Lumines Live! puzzling out global warming

A new wave of updates for Lumines Live! is set to hit Xbox Live Marketplace next Wednesday, and Q Entertainment will be using it, at least in part, to promote a global cause.

From June 27 to July 17, Q will donate a portion of the revenue generated by the SOS Charity Campaign Pack to climate-protection organizations and causes. Featured in the pack will be a remixed version of Genki Rockets' "Heavenly Rocket" skin, as well as "House66" by Sugiurumn, "4x4 Bricks" by Techriders, and "Cosmic Humming" by Muku. The skin pack will run for 350 Microsoft points ($4.37).

Benevolence aside, an update for Lumines Live!'s challenge mode will also be available next Wednesday. The booster pack will inject 20 new skins into the rhythm game. Of note from the new content is a specially designed skin featuring the work of artist/musician Masakatsu Takagi. The booster pack will cost 600 Microsoft points ($7.50).

Also available will be four new picture packs that feature five different avatars each, as well as the game's Xbox Live theme pack, designed by game art director Katsumi Yokota. Each picture pack runs for 100 Microsoft points ($1.25), while Theme Pack 1 will cost gamers 150 Microsoft points ($1.87).

Today also saw the release of two pieces of content altogether unassociated with Lumines Live!. As previously reported, Lost Planet's third map pack is now available today for 400 Microsoft points ($5). Also available today is a demo for the film-to-video game adaptation of the animated feature Surf's Up, which, like all other demos, is free.