Microsoft's just getting started (lineup for Xbox, PC, and WP7)

By: Charles Powers
Published: Feb 25, 2011
at 8:24 am

Today Microsoft announced their lineup for the Xbox 360, PC, and Windows Phone 7 platforms. You’ll notice that topping the list of course is their biggest franchise title to be released this year, Gears 3. Microsoft also gives details about the Xbox-exclusive for games like Crysis 2 and Shift 2 Unleashed, early access to DLC for Homefront, and a few exclusives: Child of Eden, The Gunslinger, and The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile. The PC will be getting Fable III along with 3D capabilities in May, and WP7 players can interact with their PC and console games with Fable Coin Golf which we saw at CES. Check out the full notice below:

“Gears of War 3” (Epic Games) – Kicking off in mid-April, the “Gears of War 3” public multiplayer beta will give fans a chance to experience three new Versus Multiplayer modes on four new maps, and help shape the year’s biggest blockbuster, set to launch worldwide on 20 September and in Japan on 22 September. Fans can even decide which maps they’d like to see in the beta starting today by visiting the “Gears of War” Facebook page (facebook.com/gearsofwar) and voting on their favourites. But hurry, voting ends on 28 February.
“Halo: Reach”Defiant Map Pack (Certain Affinity, 343 Industries)– Available on Xbox LIVE for 800 Microsoft Points on 15 March, the “Halo: Reach” Defiant Map Pack introduces three stunning new battlefields for the most critically acclaimed shooter of 2010. Set in the heat of the legendary Battle of Reach, the three new warfronts – Condemned, Highlands and Unearthed – are primed for non-stop action in Firefight and all competitive multiplayer modes.
Halo Waypoint – Looking for more ways to share your best “Halo” victories with friends? Fire up Halo Waypoint on Windows Phone 7 orHaloWaypoint.com today to check out the new stat-tracking features, which allow you to share your in-game stats on the web and compare against friends from the palm of your hand.
“Fable III” Traitor’s Keep game add-on (Lionhead Studios) – Available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 560 Microsoft Points on 1 March, the Traitor’s Keep game add-on continues the journey as fans venture into three new levels called Ravenscar Keep, Clockwork Island, and the Godwin Estate, taking on new quests and encountering a mysterious prisoner. Traitor’s Keep also comes packed with 250 gamerscore points and additional content.
“Crysis 2” 3-D (Crytek, Electronic Arts) – Stunning in either HD or 3-D, “Crysis 2” from Crytek and Electronic Arts, lets players step into a post-apocalyptic world where alien invaders stalk the streets of New York City. With 12 multiplayer maps and six modes on Xbox LIVE, wield the supersoldier enhancements of the Nanosuit 2 when “Crysis 2” launches on Xbox 360 on 25 March.
“Homefront” (Kaos Studios, THQ) – The new action-packed first person shooter “Homefront,” from Kaos Studios and THQ, asks civilians to stand united, fight back and defend their “Homefront.” All “Homefront” game add-ons will appear first on Xbox LIVE, and at launch on 18 March, Xbox 360 versions of the game will exclusively feature the Suburbs map.
“Child of Eden” (Q Entertainment/Ubisoft) – Winner of several E3 awards, “Child of Eden” is a multi-sensory shooter from the mind of renowned game designer Tetsuya Mizuguchi that will send players diving into a kaleidoscopic matrix of synchronised music and mind-blowing visuals. Since “Child of Eden” was designed with Kinect for Xbox 360 in mind, only on Xbox 360 players will experience the controller-free magic that provides a new dimension of immersion when the game launches later this year.
“Batman: Arkham City” (Rocksteady Studios, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, DC Entertainment) – Launching this fall, “Batman: Arkham City” builds on the foundation of the award-winning “Batman: Arkham Asylum,” sending players into Arkham City, the new maximum security home for all of Gotham City’s thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds.
“SHIFT 2: UNLEASHED” (Slightly Mad Studios, Electronic Arts) – The seventeenth game in the “Need for Speed” series, “SHIFT 2 UNLEASHED” features an all-new rendering engine and graphics overhaul, innovative helmet camera, night racing, and authentic degradation of cars and environments to deliver the most realistic racing experience. When it launches on 1 April, Xbox LIVE members will have a unique multiplayer experience where you can share stats, profiles, pictures and videos with the community of more than 30 million users via “Need for Speed’s” innovative rivalry-generating Autolog technology.
“Once Upon a Monster” (Double Fine Productions, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment) – In a truly original interactive experience, young players join Cookie Monster, Elmo and other Sesame Street characters as they explore a living storybook titled “Once Upon a Monster.” In the book, they make new zany monster friends from the “Once Upon a Monster” world and share in their adventures, solving problems, forging friendships and learning key life skills along the way. Parents and children literally become part of the whimsical storybook adventure by getting active together through dancing, jumping, flying and more.
“The Gunstringer”(Twisted Pixel Games) – From the developers that brought you award-winning hits like “Splosion Man,” “The Maw” and “Comic Jumper,” comes an all-new Kinect-exclusive title, “The Gunstringer” for Xbox LIVE Arcade. Take control of an undead marionette in an epic Wild West stage production that requires your puppeteering and quick draw shooting skills to exact revenge on the Gunstringer’s enemies – all controller-free.
“Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood” The Da Vinci Disappearance game add-on (Ubisoft) – The Da Vinci Disappearance will include both single-player and multiplayer content for “Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood.” After the fall of the Borgias in Rome, Ezio will embark on a relentless quest to save Leonardo Da Vinci from an underground cult. The multiplayer addition is the biggest expansion to the award-winning multiplayer yet, including one new map, four new characters and two new game modes.
“The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile” (Ska Studios) – Created by award-winning indie developer James Silva, “The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile” is the stylistic action platform sequel to 2009’s “Dead Samurai.” The exclusive Xbox LIVE Arcade title features solo and co-op campaigns, 50 intense arcade challenges, an almost endless Dish Challenge, and now for the first time, the combo-fuelled action will be playable in 3D. Grab your six foot long syringe and sharpen your cleavers, because it’s about to get bloody.
“Beyond Good & Evil HD”(Ubisoft) – Releasing on 2 March, the fan-favourite “Beyond Good & Evil HD®” will be available on Xbox LIVE Arcade in full HD for 800 Microsoft Points. Enter the futuristic world of year 2435, a world full of deception, where nothing is as it seems and exposing the truth is the only hope of restoring freedom. Play as action-reporter Jade and capture the truth using stealth, force, and wits against a government that deceived you in this puzzle-solving action-adventure game.
“Torchlight” (Runic/Microsoft Game Studios) – A highly-regarded PC game with over 800,000 units sold to date, “Torchlight” is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade on 9 March for 1200 Microsoft Points. Combat is more exciting with revamped controls and mechanics, new armour and quests! There’s even an exclusive new pet for your character. Send a select goodie or two to your friends on Xbox LIVE to share the fun for the first time.
“Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime”(Atari) – Get ready to answer the call with “Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime” releasing on Xbox LIVE Arcade in March 2011. Team up with up to three other players, locally or online, to bust gigantic bosses and fend off a new supernatural threat. You’ll need the biggest ghostbusting arsenal you can use in this four-player adventure game. Who you gonna call?