Microsoft Studios

Minecraft for Xbox Live Arcade will be getting its first free update in just a couple weeks, Roger Carpenter, lead producer of the fastest-selling game to ever hit the platform, has informed XBLA Fans. Digital crafters can look forward to what has been dubbed an interim update fixing a number of bugs when it arrives. Carpenter confirmed that dummy glitches, sleeping, clay issues and more will be remedied when it goes live.

A more robust update (1.7.3) will then follow at an undetermined date in July. Designed as the first in a series of post-release downloads to bring the port up to speed with the PC version, 1.7.3 will not include any additional Achievements due to it being free. (Those players who feel the itch to bump up their Gamerscore need not necessarily worry: traditional Xbox Live DLC with extra Achievements is being considered for sometime down the line.)

 
[springboard type=”video” id=”496935″ player=”xbla001″ width=”640″ height=”400″ ] Unfortunately the size of the maps (1024 by 1024 blocks) is not set to be bumped up yet. The reason, says Carpenter, is that the game’s creators want to make sure they have sufficient room to expand the game as it grows. Any PC bugs that were not fixed until later updates will not be taken care of with 1.7.3, but, as mentioned, the plan is to eventually update Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition enough so that it matches up with the PC version.

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Microsoft Japan has revealed that Crimson Dragon, the on-rails dragon combat title from Grounding, Inc. and Land Ho! Co. Ltd., is set to release in Japan on June 13, reports Famitsu. The Kinect-enabled spiritual successor to the Panzer Dragoon series will cost gamers 1200 Microsoft Points. No release details have been made available in regards to American and European territories at this time.

A trio of new dragons were also shown and detailed for the first time, meaning that all six of the game’s dragon types are now known. Black Bone makes up for his lack of agility with powerful main attacks and skills such as his “homing-Ray,” which locks on to a multitude of baddies. Golden Hawk has strong defensive attributes and a move called “plasma Barrett.” A rough translation identifies the move as “a power attack fire.” Last up is Silver Tail, who is sort of the smarty-pants of flying lizards. Silver Tail has the highest mental strength but low stamina. His main “Vision Lightning” ability allows for a form of automated tracking, and his main attack will be customizable to some degree.

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Where have all the Supercross creators gone? This is a callout to any makers of Supercross maps. Post your map name and gamertag in the comments below. We’ll try your map out, and if it’s good enough we’ll record footage of it.

But we digress. This week has a great mix of Trials and Skill Game tracks, and we mean that literally. Not only do we have a few of each, but some tracks cross the lines into both types. To download these tracks by entering Track Central, selecting Get Tracks, then pressing X to search. Enter the gamertag below to find the track. Be aware that the search is case sensitive. A big thanks to the Trials Evolution community for the borrowed videos. Hit the jump to see this week’s picks.

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Microsoft, in response to a deluge of complaints from SDTV owners unable to play splitscreen Minecraft, has revised the game’s overview on the Xbox Live Arcade Marketplace, reports …
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Today we’re showcasing seven amazing trials tracks and one wild skill game. To download these tracks by entering Track Central, selecting Get Tracks, then pressing X to search. Enter the gamertag below to find the track. Be aware that the search is case sensitive. A big thanks to the Trials Evolution community for the borrowed videos. Hit the jump to see this week’s picks.

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It’s dangerous to go alone! Read this guide to save yourself some anguish.
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Is 1600 MSP too much for you? Residents of the United States can pick up Minecraft today for $15, the equivalent of 1200 MSP. Head on over to BestBuy.com …
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Minecraft: Xbox 360 Version was developed by Mojang and 4J Studios and published by Microsoft Studios. It is released May 9, 2012 for 1600 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

If you’re any kind of gamer, odds are you’re at least tangentially familiar with Minecraft. If you’re unfamiliar, a brief synopsis: You’re dropped in the middle of a seemingly endless world, left to fend for yourself. Just about everything in the game world can be deconstructed, reconstructed and combined to rebuild the world around you as you see fit (think of it as a world made entirely of LEGO blocks). When the sun goes down, though, the monsters come out to play – and when that happens, you’d better have some weapons or shelter to fight back (you remembered to build a sword, didn’t you?).

In a way, Minecraft is the quintessential open world game: The player is left to his or her own devices without that pesky story campaign getting in the way of the fun. When the game first released on PC in 2009, it became a sensation for its simple-yet-deep gameplay – and the fact that you could build anything from a scale replica of The Legend of Zelda‘s game world to virtual representations of human anatomy didn’t hurt either. Now, the game makes its long-awaited debut on XBLA: Does it retain the simple charm PC gamers have enjoyed for years, or is it lost in translation?

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Napalm and Evil Empire addons for Toy Soldiers: Cold War were developed by Signal Studios and published by Microsoft Studios. They were released on March 25, 2012 for 400 MSP each. A copy of both addons were provided for review purposes.

Toy Soldiers: Cold War is a great game. We loved it when it first released and since its August 2011 release, the possibility of DLC has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. Now the Napalm and Evil Empire additions have finally released and unfortunately it might not have been worth the wait. A few fun additions were made but a severe lack of content makes these addons a bit of a let down. Read More

Today’s Most Wanted is our first downloadable content article. As such it has a slightly different format.

The world has been bitten by the Trials Evolution bug. Over 100,000 players saddled up in the first day, and close to 350,000 after just one week. It shattered sales records on Xbox Live Arcade. DLC has been promised. Though we’re more than satisfied with the game’s default content and the endless supply available via Track Central we’re still itching for more. But what are they going to put in? We’ve got some ideas, and even a name: the Nitro Pack, inspired from RedLynx’s own Monster Trucks Nitro.

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