Summer of Arcade starts today with LIMBO.

Independent game development studio Playdead today announced that LIMBO is now available for download on Xbox Live Arcade for 1200 Microsoft points.

The winner of multiple “Best Downloadable Game” awards at the Electronic Entertainment Expo last month in Los Angeles, LIMBO also received awards for both Excellence in Visual Art and Technical Excellence at the 12th annual Independent Games Festival earlier this year. For more information about the game, visit the official website at: http://www.limbogame.org/

LIMBO is the first title to be released as part of the Summer of Arcade promotion. For more information about the Summer of Arcade, visit http://www.xbox.com/en-US/community/events/summerofarcade/default.htm

EA Sports has just announced the next iteration of the Fight Night franchise entitled Fight Night Champion.  Fight Night Champion will be available in 2011 for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

GUILDFORD, UK., – 20th July 2010 – Electronic Arts Inc. (Nasdaq: ERTS) announced today that EA SPORTS is developing the latest iteration of the long-running Fight Night franchise, entitled Fight Night Champion, at EA Canada in Vancouver. Fight Night Champion will set a new standard in sports videogames by delivering the most dynamic simulation fighting experience to date, pushing visual boundaries and redefining the single player journey for the category.

“The EA SPORTS Fight Night franchise has consistently delivered one of the best sports experiences with each iteration”, said Andrew Wilson, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Development, EA SPORTS. “EA SPORTS Fight Night Round 4 was a genre defining game, and led the way as the industry transitioned to physics-based sports games. EA SPORTS Fight Night Champion will again forge new ground and deliver a sports experience unlike anything seen in the genre to date.”

Fight Night Champion will break the mold of what is expected in a single-player sports game. Players will be introduced to an entirely new way to step between the ropes and experience the drama, emotion, excitement and tragedy of world championship boxing.

Featuring a refined physics-based animation system that incorporates improved locomotion, punching and stamina mechanics, Fight Night Champion will enable users to move, attack and dodge with the speed and power of the best champions, contenders and pretenders in the world of boxing. In addition, an all-new control scheme, dubbed Full Spectrum Punch Control, will deliver the most realistic punching system ever seen in a simulation fighting game, while still delivering an accessible experience that will make Fight Night Champion the most user-friendly title in the franchise’s history.

Fight Night Champion will set a new standard for visual presentation with the most realistic boxer-likeness to date, fluid animations and damage that truly conveys the brutality of the sport of boxing.

Fight Night Champion will be available for the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation3 and ships to retailers in 2011. The game has not yet been rated by the ESRB or PEGI.

We pretty much knew the Kinect would launch for around $150, but today, Microsoft has confirmed the price and announced a new console bundle that includes Kinect.

REDMOND, Wash. — July 20, 2010 — Microsoft Corp. today announced an all-in-one opportunity to jump into the controller-free fun of Kinect this holiday: the all-new Xbox 360 4GB console, the revolutionary Kinect sensor and “Kinect Adventures” packaged together for $299.99 (U.S. ERP). With “Kinect Adventures,” players will make their way through 20 adventures, navigating roaring rapids and ducking and dodging through mountaintop obstacle courses and other exotic locations — no controller, wand or balance board required. In addition, existing Xbox 360 console owners can purchase the Kinect sensor with “Kinect Adventures” for $149.99 (U.S. ERP). The sensor, which will work with each of the 40 million Xbox 360 consoles currently in households worldwide,1 is uniquely able to track your full body movements, respond to your voice and deliver a multiplayer experience right out of the box.

In addition, the new Xbox 360 4GB console, which begins shipping on Aug. 3 in the U.S., will be available for $199.99 (U.S. ERP). With a sleek new design, the Xbox 360 4GB console looks great and includes built-in Wi-Fi N, 4GB of internal flash memory, touch-sensitive buttons and a black matte finish.2

“Kinect for Xbox 360 offers tremendous entertainment value for the whole family,” said Dennis Durkin, Xbox 360 chief operating officer. “With full body, voice and the ability to play games with your friends right out of the box, Kinect is the most unique, complete and affordable way for everyone to enjoy controller-free fun and entertainment.”

With more than 15 games available at launch, living rooms will become fitness rooms, dance clubs and sports stadiums. Kinect games, including “Kinectimals,” “Kinect Sports,” “Kinect Joy Ride” and MTV Games’ and Harmonix’s “Dance Central” will retail for $49.99 (U.S. ERP). In addition to games, Kinect changes the way you experience entertainment by putting your favorite movies, TV programs, music and live sports from ESPN all in one place. Begin a movie by simply saying, “Xbox, play,” or browse through a music list with the wave of a hand. Kinect also creates new ways for friends and family to have fun together. With Video Kinect,3 share a smile with friends and family, as you open a window into living rooms around the world.

“I think Kinect is a major leap forward in the gaming experience that will appeal to both mainstream and casual gamers,” said Michael Gartenberg, partner, Altimeter Group, and author of the Engadget Entelligence column.

Starting today, select retailers are taking pre-orders for the Xbox 360 Kinect Console Bundle at $299.99 (U.S. ERP) and Kinect for Xbox 360 at $149.99 (U.S. ERP). Pre-order Kinect or the Xbox 360 Kinect Console Bundle today, and at launch receive a token to download three exclusive game levels for “Kinect Adventures,” the game included with Kinect.4 Those wanting more information or to pre-order now should go to http://www.xbox.com/en-US/hardware/wheretobuy.

Check out our latest review, of City Builder, a challenging puzzle game developed by Virtual Play Games for the Wii.

I had to figure out the best strategy to lay out a single continuous path of  roads/pipes/wires in order to squeeze as much building density out of a uniform plot of land. It is a multi-layered puzzle in that sense, and required a fair amount of strategy on how best to achieve this. The publishers did not include a lot of hints in the manual, just gave the basic tools of how to play, and let me try to figure out the puzzle on my own.

Check out the whole review HERE.