Tech Blog

[#1]

So last weekend I went to see popular chip-band Anamanaguchi (it was great) and then afterwards, for whatever reason, we went back to a friend's apartment and listened to old bits from The Best Show on WFMU. It's... well it's the best show, and we listened to this episode with "The Gorch" a character who claims he is who the Fonz was based on, and who sings this song (here ably covered by Ted Leo). For some reason on reading these Xbox Live House Party dates, I started singing...

"There's gonna be a house party tonight! Everyone's gonna feel alright! You've got Xbox by your side, polishing my chain, you know I'm going to do it right, tonight."

Hmm that bit about polishing my chain doesn't make any sense.

Anyway. The "house party" begins not tonight but on February 15, with a new title every Wednesday through March 7. And the list goes:

Warp (EA) - February 15th, 800 Microsoft Points

"Play as Zero, a lovable-yet-lethal orange alien with a big score to settle in this puzzle-based stealth action game! Captured by the villainous Commander and imprisoned in his underwater facility, Zero must plan his ultimate escape using his arsenal of alien abilities — warp, frag, echo, swap and launch."

Alan Wake's American Nightmare (Microsoft Studios) - February 22nd, 1200 Microsoft Points

"Can you survive until sunrise? In this brand-new stand-alone experience, Alan Wake fights the herald of darkness, the evil Mr. Scratch. A thrilling new storyline, hordes of creepy enemies, serious firepower and beautiful Arizona locations combined with a fun and challenging new game mode, make this a must for Alan Wake veterans and the perfect jumping-on point for new players."

Nexuiz (THQ) - February 29th, 800 Microsoft Points

"For centuries, the Kavussari and the Forsellians have waged war. They have a fragile truce but, because of their seething disgust of each other, still pit warriors against each other in arenas rather than on the fields of war. These episodes of lethal combat are broadcast throughout the galaxy as entertainment – a spectacle known as The Nexuiz Competition – an arena-based first-person shooter where you can alter the rules of the match and the laws of physics while dominating opponents in ever-changing hostile environments."

I Am Alive (Ubisoft) - March 7th, 1200 Microsoft Points

"One year after a worldwide cataclysmic event wiped out most of human civilization, a man struggles for survival. Faced with an insecure, decaying and hazardous world, he scours a desolated city, searching for his long-lost wife and daughter. Survive the suffocating, murky streets covered in dust. Climb the teetering remains of last-standing skyscrapers to reach breathable air and find untouched resources. Explore the crumbling ruins of a once-thriving metropolis. Discover a changed human condition, punctuated by distrustful survivors, dangerous armed gangs and victims in need."

Oh, and if you're interested in all four games, as with some of the previous Xbox Live game promotions, if you buy all four titles between February 15th to March 13th, you'll get 800 points back. So basically Nexuiz or Warp for free, then.