Three releases this week?

Well....kinda. This week we will be seeing two titles to download from the XBLA service. Catan, the online version of the classic board game, will run you 800 points, while the Centipede and Millipede combo title, will run you 400. It's great to see Microsoft continue the multiple release Wednesdays and I hope the trend continues for at least a little while longer. On the other hand has anyone else noticed their personal backlog of XBLA titles growing and growing?

Click read more for the PR.

Legendary board game “Catan” arrives on Xbox LIVE Arcade

Brush up on your plans for expansion and hone your trading strategies because “Catan” is coming to Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 this Wednesday, May 2 at 0900 GMT (2:00 a.m. Pacific).

“Catan” from Big Huge Games is the Xbox LIVE Arcade edition of the legendary multiplayer board game Settlers of Catan. With over 10 million units sold, Settlers of Catan is one of the most popular board games to hail from Europe, and has been translated into twenty-five languages from the original German.

“Catan” for Xbox LIVE Arcade puts players in the role of colonists on a newly discovered island, where they vie for control of valuable territory and resources through strategy and trading. The game can be learned in just minutes, but will challenge players of all skill levels, even the experts!

Klaus Teuber, creator of the original Settlers of Catan board game, had this to say about the collaboration with Big Huge Games: "I had no doubts that Brian Reynolds would do a great job, and the first version of the game exceeded my highest expectations. The AI is so clever that I even lost several games in a row! Hands down, this game for the Xbox LIVE Arcade is an amazing achievement."

“Catan” will be available worldwide for 800 Microsoft Points and is rated E for Everyone.

Game Features

• Learn As You Play tutorial, making the game instantly accessible even to players who have never played “Settlers of Catan” before
• All New 3D "Living World" Board
• Play against any combination of 13 historical personalities such as Alexander, Cleopatra and Tokugawa, which provide a range of play styles and difficulty levels that will test players’ wits and strategy
• Fans of the board game will enjoy the inclusion of popular house rules like Friendly Robber and Friendly Resources
• Multiplayer gameplay over Xbox LIVE for up to 4 players
• The ability to taunt opponents with engaging animations and use emotes to compliment (or belittle!) the opposition over Xbox LIVE
• Voice Chat enabled
• Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points

More information is available at http://www.xbox.com/games/livearcade and http://www.catanlive.com.

Arthropods Attack! “Centipede” and “Millipede” Invade Xbox LIVE Arcade

Two of Atari’s best loved coin-op classics, “Centipede” and “Millipede,” will be available for download on Xbox LIVE Arcade for Xbox 360 beginning Wednesday, May 2 at 0900 GMT (2:00 a.m. Pacific).

The classic version of “Centipede” challenges gamers to defend their villages against an onslaught of centipedes, spiders, army ants and more. Xbox LIVE Arcade gamers will also have access to an “Evolved” version which features pre-rendered, high definition graphics, special effects like motion blur, trails and particle-based explosions that make this classic as enjoyable today as it was in the arcade decades ago.

In “Millipede,” the primary challenge is to obliterate chains of arthropods that creep down from the top of the screen. Scattered mushrooms are the gamers’ main tool to shoot, destroy and redirect the menacing millipedes. “Millipede” also offers up Xbox LIVE Arcade gamers an “Evolved” version of this coin-op classic.

“Centipede” and “Millipede” will be available worldwide as a joint download for 400 Microsoft Points and are rated E for Everyone.

Game Features

· Two games in one! Enjoy both classic and evolved versions of both “Centipede” and “Millipede”

· Dolby Digital surround sound

• Earn up to 12 Achievements and 200 Gamerscore points

More information is available at http://www.xbox.com/games/livearcade.