While we finish up a few things off-Arcade, why don’t you read this quality coverage elsewhere?

• Rewards, as in “actual stuff”, for Achievements? That might be the case, if this rumor is true.
• Two great Xbox Live Arcade sites have become one - ILoveXBLA and XBLArcade have merged. We wish them all the best.
• Rumor bin: Is Electronic Arts beta testing another Live Arcade title (besides Boom Boom Rocket that is)? DaKing240 seems to think so.

Enjoy.

The classic adventure Another World celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. Besides releasing a revamped PC version of the game, developer Eric Chahi isn’t closing any doors for a Live Arcade release in an interview with Eurogamer.

Eurogamer: Would you agree to Another World being made available on Xbox Live Arcade or Virtual Console?
Eric Chahi: For sure.

I hope Microsoft is reading this.

It would seem that we’re not getting a Live Arcade release today, which is sad of course. Actually, it kind of sucks, to me Microsofts is neglecting their Live Arcade game commitment. There are so many indie developers out there with great ideas, so it shouldn’t be hard to make sure that there’s new quality content each week. Why not just let up some smaller games for 400 points or something?

Anyway, I think Microsoft sense that they need to provide value each Wednesday, so they’re trying to get out of this fix by listing ten upcoming Live Arcade games in a press release.

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The Lode Runner-ish downloadable computer game N is making its way to Live Arcade in a special super-duper version called N+.

Metanet Software has decided to join forces with Vancouver’s Klei Entertainment to produce a version of N for Xbox Live Arcade. Development is slated to officially begin on February 1, 2007, and finish at the end of this summer.

We will make sure that this incarnation of N remains as close to the original as possible, in terms of gameplay, graphics and fun. We’re including a level editor so players can make and swap their own levels, and we’re testing out exciting new features such as multiplayer modes as well.

Expect to see N+ on Live Arcade fall 2007.

Check out the original N screenshot page, or just go get the actual game for Mac or PC and try it out.

Via Joystiq

Major Nelson provides us with a list, as usual.

Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions)
1 Heavy Weapon
2 LUMINES LIVE!
3 UNO
4 MS.PAC-MAN
5 Geometry Wars Evolved
6 Street Fighter II’ Hyper Fighting
7 Texas Hold ‘em
8 Contra
9 Assault Heroes
10 Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

More Xbox Live stats in the Major’s post.

Jeff Minter is working on Space Giraffe, and blogs about it. The most recent post is about him worrying if people will “get it”, if it’s perhaps too complex for people?

but I *worry*… I love how it feels and I love the new stuff that makes it not just Tempest, like the bulling and such but will it be too complex for normal people to understand? (Not that is is that complex, just that the mechanic is new, at least the things that score the best are new techniques)… you *can* just playing it just shooting everything and not trying any of the tricks that really give rewards, but then if you do that you won’t get any extra lives and your scores will seem puny compared to someone in the know…

Jeff, don’t worry so much. Not every game on Live Arcade need to be a super-casual thing. Do the hardcore gamer dance, and make sure that the trial version will be telling enough for curious casual gamers to help them decide. Just do the game you want and we’ll be happy. Or sad, if it sucks. But it probably won’t.

Scoopmeister DaKing240 claims to have received word that Worms won’t be released for at least a month. Bummer. He also lets us know that there are two new additions to PartnerNet - Car and Crashes - but no real info.

Josh Howard of Carbonated Games, the first party Microsoft developer that gave us Uno, likes the 50 MB cap on Live Arcade games. This is revealed in an interview with Next Generation, in response to the recent rumors of a raised size limit. continue reading…

A Dutch Xbox site are claiming that the arcade classic Double Dragon will be released on Xbox Live Arcade in March, for 400 Microsoft points. Not only that, but we’ll also get co-op gameplay off- and online, which sounds so sweet… Screens at the bottom of the not-so-comprehensible page.

Double Dragon are one of the classics, a sidescrolling beat ‘em up where two brothers take on gang after gang after gang after… You get the point.

Via the excellent XBLArcade

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