Jade Empire Is Your Next Xbox Original

Microsoft have just announced that the next original Xbox game to be granted a second lease of life will be BioWare's Jade Empire. For a BioWare game it's nowhere near as fondly recalled as some of their other, more laser gun-oriented titles, but it's still an excellent game, especially its take on RPG combat. It'll be made available on July 21, for the usual 1200 MS Points.

Jade Empire Coming to Xbox Originals [Gamerscore]

New Xbox Originals: Stubbs And Gauntlet

I'd be quite interested to see the process involved with choosing what games become Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Originals. I am beginning to think a hat is involved. While some of the picks so far have been no-brainers, others are a bit more questionable.

Stubbs The Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse is one of those original Xbox titles I can see on the service, as it was a quality game that 360 newcomers shouldn't miss out on. Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows, on the other hand, was a nicely rendered hunk of crap that no one should bother spending 1200 Microsoft points on. There are seriously more than seven sorrows involved there.

If you want Gauntlet, download the Live Arcade version and enjoy yourself. If you want Stubbs, save up your points and get ready for the game's re-release on May 19th.

Xbox Originals: Stubbs the Zombie and Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows [Xbox Live's Major Nelson]

Splinter Cell, Metal Arms Join Xbox Originals Lineup

Dreamfall Journeys To Xbox Originals Library Next Week

The line-up of Xbox Originals for Xbox 360 will add one more next Monday, when Dreamfall: The Longest Journey hits Live Marketplace. Funcom's adventure game sequel to The Longest Journey divided critics, but won some praise, apparently warranting its "Game of the Year" distinction. Of course, that may just be marketing. If you're into it, 1200 Microsoft Points will make it yours. If you're not sold, there's plenty of information at the official Xbox site.

Dreamfall: The Longest Journey [Xbox.com]

A trio of new oldies will make their way to the Xbox Live Marketplace next week, as Microsoft plans to add Sid Meier's Pirates!, Black and Ninja Gaiden Black to the Xbox Originals line-up. All three will arrive on February 11 for 1200 Microsoft Points—$15 in genuine US dollars. If scurvy, explosions and decapitations are your thing, clear some space on your hard drive for next Monday.

Xbox Originals [Xbox.com]

Hey, those Xbox Originals (aka old Xbox games) have arrived on Xbox Live Marketplace as of today, bringing a handful of extras with them. While the more mundane but practical stuff includes PDF instruction manuals and online controller mappings for games like Psychonauts, Halo and Indigo Propechy, there are some fun freebies, too. Picture packs and themes for each of the Xbox Originals are available for download by going to Marketplace > Game Store > Xbox Originals. Gussy up your Xbox 360 blades with free Fable stuff, if you want. Huzzah!

Xbox Originals Manuals and Controller layouts (and free themes and picture packs) [Microsoft]

Xbox Originals Are Achievement Free

Microsoft blogger Larry Hryb takes no delight in crushing fan dreams today with an update on the recently announced plan to release original Xbox games via Xbox Live Marketplace. Apparently, some were speculating that the company would go the extra mile for the 1200 MS Point releases, adding Achievements and Gamer Score to games like Halo, Fable, Psychonauts and Crimson Skies. Sadly, Mr. Hryb writes that adding such a feature would be technically impossible for the older titles, even adding a little frowning emoticon to illustrate the seriousness of the matter.

I'm sure that Microsoft—and many third parties—would love to add these options to older Xbox re-releases. The cash revenue from achievement whores could make even Psychonauts finally turn a healthy profit.

Will Xbox Originals have Achievements? [Microsoft]