The current announcement that Microsoft will be discontinuing support of all original Xbox games over LIVE has resulted in many sad cries of pain and discomfort, as our ability to play older games online is ripped from us like a lollipop ripped from a toddler’s firm grasp. Based upon the numbers, it should be Halo 2 fans who are most upset, as it is still the top played Xbox game on LIVE. It’s not just gamers though — Bungie itself seems downright distraught over the issue.

“We’re all saddened at the realization that an era is coming to an end but looking back, we’re incredibly fortunate to have had such a great run and such strong support from our fans,” a post on Bungie.net said. “Halo 2 has been at or near the top of the Xbox LIVE charts for original games since it launched over five years ago. We’re extremely thankful to everyone who has played, enjoyed and supported Halo 2 over Xbox LIVE. We’ve had

Rare is finally going to showcase a playable version of their revamped Perfect Dark that it will be releasing some time soon for the Xbox LIVE Arcade. Rare has announced that they will be letting people play the game next week at Microsoft’s X10 media event That’s right, we can finally bring you a preview of Perfect Dark, the game no one has ever playe… wait, I can go hands on with it right now. Hold on, let me get out the Nintendo 64.

OK, here’s the preview: It’s a good game. A very solid first-person shooter with some great action. I think I’m still a more massive fan of GoldenEye, but this is solid. I think the upgraded graphics are going to look prettier as the screenshot above shows, and the 60 FPS is all good and fun. The multiplayer is a blast too, and it should be fun over LIVE.

There you go. Exclusive, hands-on preview of Perfect Dark before any other site has it. We’re on top of our sh*t here at Destructoid.

Perfect Dark Playable at X10 [CVG]

Via Destructoid

It’s a Dante’s Inferno mega giveaway of extreme awesomeness this week! Thanks to AttentionUSA and Electronic Arts, we’re giving away a bunch of Dante’s Inferno-themed prizes this week — 19 prizes, to be exact! Up for grabs are Dante’s Inferno posters, action figures, comics and a shirt spoofing the three wolf moon shirt!

In order to win one of these prizes, we want you to show us your take on one of the nine deadly sins that the Divine Comedy speaks about. Limbo, Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Wrath, Heresy, Violence, Fraud and Treason are all things that’ll send you straight to Hell, and we want you to take a picture or video of yourself committing one of these sins! Whatever the picture or video is, please keep it safe for work and/or don’t do anything that could be considered illegal. Also, please make sure you have something that’s Dtoidy in the picture and no pic editing is allowed.

The grand prize winner will receive nine posters, a Dante’s Inferno action figure and a signed copy of the first Dante’s Inferno comic. Eight first-place runner-ups will get the the action figure and a signed comic. Ten second-place runner-ups will each get the signed comic.

In addition, all 19 of the winners will be getting the “3 Cerberus Moon” shirts created by Dino Ignacio, Dante’s user interface designer. These shirts were made as exclusives to the team at Visceral Games, and this is the first opportunity for anyone outside the studio to get the shirts.

You’ve until February 9 at 11:59 PM CST to enter a pic in the comments below. Contest open to US residents only. Good luck!

[Update: Contest open to Canadian residents now too!]

Via Destructoid

The arrival of the Aliens vs. Predator demo this week didn’t bring much conversation concerning the game’s quality. Unfortunately, rather than speak about the game itself, most people were speaking about what a load of crap the demo was. Terrible matchmaking was the order of the day, with people taking at least ten minutes to get into a game.

Apparently, Ruffian Games held a contest where artists were asked to submit graffiti that would be used in Crackdown 2. I never got the memo, but enough people did to make the results impressive. There’s a thread full of all the winners right here.

The 42 winning designs will be implemented in Crackdown 2 and their creators are all getting a free copy of the game. Most of the graffiti will be combined to form montages, but a lucky few will have their art appear in Pacific City by itself.

I really do hope our favorite entry, the one up there, gets the special treatment. For everyone who didn’t win, you might have another chance to take part in something similar. Since the team was so pleased with the results, there will likely be another contest for the next Ruffian game.

Via Destructoid

Right off the bat, I’m just going to state it: Chime is an utterly compelling, aesthetically minimalistic puzzle game that rides the cusp of being entirely fantastic, faltering only at its lack of options. When it comes to presentation and polish, Chime is lovely. It’s quiet and subdued throughout its menus, and there’s an uplifting feel to the game.

It’s funny, because I would swear this is a PSN title. There seems to be a split between PSN and XBLA titles. Microsoft gets exclusives on all sorts of fantastic downloadable game titles that, well, lack in polish but rock in gameplay. Sony, on the other hand, reigns in visually entertaining, maybe less game-like videogames that are more about the raw experience than anything else.

That’s why I would state Chime is a PSN game in disguise, for even though it is a puzzle game, it’s not just the game element that makes it successful — it’s everything else combined that makes it work. Read my review to comprehend.

Chime (XBLA)
Developer: Zo