Marketplace Update, April 12, 2006

It's been an eventful couple of weeks since our last update on Xbox Live® Marketplace. Fresh content includes much-anticipated demos, movie and game trailers, playable downloadable content, and, of course, many new themes and gamer pictures. Here are the highlights.

Back and in her element. See for yourself.

Playable Demos
Not one, not two, but three playable demos have premiered in the last two weeks alone, and each has given eager gamers a valuable free look at possible purchases. Here's what's new:

• Battlefield 2: Modern Combat™ : The popular Xbox® shooter gets a next-gen facelift, and you can sample the new character models, high-definition explosions, physics, and battle cry facial animations for free.
• Lara Croft Tomb Raider™ LEGEND : Lara is back in fine style thanks to new developer Crystal Dynamics, and this first level of the new game highlights the back-to-her-roots action as well as all the controls refinement Crystal Dynamics has lavished on the franchise.
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter™ : The previous demo gave fans and prospective players a sample of the single-player campaign, but this demo features online multiplayer action. The demo highlights the eerie Boneyard map and is open to all different gameplay modes.

The Advanced Warfighter and Battlefield 2 demos are online only, and, as such, are only playable by Xbox Live Gold members.

Getting used to his fancy new character model.

Horse Pack
Not two weeks at retail and The Elder Scrolls® IV: Oblivion™ already boasts a minor playable content download. The Horse Armor Pack allows you to purchase steel and elven armor for whatever mount you ride, and, while visual value is high, the armor does much to protect your horse. Anyone who has dropped 4,000 gold on a mount only to have it fall prey to a rabid wolf will appreciate the new content's value.

Get some horse armor and you won't have to walk!

New Trailers
Whether it's movies or games that whet your appetite, there are plenty of new trailer entries available for your downloadable pleasure:

• Movies
  • Captain Jack is Back: Pirates of the Caribbean and Johnny Depp fans can rejoice. The trailer for the Pirates sequel, Dead Man's Chest, is in full riotous form with this high-definition trailer. Keep a sharp eye out for hints at returning characters.
  • Cars: Pixar seems to do no wrong, and the trailer for Cars leaves little doubt that the digital artists are working their magic yet again. Pixar's trademark humor and vibrant worlds are in force here.
  • Stay Alive: Gamers and horror fans should pay attention to this unsettling new flick, as the plot fuses video games and real-life horror together in a way that might make you look differently at those late-night gaming sessions.
• Games
  • Lara's Back: The newly available Tomb Raider LEGEND trailer is worthy of the blockbuster franchise and highlights action and adventure from levels throughout the game. Beyond the playable demo, there's no better way to get a taste for our favorite gaming heroine's latest adventure.
  • Air Traffic Control: This extended gameplay trailer for Battlefield 2: Modern Combat showcases just how much chaos and action the game can seamlessly handle, and offers an excellent look at the game's made-over graphics.
  • Rumble Roses™ XX : Those scratching their heads over this all-female wrestling bonanza from Konami can get a better idea of what to expect with this gorgeous trailer.

So much more than a catfight.

Themes and Gamer Pictures
Games both old and new have been adding to the already vast library of dashboard themes and gamer pictures. Here's what's new:

• Battlefield 2: Modern Combat : The upcoming shooter from Electronic Arts has already dropped a load of themes and pictures, but their latest additions highlight the various vehicles in the game.
• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter : Though the game has seen tons of play on Xbox 360™ systems the country over, this marks the game's first picture pack. The pack includes a couple soldier headshots as well as icons immediately recognizable as Ghost Recon images.
• Tiger Woods PGA TOUR® 06 : Though a launch title, the folks at EA are giving Tiger Woods some more dashboard/profile love with a theme dedicated to beautiful golf course backgrounds, as well as a picture pack and theme dedicated to the titular cover athlete.
• Dead Rising™ : Also double dipping is Capcom as they release a second theme dedicated to the upcoming survival-horror zombie-fest Dead Rising. Freaky concept art and a surreal guide button background mark this theme as appropriate to the game's subject matter.

March marks the busiest month for newly released games and newly released content on Xbox Live Marketplace, so make sure you peruse the categories and sample all the rich content available to you. Enjoy.

Article by Ryan Treit