XBLA House Party 2012 Schedule and Prices for Alan Wakes American Nightmare and I Am Alive

It's been about two weeks since we first reported the trailer for Microsoft's 2012 Xbox Live House Party. While the trailer served as a fun tease for the upcoming promotion, two pieces of critical information were conspicuously absent - the full release schedule as well as pricing for each of the four included games:  I Am AliveAlan Wake’s American NightmareWarp and Nexuiz.

Fortunately, with just over three weeks left before the promotion is about to start, Microsoft has unveiled the full list of Xbox LIVE Arcade House Party Dates and Prices.

The update comes in the form of an official press release which lists the launch date of the 2012 House Party as February 15th - starting with EA's "puzzle-based stealth action" title Warp.

We've posted the schedule and pricing breakdown below - as well as pulled official descriptions of each title from their respective publishers:

  • February 15th - Warp - 800 Microsoft Points - A puzzle-based stealth action game where you play as Zero, a lovable-yet-lethal orange alien with a big score to settle! Captured by the villainous Commander and imprisoned in his underwater facility, Zero must plan his ultimate escape using his arsenal of alien abilities – warp, frag, echo, swap and launch.
  • February 22nd - Alan Wake’s American Nightmare - 1200 Microsoft Points - In this brand-new stand-alone experience, Alan Wake fights the herald of darkness, the evil Mr. Scratch. A thrilling new storyline, hordes of creepy enemies, serious firepower and beautiful Arizona locations, combined with a fun and challenging new game mode, make this a must for Alan Wake veterans, and the perfect jumping-on point for new players. Can you survive until sunrise?
  • February 29th - Nexuiz - 800 Microsoft Points - Nexuiz is an Arena First Person shooter coming soon to consoles. Nexuiz is fast paced with extremely competitive game play. IllFonic brings Alientrap Software's Nexuiz to next-gen gaming consoles around the world while staying true to the game play refined over the years through development. IllFonic introduces a new Victorian influenced art style that is simultaneously futuristic and sophisticated. Nexuiz for consoles is powered by CryENGINE 3.
  • March 7th - I Am Alive - 1200 Microsoft Points - One year after a worldwide cataclysmic event has wiped out most of human civilisation, a man struggles for survival. Faced with an insecure, decaying and hazardous world, he scours a desolated city, searching for his long-lost wife and daughter. Survive the suffocating, murky streets covered in dust. Climb the teetering remains of last-standing skyscrapers to reach breathable air and find untouched resources. Explore the crumbling ruins of a once-thriving metropolis. Discover a changed human condition, punctuated by distrustful survivors, dangerous armed gangs and victims in need.

As in prior XBLA promotions, Microsoft is including an incentive for any die-hard download fans who purchase all four of the games by March 13th - 800 Microsoft Points in credit. That said, in addition to the February 15th — March 13th time window, anyone interested in the bonus credits should pay attention to which regions are eligible for the offer as, at the time of this writing, Japan, Korea and Italy are not included.

Similarly, even though Microsoft has laid-out the schedule and price list, the publisher still reserves the right to change things last minute.

It's also worth noting that 3/4 of the four titles are not Microsoft exclusives (Alan Wake’s American Nightmare being the exception- though it's unclear how their inclusion might affect the timing of their release on other platforms. For example, with a 1200 Microsoft Point ($15.00) price tag - Ubisoft's long-delayed but still high-profileI Am Alive, will likely also be releasing through Sony's PlayStation Network for $14.99 on or around the March 7th date.

We'll keep you posted with official confirmation of multiplatform release info for the three non-Microsoft exclusive titles.

The 2012 XBLA House Party kicks off February 15th with Warp.

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Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for further updates.

Source: Microsoft