Microsoft Spruiks Games Over Multiple Platforms

Microsoft is not holding back when it comes to producing content for its various gaming platforms in 2012. It has just announced a huge line up for the coming 12 months – some of it will be good, some bad, but you can’t accuse the Seattle-based tech giant of sitting on its hands when it comes to encouraging the creation of content. So what is on the agenda? Here you go…

Xbox 360

• Halo 4–Launching late 2012, “Halo 4” takes the franchise in new direction with the return of Master Chief, and the beginning of a new saga.
• Forza Motorsport 4 – Available this autumn, the Porsche Expansion Pack for Forza Motorsport 4 will contain 30 modern and classic Porsche vehicles fromthe German manufacturer, seven of which are new to the Forza franchise.
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (Slant Six Games, Capcom) – Program the Nemesis and unleash devastating attacks on your opposing squad in a fifth online competitive multiplayer versus battle available only for Xbox 360.  
• Gears of War 3 – The Forces of Nature map pack for Gears of War 3 will be released on March 28.  It will feature five maps, new characters and weapon skins and a 250 Gamescore.
• Dragon’s Dogma– Explore the woodlands surrounding a collapsed fortress and battle against its fearsome inhabitants, including a monstrous Cyclops, a vicious Chimera and a savage Drake Dragon.
• Darksiders II – Explore non-playable character gameplay interaction with exclusive fiction reveals from the vast Makers Realm in Darksiders II.

Kinect on Xbox 360

• Mass Effect 3– Step into the role of Commander Shepard and use voice controls to direct squad mates during battle and command weapon selection to engage in combat. Mass Effect 3 supports dozens of commands to interact with the world and the characters, without pausing the action.
• Kinect Star Wars– Star Wars fans can hone their Jedi skills, wield the power of the Force in their hands, pilot iconic ships and vehicles, rampage as a vicious rancor monster and dance with iconic Star Wars characters.
• Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 13– Featuring a more immersive Masters Tournament experience as well as Kinect for Xbox 360 integration.
• Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor – Fight side by side with your comrades and retake Manhattan Beach from the enemy.
• Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure– Pixar fans will be able to scan themselves into an avatar based on their favorite character from Disney Pixar's Up and venture into the vast interior of the Spirit of Adventure. Players will also team up with characters from “The Incredibles,” “Ratatouille,”  “Cars” and “Toy Story” to solve puzzles and uncover secrets.
• Dance Central 2 – Experience new  songs from electro-pop groupLMFAO.
• Kinect Sports: Season Two (Rare Studios, Big Park) – This game add-on content puts players’ basketball skills to the test by shooting, passing, and scoring with the new activities.

Xbox Live Arcade

• Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition  – Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition brings the global PC phenomenon to gamers for the first time on any console platform.
• Wreckateer – Wreckateer uses Kinect for Xbox 360 to put players in control of a massive castle-wrecking ballista.
• Fable Heroes–Fable Heroes delivers a fresh spin on the Fable franchise with an action-packed hack-and-slash adventure on Xbox LIVE Arcade.
• Trials Evolution – Coming soon are new Trials Evolution maps in the next dimension of the smash-hit, award-winning Trials HD.
• Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD– Activision’s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD for Xbox Live Arcade takes elements of Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 and upgrades them.
• South Park: Tenorman’s Revenge– Scott Tenorman is back and he wants revenge!  Play multiplayer with Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny to take on Tenorman and his army of Ginger robots before they destroy South Park.
• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive– The Demolition mode in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive delivers a fast-paced game experience made up of tight small maps to get into the action quickly.
• Quantum Conundrum –  Enter a new dimension – the heavy dimension – in  the latest environment-bending feature in the quirky, first-person puzzle game “Quantum Conundrum” from Square Enix and Airtight Games.
• Bloodforge –  This game combines devastating melee, ranged and magical attacks to deliver a bloodthirsty combat experience.
• Deadlight– This is a narrative-driven puzzle platformer set in the post-apocalyptic 80s devastated by a zombie epidemic.
• Diabolical Pitch – Kinect for Xbox 360 turns  living rooms into playing fields and the Diabolical Pitch is the main attraction.
• Joe Danger: The Movie– Race jetpacks against hoverboards and skis against skidoos in all-new multiplayer modes in Joe Danger: The Movie.

Games for Windows

• Microsoft Flight– Microsoft Flight is a new Windows PC game that lets players jump into the thrill of flight with no special hardware or past experience. This spring, fans will be able to purchase the Journey to Alaska Pack, the second in a series of expansion packs for the game.

Windows Phone

• Carcassone–The Carcassonne board game will be available handsets running the Windows Phone operating system.
• Civilization Revolution–Sid Meier’s Civilization Revolution Build, Discover, Rule the world.
• Dodonpachi – An original shooter by Arcade veteran developer CAVE.  Can you handle EVAC Industries’ Maximum Bullet Simulator?
• GeoDefense Swarm –The fast-paced tower defense game GeoDefense Swarm gives the power to obliterate a horde of vibrant, vector-styled enemies with multiple weapons of choice.
• Gerbil Physics – This is a physics-based puzzle game that blows up buildings made of gerbils – it’s all about adorable destruction.
• Pinball FX2– This features new tables and new features including a state-of-the-art physics model and a connection to your Xbox 360 Pinball FX2 scores.
• Pirates! –This is a high-seas adventure overflowing with pirate action and a treasure chest of gameplay riches.
• Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 – This autumn, the and award-winning football simulation from Konami is entering a new season.
• Wordament – In the world of Wordament for Xbox Live, Windows Phone word searchers across the whole Internet compete on the same board, in real-time, to get the highest score.