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Madden Arcade touches down on XBL

Xbox Live Update: EA's pigskin spin-off joined on Marketplace by Games on Demand Saints Row 2 and Lego Indiana Jones.

In America, watching NFL games on Thanksgiving is becoming as traditional as the turkey dinner itself. Unfortunately, this year's slate of games lacks a marquee match-up; two of the three tilts involve league bottom-feeders like the Detroit Lions and Oakland Raiders, while the third game is between the Denver Broncos (losers of four straight) and the New York Giants (losers of three of their last four).

Saints Row 2, now available with all the heat-packing hot dog action and none of the tangibility!

Saints Row 2, now available with all the heat-packing hot dog action and none of the tangibility!

If that lineup sounds a little limp, football fans might be happy to have a different kind of NFL game on TV this week, and Microsoft is happy to oblige. This week's Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday release is Electronic Arts' Madden NFL Arcade, a five-on-five gridiron game where the emphasis is on heavy hits and big plays rather than realism. To that end, the game includes power-ups, no penalties or field goals, and a shortened 60-yard field that players must traverse in a single set of four downs.

Madden NFL Arcade will sell for 1,200 Microsoft points ($15). A PlayStation 3 edition of the game is also set for release as part of a special holiday-hastened Tuesday update to the PlayStation Network.

For those thankful there are non-sports options to be had, Microsoft is introducing another pair of titles to its Games on Demand catalog. Gamers can now download full versions of 2008 retail hits Saints Row 2 and Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures.

THQ and Volition's open-world action game allowed players to exercise their id in a variety of minigames from streaking to bulldozer racing and was hailed/derided as "crass, immature, and really fun" upon its release. Meanwhile Lego Indiana Jones retells the original movie trilogy in building-block form and was dubbed "the best Lego game yet" at the time of its debut. Saints Row 2 is available for $29.99, while Lego Indiana Jones sells for $19.99.

19 Comments

  • TripSe7en

    Posted Nov 27, 2009 8:46 am GMT

    Wah, wah, wah... Why are there so many "this shouldv'e been free", or "this is too expensive", or "Second thing is that thanks to all of you who keep buying games at 1200 MS points and $15, that has become the new standard. Good job guys!!" whining people out there. My god is it sickening, especially around the holidays! People do not understand that there are people who make these games, and these people need to get paid because that is their lively hood. If you think $15 is too much for Madden Arcade, then don't buy it. Just stop your whining already because no one cares. I remember whe EA made their NFL BLitz knockoff and it was a full priced game! $15 seems like a bargain to me!

  • CharlieFubar

    Posted Nov 25, 2009 5:58 pm GMT

    wait wait.... how is this news? this is paid advertising....

  • stek_SFE

    Posted Nov 25, 2009 4:22 pm GMT

    "Second thing is that thanks to all of you who keep buying games at 1200 MS points and $15, that has become the new standard. Good job guys!!"

    Explain to me how it is now the standard when 800 points is still by far the most common price for an Arcade game.

  • LosDaddie

    Posted Nov 25, 2009 5:51 am GMT

    It's a great game. Well worth the money

  • taylormadederek

    Posted Nov 25, 2009 4:51 am GMT

    First thing is that PSN needs to make sure that games are released on the same day as they are on LIVE.
    \
    \
    Second thing is that thanks to all of you who keep buying games at 1200 MS points and $15, that has become the new standard. Good job guys!!
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    \
    Either way, if it is anything like NHL 3 on 3 it will flop at this price, as that game was only worth its recent sale price of 400 MS points.

  • gedbyz

    Posted Nov 25, 2009 2:30 am GMT

    I wish they would purposely pick exciting matchups for Thanksgiving. Something like Packers and Vikings or Colts and Pats. Oh well I will just have to settle with Broncos and Giants. As for the game, I am not gonna get it because I am too busy with AC 2.

  • SopranosFan

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 5:44 pm GMT

    @starbead It may be the future and when the day comes I have to pay $60 to just borrow a game, that will be the day that I no longer support video games and that is the same I feel about buying movies as downloads. As long as they coexist like CDs and music downloads I am O.K.. But I enjoy being able to lend and borrow games, renting games that didn't get great reviews but still looking interesting to me. And even though I own well over 50 games(probably many more if including my older games that are boxed up for when I feel nostalgia) and have only traded in or sold maybe 5 I still enjoy having that option. A hard drive full of games are basically worthless because I only own the right to play them.

  • scubastevester7

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 5:20 pm GMT

    Sweet!!! Downloading on PSN right now

  • taylormadederek

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 4:30 pm GMT

    @ VectrexFanBoy

    Yeah Salarian Chemist is a hardcore 360 fanboy but plays it very safe with what he says. His comments are not usually false but they sure do twist reality. Either way he posts often and is an interesting part of the community.

  • taylormadederek

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 4:29 pm GMT

    @ starbead

    It is the future but still a long way off. I will NOT buy digital as long as I have an option to buy physical.
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    \
    I buy Arcade and PSN games as that is the only way that I am capable of consuming that media. However PSP games.......Never, I will take my physical media......Now if they make it cheaper then maybe.
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    If I buy digital then I want it to be mine. I want to be able to make 10 000 copies of it (not to sell, or play at the same time on a different machine) so that it is always backed up and mine forever.

  • VectrexFanBoy

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 4:20 pm GMT

    @ SalarianChemist you love talking trash, don't you?

  • Nobri

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 3:58 pm GMT

    Wow. Why does it say "...on XBL" in the title when it's also on PSN? I know it says it in the article, but a lot of people on this website post comments without reading.

  • starbead

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 3:47 pm GMT

    @SopranosFan

    Digital distribution is the future. Get used to it. It happened with music. It will happen with games and movies as well. I would dispute that you are simply "buying... the rights to play it." You are buying the game.


    I would, however, agree completely that people shouldn't buy them from Games on Demand. Games on Demand is Microsoft establishing the idea and infrastructure for full game downloads. The games cost too much. You can get almost all of them cheaper elsewhere. I am sure that this is because MS doesn't want to upset retailers before digital distribution is fully ready for primetime. So, for now it isn't worth the investment (or the precious, precious HD space), but the day will soon come when it is the norm.

  • SopranosFan

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 3:37 pm GMT

    Do not buy games on demand. You can usually buy the actual copy of the game for the same price and then actually own the game instead of just the rights to play it. The small arcade games and xbox originals or PS1 games on the PS3 are fine but beware the full size current gen titles.

  • taylormadederek

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 3:30 pm GMT

    I might actually buy this Madden. It will be simple and I got a bunch of MS points for 1/2 price. The only concern that I have is my 20GB HDD is nearing capacity.
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    You hear that MS I might not and have not in the past, bought games because my storage isn't big enough. How about you LOWER THE COST OF YOUR HDD'S!!!
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    I will be picking up an Elite on Boxing Day I think, for cheap. So that will be good.

  • SalarianChemist

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 2:38 pm GMT

    Xbox 360 versions of software of often released first, so this isn't a surprise at all.

    The nice thing about a situation about this is that the majority of people end up buying the game on one console, which means there are always more gamers to play with on that particular console.

    Thankfully, Xbox 360 is the console that comes packed with a headset when you purchase it. This means virtually everyone you play with online will be able to chat online while playing.

    I'm really looking forward to playing this Madden Football game and talking trash to people online when I make a tackle or cause a fumble!

  • xbox360fan128

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 2:24 pm GMT

    who cares its football who cant take a anuff football

  • -Fable-

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 1:53 pm GMT

    why are they charging us for madden arcade? I'm calling BS!!

  • oneligas

    Posted Nov 24, 2009 1:18 pm GMT

    how many ways to milk a NFL season, 1 madden , 2 madden arcade, 3 giant madden meat head maddness

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