Uh oh... the internet has exploded as Sensible Soccer has been pulled from marketplace due to a bug that will automagically sign the user out of Live when they boot up the game. No word on when it will return, but hopefully it won't be long as I am dying to play this title. According to GameIndustry.biz, this issue was introduced due to the wrong version of the title being uploaded to Xbox Live Marketplace.

Also of note is that the game will feature advertising powered by Massive Incorporated. Now why would a retro title that costs $10 possibly need more revenue? Especially from a company that has announced that it's had it's best financial results ever. Oh well, hopefully we won't be seeing any CompUSA ads.

Do you feel that the introduction of advertisements in Sensible Soccer is something that will upset the average XBLA player?

It's a holiday miracle! Sensible World of Soccer (previously announced for August) will finally arrive on XBLA this Wednesday, December 19th. We told you it would, but confirmation was necessary on this one after previous hopes were dashed. Is your enthusiasm dampened by the news that this classic will cost you 800MSP?

Also on tap this week is Tempest. This version of the Atari arcade classic will be the first "true" arcade port of the game (exciting those full of nostalgic quarter sucking memories) along with the typical "enhanced" mode. Retro standard pricing here with Tempest costing 400MSP.

Neither game will be available in Korea and Tempest has bowed out of a Japanese showing, but otherwise it's a worldwide celebration. Who's buying?

Press release where it belongs (aka after the break).

[via Gamerscoreblog]

This week on XBLA: The Xbox Live Arcade Hits program! Okay, so maybe that's not the biggest news for everyone (since most of you have already snagged those games). But the promise of cheaper games on XBLA over time is certainly a good thing. Mini-woo!

Since the dash update and the rollout of the Hits program seem to be taking center stage this week, Microsoft has been kind enough to tease us with their slated December and January Lineup. The XBLA iceflow will bring us:

Arkadian Warriors, Brain Challenge (ooh, a mystery title), Gripshift, N+, Omega Five, Poker Smash, Rez HD, and (say it with me now, finally!) Sensible World of Soccer.

Now let's just hope we actually get all these games in the next two months, as promised. And now that we're finally getting Sensi (December 19th) where's poor lost War World?

[via X3F, thanks to everyone that sent this in!]

Did you ever think you would live to see this day? According to Codemasters, Sensible World of Soccer has been slated for a December 19th release date on Xbox Live Arcade. If you recall the title was supposed to launch August 19th but was scrapped to rewrite the online code. Prior to that release date even it was a Q1 2007 title. Everyone cross your fingers that this is in fact the final release date for this title. If you have not checked it out yet, the achievements were revealed a few months ago. [Via The Xbox Domain]

Good news for Sensible World of Soccer fans. I know you may have been waiting almost a year to get your grubby hands on this title, but apparently the delay has been for good reason. According to an interview by Eurogamer, Codemaster's Jim Brown states that the reason for the delay has been due to their dissatisfaction with the online code. The rewrite of the online code is done and going through their in-house testing phase; hopefully, all will go well and the title will be sent to Microsoft for certification, which is about 2 weeks if all goes well. It shouldn't be long now until release as Jim Brown states that Codemaster's "focus is on releasing the 360 title pre-Christmas".

Interesting enough the title also mentions that the game is currently an Xbox 360 exclusive; however, may eventually come out on other platforms. That makes two games in one day.

Promotional consideration for this marketplace update was paid by The Letter "S".

In case you missed it, a bunch of miscellaneous XBLA content sneaked onto Marketplace (or snuck, if you prefer). You can't be blamed for missing it though, what with all the psychedelic lights dancing about on your screens.

Details after the break, but here's the short and sweet version:

Street Trace:NYC -- New Theme (150 MSP), Picture Pack (100 MSP), and Video (Free)

Soltrio Solitaire -- Game Pack 6 (150 MSP); You didn't seriously think they would stop with only 5, did you? Full details will likely appear here but they aren't there yet.

Sensible World of Soccer -- Trailer (Free)

[via Major Nelson]

A bunch of tidbits have trickled their way to us here at XBLArcade over the course of the weekend (and this morning) so here's a quick and dirty rundown of the latest word in XBLA.

And remember, we here at XBLArcade love tips! Even if it does take us a little while to get around to them. Here we go down the rabbit hole.

Last week, a couple people (myself included) got a sneak-peek (accidentally) at the achievements for Sensible World of Soccer. They seemed well balanced and all had unique and appropriate pictures (something I think developers rarely spend enough time on designing) so I was glad to get a peek.

However, not everyone can troll their RSS feeds as fast as I can. Luckily, no need to fret if you missed that accidental slip as Xbox360Achievements.org has you covered (as usual). The full list and all the pictures are up now for your perusal (no scores listed yet).

And maybe, just maybe, the release of the achievements is a sign of an imminent soccer themed Wednesday?

[via x360a.org]

Codemasters recently held a Sensible World of Soccer community day where they invited members of the community to come and play this classic remake for the arcade. Fans who were lucky enough to participate at the event were given very nice gifts (TVs, 360s and games), but the real gifts for us are their write ups on the Codemaster forums. Don't worry, the best was save for last as a release date of August 29th and price of 800MSP was given. As things go with XBLA don't hold them to it.

[Via Xboxic]

This competition between the ESRB and the USK is finally heating up (sure it may all be in my head, but isn't it more fun to imagine it like a bloody cage match?). Not to be outdone by the regular, small updates at the USK, the ESRB has dropped their megaton. The following games have ratings at the ESRB:

• EXIT
• Sensible World of Soccer
• Hexic 2
• Bomberman Live
• Tetris Online (so, maybe not "Tetris Splash" afterall)

Okay, okay, we've seen most of those at the USK already. But add those to the already massive list of unreleased games that have ESRB ratings and you can't help but smile a little bit. The future seems very bright for XBLA.

The only one we have virtually no info on is Hexic 2. But if it's an improvement on Hexic in any way it will probably lure my attention away from Lumines Live for a while.

[via ESRB, thanks El ViX]