Microsoft is always working on Xbox Live, looking for new areas of innovation and areas that can be improved. So what is to be expected of Xbox Live in the future?

Well, as it is now, it is clear that Microsoft is looking for more ways to enter into the social media such as Twitter and Facebook, while also trying to improve the social capabilities of Xbox Live. So what you can expect is something along the lines of PlayStation HOME. Right now, Microsoft hosts 1 vs. 100, a game that you enter as your avatar and you are in a contest that may allow you to win anything from Free Xbox Live membership to 1600 Microsoft Points. As you can see, this was quite the surprise to many Xbox 360 owners when it was first announced, because it was the first attempt at a community wide contest of this generation, and it has gotten a lukewarm reception. So what is to be expected in the future of Xbox Live for this aspect of gaming? You can expect for the gaming audience to have a much more social and enjoyable experience, hosting rooms just to chat in, and more. It will also become more connected to social media such as Facebook and Twitter, although it already is. We will possibly see more video games supporting the ability to post achievements directly to your Facebook or Twitter page.

Another thing that Microsoft is showing a clear interest in, as well as much of the video game industry, is digital distribution. One of the main issues that game developers are having with the video gaming public, is the issue of piracy. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of dollars in video game sales are lost due to the widespread and open nature of piracy. However, one argument is made that if the game is good enough, the one illegally downloading the game will buy it anyway. Another argument being made is that the person downloading the game would not buy it to begin with, so the video game publishers and developers are not actually losing any money. Whatever the argument, Microsoft, and other gaming companies, are beginning to delve into the idea of digital distribution. Where we may have a future where they do not sell video game via DVDs anymore, but they sell them over an online market place, where you then download to your hard drive and play it that way. The problem with this is that your data may get lost, but this seems to be a pretty solid idea and it saves you a trip to the game store. Most likely, Xbox Live will be making a full use of the digital distribution movement, more so than it already is with the Xbox Live On Demand service.

Those are the major two things you can expect for Microsoft to do with their Xbox Live service in the future.
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Castle Crashers is one of the latest games developed by The Behemoth, a team best known for their work on Alien Hominid. This game has made its way to Xbox Live Arcade and is available now for 1200 Microsoft Points.

Castle Crashers is a 2D side scrolling action adventure game with a distinct style. The style is in a more cartoony and american stylized manner, with exaggerated facial expressions and attacks. The style is likable, though, and will especially appeal to those of you who are fans of Alien Hominid. This Xbox Live arcade game has two main modes, being the arena mode where you are going head to head against enemies or the story mode in which you save the princess. There is also the ability for you to play with a friend on the story mode, so for those of you who need Free Xbox Live membership, I recommend you read the homepage.

The story mode is very enjoyable to play, especially for those of you who like to play with your friends. In the first level, you will go through a sort of tutorial mode where you unlock your first combination attacks and make use of your spells for the first time around. When you attack, you will find that you have a chance of decapitating the enemy which saves you quite a lot of time. With each level up, you get stat points that you will be able to use to upgrade some of your vital skills. This gives you the necessary choice of choosing whether you want to become a magic user, a brute who focuses on defense or attack power, or maybe an amalgam of the three. I personally chose to go with the defensive magic user in Castle Crashers.

Castle Crashers still holds the classic Behemoth sense of humor. At the end of the first level, after saving the princess, you get to get a kiss from her. However, if you are playing two player  mode, she will only kiss one of you, so the two of you have a duel to the death over who gets to kiss her. That was surely an unexpected and hilarious event in the story. On another level, you are running away from some large monster in the forest, and you constantly see animals getting so scared that they crap on themselves, and in one sequence where you are running away from the monster, this animal is using its crap to propel itself away towards safety.

There are also several downloadable updates made available to you on the Xbox Live marketplace. You can purchase additional characters that have their own unique skill sets, animals and weapons. For those of you who are avid fans of Castle Crashers, I would definitely recommend that you purchase the new characters, because it can add a completely new experience into the mix. All in all, I recommend that you at least try the Castle Crashers trial, because this Xbox Live game is really worth getting. 
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