The infernal heat outside indicates that it’s now summer, and as such Microsoft has issued full details for the upcoming “Summer of Arcade” promotion.
For years now Microsoft has chosen one month each summer to introduce four new Xbox Live Arcade titles that it hopes will be big hits. Details on this year’s sale were announced this morning by Xbox figurehead Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb, and while the titles on offer aren’t as immediately enticing as previous years’ offerings – Minecraft and Trials Evolution is a hard combo to top – they should prove entertaining diversions.
Have a look:
The annual Summer of Arcade starts August 7th, and I wanted to share the schedule and pricing details:
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons launches August 7th for 1,200 Points
Charlie Murder launches August 14th for 800 Points
Flashback launches August 21st for 800 Points
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows launches August 28th for 1,200 Points
As a bonus, buy any two of the above Summer of Arcade games and receive a Souls Pack for Ascend: Hand of Kul for free.
In case you’re unfamiliar with the above games, Microsoft also issued the trailer for the Summer of Arcade promotion that you can find embedded at top-right. Take a look at the video, then tell us what you think. Do any of these games excite you? That Flashback remake and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games have name recognition on their side, but the other two are exactly the sort of lesser productions that have often grown into fan-favorite games with increasing frequency during this moribund console generation.
Still, as I said before, there’s nothing on offer here as immediately appealing as Minecraft or Trials Evolution, though this late in the Xbox 360’s lifespan, it’s to be expected that the biggest name games might not be available for a promotional effort like the “Summer of Arcade” program. Still, fingers crossed for what we will be receiving. The Summer of Arcade months have always been lucrative for Microsoft and a boon of fans, so let’s hope this year doesn’t kill that trend.
Source: Major Nelson
Published: Jul 8, 2013 06:31 pm