Rmk, our girl on the scene over in Japan has updated me on a bizarre accident that has occurred on the Japanese marketplace - 'Shotest Shogi' has been accidentally released!

It popped up during Friday or Saturday, so not on an Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday. It was never announced for release, and doesn't have an Xbox.com page either. Maybe this will be the second release for this week? MyGamerCard.net is already showing people who have bought the game on their leaderboards.

This has happened before, apparently. 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' popped up on the Japanese marketplace for a day last year, and was also free. Yet it has never got an official release over there. Whoops.

There have been a few new additions to the Australian and European rating websites over the past week, nothing particularly fancy but still interesting to see.

'Minesweeper Flags' has made its second appearance after popping up on the ESRB website last week, and 'The Maw' has also been rated for Xbox Live Arcade. The demo scene "game" 'Linger In Shadows' has been rated for PSN, and lastly 'Bang!' for WiiWare and 'Space Harrier' for Virtual Console.

Finally 'Beat'n Groovy' has been added to the PEGI rating system. Konami have still not said a word on what this title actually is. We know it's being made by Voltex, who previously made 'Frogger 2' and 'Coffeetime Crosswords', which were also never mentioned before release either.

At the San-Diego Comi-Con Telltale, creators of the new 'Sam & Max' and the upcoming 'Strongbad' for WiiWare, and Hothead games, who are behind the 'Penny Arcade' episodic game, sat down to discuss what they've learned through the use of Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and WiiWare, and how to best use these tools to their advantage.

We've not yet heard of what is to come of the 'Penny Arcade' episodic game sequels. Obviously they will be at the PAX event in August this year, but it will be fun to see how they deal with releasing new episodes of their game. It is easier for them after all since the comic continues to keep players interested throughout the year, but how will they deal with not just Microsoft, but Sony now, trying to create releases on every platform all at the same time?

Read the entire article here.

Telltale also discussed their upcoming 'Strongbad' title. It should be releasing very soon, possibly Monday for Americans if their "July" release date holds any water. They've also announced the title for the second episode - "Strongbadia the Free".

Read the preview for it here from IGN.

Team Xbox Review by David Chapman - 8.1 / 10

Official Xbox Magazine Review by Steve Tilley - 8.0 / 10

GamePro Arcade Review by Ian Guss - Fun factor: 4.0 / 5

Xbox360 @ IGN.com Review by Ryan Geddes - 7.8 / 10

Eurogamer Review by Dan Whitehead - 7.0 / 10

1UP.com Review by Anthony Gallegos - C-

Good reviews all around for Schizoid - though it's certainly a difficult game to get into. You absolutely need a friend to play to really get all the enjoyment you can out of it.

Shard over on NeoGAF has been searching through plenty of old ESRB ratings that have recently been updated with new consoles added to them - it looks like 'Prince of Persia Classic' is coming to the PS3, originally an Xbox 360 exclusive, and 'Luxor 3', originally a PC title, will be coming to the Xbox 360.

This isn't the first time this has happened - some older Sierra titles have been updated for PlayStation 3 as well, including the original 'Assault Heroes' and 'Switchball'.

Source: ESRB Website, Shard

Honestly I've looked at 'Helix' for WiiWare before... but it really never made any sense to me. Developer Ghostfire Games have posted this new video demonstrating how it's meant to work - so it's a little clearer now!

Yay!

Edit: And now the date has come down? Why must we play these games...

Source: Japanese Xbox.com splash page, Duckroll on NeoGAF

Wii owners can now buy 'Pong Toss' For WiiWare for 1,000 Points. Check the video above to see what it's all about.

Microsoft have announced that 'Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2' will be the single game release this week. Not only that, but they've announced the release schedule for the rest of August! It looks like all the big guns are making thier way out this year all at once. Get your point cards ready!

July 30: 'Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2' – The latest version of the wildly popular retro shooter offers screen-melting intensity and insane new features, including six action-packed gameplay modes, new enemies, scoring strategies and a diverse list of exciting Achievements.

'Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2' is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB and will be available at 800 Microsoft Points.

Click here for new images of 'Geometry Wars 2'

Click here for the official Xbox.com splash page

August 6: 'Braid' – From acclaimed developer Jonathan Blow, 'Braid' is a mind-bending and artistic puzzle-platformer where the player manipulates the flow of time in strange and unusual ways.

'Braid' is rated E10+ for Everyone 10+ by the ESRB.

Click here for new images of 'Braid'

Click here for the official Xbox.com splash page

August 13: “Bionic Commando: Rearmed” – The classic 8-bit side-scroller reports back for duty in a stunning remake, complete with all-new HD graphics and features that put 2D gaming back on the map!

'Bionic Commando: Rearmed' is rated M for Mature by the ESRB

Click here for new images of 'Bionic Commando Rearmed'

Click here for the official Xbox.com splash page

August 20: “Galaga Legions” – The legend lives on with 'Galaga Legions,' a reimagining of the classic arcade shooter. Featuring table-turning game dynamics and updated graphics, the game was created by the team behind the bestselling “PAC-MAN Championship Edition” from Namco Bandai Games.

'Galaga Legions' is rated E for Everyone by the ESRB.

Click here for new images of 'Galaga Legions'

Click here for the official Xbox.com splash page

August 27: 'Castle Crashers' – Award-winning studio The Behemoth brings red hot arcade adventure to Xbox LIVE Arcade with “Castle Crashers,” featuring hand-drawn characters and an array of weapons to choose from as you defend your kingdom and save the princess.

'Castle Crashers' is rated T for Teen by the ESRB.

Click here for new images of 'Castle Crashers'

Click here for the official Xbox.com splash page

In the wake of the Activision / Vivendi merger, things were up in the air for Sierra - would they survive the merger, or would their current Xbox Live Arcade titles and upcoming, still unannounced PlayStation Network titles go into limbo?

According to GameSpot, Activision have announced that they will be streamlining Vivendi operations, to the point that they will only be releasing 5 titles - Spyro, Crash, Prototype, Ice Age and one unannounced title.

This leaves all current upcoming Sierra Online titles, including 'Interpol', 'Cribbage', 'Zombie Wranglers', 'Red Baron Arcade', and 'Gin Rummy' for XBLA, and 'Red Baron Arcade', 'Switchball' and 'Assault Heroes' for the PSN in the air, possibly destroying all the good work Sierra Online has been working towards.

It also leaves companies like Wanako studios, Sierra Shang-Hai, Frozen Codebase and Wild Tangent all up in the air, as they have been developing these new IPs for Sierra.

GamerBytes have attempted to contact Vivendi / Activision for comment, but have yet to get a response.

Source: GameSpot - Brutal Legend, Ghostbusters, more dropped by Activision

Japanese corespondent Rmk, as well as Jeff Rollason of AI Factory have both come out and said that the release of 'Shotest Shogi' over the weekend in Japan was an intentional move.

First, Rmk pointed us to the official Japanese Xbox blog which updates players on new XBLA releases as well as their own top 10 releases, which officially announced that 'Shotest Shogi' was now available to the public.

Secondly, Jeff Rollason specified in a comment on Gamerbytes.com that the release was:

"...Not an accident, but we are awaiting for Microsoft to complete the process. It was scheduled for a release last Wednesday, but there was some issue that prevented that from happening then."

Interesting. A Japanese exclusive release not on a Wednesday? Either way, look forward to 'Shotest Shogi' elsewhere in the coming weeks.

Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions)
1 1942: Joint Strike
2 UNO
3 Golf: Tee It Up!
4 SOULCALIBUR
5 N+
6 DOOM
7 Worms
8 Marble Blast Ultra
9 Geometry Wars Evolved
10 Puzzle Quest

'1942: Joint Strike' makes a big splash this week getting to the top of the list first try, with 'Golf: Tee It Up' and 'Soulcalibur' still selling strong.

Horribly disappointing is the release of 'Go Go Break Steady' from Little Boy Games - not even making the Top 10 in its first week. It's a surprisingly good game, and I've been having plenty of fun with it. Definitely go and have a look at the demo, it's a lot of fun.

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2

Developer: Bizarre Creations Ltd.
Publisher: Activision
Genre: Strategy and Sims
Price: 800 Microsoft Points
Availability: Worldwide

Click here for screenshots of 'Geometry Wars 2'

Click here for the official Xbox.com splash page

Click here for the official NeoGAF forum topic

Four Japanese websites are now saying that two titles in the upcoming "Summer Of Arcade", 'Castle Crashers' and 'Braid', will be costing a little more than the usual XBLA title.

+D, Dengeki, Famitsu and the official Japanese Xbox.com blog are now saying 'Braid' will cost 1,200 Points, and 'Castle Crashers' will cost an oddly priced 1,800 Points - making it the most expensive XBLA title to date.

While it has not been announced to those of us who speak English, it will comes as a shock to those who have gotten used to paying 800 Points or $10US. Though in all honesty, XBLA and PSN gamers have had it incredibly good for a long time. These titles, had they been on the PC, would have cost at least $20 each. Maybe that time is over.

Source: +D, Dengeki, Famitsu and the official Japanese Xbox.com blog. Thanks again to Rmk for hitting me up.

IGN were able to get their hands on 'The Maw' recently, and have added a new preview along with two new in game videos.

"Of course, little animals don't just present themselves on a silver platter. Finding food for the Maw is Frank's job. That can be as simple as leading the Maw to a field of puffy balls of bouncing food to something that requires more planning. Frank can jump and latch onto things that allow him to access areas the Maw can't. There you might find some edible goodies or a tool to open a closed route. Frank also has the added bonus of being smart enough to know that things on fire aren't good for putting in your mouth. This is something the Maw is still learning."

Check out the whole preview here. It looks quite promising from the videos. Reminds me a little of 'Floigan Bros.' on the Dreamcast.

I may have been using too many exclamation points lately, but this is the exception.

According to Joystiq, who heard it from 'Barry', the tabletop game 'Zombies!!!' may be making its way to the Xbox Live Arcade.

Apparently this eager chap e-mailed the company who creates the tabletop game with ideas on how it could be turned into a downloadable title, and their response was that "they were already underway with this very project".

Joystiq tried to confirm with Twilight Creations at Comic-Con where they "could not confirm or deny" such a project existed.

Source: Joystiq - Zombies!!! coming to Xbox Live Arcade???

Shacknews is reporting that the recent 'rumors' of high prices XBLA titles 'Braid' and 'Castle Crashers' may not be so true after all.

Microsoft have been contacted and they've replied that the prices "are incorrect for both domestic and international markets". The Castle Crashers blog has also updated with the fact that the price "has not been determined yet. Both The Behemoth and Microsoft are still working together to figure out a reasonable price point. (not 1800 points)"

We'll know soon enough then.

Source: Shacknews - Microsoft Denies High Castle Crashers, Braid Prices

Hudson Entertainment have announced that 'Tetris Party' will be making its way to WiiWare in America in the fall of this year.

The new modes include 10 never-before-seen single-player and multiplayer variations of Tetris, including modes that utilize the point-and-shoot capabilities of the Wii Remote, as well as the Wii Balance Board.

You can also play online games with up to six players in World Battle and Friend Battle modes.
This could be the best online WiiWare game since Dr Mario...

Check out new screenshots below. It'll be interesting to see if any of them are based on the weird modes found in Tetris DS.

Source: ONM UK - New game in classic puzzle series available for download from Autumn

Hooray, 'PixelJunk Eden' is finally out! You can go grab it on the PSN store for either £4.99, €7.99 or $12.95AU The demo is also available.

Alongside the release is a new trailer for 'The Last Guy' as well as some new 'Bionic Commando Rearmed' wallpaper.

Incidentally, Japan just got a demo for 'The Last Guy' too.. of sorts. Apparently it costs 500yen but only has a single stage out of a possible 15. What are they up to?

Sister Site Gamasutra had cornered General Manager of Microsoft's XNA Boyd Multerer and demanded to know just what is going on with the XNA Community program, and he's spilled his guts with the dirty details.

One of the more interesting tidbits is just how the XNA Community will be distributed throughout the world:

Something I thought is interesting is that you just showed a game that was developed in Japan, and you said that Japan can make games for it, but the service [to buy games] won't be rolled out in Japan yet. Is there any reasoning behind that?

BM: It turns out that it's hard. There are a lot of tax laws, and a lot of regulations that you have to take into account, and we're going to roll it out into Japan as soon as we possibly can. We're going to continue rolling out through all the countries throughout next year. Japan is way high on the list.

The creators will be responsible for supporting foreign languages in their games. It's not something that you're providing assistance with, correct?

BM: Yeah, it's the whole community thing. The different way to look at it, though, is to imagine Spanish games made in Spain, that are really aimed at their culture - smaller games for smaller audiences. That doesn't mean that it isn't going to get translated into English either. It doesn't mean that we would even want to play the game.

I must say I'm a little frustrated with this. It looks like Europe will also be missing out on XNA developed games and programs this year. Europe gets no true video download service, no Xbox Inside streaming videos for news, limited access to Xbox Live Primetime when released... accursed short end of the stick.

Read the entire interview below.

Source: Gamasutra: In-Depth: Xbox Live Community Games - Multerer Tells All

Of course. It was so obvious!

Source: loadingreadyrun.com

James Stevenson has just popped up onto the NeoGAF forums to announce the release date for 'Ratchet & Clank: Quest For Booty' - it will be coming your way worldwide on August 21st.

'PixelJunk Eden' goes worldwide, now Ratchet? It appears that Sony might finally be getting their act together. It goes up against Galaga Legions too, which comes out that week on the Xbox Live Arcade.

Source: NeoGAF post by JStevensen

Finally 'Defend Your Castle' has been released in Europe. It has only been out in America since the launch of WiiWare, so it's great to see.

Those crafty barbarian hordes have amassed their forces once again to challenge your domain. Will you and your court rise to the challenge, or stand aside as they raze your Castle to the ground?

You are the commander of your castle, and it is your duty to pick up the enemy and mercilessly fling them to their demise. Perform this task well, for the invaders you face are numerous and employ many different types of soldiers in their quest for your castle.

'Defend Your Castle' costs 500 Wii Points, is developed by XGen Studios, and is 1-4 players.

Also released this week is Gameloft's 'Wild West Guns', a new shooting game for WiiWare.

In the Gold Rush days, danger awaits at every corner! Any environment component is a potential point awarding target… use your cowboy instinct! Test your accuracy and swiftness in multiple targeting: hit multiple targets in a row and make combos! Targets can be objects, animals, or bad people. Identify your enemies among the characters you encounter: beware not to shoot at innocent citizens! As targets or enemies appear in front of you, adjust draw speed and precision: point and shoot to earn more points.

Explore the environment to discover which elements will earn you more points as you shoot them. You can aim at anything… break windows, destroy chariots, break lamps etc. Not everything will award you points.

'Wild West Guns' costs 1000 Wii Points, developed by Gameloft and is 1-2 players.

This week North America also gets 'PixelJunk Eden' - you can buy it now for $9.99USD.

Along with the game you can also get new 'Bionic Commando Rearmed' and 'The Last Guy' trailers, as well as two 'PixelJunk Eden' themes and two 'Siren: Blood Curse' wallpapers.

Continue reading for the full list of downloads for the store.

The second part of the behind the screens of 'Bionic Commando Rearmed' is now out. You can download it at Game Trailers, or on the PlayStation Store in America.

Source: GameTrailers.com

With the release just less than a month away, GameSpot and their On The Spot show have a look at 'Ratchet & Clank: Quest For Booty' with a quick demo with the developers.

Source: GameSpot - On the Spot - 07/31/08