Welcome to the Black List, our regular retrospective on the week in games.

On Monday, Karen interrupted our latest podcast to pitch a game concept to the creators of Dead or Alive.

On Tuesday, we donned our balaclavas only to discover that Codemasters has called off its forthcoming Hei$t.

On Wednesday, we reported that THQ has given the green light to four new titles, all sequels.

On Thursday, we reported that Xbox Live support for first generation Xbox titles will soon come to an end.

On Friday, Halfbrick Studios convinced us that we really are living in the Age of Zombies.

Thanks for reading.

Erin Marcon – Editor

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The team at Queensland’s Halfbrick Studios couldn’t be accused of resting on their laurels. Well, I suppose they could, but the accusation would be hurtful and untrue. Even as they apply the finishing touches to Raskulls, the team is already gearing up for their next release. Judging from the announcement trailer, Age of Zombies will be a 360° top-down shooter in the tradition of Robotron 2084.

By my reckoning the zombie subgenre is bursting at the seams and I’m not merely referring to the likes of Left 4 Dead. Downloadable titles such as Zombie Apocalypse and Dead Nation have already added zombies to the Robotron formula, leaving Halfbrick with little room to innovate. That’s not to say they won’t try, however, with the announcement on the company’s website indicating that there will be a time travelling element to the game. One moment, you’ll be battling the undead hordes in ancient Egypt. Moments later you’ll be facing off against a zombie dinosaur. I’ll just let that sink in for a moment.

Age of Zombies is scheduled for digital distribution via the PS3 and PSP Minis service on Thursday 25 February 2010.

“I gotta land this thing before they shut us down.”

It’s never easy to let go of an old friend, but dally too long and the decision will likely be made for you. Such is the case with Xbox Live. Microsoft has revealed that its online service will no longer accommodate first generation Xbox titles as of Thursday 15 April 2010. The decision, while not entirely unexpected, is unlikely to be welcomed by the small but fervent online communities for titles such as Halo 2, Counter-Strike and Doom 3.

According to Xbox Live General Manager Marc Whitten, the decision will allow Microsoft to enhance the service in ways incompatible with first generation games. While Whitten was silent on the nature of the improvements, many have speculated that the cap on Xbox Live friends, currently set at 100, will be increased or removed. This belief stems from Microsoft’s revelation to G4 that the cap is a by-product of Xbox Live’s backwards compatibility.

Original Xbox games available for download from the Xbox Live Marketplace will be also be denied online support. I don’t know about you, but Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge suddenly seems a lot less inviting to me.

“Nobody calls me yellow…”

THQ has rolled out the medium sized guns, announcing sequels to four of its best known properties. According to a report published on Kotaku, we can look forward to new instalments of de Blob, Darksiders, Red Faction and Saints Row.

The announcement suggests that THQ’s support for original IP such as de Blob and Darksiders has paid handsome dividends. Given the difficulties faced by third parties on the Wii, the critical and commercial response to Australian-made puzzle platformer de Blob must be particularly satisfying. With luck, the success of these titles will encourage the publisher to bankroll another wave of original properties.

Less interesting is the announcement of a third Saints Row title. While a competent clone of Grand Theft Auto, the series ignored its forerunner’s social awareness in favour of incessant juvenilia. Given that developer Volition is also responsible for the aforementioned Red Faction: Guerrilla, we know it’s capable of better.

All four titles are scheduled for release prior to April 2012.