Atari To Add Six To Xbox Live Arcade

Microsoft officials have announced that publisher Atari will provide six new titles for Xbox Live Arcade, culled from the archives of the original iteration of the company, including early classics such as Missile Command, Tempest and Warlords. The six titles include Centipede/Millipede, Battlezone, Asteroids/Asteroids Deluxe, Missile Command, Tempest and Warlords. None of the games have a specific schedule, with the first title not due to go online until January 2007. Each game will feature the option of high definition graphics and enhanced sound effects, as well as full online leaderboard support, TrueSkill matchmaking for multiplayer games, and a variety of achievements. Microsoft also confirmed a number of other new titles due for release this year, including Small Arms from indie developer Gastronaut Studios, futuristic racer Novadrome from Buena Vista Games, top down shooter Assault Heroes from Wanako/Vivendi Games, and side scrolling actioner Heavy Weapon from PopCap Games. Coin-op classic Defender from Midway is also due this year, with Konami’s Contra due to go live this week. “With our already diverse library of retro classics, original development and indie games, plus a host of new games hitting our service in the upcoming months, it’s never been more fun to play on Xbox Live Arcade,” said Greg Canessa, group manager of Xbox Live Arcade. “The Atari Classics in particular will provide an incredible gaming experience for our community and I personally can’t wait until everyone can play these updated versions for themselves.