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Microsoft’s annual Summer of Arcade promotion is proving to be a boon to their digital delivery platform, Xbox LIVE Arcade. The promotion began in August of 2008 and saw an increase of 67% percent in revenue over the same August time period in 2007. Games like Braid, Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2, and Castle Crashers along with targeted marketing seemed to be a winning formula. This year’s Summer of Arcade lasted five weeks and saw the launch of five titles: Splosion Man, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled, Trials HD, and Shadow Complex. This stellar line up propelled the promotion to even greater heights, as Microsoft claims that Summer of Arcade sales have triggered a whopping 200% increase in sales. This success has already got us excited for what assuredly will be an even more amazing Summer of Arcade.
Press Release: September 22, 2009 – Beginning with the first “1 vs 100” trivia question on June 1, 2009 and continuing through the launch of revolutionary Summer of Arcade title “Shadow Complex” on August 19, 2009, Xbox LIVE has delivered brand new ways to access, play and share games on Xbox 360. “It’s clear that we’ve had an incredibly successful summer, and the Xbox LIVE community loves the innovative gaming experiences we deliver” said Scott Austin, director of digitally distributed games on Xbox LIVE. “We are the leader in digitally distributed games, have the best partners in the industry and work closely with them to offer the best in downloadable content and entertainment.” Xbox LIVE delivers a new genre of entertainment: “1 vs 100” A pioneering achievement in interactive entertainment, “1 vs 100” was downloaded nearly three million times during the 13 week pilot season, making it one of the top 10 most downloaded pieces of gaming content on Xbox LIVE to date. In fact, on average, more than half a million unique contestants competed in “1 vs 100” every week. And, up to 114,000 people in North America and 81,000 people in the UK and Republic of Ireland competed simultaneously in “1 vs 100 Live” shows. Featuring a live host, real prizes and regularly-scheduled programming, “1 vs 100” is a brand new genre of entertainment on Xbox LIVE. Get excited to hear more about season two… A record breaking summer for Xbox LIVE Arcade Xbox LIVE Arcade continued its tradition of industry-leading downloadable games with the second annual Summer of Arcade. This year’s Summer of Arcade delivered a lineup of blockbuster titles that smashed nearly every record for the service, and even set a new monthly revenue record with an incredible 200% growth over last year’s program. In fact, of the top five highest opening week sales ever on Xbox LIVE Arcade, three were from this year’s Summer of Arcade, including “Shadow Complex, “Trials HD” and “Marvel vs. Capcom 2.” What’s more, blockbuster breakouts “Shadow Complex” and “Trials HD” both eclipsed previous records for most downloaded single-player game in their opening weeks. Winner of more than 20 Editor’s Choice and E3 Awards, “Shadow Complex” set a new standard for quality and depth in downloadable games, offering an immersive story and setting on par with full retail titles, at the value and convenience gamers have come to expect from Xbox LIVE Arcade. To top it all off, “Battlefield 1943” joined the leading ranks as one of the best selling Arcade games of the summer. A brand new way to download with Games on Demand Announced at E3 and launched just two short months later, Games on Demand on Xbox LIVE delivered a brand new way to access and download full Xbox 360 titles. Games on Demand provides convenient, 24 x 7 access to a growing online library of popular game titles. With more than 40 games in the global library, for the first time the community can browse and download a great selection of full Xbox 360 games from the comfort of their living room. Get ready for “Joy Ride” Xbox LIVE industry leadership doesn’t stop there. This holiday, “Joy Ride” will debut an innovative free-to-play business model on Xbox LIVE and deliver an exclusive revolutionary gaming experience to the Xbox LIVE community. “Joy Ride” puts players’ Avatars behind the wheel, offers rich customization options through micro-transactions to suit every personality, and is fun for people of all skill levels to jump in and share. Unlike any other gaming experience on Xbox 360, the world of “Joy Ride” will grow and change the more people play. Xbox LIVE is the premier destination for blockbuster downloadable titles, value-priced entertainment, and inventive games that blur genre lines and provide all new ways to play. |
