Delivering some of the hottest downloadable titles coming out of E3 2011, this year’s Summer of Arcade on Xbox Live promises to outdo the stellar offering from last year. To help inform gamers just which titles will be offered, as well as when they will be released and for how much, Microsoft has unveiled the complete release schedule for the Summer of Arcade which also includes a bonus for gamers who pick up all five titles.
Though some might think topping a title like Limbo – which completely reinvented the idea of downloadable titles into something truly artistic — is impossible, after seeing what is in store for July through August it seems very probable.
Summer of Arcade kicks things off with Bastion, the completely narrator driven action RPG published by Warner Bros. Interactive, and promises not to let go of your virtual wallet until mid-August. The selection features everything from a title that lets players inhabit the persona of a deity (From Dust) to a Kinect version of an extremely popular mobile app (Fruit Ninja Kinect). Much like last year’s offering, Summer of Arcade 2011 promises to provide a ton of exciting game experiences before the big triple-A push in the Fall.
See below for the complete Summer of Arcade release schedule along with the price points for each:
Also, as an added bonus for gamers who pick up all five titles, Microsoft will be offering Certain Affinity’s Crimson Alliance free of charge when it releases on September 7th. For those who might not know, Crimson Alliance is a four player co-op dungeon crawler of the same vein as Torchlight, and looks to be a lot of fun.
Bastion (July 20) 1200 MS Points
From Dust (July 27) 1200 MS Points
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet (August 3) 1200 MS Points
Fruit Ninja Kinect (August 10) 800 MS Points
Toy Soldiers: Cold War (August 17) 1200 MS Points
Offering a title for everyone, even your most casual motion control fan, this year’s Summer of Arcade hopes to continue Microsoft’s success in the downloadable market. While some titles, like Bastion and From Dust, may rival the quality of a downloadable title like Limbo or Stacking, more imaginative and creative fare like Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet promise to keep gamers looking forward to the future.
Summer of Arcade 2011 is right around the corner, so best start saving up because it looks like it is going to be a great season for games.
Which Summer of Arcade title are you most looking forward to checking out? Do you think that Microsoft has cemented their place as the go to venue for quality downloadable titles with promotions like Summer of Arcade?
