Console Digest

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Xbox Live^® Market Place Downloadable Content Available 24 April 2008

Typhoon – ORANGE WING– (300 Microsoft Points)
Monotone Color, Orange Aircraft. A modified sky painting aircraft for shows and exhibitions. This aircraft is equipped with colored smoke missiles. The missile payload has been maximized for show purposes.

Su-47 Berkut – VIOLET WING – (300 Microsoft Points)
Monotone Color, Violet Aircraft. A modified sky painting aircraft for shows and exhibitions. This aircraft is equipped with colored smoke missiles. The missile payload has been maximized for show purposes.

Typhoon – ROT – (200 Microsoft Points)
Ace Combat Zero, Rival Rot Team Aircraft. Extremely agile maneuverability assures this aircraft’s dominance in a dogfight. Hindered by low durability, overwhelming attack prowess is its foremost form of defense. The elite Rot Team, led by the “Red Swallow”, was charged with maintaining air superiority over Area B7R. The proud and deeply patriotic team leader, soon became the face of the Belkan Air Force.

F-16C Fighting Falcon – PJ EMBLEM – (Free)
Ace Combat Zero, Wingman PJ Aircraft. Increased maneuverability is attained via reductions in armor.
A thorough set of customizations enable this aircraft to adapt quickly to changes in the tide of battle. Initially a member of the Ustio Air Force’s Crow Squadron, PJ flew as Galm 2 during the Belkan residual force sweeping operation, Stone Age. Fighting to protect the one’s he loved, PJ’s sense of justice remained steadfast to the end.

Tornado GR.4 + F-15E Strike Eagle + CFA-44 Nosferatu + F/A-18F SuperHornet – RAZGRIZ (400 Microsoft Points)
The heroes of Ace Combat 5, Razgriz Squadron Aircraft. Advanced accident prevention systems, and high durability have been incorporated into the design to ensure the survival of all squadron members. Known as both heroes and demons, the Razgriz Squadron’s drive towards victory smashed all who stood before them. When history witnesses a great change, Razgriz reveals itself.

Rafale M – THE IDOLMASTER IORI – (400 Microsoft Points)
THE IDOLMASTER, Iori Minase Aircraft. Although her bratty attitude may send you for a loop, once under
your control she may just reward you with a flawless performance. Her characteristic “spoiled sport” attitude is the fuel that keeps her flying, even when she’s in a tight spot.

The award-winning multiplayer experience evolves with three new maps and expanded Forge options now available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace

After launching in September 2007, millions of fans the world over still log onto Xbox LIVE every day to experience the award-winning action of “Halo 3” multiplayer. That experience expanded first in December with the release of the Heroic Map Pack, and today Microsoft Game Studios and Bungie release the next evolution with the Legendary Map Pack.

Available for 800 Microsoft Points exclusively on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, this second major downloadable content offering includes three new multiplayer maps, as well as a load of new Forge options.

Avalanche and Blackout revive two fan-favourite maps from previous “Halo” games, while Ghost Town welcomes desolate jungle combat to the experience. And now, using new options in the Forge, players can create more detailed challenges and map variants than ever, while also utilising a variety of visual effects to create new, unique screenshots and saved films.

Avalanche is a throwback all the way to “Halo: Combat Evolved.” This snowy battlefield was inspired by the original Sidewinder, but the massive, vehicle-oriented objective map adds a twist to its classic predecessor with all new interiors, dramatically reshaped exteriors and brand new vehicle variants. Admire the view from above, as Avalanche also marks the arrival of the Hornet to “Halo 3” multiplayer.

In keeping with the theme of “fan-favourites,” Blackout will fill the void left by fans of “Halo 2’s” Lockout. Although fully re-visualised, this map adheres very faithfully to the tightly wound perfection of the original, but eschews Forerunner architecture in favour of industrial human design. Blackout is perfect for fans of small battleground Slayer matches.

The Legendary Map Pack also packs a brand new punch, in addition to the two classics, with Ghost Town – a battle-scarred maze of narrow passages and dangerous ruins. Collapsed ceilings and shell-battered buildings provide both valuable cover and deadly traps, as catwalks and stairways take the fight from claustrophobic ground combat to dizzying rooftop battles. Ghost Town is a mid-sized map ideal for Team Slayer games and smaller, objective types.

As an added bonus, for a limited time only, gamers who purchase the Legendary Map Pack will receive a four month subscription to “Bungie PRO” via Xbox LIVE. Bungie PRO greatly expands the Halo 3 experience by increasing the maximum number of file share storage slots from six to twenty-four while also increasing the total file storage size to 250MB. This will allow players to upload and share more films, maps, screenshots and game-types than ever before.

The maps of the Legendary Map Pack are available in matchmaking today to those who have purchased the download. Additionally, fans that have yet to purchase the Heroic Map Pack, which released in December, can now download it for free on Xbox LIVE Marketplace.

At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2008 today, Microsoft Corp. celebrated the success of its industry-leading Xbox LIVE Arcade platform with the inaugural Xbox LIVE Arcade Awards. In January, more than 26,000 people voted for their favourite Xbox LIVE Arcade games, and this week Microsoft announced the winners at a private developer reception at GDC.

The finalists in each award category were chosen by a panel of select industry journalists, and the winners for the first six categories were determined by popular vote, with the final four categories decided by sales and gameplay data, Metacritic score or staff vote. Following are the winners for each category:

Xbox LIVE Arcade Award Winners

· Best Overall Arcade Game: “Bomberman Live” (Hudson Entertainment)

· Best Classic Game: “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” (Konami Digital Entertainment)

· Best Original Game: “Pac-Man: Championship Edition” (NAMCO BANDAI Games)

· Best Family-Friendly Game: “Pac-Man: Championship Edition” (NAMCO BANDAI Games)

· Best Competitive Multiplayer Game: “Bomberman Live” (Hudson Entertainment)

· Best Cooperative Multiplayer Game: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (Ubisoft Entertainment)

· Best-Selling Game: “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (Ubisoft Entertainment)

· Most-Played Game: “Worms” (Team17 Software Limited)

· Highest-Rated Game: “Castlevania: Symphony of the Night” (Konami Digital Entertainment)

· Xbox LIVE Arcade Staff Choice: “Pac-Man: Championship Edition” (NAMCO BANDAI Games)

“The Xbox LIVE Arcade business is currently the strongest it’s ever been, thanks to the content provided by the diverse range of talented developers attached to the platform,” said Marc Whitten, general manager of Xbox LIVE at Microsoft. “The Game Developers Conference is the perfect venue to recognise the successes of Xbox LIVE Arcade developers, and as we move further into 2008, gamers can expect to see even more quality content land on Xbox LIVE Arcade.”

Xbox LIVE Arcade is home to the world’s most innovative independent developers, with more than 25 independent studios serving as the creative fuel behind the original games that represent more than a quarter of the Xbox LIVE Arcade library.

In addition, the number of Xbox LIVE Arcade players has grown 145 percent since this time last year, and together players have logged more than 115 million gaming hours worldwide. The business as a whole has experienced a 150 percent year-over-year growth in unit sales.

With 14 Xbox LIVE Arcade games clocking in with a Metacritic score of 80 or higher and seven of those games available only on Xbox LIVE Arcade, the platform has established itself as the go-to source for quality pick-up-and-play gaming. There are currently more than 116 games available on Xbox LIVE Arcade, with new content added on Wednesdays.