Two new titles coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade this week

Microsoft just released details on the two Arcade releases coming this Wednesday to Xbox LIVE.

The first is Marathon: Durandal (800 Microsoft Points) the original Mac predecessor to Halo.

* Epic story: Exclusive to Xbox LIVE Arcade, Marathon: Durandal is a cult classic first-person shooter (FPS) that continues the tradition of great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise.
* Upgraded visuals: All images in the game have been redrawn in high definition.
* Modern networking: Marathon: Durandal features a new modern networking layer built with Xbox LIVE in mind.
* Superior control: The redesigned controls take full advantage of the Xbox 360 Controller and enhance playing a first-person shooter on a home console.

The second is Spyglass Board Games (800 Microsoft Points 400 Microsoft Points) a collection of ultra-customizable board games that feature full Xbox LIVE Vision support. Here’s a list of what you can expect from Spyglass Board Games:

* Full featured games: Four classic board games to choose from. Play Chess, Checkers, Mancala, or Reversi.
* Video integration with Xbox LIVE Vision camera: Fully integrated video chat lets you see your opponent. Use the video effects to personalize your game.
* Customizable pieces: Choose custom game pieces that range from traditional marble, to metallic silver, to fuzzy and wiggling gel.
* Twelve achievements: Twelve achievements are offered ranging from easy, such as playing all four games, to more challenging, such as taking all four corners in Reversi.

Both of these downloads will be available this Wednesday, August 1st beginning at 2:00 a.m. Pacific time.

Does the Xbox 360 need a price drop?

It seems pretty obvious that, on the subject of an Xbox 360 price drop, the issue is not so much “if” as it is “when”. All consoles come down in price eventually but what triggers the price change determines when it will happen.

The reason for Sony’s recent $100 drop of the PS3, regardless of what anyone has said, was an attempt to boost poor sales figures. Sony needed to do this in order to compete, period.

The Xbox 360 on the other hand has sold reasonably well, negating the need for a competative drop in price. Microsoft also happens to be looking at one of the best ever holiday line-up of titles this year beginning with the release of Halo 3 in September followed by GTA IV, Mass Effect, BioShock, PGR 4, Blue Dragon and more. These titles could very well serve to sell consoles themselves, again defeating the need for a price drop.

That being said, there are a number of rumors out there that say a $50.00 reduction is imminent although, to the best of my knowledge, these are strictly rumors.

My instincts are saying that we won’t see a significant price drop on the console until sometime next year. Right now, there just doesn’t seem to be any justifiable reason for a price drop. Of couse, now that I’ve put this in writing, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see some major announcement from Microsoft to make me look the fool!