Carney Vale / Obama 360

Add Carney Vale to the list of "totally worth five bucks" Xbox 360 games. This is a Community Games title developed by the Gambit game lab, whose Kendall Square offices I've had the pleasure to visit by way of the various local events they host. It's a fine morsel, gleamingly polished, where you use minimal controls and simple 2D physics to fling an acrobat around a circus, collecting goodies and avoiding baddies. Try the demo and see if it hooks you.

It was interesting to see Obama inauguration-themed coverage, decor, and vaguely related downloadable-content ads (including one for the film "All the President's Men") all over the 360's desktop yesterday. Three years ago this concept wouldn't have made sense to me for multiple reasons.