFT WHY IS MINCRAFT 20 DOLLARS?” And going from your other tweets, that wasn’t sarcasm at all, you were being serious. 1-0 for “whiniest kids” ;D
  - http://twitter.com/EpicKxDtoid MilkySpectre Silky
    
    >That moment when I find out that is was originally $26.95.
    - Anonymous
      
      That doesn’t mean anything. You were being one of the “whiniest kids” before you knew the PC price. You’re a hypocrite.
      - http://twitter.com/EpicKxDtoid MilkySpectre Silky
        
        Dammit, Disqus.
        
        Anyway, I admit it, i’m a hypocrite. I stopped raging though when I saw the game on XBLA was cheaper than the PC version. (consdering i got that version for like ten bucks in Alpha.)
        People post the same message that it’s cheaper, yet people still piss and moan than HURP DURP XBL GAEM IZ 20 BUCKS RIPOFF MS DURR when there are other games that have made that jump.
        
        I’m getting this game. MS is puliing alot of strings to get this version on par with PC(free updates for the game, installing mods and skins, etc)
        
        Oh, and Trials looks amazing,even though i’ve never played HD.
      - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T7LOQAEEWPFE7UBMQGVCTNELQI huck
        
        hurp derp durr…
http://twitter.com/twitt909 Miss Smith

Hey major, go stick the 6 week wait up your arse!!!
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Jonah-Falcon/525044162 Jonah Falcon
  
  You do know that Minecraft costs $20 on PC, too, right?
  - Anonymous
    
    It’s more than $20 on PC.
  - http://www.facebook.com/azombieriot Jerod Long
    
    Minecraft on the PC is $30.
    
    The only time Minecraft was $20 on the PC was during its beta.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jonah-Falcon/525044162 Jonah Falcon

Minecraft vs. FortressCraft – discuss.
- http://twitter.com/seekul Luke Es | sE ekuL
  
  Clearly FortressCraft did not bring the global phenomenon of mining and crafting to console gamers. Says so right there…
  
  FortressCraft II on the other hand… that’ll be one to watch.
  - http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T7LOQAEEWPFE7UBMQGVCTNELQI huck
    
    right where?
http://www.thechrisd.com/ TheChrisD

€20 for a less powerful, less customisable, un-moddable version of Minecraft?
Glad I bought it on PC for €9.95 back in the day…
Anonymous

I’ll be all over Trials. Haven’t seen anything on Bloodforge but it does look interesting. I’ll have to check that out as well. Fable is dead to me and MineCraft is just too boring for my taste.
- http://twitter.com/QuixoticRocket Alex
  
  Yes.. what is this Bloodforge and why have we not heard of it before? It looks like it could be pretty sweet.
  - http://twitter.com/TrashMKX Chris
    
    Major posted a video of Bloodforge weeks ago, around the same time the first Halo 4 video was out.
http://about.me/LaneDenson Laner

When I saw the title, for a second I thought Game Room was being resurrected… oh well.
http://twitter.com/seekul Luke Es | sE ekuL

For one brief glorious moment I allowed myself to imagine Game Room 2.
This sounds ok I guess.
Anonymous

well lease they gave everyone 2 months to get $20 so stop complaing about the price
http://www.facebook.com/adam.reber Adam Reber

Maybe Minecraft was an indie game at one point but it isn’t anymore. It has its official release date.
- http://pulse.yahoo.com/_T7LOQAEEWPFE7UBMQGVCTNELQI huck
  
  ?
artur stempkowski

hey guys , till minecraft is hire… can you suguest me something?
which one is better?
FortressCraft , Total Miner or Catle Miner¨Z¨
thanks
- http://twitter.com/DeftDrop DeftDrop
  
  castle miner z
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Jonah-Falcon/525044162 Jonah Falcon
  
  FortressCraft, by far.
- Anonymous
  
  If you just want to build stuff like buildings…go with FortressCraft.
  
  If you want to be craft stuff, go with Total Miner. (You can craft in Castleminer Z, but I think it’s better in Total Miner since it’s more like Minecraft.)
  
  If you want a survival element…go with Castleminer Z. (Although Total Miner is apparently getting a survival mode in a few months from now.)
http://twitter.com/TrashMKX Chris

Shadow Complex was 1200 pts, not 1600.
http://www.facebook.com/Sir.Ryken Ricardo Erick Alvarado Bracamo

1600!?
As Notch recommends me, I will download the “free” version.
http://twitter.com/TrashMKX Chris

Def buying Fable Heroes, Bloodforge and Minecraft. So hopfully a promotion will make Trials free. And so glad Minecraft is NOT as much as the PC version.
http://thetjhzone.blogspot.com Tylerh1701

I’m firmly on the “Minecraft is 1600msp, are you out of your F*$%*$ minds?!?!?!” boat!
- Anonymous
  
  Especially since I can get equally good, or better, indie games much like Minecraft from 80 to 240 points each. I can buy every other “minecraft clone” for 360, and still pay less.
  Greed ain’t good…
http://photovoltaik.bandcamp.com/ Ujn Hunter

Thanks, but let me know when they are all 800 MS Points or less.
http://profiles.google.com/thief000 J.A.J.G. Thiéfaine

This is definitely a better “promotion” than the last one, but…
Where is FEZ?
Where is Retro City Rampage?

I’ll buy most of these when they are Deal of the Week as I have a large enough backlog as it is and going over the 100K GS soon, even 400GS per title doesn’t compell me that much anymore.
- Anonymous
  
  Retro City Rampage is coming out in may iirc.
  
  I don’t know about Fez, but my guess is that it’s being held back for the Summer of Arcade.
http://twitter.com/dog_eat_waffle Daniel Tain

I will only get Minecraft if its almost an exact copy of the PC version, I will allow for less players in a single world but I dont want content to be cut out….
http://twitter.com/dog_eat_waffle Daniel Tain

I will only get Minecraft if its almost an exact copy of the PC version, I will allow for less players in a single world but I dont want content to be cut out….

March 22nd 2012 9:00 am PT

Announcing ‘Arcade Next’

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