Microsoft opens Japanese Xbox Arcade site

TOKYO--Today, Microsoft opened a Japanese-language Web site called Xbox Arcade, which is dedicated to promoting the upcoming arcade ports that will be released on the Xbox console.

Xbox Arcade currently hosts promotions for AlfaSystem's arcade shooter Castle of Shikigami II, which includes comments from the company's PR division, downloadable wallpapers, and a Macromedia Flash Solitaire game that features cards with the game's character art. Sections for Guilty Gear XX #Reload and Metal Slug 3 are also scheduled to open in the near future. The site also has a virtual playground called X-Arena, which can be accessed from the main menu. The X-Arena isn't fully operational yet, but there seems to be a menu to load saved data, so it's likely to have some playability in the future.

Castle of Shikigami II was released yesterday in Japan at a retail price of 5,040 yen. Castle of Shikigami II comes in a collector's edition package that can be used as a calendar. Furthermore, the package also includes a set of postcards. Players who have Xbox Live can download additional images in the game's gallery mode, in addition to short story novels based on the Castle of Shikigami II universe.