XBLA Fans’ Calendar Update helps you keep track of all those XBLA release dates that often seem to spring upon you at the last minute and remind you of those promised games you were looking forward to that just seem to disappear without explanation. In this edition we’re taking a look at a particularly sparse November along with some hopefuls for December so you can start organizing your MSP and schedule in some serious controller time or sick days well in advance.

The XBLA release schedule seems to have gone a bit quiet for the last two months of the year. So far we only have 3 confirmed November game launches. In the first week of the month gamers can get their hands on the next release in the SEGA Vintage Collection, Toe Jam & Earl for 800 MSP on November 7. In keeping with the retro feel for this week, the remake of 1984’s Karateka will also release November 7 for 800 MSP. The only other confirmed release this month is for Warlords on November 14, also priced at 800 MSP. However Skulls of the Shogun developers 17-Bit, have stated they would like a November launch despite having previously announced it would release with Windows 8, and developers Chasing Carrots have also indicated they would like to release their top-down racer Pressure this month too.

Quite a few games are also now running late on their promised release windows. Blood Knights was supposed to release on Halloween but was mysteriously missing earlier this week and with no word on a new release window as yet. Similarly Alien Spidy was delayed after missing it’s October 19 release date and there’s no sign yet of Dollar Dash which also appears to be delayed after initially announcing the game would release in October. Scourge: Outbreak was originally slated for Q3 but no further announcements have been made, meanwhile there’s still no word on an XBLA release for Retro City Rampage. Sorry.

Moving on to December, gamers are likely to see a release for MOBA Guardians of Middle-Earth. Developers Monolith have already announced it will hit PSN on December 4 so we’d expect a similar date for XBLA for 1200 MSP. Gamers are also likely to be enjoying the final episode of The Walking Dead series before the month is out and Castlestorm from Zen Studios is also expected to launch by the end of 2012. There’s also an outside chance we’ll see Contrast from Compulsion Games who were aiming for Q4 and Red Bull Crashed Ice Kinect is shooting for winter so December is a possibility. DLC wise Tony Hawks’ Pro Skater HD has been delayed again however the team are pushing for a December release, though the same can’t be said for Trine 2‘s “substantial” add-on which now appears to have gone dark.

Here’s a quick recap of November’s confirmed games:

  • 11/7 Toejam & Earl (800 MSP)
  • 11/7 Karateka (800 MSP)
  • 11/14 Warlords (800 MSP)