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New Xbox Live Game Every Week
Eurogamer reports that, with Xbox Live Wednesdays already a hit, Microsoft intends to continue releasing a new XBLA title every week for the near future. The company has announced their intention to have 160 titles for their next-gen console available by the end of the year, and some 30 of those may be Xbox Live Arcade titles. From the article: "The idea is to allow Xbox 360 owners who do not own hard disks to store downloaded Live Arcade games on memory units, which allow for 64MB of data. However, with PlayStation 3 in particular likely to allow for much larger downloadable games, Microsoft runs the risk of losing out on bigger releases despite the impressive momentum Live Arcade has already built up. Erickson admits that the company is already considering the possibilities of larger memory units, but there's no word on hard-disk-only Live Arcade games or other digitally distributed titles - although it's important to note that the latter, which Microsoft is certainly considering, would fall outside his remit."
Very good way to spend your money is to spend the $60 saved up for a new 360 game and buy a whole slew of XBL games. They are a great compliment to the major 360 titles.
360 games are selling like crazy in the US. Few weeks ago 7 of the top 10 games sold in America were 360 games (PS2 had the #10 spot with Kingdom Hearts, New Super Mario Bros #1, DDR for Gamecube somewhere in the middle).
360 also has the highest games sold/console ratio of any major console. Have to chuckle at the people who say the system has a limited library.
but I must admit that MS has done a lot better job with Xbox360 than they did with the first Xbox. Everyone that has a 360 raves about Live and the Arcade and downloading demos. By the time PS3 comes out, the 360 will have a solid library of full titles and a ton of the arcade games. Developers will have had the system in their hands for a while and will be able to utilize the system better.
If MS can deliver a solid price drop (maybe $250 to $300 for the premium system, dropping the core model) by the time wii and PS3 arrive, the other consoles are going to have a much harder time launching in the US and Europe. Japan will be a tough place for MS due to their lack of gay/jap games, and they should focus their efforts elsewhere.
2) There is currently a device that slides between an Xbox HD and the Xbox that allows you to use storage on your PC. Why not a device that lets you share your PC's HD to begin with from a 3rd party as well.
All XBs actaully will stream music from your XP PC's HD (and XP Media Center will stream video). Maybe just let you use storage space on your PC directly with a simple software update from MS.
Actually the free version of XBL serves its purpose. . . You cannot play games online, but the market place is still wide open to you.
As far as I'm concerned, the market place is much more valuable than people would have you believe.
I have yet to buy an X360 game, but I've probably spent about twice the value of a new game just on XBLA games, map packs and car packs for games that friends/family own.
Currently I have the pay-for package, but I hardly spend any time playing online what with all the lamers, flamers, and greifers.
disclaimer: I've been known to store numbers in my ass for which to dig out when quantities are required.
I can understand the desire to allow folks the ability to transport their Arcade game(s) on a memory unit .... but *force* developers to adhere to that? Why?
.... *especially* if no one is transporting their games via memory card.
I mean, is it a "consistent user experience" thing? Personally, no one I know that has a 360 transports their Arcade games, except by HDD, and would rather have larger, richer Arcade games instead.
64 meg games will be a HUGE disadvantage eventually
Just let developers make the Arcade games they want, and let the buying public decide how big is too big.