Two weeks ago D3 Publisher’s their first Xbox Live Arcade title, Mad Tracks, went online and it is the first of three announced games for Xbox Live Arcade. Rocketbowl, a casual bowling game and Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords are scheduled to come out at a later date. To find out more about the upcoming titles and their stance on digital distribution we asked Careen Yapp, Vice President of licensing and business development a few questions.
D3Publisher recently announced they are going to start distributing titles over Xbox Live. What made Xbox Live Arcade an attractive platform to distribute titles on?
D3 is a publisher that is focused on partnering with great development teams to build their IP into franchise brands. The XBLA platform is a perfect platform to introduce innovative gaming experiences to the Xbox 360 audience.
Let's start by talking about Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords. What is new in the Xbox 360 release that isn't in the DS/PSP games?
The initial XBLA release will be the game that is currently available on DS and PSP but the full XBLA offering has not yet been finalized. Stay tuned for more information.
Is there going to be online play in Puzzle Quest for the 360?
Online play for Puzzle Quest XBLA will consist of 2 player head to head multiplayer.
Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords has been selling pretty well. Are you worried that a digital download release will cannibalize sales of the handheld games?
No. We believe that Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a franchise brand that will support sales on multiple platforms. We want to ensure that our audience is able to enjoy the game regardless of their preferred hardware system.
Infinite-interactive said that Galatrix is coming to Xbox Live Arcade too. Is D3Publisher handling this and could you tell us a little about the game?
Stay tuned for more information.
Rocketbowl has been out on PCs for some time, what is new in the Xbox 360 version?
Rocketbowl is a classic, casual, PC franchise that is being upgraded for the XBLA audience. Features include fully interactive animated environments, extended ball control, amazing graphics, multiplayer, conventional bowling and much, much more.
Did D3Publisher contact Large Animal Games about an Xbox Live Arcade release or vice versa?
Our strategy in building D3’s XBLA lineup is to locate fun, accessible, and innovative gaming experiences that naturally fit into the overall XBLA portfolio. We considered Rocket Bowl a perfect fit and contacted Large Animal Games to obtain the rights. We have built a great partnership with LAG and 21-6 and look forward to delivering a fantastic game.
Xbox Live Arcade could be a good platform to distribute some of D3Publisher's internally developed Simple 2000 games like The Puzzle Collection and The Tousou Prisoner. Has D3Publisher considered this? I think a lot of people would like to see the previous versions of Earth Defense Force and Zombies vs. Ambulance.
We are well aware of the popularity of D3’s Simple Series (thank you to the fans!) and with the current success of Earth Defense Force: 2017 look forward to pursuing viable opportunities for the Series.
What are your thoughts about the Playstation Store and Nintendo's online distribution system?
As a third party publisher, we are platform agnostic and proud to support all viable video gaming platforms.
Does D3Publisher have any plans to support either of these platforms in the future?
Stay tuned for future announcements!
