There it is, pictured above. The free offer is good through the end of today, but I believe that clocks in at Pacific time, so it means folks on the U.S. east coast have to 3 a.m. if they want it. However, yesterday's Deal of the Day, Worms 2: Armageddon for 400 Microsoft Points, was still live when I posted this at 6 p.m. Mountain time. But the 2010 Avatar party glasses had gone back to 40 MS points. So who knows.

The DotD promos - which Microsoft is not announcing in advance - last through Dec. 31, and if you're keeping track of this sort of thing, Cheap Ass Gamer has been archiving the giveaways here.

New Year's Theme [Xbox Live Marketplace via Gay Gamer]

Sports sims' increasing complexity and granular game management decisions can be off-putting, even intimidating, to players who just want to wing the ball down the sidelines or blitz the QB. Sometimes even diehards want to play a game without turning it into a film session on Edge NFL Matchup. But stripping a sport down to just its fun parts is risky in its own right. Like, is it still fun?

Loved
Pick Up and Play: Despite its limitations (below) Madden NFL Arcade does a good job of luring you back in for just one more game. The singleplayer games go quickly (although, some multiplayer contests were epic in length), they have all the boring stuff stripped out, and the singleplayer achievements are challenging enough to keep you trying. Even now, I've got 15 minutes to kill before I have to make a phone call and I'm thinking about taking the Patriots out to kick the Browns' ass. Or vice versa. In singleplayer, the ratings are not so overbearing that you can't win with the Lions or Redskins, if they're your favorite teams (and God help you if they are, but that's beside the point.) Online, you'll have to resort to cheese and dirty tricks to win with lesser teams, but that's in real Madden too. Bottom line, Madden NFL Arcade is video game potato chips; even if they aren't my favorite flavor, put a bowl in front of me and I'm a-scarfin'.

Hated
Lack of Variety: Madden NFL Arcade succeeds at delivering a uncomplicated shootout-style football game akin to what you play in the backyard, but doesn't go much further than that. While I don't need a full playbook, two sets of passing routes per play is not enough, and the deep pass fly patterns are too easily defended. The game just begs for hot routes or an audible to a basic run or pass. Just give me one play I can put in at the line of scrimmage. The cartoony players are built on three body types, some looking a little out of character. Colts safety Bob Sanders (5-8, 206) gets a linebacker's tank body but Ravens safety Ed Reed (5-11, 200) looks like Merton Hanks, giraffe-neck and all. The game-changers are a nice touch but two of them, which do nothing more than slow down or speed up the players, are unimaginative, mostly useless, sometimes even helpful to the offense if called by a defense. The rosters, ratings and team attributes are all built on beginning-0f-the-year models from the full Madden title, so Cincinnati, a division leader in real life, is a weak team in the game. Finally, the game begs for stats. Somewhere, even if it's just a boxscore. If this game's supposed to inspire trash talk, stats - beyond your multiplayer win-loss - are necessary.

Game Changers: I wanted to like these, but the gimmick really under-delivers. I won more with playcalling and execution than I did doing things like freezing a defender (or receiver), turning off someone's passing icons or assuring their ballcarrier fumbles when he's hit. The game randomly selects a game-changer cheat for you each play (or gives you nothing), which you may hold over until you really need it (the extra-play for fourth down, for example). You don't get a changer on every down, which is good, but the rotation over-seeds the more useless ones, doesn't bring up bona fide game changers often enough, and the ones that are valuable are useful only in very specific situations (fourth down, or inside the red zone for "make-it take-it.") You can turn the game changers on or off; I would have liked greater control over how many and what quality you get. Sure, against a computer, you don't want to flipflop the score every other down, but among friends, bombing each other with douche moves would add some good-natured spite and revenge to the bragging-rights contest.

Madden NFL Arcade is not boring but it does come off a little bland at times. You've got cartoon players performing the same animations of the real-world sim, for example, and it could really benefit from a little more zaniness, especially in the hitting. For those who want to play some chuck-and-duck football without setting aside time for an hourlong game or learning the finer points of an offense, it'll satisfy your gridiron cravings. Potato chips are a snack; a cupcake is a treat. Madden NFL Arcade is a football snack.

Madden NFL Arcade was developed by EA Sports and published by Electronic Arts for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on Nov. 25. Retails for 1200 Microsoft Points on Xbox Live Marketplace, $14.99 on PlayStation Network. A copy of the game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes. Played about three dozen games, single and multiplayer, on varying difficulty settings using multiple NFL teams. Shut out the Patriots with the Lions. OK, that one was on rookie difficulty.

Confused by our reviews? Read our review FAQ.

If the smell of polypropylene, and dyes that run off when you sweat on 'em make you nostalgic, Xbox Live Marketplace is selling avatar costumes. There are 16 costumes for 240 Microsoft points apiece, which translates to about $3, which is probably what skinflint Dad paid for those deathtraps Fletch and I wore.

Some getups, however, do not come with masks and or hats, which run another 80 points. The razor-blade apple and LSD-dipped tootsie pop are not available at this time.

Halloween Costumes [Xbox Live, via Hot Blooded Gaming]

To commemorate the new mini-chapter, plus the new Achievements (*drooooool*), Valve is slashing the price of the Steam version by 50%, giving you ample reason to finally own Left 4 Dead. That runs until October 2nd, giving PC gamers plenty of time to procrastinate.

One important metric to note before you start clicking on thumbnails and preparing your shopping list: 80 Microsoft points equals $1 US. 160 is two bucks; 320 is four. The update goes live on August 11.

Got it? Now click through these...

Monkey Island: SE
Chicken With Pulley - 160 Points
Eyeball Necklace - 160 Points
Guybrush Threepwood Suit - 240 Points
Herman Toothrot Hat - 80 Points
LeChuck Pirate Hat - 80 Points
LeChuck Pirate Suit - 240 Points
Meat Hook Pirate Eye Patch - 40 Points
Monkey Island: SE Cotton Swab - 160 Points
Pirate Telescope - 160 Points
Seltzer Bottle - 160 Points
Stan the Salesman Hat - 80 Points
Stan the Salesman Suit - 240 Points
Treasure Hunt-ery Shirt - 80 Points

Fable II
Cup Tee - 80 Points
Fable Tee - 80 Points
Highwayman Boots - 160 Points
Highwayman Boots - 160 Points (listed twice, for some reason)
Highwayman Trousers - 160 Points
Logo Tee - 80 Points
Spire Guard Coat - 160 Points

Halo 3
Halo Cargo Shorts - 80 Points
Halo Crossed Swords Tee - 80 Points
Halo Hand Tee - 80 Points
Halo Hoodie - 160 Points
Halo Legendary Tee - 80 Points
Halo Long Sleeved Tee - 80 Points
Halo Medals Tee - 80 Points
Halo Stuck Tee - 80 Points
Halo Tee - 80 Points

Halo ODST
Halo Beret - 80 Points
Halo Hoodie - 160 Points
Halo Laser Kill Ring - 40 Points
Halo Military Cap - 80 Points
Halo RC Warthog - 320 Points

Steampunk
Black Boots - 80 Points
Black Combat Boots - 80 Points
Bowler Hat - 80 Points
Breeches - 80 Points
Brown Bowler Hat - 80 Points
Metal Goggles - 80 Points
Newsboy Cap and Goggles Combo - 160 Points
Shirt and Vest Combo - 160 Points
Striped Jacket Combo - 160 Points
Striped Trousers - 80 Points

Recessionista
Blazer and Sweater - 160 Points
Brim Hat - 80 Points
Cargo Jacket and Vest Combo 160 Points
Cuffed Denim Jeans - 80 Points
Cuffed Trousers - 80 Points
Newsboy Hat - 80 Points
Recession Glasses - 80 Points
Shoes - 80 Points
Tortoise Glasses - 80 Points
Unlaced Combat Boots - 80 Points

That's all great. But some games don't quite work as intended when played from the hard drive. Games like Grand Theft Auto IV and Halo 3 don't perform up to par, because they were designed to be streamed from a DVD. And Microsoft may be addressing that problem when it launches Games On Demand.

Microsoft reps said that any game planned for a Games On Demand will go through a "rigorous" QA process to make sure they work precisely as intended when played from a hard drive.

And mega blockbusters like Halo 3 and GTA IV may need to be "fixed" to become a Games On Demand, something Microsoft seems willing to do.

Oh and one other thing. Those Xbox 360 games you can buy as Games On Demand downloads will be available for purchase via the Web Marketplace, but not through Amazon.com.

She was soon fielding angry, abusive phone calls from parents across the United States, some berating her for being a terrible parent, others content just to call up and threaten her. Which is a little mean. I mean, the ad was offering free shipping.

Manos - from Punta Gorda in Florida - has "a good idea who is responsible", though local authorities are still conducting an investigation. If caught, the perpetrators could face criminal use of information charges.

Child for sale? [Charlotte Sun, via GamePolitics]

That last part probably isn't all that exciting, except to sales and marketing types, but Rare's Lord of Games, the fictional creator of Banjo Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts's game worlds, has something up his sleeve(s). The only hint LOG gives is that something new will be arriving due to "popular demand."

We don't believe Rare is simply referring to the upcoming release of Banjo-Tooie, slated to hit Xbox Live Arcade next month, but something for Nuts & Bolts.

I just put my next paycheck on Rare finally announcing new game worlds based on Killer Instinct, Jet Force Gemini, Battletoads and Grabbed By The Ghoulies. As promised.

Any better guesses?

Rare News [Rare - thanks, Sheldon!]

Both packs appeared and then disappeared early this morning, not allowing gamers to purchase them but definitely allowing us to read about them, listing the as of yet undisclosed vehicles in two of Criterion's upcoming downloadable content add-ons for the popular racer. Only five vehicles have been shown in the Toy Car collection, with eight total listed this morning on Xbox Live, along with the secret second car in the Boost Specials pack of high performance cars.

Joining the previously announced Carson Extreme Hotrod in the Boost Specials pack will be the Hawker Mech 400, an extremely tunable car that can be adjusted to drive the way you like.

The full line up of Toy Cars consists of seven cars and one tiny motorcycle, which should be an absolute blast to play. Here's the list:

Hunter Takedown
Carson GT Concept
Hunter Citizen
Carson Inferno Van
Jansen P12
Krieger WTR
Hunter Manhattan
Nakamura Firehawk

While prices for the vehicles in both packs is most likely subject to change, each Toy Car was listed at 160 Microsoft Points except for the Firehawk, which carried a 240 point price and the entire collection listed at 1,000. The Boost Specials pack listed at 400.

We've contacted Criterion for comment on this rather large mistake on someone's part. In the meantime, start saving up your downloadable game currency of choice...things are going to be getting expensive.

Update: Several readers have emailed us to let us know that they actually were able to download the packs before they were pulled, with the downloaded vehicles working just fine for them. Hopefully this means the additional packs will see a full release soon for those of us who just weren't fast enough.

But giving them away for free they are, seemingly as a promotion to light a fire under Xbox 360 owners to pick up the latest Tomb Raider. The official site does write that the two new skin tight outfits are "courtesy of publisher Eidos plc and Microsoft," a clever move to appeal to those who lust after Lara Croft.

If you don't yet have the game, you can still download the two new outfits for later use. Or, you can simply download the renders of both in 5120x2880 resolution and do whatever it is you would normally do with something like that. Creep.

In actual news, the official site updates us on the planned Xbox 360 exclusive downloadable chapters, Beneath The Ashes and Lara's Shadow, the release of which is "looking likely to be sometime in January."

WETSUIT COSTUME PACK HITS XBOX LIVE [Tomb Raider Underworld]

The festive winter evening theme showed up today on the Xbox 360, offering up tons of holiday cheer for the low price of just under 10MB of hard disk space. Once downloaded it places your friends in a winter wonderland of snow, where hopefully they've taken advantage of last week's ski outfits lest they freeze to death like the Little Match Girl.

Hit the jump for a larger pic of the new theme in action.

Yes, both audiences will be thrilled by the savings they can enjoy this week. The Foo Fighters sophomore album gets a price cut for Rock Band, as does its Guitar Hero triple-pack competition. And... something for the Japan-only THE IDOLM@STER Live For You! Go on, save already with these three new cheap options.

Rock Band: The Colour and the Shape Album - 1200 MSP (All other Xbox LIVE Regions)
THE IDOLM@STER Live For You! Song - 900 MSP (Japan)
Guitar Hero – Foo Fighters Track Pack - 375 MSP (Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan)

Dropping from the already reduced price of 600 Microsoft Points, the trio of maps — Avalanche, Blackout and Ghost Town — can be yours for a mere 400 Microsoft Points. That's if you're a Xbox Live Gold member, which you really should be if you're paying money for multiplayer maps.

The deal kicks off tomorrow worldwide. Happy mapping!

Xbox LIVE Marketplace Holiday Deal of the Week [MajorNelson.com]

If you haven't picked up Rez HD yet, you can grab it for just 500 Microsoft Points, whatever that works out to in your currency of choice. "Death Magnetic" is just 1000 MSP. Six additional XBLA games also get a holiday drop, with paid downloadable content for Crackdown, Lips and more. You can even grab a few themes on the cheap.

For the full list, read on.

Xbox Live Arcade Games
Rez HD - 500 Microsoft Points
Arkadian Warriors - 500 Microsoft Points
Assault Heroes - 400 Microsoft Points
Catan - 500 Microsoft Points
Brain Challenge - 500 Microsoft Points
Boogie Bunnies - 500 Microsoft Points
Golf: Tee It Up! - 500 Microsoft Points

Paid DLC
GH3 Metallica “Death Magnetic” Full Album - 1000 Microsoft Points
Forza – March Car Pack - 400 Microsoft Points
Crackdown – Getting Busy Bonus Pack - 500 Microsoft Points
Rock Band All That Remains Pack 01 - 290 Microsoft Points
Lips – The Remedy (Jason Mraz) - 100 Microsoft Points

Themes
Gears of War 2 – Last Day - 180 Microsoft Points
Sonic Unleashed - 180 Microsoft Points
Castle Crashers Premium - 180 Microsoft Points

Xbox LIVE Marketplace Black Friday Sale [Majornelson.com]

Starting in on December 5, Lips will start getting holiday music by a number of artists including Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley and Gene Autry. The songs all start at 160 Microsoft Points a pop, or about $2.

Here’s the breakdown of this and next weeks songs:

November 21
Adele – Chasing Pavements
Estelle – No Substitute Love
Jason Mraz – The Remedy (I Won’t Worry)
Coldplay – Violet Hill

November 28
Supertramp – Give a Little Bit
Smash Mouth – All Star
Vanessa Carlton – A Thousand Miles

Eventually, we presume it will be a good option for surfing the available games, demos and movies available for the Xbox 360, as well as managing your account, but not quite yet. Interested users should be aware that the web Marketplace requires Microsoft's Silverlight plug-in, lest they walk away from the site disappointed or raging at the existence of Microsoft's Silverlight plug-in.

Xbox Live Marketplace [Xbox.com]

We've put a shout out to Xbox Live's Larry Hyrb to see if there was any official word on the current stability of the newly relaunched service. In the meantime, how's NXE been treating you folks? Good? Bad? Ugly? Feel free to discuss among yourselves.

That's why we're not exactly saddened to learn that Yaris has disappeared from the Xbox Live Marketplace, a little over a year after going live.

Yaris has even be de-listed from Xbox.com — the English language United States specific version, anyway — with the game detail page now playing dumb as to its existence. There's no mention of the game on the publicly available Marketplace.

Tipster AJ writes "It's taken off, and it won't even show downloads from it on your played game history."

The removal may be due to an expired contract agreement with Toyota or simply an act of benevolence. We're checking with Microsoft to see if this is merely an oversight or if the game has been officially de-listed as part of the company's new rules, a move the company may have reconsidered.

Oh, and a FaceBreaker demo is out too. Yay.

Demo: Madden NFL 09 And Guest [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]

EA execs didn't break down the details on which distribution methods did how much, but with the company shilling via its online EA Store, as well as the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live Marketplace, is has ample opportunities.

What we'd really like to know is exactly how much of that is downloadable Rock Band content versus paid-for unlockables in games like Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf and Need For Speed: Pro Street. Excel documents with that information forwarded to tips@ will be treated with the utmost discretion.