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If you spend much time checking out Indie Games on Xbox Live, there's a considerable chance you've stumbled upon the Arkedo Series of games. Fans will be happy to hear that Arkedo and Pastagames have released a third in the series. Entitled Pixel, the game features slick dot matrix graphics and simple platforming action. The game also has a nifty feature that allows players to zoom in on certain parts of the background and explore them at the pixel level. Check the game out in the video above and enjoy some screens in the gallery below.

You can snag the trial version through the link below and, should you enjoy it, the full game is 240 ($3) or, as Arkedo puts it, "approximately the asking price for a nice latte."

Shortcut: Add Arkedo Series - 03 Pixel to your 360 download queue [Via Xbox.com]

For $5, you could probably buy a value meal fit for a king -- but you know what you couldn't get? A delightfully charming action platformer starring a purple, omnivorous and gelatinous blob. No, wait! This week -- and this week only -- you can get a delightfully charming action platformer starring a purple, omnivorous and gelatinous blob. The price of Twisted Pixel's The Maw has been slashed from 800 MS Points ($10) to 400 MS Points ($5). And here we thought Christmas was over.

Additionally, today's holiday XBLM deal is a Rolling Stones live track pack for Guitar Hero 5. It can be yours for only 360 ($4.50), half the usual 720 ($9) price.

Shortcut: Add The Maw to your 360 download queue [Via Xbox.com]
Shortcut: The Rolling Stones Live Track Pack [Via Xbox.com]

Watch your head, folks, because prices are falling. Today's Xbox Live holiday deal of the day is targeted directly at DLC for Bethesda's critical and commercial darling, Fallout 3. If you're looking to add more intense VATS-related action to the RPG, each add-on pack is available for 400 ($5) a piece -- a 50% savings of your Microsoft-branded space bucks.

New to the Fallout 3 universe? There are five DLC add-on packs for the (already) lengthy RPG. Arguably the most important -- and one you should tackle first -- is Broken Steel, which increases the game's overall level cap to 30 and allows players to continue playing beyond the conclusion. Also, a Game of the Year edition is available in stores, which includes all of Fallout 3's downloadable content -- making it cheaper if you don't already own the game to begin with.

Add Fallout 3's Operation Anchorage DLC to your Xbox 360 download queue
Add Fallout 3's The Pitt DLC to your Xbox 360 download queue
Add Fallout 3's Broken Steel DLC to your Xbox 360 download queue
Add Fallout 3's Point Lookout DLC to your Xbox 360 download queue
Add Fallout 3's Mothership Zeta DLC to your Xbox 360 download queue

[Thanks, Brett]

Yearning for a hearty adventure, but struggling to get by on the pathetic wages of a Caribbean flooring inspector? If so, today's advertised Xbox Live Deal of the Day (part of an ongoing promotion) should float your cup of tea -- right onto the shores of Monkey Island. The Xbox Live Arcade version of The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition has been marked down by 50 percent to 400 MS Points ($5).

Some readers reported having some difficulty obtaining yesterday's deal at the advertised price. If the reduced price doesn't reflect on the Xbox Live Marketplace yet, be sure to try again later today. And if you're the good sort that's already completed this classic bout of pirating, perhaps you should join us later today as we taste pies and assign numerical scores to them.

Add The Secret of Monkey Island: Special Edition to your Xbox 360 download queue

Update: The joke's on us, folks. The source article is, of course, satirical -- something we conveyed rather poorly in the story below. We've seen no signs of Xbox Live so much as flinching this holiday, so far, and it has continued to provide us with a legitimate excuse to ignore that one cousin that nobody seems to know but someone keeps inviting for Christmas lunch. If you can give us your forgiveness for the error, that would be a really fine gift.

Can't wait to get home to the family for the holiday this weekend ... and then completely ignore them with a Left 4 Dead 2 marathon on Xbox Live? You're not the only one. Microsoft is bracing itself for a flood of online gameplay this weekend, including players trying catch up on all of the games they were too busy (baking cookies and wrapping presents) to play since November, as well as all the new folks who just unwrapped new games from under the tree. It's become a holiday tradition -- last year two years, the outage lasted for 11 days, from the weekend before Christmas to the end of the year, and spawned not only a free game, but a class action lawsuit to boot.

Previously, the problem was compounded by most of the tech staff being offline with their families, but this year, we're sure Microsoft has both servers and staff on notice to solve problems the second a clatter happens to arise. And if not, maybe we'll get another free game. Hopefully one better than Undertow.

Let's face it, childhood was disappointing. Every year, you begged your parents to take you to Disney World, forever dreaming that you might own your very own pair of Mickey Mouse ears, the accessory that screams, "Yeah, I've been there." And every year, your parents would say, "We're going to Disney World!" Filled with glee, you would pile into the car with the rest of the family, only to arrive at the local Pottery Barn. Okay, so it might not be everyone's childhood, but it's close enough.

The point is that there is now a digital ton of Disney themed Avatar goodies on Xbox Live Marketplace. There's actually some fun stuff up there, including the enchanted broom from Fantasia, a Tigger doll and plenty of clothing options. And yes, there are Mickey Mouse ears. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, some of the Disney items, including the ears, are experiencing some technical difficulties. Fret not, however, as Major Nelson assures us that Microsoft is on the case, so we're sure our your childhood dream will soon be within reach.

We'll make this one quick: Today's Xbox Live deal has cut the cost of Live Arcade's recommended skip-reverse-plus-4 sim, Uno Rush. Microsoft has taken 50% off the top, leaving a mere 400 MS Points behind. That's $5!

Also, did you see what we did there at the beginning? "We'll make this one quick." Uno Rush. Pretty amazing stuff. Maybe you should give the $5 to us for our fabulous wordplay.

Add Uno Rush to your Xbox 360 download queue

Because nothing goes with the egg nog and sugar cookies as well as baby murder, right? As expected, the demo for Dante's Inferno has descended into the seventh level of the Xbox Live marketplace, which means that you Xbox Live Gold members can hack and slash your way past all of the buzz and see if the gameplay floats your ferry right across the River Styx.

The demo is 1GB in size, and while we didn't see it available on the console itself (though it should be there soon), you can follow this link on over to the Xbox website and queue up the download from there. Just don't come crying to us when Grandma's shocked after walking in and seeing what you're doing on the "gamebox." Make sure you know where the smelling salts are.

Interested in revisiting the world of everyone's favorite action professor, minus all the live-action footage? Xbox Live has got you covered with a brand new demo of the recently released LEGO Indiana Jones 2. The LEGO-fied version of Indy's latest includes new levels from his original adventures, as well as hilarious antics from The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Sadly, the game does not include a "punch Shia LaBeouf endlessly for helping to ruin so much of our beloved past" mode.

We're hoping for that addition to come in the form of DLC.

Add the LEGO Indiana Jones 2 Demo to your Xbox 360 download queue

(An excerpt from "How The Grinch Robbed 200 Houses and Cars in the Bronx.")

Then he slithered and slunk, with a heart black as onyx,
Around the whole room, stealing all electronics!
Laptops! Fax Machines! iPhones! Three-sixties!
(The latter of which would prove fairly tricky.)
And he stuffed them in bags. Then the Grinch, very nimbly,
Stuffed all the bags, one by one, up the chimney!

And what happened then...?
Well...in Who-ville they say
The Grinch played that Three-sixty,
and without delay --
the Westchester bobbies, with Microsoft's aid,
located the Grinch-lair, and began to invade!
And they brought back the toys! And the tell-tale console!
And the Grinch went to jail. (He'd skipped out on parole.)

[Via HotBloodedGaming]

Buying games is always fun -- and we've made it easy with our Holiday Buyer's Guides -- but it's even better to receive them ... in one gigantic stack!

In that spirit, Microsoft has generously donated download codes for many of the Xbox Live Arcade games featured in our Marketplace Buyer's Guide, including 'Splosion Man, Bionic Commando Rearmed, Castle Crashers, N+, Geometry Wars 2 and many, many more. Plus, we're tossing in a one-year subscription code for Xbox Live Gold!

To enter for your chance to win:

• Leave a comment on this post telling us which downloadable games -- for any and all platforms -- you hope to buy with the cash and credit your receive over the holidays
• You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec)
• Limit 1 entry per person
  
• This entry period ends at 12:00PM ET on Thursday, December 24
• We'll randomly select one winner at that time to receive redemption codes for Bionic Commando: Rearmed, Carcassonne, Geometry Wars 2, Castle Crashers, N+, 'Splosion Man, Puzzle Quest, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Alien Hominid HD, Mega Man 9, Ikaruga, Galaga Legions, Pac-Man Championship Edition, UNO Rush, A Kingdom for Keflings, Rez HD, Assault Heroes 2, TMNT 1989 and Bomberman Live for Xbox Live Arcade [Total ARV: $190] and a redemption code for a 1-year Xbox Live Gold subscription [ARV: $50] -- please check your emails!
• For a list of complete rules, click here.

Happy holidays and best of luck!

---

What is Joyswag? Since we don't keep the games and merchandise we receive for review or promotional purposes, it becomes "Joyswag," which is passed along to our readers. For more info on our policy, click here.

Electronic Arts will give back 800 to those who buy items from a select list of downloadable merchandise between December 25 and January 31. The offer covers items like DLC from Mass Effect, Dragon Age: Origins and downloadable titles like Battlefield 1943 and Hasbro Family Game Night. It also covers many of EA's Games on Demand offerings, including Burnout Paradise and Dead Space.

The details on how the redemption works are ... well, we can't really seem to find them. We've sent out some emails asking EA if it could clarify how the deal will work, exactly. If you're looking to take advantage of the offer in the meantime, just make sure your Xbox Live email address and contact details are all current.

Looking for a cheap way to stave off that post-holiday depression that we all immediately experience as soon as the last present is unwrapped? (You do experience that, right?) Microsoft's got new Xbox 360 owners covered -- from December 24 to December 28, 1 vs. 100 will be free-to-play for Xbox Live Silver subscribers. What's more, the show on December 26 will be deeply saturated with holiday spirit, featuring "Holiday-themed trivia, a decked out set, and laughs with Chris Cashman."

If you're still on the fence about subscribing to Live, you should give this free 1 vs. 100 trial a shot. After all, nothing can better distract you from the fact that you won't get to open more intricately ribboned gifts for another 364 days like taking part in an interactive game show.

Microsoft has announced that it's rolling out the real Xbox Live Music Games stores. When the latest Dashboard Update rolled out earlier this year, this section was comprised solely of Xbox Live Marketplace entries for music game DLC, but now each game will be receiving its own themed store. So, if you want to pick up Rock Band or Guitar Hero tracks, you can open up the corresponding store and start browsing. Each store will also allow users to preview songs, so there's no need to fire up each game to see if you like a particular track.

The stores should be going live sometime today, so keep an eye on the Music Marketplace section of the Xbox 360 dashboard. The games that will feature their own stores include Rock Band, Rock Band 2, The Beatles: Rock Band, LEGO Rock Band, Guitar Hero 5, Guitar Hero: World Tour, Band Hero, Lips and Lips: Number One Hits. Check out images of the new storefronts in the gallery below.