Xbox 360 Fanboy

And a good morning to you too sirs and/or madams. Now available on Xbox Live Arcade is Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness - Episode One for 1600 MS Points. Penny Arcade fans will appreciate the humor and art style, while detractors of the popular web comic duo will continue to unleash healthy doses of searing hate--with a side order of rage.

The most frequent comment we've read so far is based on price, is the game asking too much? In the scope of XBLA releases we understand how people may feel that the title asks for too much, however, the perception of Arcade being quick and cheap entertainment might not be suitable for PAA:OtR-SPoD-E1 (sorry, had to try that at least once).

The Xbox Live Arcade is the only name for downloadable games on the Xbox 360, whereas Sony's PSN service just releases titles without the marketing department-spun category, and we've gotten used to the average price-points for what we expect as smaller games. As an entire experience being a $20 title, in line with the price-point behind Half-Life 2 episodes, Penny Arcade Adventures promises to be worth your money. For a 7-10 hour experience, which is longer than most episodic releases, the title hopes to keep you entertained.

We're not defending it, we're just saying you should at least check it out before you sweep it under the rug. Because so far, we're really digging it.

If you're a fan of turn-based role-playing titles, Penny Arcade or obscene appliances then On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness might be for you.

Hitting Xbox Live Arcade this week is the first game to bare the hilariously-awesome Penny Arcade name. On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One from Vancouver based Hothead Games drops on Wednesday, May 21 for 1600 MS Points. Beefier than your standard XBLA release, and also hitting PC for $19.99, Episode One promises a 7-10 hour RPG experience with all the unique hilarity that made Penny Arcade famous.

Still on the fence about the game? Check out our hands-on impressions from the recent Microsoft Press Event or check out the demo when it lands.

The XBLA game with the overly long title of Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Episode One finally got some real details. Hothead games, the developer, released the game's final price, $19.99 (1600 MSpts). It remains to be see how the game will sell with a relatively high (for an XBLA game) price. It also remains to be seen what form of episodic game Penny Arcade Adventures will end up being. With a price of twenty dollars it seems more likely to be Half Life 2 style episodes (which debuted at the same price). The only other real episodic gaming example that would apply would be the Sam and Max episodes. Those however are $8.95 and have a monthly release cycle. What path PAA takes remains to be seen, but if it does end up following the Half Life 2 model, expect at least a trilogy of games with an overarching story across them all.

Via Joystiq

Having revealed games before, the German games rating board the USK is at it again, exposing previously unknown XBLA games. Shown over at xblah.net there are a myriad of titles across several genres, but the most stand out title would have to be a virtual version of the classic board-game Ticket To Ride in which players compete to build railroads across the countryside. From the sound of things it'll be similar to the conversion from the board game version of The Settlers of Catan and the XBLA version, Catan.

The other titles rated by the USK include the Penny Arcade XBLA game, the puzzler RooGoo, and a golf game entitled Golf: Tee it Up! Not only that, but there were also a few more games revealed by the American ratings board, the ESRB. Those two games were the ancient computer game Lode Runner, and the card game simulator Gin Rummy. None of these titles are official of course, but as with all games revealed in this fashion we must remember that rating's boards are not in the business of making of games, nor is having a game rated at all cheap. This is great news though, and should portend the approaching release of said titles. With such an ever expanding library of titles it seems XBLA is really coming into it's own, catering to a variety of demographics and hopefully with something for everyone.