Xbox 360 Live Arcade is part of Microsoft's Xbox 360 Marketplace which enables any Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system from Microsoft owner connected to the Internet to download and purchase selected Xbox 360 titles.
Said Miles Visman of Pompom Software, "Never before has a small development company like ours had the opportunity to make a launch title for such a major hardware release. Live Arcade has proved to be the perfect vehicle for a title as intense as Mutant Storm Reloaded and Xbox 360 at launch offers us an audience of the console gaming elite who will now have a chance to play our games for the first time."
Added Patrick Buckland of Stainless Games, "We're investing heavily in Live Arcade, as we see this as a completely new channel to reach what has always been our core audience – hardcore gaming fanatics who know a good game when they see one. Crystal Quest is only the first of a number of titles we'll be releasing on Live Arcade."
Buckland's Crystal Quest is one of the genuine classic arcade titles, originally premiering as one of the first ever games on the colour Macintosh. The millions who played it then now have the chance to play a totally revamped Xbox 360 version –or they can experience authentic 80's flashbacks by playing in Retro mode.
Both companies acknowledge the contribution of Microsoft's Live Arcade team who have provided, "incredible support" for the teams during development.
Said Ross Erickson, Xbox Live Arcade Games Portfolio Manager for Microsoft, " We're thrilled to have both PomPom and Stainless Games onboard for Xbox Live Arcade on Xbox 360. Mutant Storm Reloaded is an incredible game with fantastic Xbox 360-class visuals but combined with simple pick-up-and-play game mechanics. It hearkens back to the classic arcade model of gaming, but with a next-gen gloss of production and graphics. Crystal Quest will be immediately recognizable to anybody who's played the classic that began on the Mac and it has that same addictive quality that the original had. But now, you get the best of both worlds – old school classic, proven gameplay with next generation Xbox 360-quality graphics in high-definition. "
Bad Management - who act for both Pompom and Stainless - see Live Arcade as a potential saviour for both gaming originality and smaller developers. Senior Partner, John Cook, remarked, "Live Arcade could have a massive impact on the console market. There is potential there for smaller developers to make games which provide a valid parallel experience to the $10 million epics. Mutant Storm and Crystal Quest are excellent examples of that."