Marketplace Update, April 24, 2006

March and April have added a whirlwind of content to Xbox Live® Marketplace and, if anything, the pace is only quickening. Just last week the first major pack of downloadable content for Project Gotham Racing® 3 was made available, a new quest was added to The Elder Scrolls® IV: Oblivion™, the new Mission Impossible III movie trailer, theme, and gamer pictures were made available … and I've barely gotten started. Here's a more comprehensive look at what's new.

Pretend you're J Allard with a brand-new Ferrari.

Speed Pack
Though it was inevitable, Project Gotham Racing 3 fans can rejoice that the day is finally here. The Speed Pack offers the first major content download for the game, coming complete with twelve brand new cars. They are:

• Ferrari 612 Scaglietti
• Lamborghini Gallardo SE
• Dodge Viper SRT-10 Coupe
• Chevrolet Corvette Z06
• Aston Martin V8
• Pontiac GTO
• Radical SR8
• Nissan NISMO
• Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII FQ-400
• RUF RT12
• Saleen S7 Twin Turbo
• Audi RS4

Plus, a new auto-update for PGR 3 offers a host of changes and improvements to the game itself. The auto-update includes new features like the Tournament channel for Gotham TV, the ability to identify who's chatting while in a race, a new achievement for qualifying and playing in a tournament (worth 50 points), and loads more.

The Orrery download grants you a break from these fiends.

The Orrery
Not one to rest on their laurels, Bethesda is already out with a new content download for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion less than two weeks after the appearance of the Horse Armor Pack. The new download, called The Orrery, offers a new in-game quest. According to the official description, you must "harness the power of the stars, rebuild the defiled Orrery, and unlock the secrets of this Mages Guild Inner Sanctum." Beyond a brand new experience, you can expect the benefit of special items as a reward for the quest. I can't wait.

Itagaki Demonstration
The award for most intriguing download this week must go to the new (and only) Dead or Alive® 4 download. The new "DOA4: Which is Itagaki" video download consists of a gameplay video showcasing two matches. The first matches Kasumi versus Ayane while the second pits Kasumi against young Elliot. Tomonobu Itagaki (DOA4 producer) plays a character in each fight. The question is which one?

Trailer Love

Those eager to know what new trailers are available can rest easy, there's plenty new to look at.

• Ping-pong demonstrated: If you're wondering just what to make of Rockstar Games presents Table Tennis, download this high-definition trailer and get a an eyefull of the gorgeous and fast-moving gameplay.
• Jack Black shorts: Fans of Jack Black get their laugh on as the comedic one is highlighted in six short features focusing on his exploits during the filming of the upcoming movie Nacho Libre.
• Nacho trailer: Of course, the short features wouldn't hit the spot unless you could check out the theatrical trailer for this Mexican wrestling comedy.
• MI III double dip: Not long ago Xbox Live Marketplace received the teaser trailer for the upcoming Mission Impossible III, starring Tom Cruise and Philip Seymour Hoffman. This week the theatrical trailer has hit Xbox Live Marketplace.
• X-Men double dip: Just like MI III, Marketplace offers both the teaser trailer and theatrical trailer for the X-Men: The Last Stand movie.
• The Omen Redux: Damien's back! Horror movie remakes are becoming a genre all their own, but just one look at the trailer for The Omen movie will leave you both chilled and assured that the terrifying feel of the original is wholly intact.

It's a great week for the gal with the big guns.

Dashboard Love
New dashboard themes and gamer pictures are plentiful this week as well. Here's what's new.

• Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter™ Picture Pack: There are two newly available picture packs available. One offers three headshots of various soldiers and two variations on the Ghost Recon logo, while the other highlights one soldier headshot and several Ghost Recon-specific icons.
• MI III: Mission Impossible III weighs in with both a dashboard theme (free of charge) and a set of gamer pictures highlighting the main characters in the movie.
• Nacho dashboard: Jack Black's Mexican wrestling comedy also weighs in the a dashboard theme and set of gamer pictures (also free of charge).
• Lara Galore: Lara Croft Tomb Raider™ LEGEND fans will be hard pressed to find a better week for Tomb Raider goodies. Publisher Eidos has hit Xbox Live Marketplace with six separate gamer picture packs and six different dashboard themes, all highlighting everyone's favorite archaeologist heroine.

That wraps up the Xbox Live Marketplace highlights for this week, but you can expect loads more content to spring up in the week to come. Then, of course, there's always E3 …

Article by Ryan Treit