Xbox Live Arcade Details Emerge

An anonymous reader writes "CNN/Money's latest Game Over column spills the beans on Xbox Live Arcade (previously mentioned on Slashdot), Microsoft's forthcoming effort to attract more casual gamers to its console. The feature, which will offer classic arcade games and popular online fare like Bejeweled, will launch Nov. 3, but as the column points out, it will have a very small line-up of titles and will charge rather high fees to purchase them."

Comments

I don't get it

[Bastian]

For the past several years, I am constantly seeing re-releases of old/retro games. Sometimes they are one-game-to-a-cart, like with GBA retro games, sometimes they are collections like Namco Arcade.

The one constant is that they always cost at least two or three times what I could pay for the original at a used video game store. In the extreme case, I can buy six old Atari games for my PS2 for $30, or I can go spend $20 for an old Atari and a stack of 20 games.

Or I can do what I really did and pick up an old Atari, two of basically every controller, and a box of about 60 games for $5.

Which just leaves me wondering, who buys this stuff?

Re:I don't get it

[FriedTurkey]

I actually love all those collections and buy every one for my PS2 and Gameboy SP. Why? Convenience. I am not carrying around an Atari on a plane. Plus the games are a lot better with the modern controllers (exception Midway for PS2 which has horrible controls) than the horrible Atari joysticks that always broke. I actually can kick ass at Pitfall now. With the Atari joystick, Pitfall was frustrating. (Probably causing the many breakages of Atari joysticks.)

Seems Pointless

[neMoSum]

It seems like this is a pretty pointless offer from microsoft. If you think about it, in order to play these games, you need to make the original hardware investment of $150, then you need to have Xbox Live, another $50/year (I think), and you have to pay for each game?

This is in opposition to the current retro-trend oriented hardware which bundles a bunch of games inside one old controller shaped device that you can hook directly to your TV for maybe $20.

Basically, the only advantages Live can claim are that 1)you don't need to go to a store and 2)you can post your scores on a message board. I just don't see the attraction.

Re:Seems Pointless

[LordNimon]

It seems like this is a pretty pointless offer from microsoft. If you think about it, in order to play these games, you need to make the original hardware investment of $150, then you need to have Xbox Live, another $50/year (I think), and you have to pay for each game?

Obviously, this is for people who already have an Xbox and Xbox Live, and want to play these games as well, without having to use their PC or purchase another console.

I would buy this. I have an Xbox with a Live account, and my wife is eagerly looking forward to Xbox Live Arcade, so that I'm not the only one playing Xbox games.

You Have To Start Somewhere...

[Chi Hsuan Men]

On a different (smaller) scale, Microsoft is attempting to offer a service that the Phantom does not seem to be able to provide. Many threads have done nothing but annihilate Infinium Labs and its offering of the Phantom console system. With this service, Microsoft is offering a similar product; however, on a level that is less technically demanding, which might negate some of the major issues the Phantom is facing.

On demand gaming has to start somewhere. Flame Microsoft all you want, but Microsoft seems to be taking a reasonable approach: start small, with a market that is hot (retro gaming) and see how it works.

The price point might be a little high, but prices are always adjustable. The important thing is that Microsoft is starting small. This could be a step in the right direction for on demand gaming.

Let me get this straight....

[dogbowl]

So, I'm expected to go out and spend $150 dollars on an x-box, $50 on x-box live and then another $10 dollars just so I can play bejewelled?

Why don't I just play solitare while I'm at work?