MS confirms downloadable Xbox games, free Carcassonne for Live anniv.
by James Ransom-Wiley 
on Nov 13th 2007 12:45PM
To mark the fifth anniversary of the Xbox Live service, Microsoft will be offering
Carcassonne (
Hexic 2 in Korea) free to all subscribers for 48 hours starting at 12:01 a.m. EST on Nov. 15th (and presumably
nothing to the peeps who already plunked down for the virtual board game), along with 500 Microsoft Points to the ten folks who've been on board since 2002 -- see kids, early adoption does pay off! In addition, Microsoft has confirmed
earlier reports that 'Xbox Originals' will be made available for download starting Dec. 4th as part of the Fall Update (the update's additional features have yet to be revealed). Each game can be purchased and downloaded for 1200 points ($15).
In its press release, Microsoft explicitly named
Halo, Psychonauts, Crimson Skies and
Fable as titles for the Xbox Originals initiative, but did not confirm exactly which games will serve as the jumpoff: "This new service will launch with an array of blockbuster titles spanning the most popular genres from action-adventure to classic role-playing games." Third-party reports claim the preliminary lineup will include
Halo, Fable, Indigo Prophecy, Crimson Skies, Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath Of Cortex and
Burnout 3.
[Via press release]
