The first part of that title should sound familiar. One of XBLIG’s great, and unfortunately, rare, success stories, developer DigitalDNA Games is bidding farewell to the service with one final game, CastleMiner Warfare ($1.00). Thank you for being involved in this wonderful madness known as theXBLIG. So thank you, all, from the bottom of my heart. While I’d still be playing indie games otherwise, there’d be no point in running this website if it wasn’t for all of you. It may sound cheap, and more than a little cheesy, but it’s the honest truth.
I owe a great debt to this community, my fellow gaming journalists / writers, all the great XBLIG developers, and, of course, you guys. Granted, that’s not the most impressive showing for a website, but for one dedicated to a fading indie service, with games that are often criticized (yes, by me too) for being childish and loaded with boobs, it’s not too shabby.
As of today, we’ve surpassed 214,000 views, posted 318 articles / reviews, and seen 3,500 comments on those posts. Proof is in the numbers, really, as this site has had a fantastic run since last June. What I can say is that the community itself- people like You, reading this- is still going remarkably strong. I can’t write that the service still has its best days ahead of it, as that would be a lie even I can’t force myself to believe. New releases have slackened off on Xbox Live Indie Games in the past few months. While Xbox One is picking up steam, and indie gaming has started taking hold there (with the program), the Xbox 360 has not been as fortunate. There’s no point in glossing over the reality of a situation. XBLIG seems destined for a slow, depressing death. Well, that worry was for naught the site still stands! That said, we sure limped into this second birthday celebration, as the new releases have pretty much dried up. I do remember last time I did this, I was worried the site might not even make it two years, between the rumblings of XBLIG’s demise (only somewhat exaggerated) and the looming releases of the next-gen consoles. Don’t want to pat myself on the back too much, just enough to keep my ego properly inflated. Dragon Survival Mode: For those who like their trophies big and their hair singed and smoking, Dragon Survival Mode brings you up close and personal with wave after wave of the biggest, meanest, scaliest brutes in the game.Man, has it been another year already!? Time flies when you’re writing indie game reviews, I guess.Creative Mode: With simplified crafting and the ability to adjust or eliminate the enemy threat, Creative Mode is a great place to build vast structures in peace.Survival Mode: If you enjoy Endurance, but would rather build permanent structures and defenses, Survival Mode is where you’ll spend your time.In Endurance Mode, the world is randomized each game and the death of your party is permanent.
How far can you get before you succumb to the zombies, dragons, skeletons, or other enemies that thirst for your blood? Run, fight, and sneak your way across dry deserts, snowy mountains, and icy expanses on your quest to vanquish the ultimate guardians of the abyss.