Want a great new game for your newly purchased Xbox 360 Arcade? Well Xbox Live Arcade will have a game available that should raise a smile. D3Publishers will unleash RocketBowl onto the world on September 10, 2008 on the Xbox Live network. This futuristic bowling game boasts the following features:

Game Features

• Rocket-Powered Bowling Balls – Rocket powered balls boost, jump and turn to help players knock down the pins and earn extra points with wild shots.

• 10 Crazy Bowling Courses – In addition to a regular bowling alley, RocketBowl features 9 crazy courses filled with ramps, tunnels, loops, hills, curves and more to create a bowling experience like never before.

• Fun and Varied Single-Player Mode – Single-player RocketBowl allows players to take on the variety of courses in Free Play mode; or challenge the course pros in Tournament and Challenge mode where they can wager and win money to upgrade their equipment.

• Exciting Multiplayer Matches – Up to 4 friends can compete against each other over Xbox LIVE or locally on one system. Xbox LIVE play features Player (unranked) and Ranked matches.

• Upgrade Your Equipment – Using cash earned by winning matches, players can upgrade from more than 15 unique bowling balls including Strawbally, 8-Ball, the Jupiter 5000 and the Kalamazoo Special – more powerful bowling balls feature enhanced boost and curve abilities.

Check out the screen shots below.

- Geoff

[Source: 411mania]

Microsoft and Rock the Vote, a popular non-proft non-partisan organization that advocates political participation among youths, will team up to let Xbox 360 gamers get political. Xbox 360 users with an Xbox Live account will be able to register to vote, voice their political opinions, and participate in surveys and polls. This newly developed partnership will let gamers voice their political opinion straight from their couch. They hope that this new promotion will raise political awareness and hopefully bring out more voters for this November’s presidential election. Rock the Vote is hoping to register 2 million young voters through this campaign. This should be easy since Microsoft claims to have 12 million users. In addition to promoting political participation, Microsoft is hoping to let both political parties be aware of parental controls and safety in regards to the Xbox 360 console. Microsoft will be promoting the Rock the Vote campaign at both the Democratic and the Republican National conventions later this month. So go out there and voice your political opinion!!

- Geoff

[Source: GameDaily]

So what are the top games to play on Xbox Live for both the original Xbox and the Xbox 360. Check this out from Xbox Live’s Major Nelson.

LIVE Activity for week of August 11th

Xbox 360 Top Live Titles (based on UU’s)
1 Call of Duty 4
2 Halo 3
3 GTA IV
4 Gears of War
5 Madden NFL 09
6 Rock Band
7 Guitar Hero III
8 Battlefield: Bad Company
9 SOULCALIBUR IV
10 Fable II Pub Games

Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions)
1 BC:Rearmed
2 Fable II Pub Games
3 Braid
4 Geometry Wars Evolved²
5 UNO
6 1942: Joint Strike
7 DOOM
8 SOULCALIBUR
9 N+
10 Worms
The above arcade list is based on full versions purchased.

Original Xbox Top Live Titles (based on UU’s)
1 Halo 2
2 Star Wars: Battlfrnt 2
3 Fable
4 Counter-Strike
5 Fable: Lost Chapters
6 Splinter Cell Chaos
7 Conker: Live Reloaded
8 Doom 3
9 Battlefield 2: MC
10 Call of Duty 3

These lists are based on global unique users connected to Xbox Live or in the case of Arcade, full versions purchased that week.

- Geoff

[Source: Major Nelson]

“Let the force be with you” proclaimed LucasArts. As the developer of the new video game, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, LucasArts has announced that a playable demo will be made available this Thursday, August 21, at the  XBox Live Marketplace. This demo gives players a little taste of what to expect as well as teach players how to use the new Force Grip power feature. As the first game to be developed internally by LucasArts, it utilizes modern hardware technology in order for the player to control the Force. An entirely new chapter in the Star Wars saga, the video games is set to reveal Darth Vader’s new “apprentice” as well as new revelations regarding the Star Wars galaxy. The release date for the game in North America is September 16, 2008 and will be available for the Xbox 360 gaming console.

- Geoff

[Source:GameInforWire]

It has been eight years since a new Banjo-Kazooie video game was made available for non-portable gaming consoles. Rare Ltd, the developer of the Banjo-Kazooie series, officially announced today that a demo for the latest game in the series, Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts, would be made available on the Xbox Live Marketplace. The official release date for the game is set to Christmas 2008. The new video games marks the tenth anniversary for the series. The new game includes all the characters from previous games as well as somenew characters. Unlike previous Banjo-Kazooie games, this game utilizes vehicles to transport the two main characters around. Keep an eye out for that demo!

- Geoff

[Source: Xbox 360 FanBoy]

It is now official. The game we closed our eyes and dreamed about. The game we’ve all heard rumors about finally comes true. Duke Nukem 3D for Xbox Live Arcade will be available for Xbox 360 consoles soon! As of the moment, 3D Realms has confirmed that the game has passed certification and has received a Mature rating from ESRB due to the “blood and gore, strong sexual content, and violence.” 3D Realms has also confirmed that the game is a finished product and that it is now in the hands of Microsoft. 3D Realms has yet to give out a release date or more details about the game. A preview for the video game will be available in the October issue of Xbox Magazine. Please stay tuned as more information comes our way.

- Geoff

[Source: 3D Realms]