Microsoft Adds Marathon, Spyglass Board Games To XBLA

Microsoft has announced that its regular Wednesday Xbox Live Arcade update will see yet another double header, with casual title Spyglass Board Games joining the remake of Bungie's cult pre-Halo FPS hit Marathon: Durandal. Microsoft says Marathon continues Bungie's tradition of "great gameplay while remaining faithful to the spirit of Bungie lore as the predecessor to the Halo franchise." The game will feature high definition redrawn graphics, with controls redesigned for the Xbox 360 controller, and upgraded networking (as previously reported) for its Xbox Live multiplayer modes. Freeverse, responsible for the Marathon remake, will also see the release of Spyglass Board Games a multi-game title produced in conjunction with Strange Flavour that will bring chess, checkers, mancala, and reversi to Xbox Live Arcade in one release. The game will support the use of the Xbox Live Vision Cmaera to "personalize the game board, playing pieces, and video effects," with each game offering custom pieces to choose from, such as, says the release, "a rook made of stone, or a furry checkers piece with cute gleaming eyes." The camera support will also allow for fully integrated video chat throughout all of the games. Both games will be available this Wednesday at a price of 800 points ($10) for Marathon, and 400 points ($5) for Spyglass Board Games.