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360 Live Arcade Details Out
Edge Online has a short piece on Xbox VP Peter Moore's announcement of the Live Arcade's full potential. Gamespot has a list of the planned titles, which is thoroughly impressive, including hits like Bejeweled 2, SmashTV, and Wik:Fable of Souls. From the Edge article: "Amongst the 40-odd developers slated for further Live Arcade development are Namco, SEGA, Konami, Capcom, SNK Playmore and Hudson Soft providing a selection of their retro titles, as well as the usual lineup of casual PC game producers like Wild Tangent, PopCap, and GarageGames, but the two most unexpected additions to the list are Mizuguchi's upstart Q Entertainment and AntiGrav/Guitar Hero developers Harmonix."
Not to come across as a fanboy, but the above poster is absurdly incorrect. Sony and Nintendo do not offer what Microsoft offers - a premium online service that offers free and purchased downloadable content, free game demos, bundled communicator headsets, a friends list, and automated matchmaking. Add to this the centralized, broadband-only nature of Live and you can see why Microsoft charges a fee for their online service. Upcoming 360 features include free VoIP chat and free basic (silver) access included in all Xbox 360s among other things.
People don't complain when there are nominal fees for online games (such as Everquest, Asheron's Call, WoW, et al). Microsoft is offering, for all intents and purposes, a very similar gaming environment and charges a similar price. The above poster needs to get off his high-horse and realize Microsoft is actually trailblazing new grounds here and that such action should be endorsed.
Excuse me, sir. I'd like to point out they had SmashTV on the list of games.
SmashTV.
Where do I sign up?
While their games appear to be of good quality and they had some nifty screensavers, the WildTangent package is also a spyware/adware enabler. I had it at one time, and eventually (regretfully) removed it because of the spyware/adware aspects.
If this is one of the vendors that Microsoft is allowing into their XBox Live Arcade program, then I will have to think twice before signing up for it.
Bad enough to have that sort of thing on a PC where with sufficient care it can be removed. I fear that once it's on the XBox360's HD it'll be collecting all sorts of data on my buying and playing habits, and I'll never be able to get it off.
midway arcade treasures compilation 1 has smash tv. and its available now, for all three home consoles.
"this also assumes you shell out $500 for the SUPER DELUXE version of the 360, that includes the hard drive, so you actually have a place to save the things you've downloaded (and a communicator, which doesn't come standard with the cheaper system., but can be purchased at additional cost)"
Nope it's $400 for the standard version. There is no "SUPER DELUXE version". There is standard version with hard drive and the stripped down piece of shit, buy that parts seperately for more than the $100 that you saved version. I agree it's expensive and that's partly why I don't plan to get one (at least at release), but get your facts right.
There are 11 types of people, those who know unary and those who don't.
"a premium online service that offers free and purchased downloadable content, free game demos, bundled communicator headsets, a friends list, and automated matchmaking"
Welcome to the Internet circa 1996. Only thing missing is that pesky headset. Oh wait, I already got one with my UT2004 DVD Edition.
Insert Sig Here
I'm surprised nobody else has mentioned what a boon this could be to indie developers, who might come up with some great original gameplay but not have millions of dollars to produce a full-blown game release. The ability to get some simpler yet fun independent games via XBL, if utilized, could be a great feature.
If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else.