A Busy Week For The Xbox Live Marketplace

A weakened economy won’t put a dent on Xbox Live Marketplace releases this week as we’ll be seeing a slew of game add-ons and new Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) titles.

For starters, the eagerly anticipated “Grand Theft Auto IV” expansion pack “The Lost and Damned” is now available in the Live Marketplace for 1600 Microsoft points (MSP). The Xbox 360 exclusive gives you the opportunity to play through a new Liberty City story established around a biker gang. Stay tuned for a cameo by every ones favorite GTA IV lead, Niko Belic.

Two games will be joining the Xbox Live Arcade roster this week. Taito Corporation’s “Exit 2″ and Snowblind Studios’ “Death Tank” will be available 02/18/09 for 800 MSP a piece.

Folks who believed that XBLA game “The Maw” was a little too short will be able to continue their adventure on Wed. The deleted scene, known as “Brute Force” will give gamers the opportunity to play through one more level of the one month old XBLA title. The first of three deleted scenes will set gamers back 100 MSP.

Also, “Burnout Paradise” fans will be happy to learn that the long awaited Legendary Cars downloadable pack will be available on Thursday for 600 Microsoft points. The pack includes four cars based on popular 80’s franchises such as Ghostbusters and Knight Rider. The cars can be purchased individually at 160 MSP each, with the exception of the Back to the Future themed Jensen, which will retail at 320 MSP.

As you can clearly see, the Xbox Live Marketplace has a little something for everybody. As much as this will be an entertaining week, your bank account will definitely feel a little lighter thanks to these downloads. Voila, a perfect argument for those who believe that the gaming industry is recession proof.

Andre runs the blog GamingCult.com, an independent website dedicated to the world of gaming, entertainment and technology. You can also follow him on Twitter.