Ninja Gaiden Hurricane Pack Debuts On Xbox Live

RobZ65 writes "The new upgrade to Ninja Gaiden, previously mentioned on Slashdot Games, has just debuted for download via Xbox Live. The pack features improved camera, more bosses, improved AI, a new weapon, and two new costumes. What do you fellow Slashdotters think about addressing customer complaints in downloads? GameSpy has hands-on impressions of the Hurricane Pack from a couple of weeks back, and IGN covers the new Intercept Technique for blocking and countering, if want more info."

Comments

There goes an advantage of the console...

[Beatbyte]

It used to be that console games didn't need updates or didn't need add-ons. Now they seem to be getting into the same arena as a PC.

And personally, I would feel ripped off if I bought the game and didn't get these addons because I had to sign up for X-box Live.

The gap between console and PC thins out a little more.

Re:There goes an advantage of the console...

[blueZhift]

Oh I don't know about that. I remember when Gran Turismo 2 came out for Playstation, it was full of bugs, which Sony initially denied but eventually had to own up to and ship CDs with a fixed version. I'm sure they would have killed to be able to just put a patch on the net for download.

While it's true, that some companies have pushed out buggy products because they knew they could patch it later, it's also true that real enhancements can be made the same way. So on balance it's a good thing. Besides, on the console a game still has to get past the console owner (ie Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo) before they can press disk 1. But even with that, as games become more complex, it is inevitable that bugs will slip past the QA process.

Re:It is Microsoft after all...

[NeoCode]

I'd mod you down but I wanted to reply to this. This download is NOT a patch. They are not trying to fix anything because nothing is broken. The camera in NG was a pain in the ass but I beat the game with it. There is a lot more content in this update.

And its not like PS2 games have been bug free. At least, XBox has a platform that addresses these issues.

Regardless, its NOT a patch but a content update.

Re:So no broadband=no live=no patch=broken game.

[Babbster]

I'm aware that a lot of people put little stock in game reviews, but given its current 91.7% rating (before added content/camera change) on Game Rankings, I don't think Ninja Gaiden can be categorized as "a broken game."

Re:So no broadband=no live=no patch=broken game.

[slungsolow]

The game isn't broken, so its not really an issue of that. If you have the $100+/mo you get the additional material for no extra charge. If you don't pay the $100+/mo you get a fully functional game without any extra whizz bang.

Big whoop.

Re:So no broadband=no live=no patch=broken game.

[PhotoBoy]

It's a Hurricane Pack not a Hurricane Patch, like offering extra levels for Splinter Cell this pack offers NG players new moves, costumes, enemies and weapons.

That said I refuse to subscribe to Live as I don't really like online play, so the only way I'll get to enjoy this is on a cover CD. :(

Re:For non-live users?

[jmarr]

actually, it's more of a content download than a patch. new enemies, new weapons and new costumes as opposed to new camera system, increased difficulty and increased speed. It's hard to call increased difficulty and speed a patch since they are not addressing user complaints or bugs - I doubt there were many that complained that Ninja Gaiden was too easy. The camera system could be looked at as a patch since so many complained about not being able to control it, but you really can't call it a bug either. get a free 2month subscription to Live and then cancel it.