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XBLA readies year-end sale

Microsoft to end 2010 with 11 days of deals on Super Meat Boy, Castle Crashers, Carcasonne, and more starting December 21.

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With the holiday shopping season (and many gamers' spare time) devoted to retail blockbusters like Call of Duty: Black Ops and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, it might be difficult for downloadable offerings to get the attention they deserve. Microsoft is looking to change that later this month with an Xbox Live Marketplace New Year's Celebration sale.

From December 21 through December 31, Microsoft will unveil a new Xbox Live Marketplace deal each day. And just in case those surprise sales aren't to some gamers' liking, the company has already announced price reductions for nine Xbox Live Arcade games and a Marketplace add-on that will be available for the duration of the promotion. Those titles include the critically acclaimed Super Meat Boy, which sells for 1,200 Microsoft points ($15), but will go for 800 MSP ($10) for the sale. Banjo Tooie and Castle Crashers will have their 1,200 MSP tags trimmed to 600 MSP ($7.50), while titles like Carcassonne and The UnderGarden will go for half their normal price at 400 MSP ($5).

Cheap Meat!
Cheap Meat!

The full list of announced price cuts during the sale follows below.

Super Meat Boy (800 MSP, normally 1,200)
Comic Jumper (800 MSP, normally 1,200)
Toy Soldiers (800 MSP, normally 1,200)
Banjo Tooie (600 MSP, normally 1,200)
Castle Crashers (600 MSP, normally 1,200)
The UnderGarden (400 MSP, normally 800)
Risk Factions (400 MSP, normally 800)
After Burner Climax (400 MSP, normally 800)
Borderlands: Claptrap's New Robot Revolution (400 MSP, normally 800)
Carcassonne (400 MSP, normally 800)

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Avatar image for SpideR_CentS
SpideR_CentS

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Jbul - Calm down lol. Mass Effect 2 DLC is going to be on sale sometime this week as one of the one day sales. Also After Burner, Banjo, Risk, etc are good games

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XT-inc

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to all the people who disagreed with me early here is a new fact, steam just dropped supermeat boy for 3.75 that is just a little under 320 ms points. Now who does good deals?

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Avatar image for tmlim
tmlim

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Just got Fallout 3 last month, so I'm hoping the DLC will be on sale. I read somewhere that it was on sale last year around Xmas.

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MetalZombieII

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Why put one Banjo game on sale and not the other, I actually want them both, but have always felt they were overpriced. Other than that, there are some decent games in that list.

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Avatar image for Jbul
Jbul

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Super Meat Boy has BEEN 800 MSP since it came out, this isn't a sale, it's bull****. Also, most of those games are absolute trash, except Castle Crashers... but everyone who owns that game already has it. Thanks for nothing, stupid*** Microsoft. What about a discount on some DLC people really want but can't afford, like Mass Effect 2 DLC? Or how about some games that are WAY overpriced for their quality to begin with? Like Crazy Taxi and Puzzle Quest? Sale? my ***.

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Avatar image for J1M-e
J1M-e

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@mad_krips XBL has sales every week but im guessing it makes news because these games/ add ons are recently released/ very popular

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PayneKiller

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How often does XBL have sales? PSN has sales every week whether or not you're a part of PS+, you just get more discounts and free games if you join PS+. So I was just wondering why a sale makes news for XBL games.

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jcgpackerfan11

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Man I'm hoping Plants vs Zombies goes on sale as well. I'd buy it now, but I guess I can wait.

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Master_Turismo

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If only I bought these when they were this cheap.

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tntkng

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@The_Dragon_Born Castle Crashers is great fun! I would say in its own way its just as good as Banjo Tooie.

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Avatar image for SuprSaiyanRockr
SuprSaiyanRockr

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Damn, I already bought all the good ones from that list.

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Avatar image for The_Dragon_Born
The_Dragon_Born

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The only one I like was Banjo Tooie. Anyone know of any others on the list that are just as good?

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WaffleBlaster

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I'm glad Tooie is on sale. I have it for 64 but I may pick it up for Stop and Swap. That might be an excuse to pick up Nuts & Bolts again.

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tntkng

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Some nice deals here. I'll more than likely be getting the Fallout New Vegas: Dead Money add-on after Christmas instead though.

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PixelAddict

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Ah sweet. Never had the chance to pick up the Borderlands Claptrap add-on, and now the price has dropped. And yet, my pile of shame still grows on... and on...

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Avatar image for D1zzyCriminal
D1zzyCriminal

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I was going to get Claptraps RR anyway, but it looks like I may be picking up Super Meat Boy as well.

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Ugotes

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I totally agree with VixTain. Banjo-Kazooie has never been on sale and this is the second time for Banjo-Tooie.

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VixTain

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Nearly all of these games have already been on sale previously. It seems especially silly to call Super Meat Boy's 800 point price a 'sale' since that's what the price was originally. Banjo-Tooie is also annoying; that's the second time this game has gone on sale but Banjo-Kazooie never has.

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5cott

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Damn, i was hoping for limbo aswell. Still, can't complain with meat boy, comic jumper, castle crashers and borderlands dlc.

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mopeyking

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put limbo on there so i have a reason to buy it please

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Avenger1324

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I got Carcassonne for free a couple of years ago - think it was after the downtime on Live at Xmas 2008. Castle Crashers is good, but again has been in good sales before now.

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UltimateRAGEX

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@protoroc Carcassonnee was free for a limited time years ago...

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oneligas

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I think i figured out why XBLA games cost more than Steam, achievements must be worth their weight in gold! ha ha

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protoroc

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I thought Carcassonne was free?

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NoDzombie

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got most of those games already, but will be taking this oportunity to pick up Castle Crashers for sure, been wanting it for a long time now

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squidracerX

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The console markets (Live and PSN, and Wii even) need to learn from STEAM and do sales like this way more often. In fact these sales are still not as good as Steam sales usually are. i really only buy "on sale" games on STEAM and I have 70+ games, i forced myself to buy some full priced games on the consoles, and i have maybe 35 games between the 3 consoles (I want more though!), but yeah Steam will kill these sales at Xmas time, i wish they'd copy that, especially PSN which I doubt will even have this many sales :( But i will get Castle Crashers half off for sure, I hope Dead Nation and Horde are on sale on PSN, $15 is too much for a downloadable game for me.... But they look like great games.

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buft

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meat boys been on sale more than its retailed at fulll price, i feel bad for the people that bought the shafted edition...

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theBeorn

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getting Super Meat Boy at last... unless Steam sells it cheaper.

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Avatar image for baystatethrashr
baystatethrashr

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there is no reason not to get Castle Crashers with this sale.

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Little_Socrates

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Some great prices in there, Super Meat Boy being 800 again is kind of nice.

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sambo2011

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i am thinking super meat boy, I'll have to keep an eye out for more deals, hopefully there will be more decent ones.

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Avatar image for deactivated-60c3d23d2738e
deactivated-60c3d23d2738e

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I have to say that BFBC2 vietnam DLC will be bought day1 regardless!

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Icehearted

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@drangel_jam Which is why things like digital distribution are largely still a bad idea.

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drangel_jam

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The pricing on XBL is ridiculously inconsistent.

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XT-inc

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Xbox doesn't know how to do deals at all. They either wait forever to sell an expensive game you already bought or go like 33% off crap.I don't think I'll be spending a dime on anything xbox calls a sale while I drool impatiently for the kind of ass kicking deals steam will have for xmas. edit: before you down vote me prove me wrong that steam doesn't do epically better deals than xbox, hell I could have bought the undergarden a short while ago for 2.50 off steam that's like what 180 ms points.

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Avatar image for mrzero1982pt2
mrzero1982pt2

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@feliscele you do know microsoft allows you to buy these games online on xbox live.com right? as long as you are still buying the game during the sale online, you can still get the deal and download it when you get home. thats what i did with mega man 10 earlier this year when it was 5 bucks

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Avatar image for mrzero1982pt2
mrzero1982pt2

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they do this for one reason. people who are xbox owners are upgrading to newer systems or new hard drives (ME) and ready to fill em up with goodies! i am getting the borderlands dlc, and that cascaronne game. i have heard too much about them.

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deactivated-5e90a3763ea91

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castle crashers and banjo tooie are good but I have those already... The Undergarden was kind of neat but even at half price I don't know that I'd buy it. I agree with darkmoone1 - where's Castlevania HD? Pretty fun game, if kinda challenging.

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Darkmoone1

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Lol wheres Castlevania HD? Not only was it one of the summer games, but isn't it one of the top selling?

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Avatar image for xXFr34k_0uTXx
xXFr34k_0uTXx

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Banjo Kazooie was one of my favorites as a kid, but I never finished Tooie. I'll definitely be picking it up @ 600 points. Great news here, might even chalk down Castle Crashers. [=

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Pete5506

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I should probably buy Banjo Tooie, I loved the game on the N64

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mightEone

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Banjo Tooie is a definite.

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Steel_Rain777

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Definitely snagging super meat boy and maybe castle crashers

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hairybeanbag

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Plants Vs zombies?

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glimpus

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hmm, interested in banjo toooie. i never really played the series back in the day. could be fun to get back into some of the 64 style platforming.

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electronic_eye

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nice

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FallenOneX

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Will probably pick up After Burner if I get a new HD soon.

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legokid3000

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Can't wait to pick up that borderlands DLC.

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fetusfart18

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and @splattermonkeys, you get a thumbs up solely because of your Oldboy icon. Good man.

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fetusfart18

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@SolidTy, SMB was, in fact only 800msp for the first few weeks after it's release. It was a special promotion though, and Team Meat made it pretty well known that after the promotional period ended, it would go up to it's normal price of 1200msp. I know, I got it for 800msp as well, and I bought it day one.

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