Xbox Live Arcade Challenge Heats Up the Holidays with Small Arms and Lumines Live!

While the weather outside may be frightful, the gaming inside during this Holiday season is sure to be delightful. Microsoft today announced that registration is now open for the first two events in the highly anticipated Xbox Live Arcade Challenge. Competitors in each event have the opportunity to win prizes ranging from a high definition plasma TV to Xbox hardware and Microsoft Points tokens.

Xbox Live Arcade Challenge is a brand new program featuring fully integrated global tournaments designed specifically for all people playing Xbox Live Arcade games. The program is for all levels of gamers – those who like to compete and win, and those who simply want to play and join in with friends. Gamers can play for points, prizes, and fun.

The first two events feature the recently released Xbox Live Arcade titles “Lumines Live!” and “Small Arms.” The first tournament will use Q Entertainment's "Lumines Live!," the newest edition to the blockbuster franchise created by Tetsuya Mizuguchi. The "Lumines Live!" challenge will will run between December 17 and 23, and will feature competition in the Time Attack Mode. Gamers will be able to prepare for this competition by viewing the instant replays of players who’ve made it to the top of the leaderboard.

The next Xbox Live Arcade Challenge features the recently released brawling game “Small Arms,” and will run from December 24 to 30 in ranked matches. This original title developed by indie developer Gastronaut Studios has rapidly become one of the most popular Xbox Live Arcade releases ever. In fact during the week of November 27, "Small Arms" has been the number one paid download across all of Xbox Live Marketplace and has been the number one most played Xbox Live Arcade title and the third most played Xbox 360 game. So polish your skills and select your favorite weapon-strapped furry creature, as it's going to be fast-paced arcade brawling action this holiday. Prior to the competition, the "Small Arms" leaderboard will be reset to provide a level playing field.

To see the complete list of prizes, as well as register and read the official rules, please visit http://www.xboxlivetournament.com/.

Xbox Live Arcade enables gamers of all ages to easily play in new, fun ways with their friends anytime and anywhere. With more than 12 million game downloads to date and a vast library of independent, retro and original games, Xbox Live Arcade is a fast growing entertainment phenomenon. More information can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/livearcade/.

360-Hq Games Database: http://games.360-hq.com"