Joystiq hands-on: Xbox 360--Live Arcade
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Oct 12th 2005 at 2:30PM }
I was pleasantly surprised with Microsoft's enthusiasm for the Xbox 360's Live Arcade. The team is determined to do it right this time around—no hunting around for an installation disk. At launch, 12-15 games should be available, 15-20 by the end of the holiday season. Here's a list of definite launch titles:
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Hexic HD (original game from the makers of Tetris; comes pre-installed on the HDD)
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Bankshot Billiards 2 (it's pool)
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Geometry Wars (upgraded port)
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Joust (upgraded port)
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Marble Blast Ultra (original title)
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Mutant Storm (upgraded port)
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Wiki: Fable of Souls (original title)
All of the Live Arcade games will feature HD (1080i) resolution—but for purists, most retro-ports will be available to play in their original glory. In addition, 75% of the titles will feature Live multiplayer modes, with quick match, optimatch, and create match capabilities. Plus, your progress in these games will count towards your “gamerscore”; you’ll also have the opportunity to earn achievements.
What’s most promising about the Xbox Live Arcade is its potential to breathe new live into fading genres, as well as lend needed support to the indie scene. Hopefully, we’re going to see some exceptional 2D platformers, shooters, and other genres popping up that are too expensive for publishers to release on disc for next-gen platformers. Games like Wiki and Marble Blast are evidence that the Live Arcade is gonna offer a fresh, albeit retro-based, gaming experience—these are not just ports, folks. If Microsoft succeeds in pointing users at the Live Arcade, I think we’re gonna find a lot of fun for a bargain price—not to mention, this will encourage Microsoft to build the library and pursue garage developers.
The features are there and the launch support is strong. Add online multiplayer to most of these titles, plus the ability to jump in and out of games (autosave), and you’ve got something legit. This is a service that will attract all kinds of gamers, for all kinds of reasons. Don’t sleep on it.
(Note: Microsoft will announce the big name publishers that will support Live Arcade in the coming days. Although I didn’t get a definitive confirmation, I mentioned to the rep that it would be really cool if they brought some of those classic early-90’s arcade games to the service, like, say, TMNT. At that, he smirked, and simply stated that I would be pleasantly surprised with the list of devoted publishers that want to revisit their arcade classics on Live Arcade.)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
PickyPants @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
FUCK YES!
Bejeweled is the killer app we've been waiting for!
Here's $500 Microsoft!
Scott @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
They need to put games like the Capcom or Midway classics on there as well.
Andrew Guyton @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Ummm... I think it's "Wik: Fable of Souls", not "Wiki", though an arcade-version of Wikipedia would be awesome.
Tellute @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Last time it was thr price that put me off, not having to get my hands on a disc. I hope MS re-look at the pricing this time around.
Over £10 for Bejeweled was never going to work.
Bryan @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Bloggers bloggers bloggers, you get catered to at a free media event and now you get over excited.
Simple casual games are not going to bring new users to the Xbox 360 when the entry fee is the purchase of a $400 dollar machine.
No matter how great the service is, it's on the wrong platform!
And if I do pay $400-500 for the system, the last thing I'm going to spend my time on is games that don't take advantage of the expensive hardware...
stewie Gr1ff1n @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
DUDE that TMNT arcade game you would always see at chuckie chesses would be awesome :D
spoo @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
This is cool... maybe this will soften the blow when I spend $500 on Nov. 22. I hope my old lady will get hooked on Live Arcade. She is a sucker for bejeweled and simple puzzle games.
spoo @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
This is cool... maybe this will soften the blow when I spend $500 on Nov. 22. I hope my old lady will get hooked on Live Arcade. She is a sucker for bejeweled and simple puzzle games.
JC @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Don't criticize the bloggers as being "too excited" because they're announcing XBox live Arcade games. Obviously no one in their right mind would ever pay $400 for a system to simply play classic arcade games, but did you ever stop to think that the thousands of people who play such games do so on computers that cost them much more than that?
Remember that this is an additional feature of the 360; griping about it is like saying you paid $20,000 for the CD player in your car...you didn't, you bought a car and it also has a CD player. My custom computer can run great new games, but guess what? I had as much fun playing Bookworm as I did playing F.E.A.R.
The "casual games" are not what will drive the system, but they are a nice little option that I'm sure even some "hardcore" gamers (such as myself) enjoy from time to time. As for people who could care less about pixel shaders and teraflops (aka, your wife, girlfriend, grandpa, etc...), I'm sure they wouldn't mind trying out something they can actually play on your spiffy new system.
CheapyD @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
GameTap > Xbox Arcade
www.gametap.com
Wanax @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I noticed the Texas Hold'em game in the picture. How interesting would it be if you could play with real money with that?
Hunty @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Uh, "Wik" doesn't really count as an "original game" since it's been out for the PC for quite a while:
http://www.download.com/Wik-and-the-Fable-of-Souls/3000-7563_4-10316872.html
Also, re comment #1: you rock.
Scott Jon Siegel @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
actually, I have a theory that GameTap might want to cooperate w/ Xbox 360, to bring its ever-growing list of titles to Xbox Live Arcade. Streets of Rage on the Xbox? Sonic? Ecco? This on top of the potential for Indie developers to circumvent the retail scene. Let's wait and see what the coming weeks bring - I've got a good feeling about this... -sj
Dralt @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I could not care less about Xbox Live Arcade!
I really couldn't.
I guess Microsoft is hoping to sell old or "updated" downloadable games using that thing.
Whatever.
Nossy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Geez, I guess people in here don't like "extras." Um yeah if you are dying to buy the 360 for the Live Arcade feature, you're a moron. My golly, and it's not like it's the ONLY thing it can do, it's just an OPTION. And to think that many people are excited about Nintendo's idea of having the Revolution capable of playing all games, even the old NES. "Oh yeah I can't wait for the Revolution to be able to enjoy all the old games from previous Nintendo consoles." Or "If the Revolution doesn't come with a hard drive, where are all the old games gonna be stored?" Are you going to buy the Revolution for all the old games? Wait, my computer already can emulate all of them...
Ghazi @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
IF this is one of the most touted features of the 360.. then please save yourself some money and goto
www.freeonlinegames.com
or
games.yahoo.como
Dralt @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Nossy,
As a hard-core gamer, anything that is not essential is bloat. So, to me, Arcade is bloat and tends to make Xbox 360 bloatware.
But, hey, who am I to ask that a video game console be just that?
Because "1 billion consumers" are going to be invited to enjoy the "HD generation", I will have to bear with features that might reduce my overall gaming experience.
Heck, when you buy a car, you expect to leave the lot with a car--not a car, a trailer and couple of monkeys in the trunk.
But, who are you to ask that a car be just that?
jc @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I can't think of any old arcade games I would be interested in playing anymore. But if you throw spider solataire on there, I am sure my gf will be interested.
ph[i]l @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
is this similar to the whole Nintendo Revolution "virtual console" thing where you can download games from previous consoles onto your new console. if so , then i think that sony will be left out when they launch their PS£ as even thoug it is completly backwards compatable will all it's playstations, it is garenteed that there are people out there who never purchased EVERY GAME that they ever wanted on the playstations and there are other people who missed out on the PS1 altogether, so either people (who buy a PS£) go out and buy every game that they want from the PS1 and PS2 (if thats possible, if not expensive) or sony allow for their games to be downloaded at a price like Nintendo (and mabye Microsoft)
can anyone give their comments on this?
(please note * i will not be buying the PS3 im only bringing the subject up)
Adam Carrico @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Yeah, I agree with Hunty, Wik: Fable of Souls is available on the net, so this is considered a port not an original game. Please change :D
Master Mischief @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Noes !!!!!!!11!One0n3!!1
All we morons are wait for teh Plestations !1 We no wants no arced gams !1!
All yar next-gen are belongs to us !!
Har Har !!
Dralt @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
#18
Well, *sarcastically* you must be the only guy who does not buy a next-gen console to play old games!
Art Guy @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
How anyone can see this as a BAD thing is beyond my comprehension. They are allowing the smaller developers to have different innovative games that would never see the light of day otherwise.
This is awesome IMO.
Master Mischief @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
All these guys whining about an "extra" feature are fanbois-in-disguise from the other side. These phucking lame-Os wouldn't buy the console anyway, so they come into every Xbox360 topic and spew their filth.
There is one numbskull who thinks having the free arcade games on the console will somehow hamper his enjoyment of the console. And then there is another whiner who says he wouldn't buy a $500 console to pay arcade games. If there were an IQ meter associated with every website, these kind of phucktards are enough to take Joystiq's IQ score into the negative.
Sick !! Sick !!
OTAM @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I can understand the idiocy if someone buys a 360 for Live Arcade,but people are actually WHINING about getting extra shit!
I feel like i'm on crazy pills.
Twist @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I would love to see some of the arcade titles from the early 90's available. Stuff like Aliens vs Predator and X-Men.
Dralt @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Chimpanzees, on the Internet, are easy to spot.
They can't spell. They use all sorts of cool acronyms. They use swear words abundantly. They cannot really read or understand written information without using a dictionary. They are too lazy to fetch a dictionary.
In other news, I love it when my PC lamentably crashes because some unknown piece of software, which I did not install and selected to use, experiences a "system error".
All this being said, if Arcade can help independent developers, I am all for it.
Any piece of software you add is another potential point of failure.
This being said, I must say that, so far, Microsoft has been very good at patching through Live.
LSSLAVE @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Hmm...
I almost wanted an Xbox 360, then I realized I was simply pulled into the hype of the first next generation system and it died
I then felt the pull again after seeing Perfect Dark Zero, and remembered that PDZ was supposed to be Xbox and I know someone who bought an Xbox SPECIFICALLY for that game and Steel Batallion, now he only has 1 game he wanted for it.
Then to add insult to injury, they do this, and at first I thought how cool, until I realized... the arcade setup. They are trying to mimic what Nintendo is doing with their console.
This would be fine, hell everything companies do is copied from Nintendo. Call me a fanboy if you will but taht simply means you can not face the facts, 2 handed controllers = nintendo.
What makes me mad is that Sony and Microsoft constantly belittle Nintendo and their fans, aswell as fans of both systems do so.
Dont bash the company then rip it off!
I wont be buying an Xbox 360, although the PS3 (and obviously the revolution) have my bid. After seeing this I am guaranteed to feel NO love for the next Xbox.. and I can not see how anyone feels no offense at this after the words chosen by Microsoft.
epobirs @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
#27
Xbox Live Arcade on the existing console predates Nintendo's announcement for the Revolution by a considerable amount of time. We're talking about something that has an Xbox version RIGHT NOW as opposed to something that has been merely announced with no real details for a console with very few details to date.
You might as well accuse Nintendo of ripping off Namco, since the Namco Museum series is almost a decade old.
Dan Choi @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Hey, epobirs is exactly right about the predating issue.
But yeah, since Streets of Rage got cut from the Sonic Gems Collection here in the States (darn E10+ rating or some such), I'd love to see some Sega and Konami beat-em-ups like SoR and TMNT with a component-cable setup (and hopefully an option to toggle anti-aliasing and all that other next-gen nonsense; perfect emulation would be nice). If the Live Arcade deal with Real can facilitate it, I'm all for settled lawsuits. Please, Sega/Konami, please! =)
skrati @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
DSSLAVE, wake up. I think you're being oversensitive about...something.
First, MS has been doing these games on their MSN Zone for like 10 years, and I think they got the idea from AOL, who stole it from BBS.
The 360 has live - if you've used it, and like online gaming, then you know how much better it is then PC or SONY online. I think a LIVE arcade will DEFINITELY bring in lots of users - my wife and her mom will play each other. While we probably would get a 360 anyway, her mom is only getting one because we are, and they can play games and share pictures over the thing. From the living room. On the widescreen HD.
If that and 200+ titles in development doesn't appeal to you, good times. I don't begrudge your preference for other systems, but base it on something real!
OTAM @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
LSSLAVE,you say,
"Then to add insult to injury, they do this, and at first I thought how cool, until I realized... the arcade setup. They are trying to mimic what Nintendo is doing with their console."
What exactly are you even talking about? Didnt Microsoft say this was a feature back at E3? So you're telling me that they came up with materials and information to tell the public AS Nintendo was showing off their console at the same event?
I don't exactly know what you mean by what you said,but I don't remember Nintendo offered arcade games. I do remember them saying you could download their OLD games for a price,but that's more along the lines of backwards compatibility,which Sony pretty much brought into the game market,so you could say Nintendo was copying Sony if you want to play your cards like that.
Seriously though,explain to me exactly what you're talking about.
sanjuro @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
Nossy wrote: "Are you going to buy the Revolution for all the old games? Wait, my computer already can emulate all of them..."
Huh, most arcade games are emulated via Mame as well and it makes a lot more than 12-15 titles...
Syd! @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
You know what I want? I want pong. Just pong. All pong, all the time.
Do you think I'll be able to play pong against my friends on XBL? That would be SICK
keville @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
You know what? I would LOVE to be able to play some of these little mini-games WHILE inside another game! Can you imagine playing some PONG against someone in your your party while waiting for your matchup in Halo 2?
...
Or they could just speed up the freakin' matchmaking proccess, I guess.
ill trooper @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM
I don't understand why you WOULDN'T want this to happen. It's like your mobile phone having a clock and calculator built in - it only helps. This is one case where it probably won't ever effect you if you don't like it.
Dralt... You say about the LIVE Arcade:
"As a hard-core gamer, anything that is not essential is bloat. So, to me, Arcade is bloat and tends to make Xbox 360 bloatware.
But, hey, who am I to ask that a video game console be just that?"
But these ARE video games, so I respectfully disagree that this is 'bloatware' in a gamer's eyes. It's only bloatware if you don't want it AND you buy/install more games, so the answer for you will likely be "don't use it," but for me, this is a cool little addendum to a nice system. And it's over the LIVE system, which many emulators are not.
Sanjuro, and everyone saying you can just run emulations on MAME or something? This would be a LEGAL alternative on the 360, not that I'm trying to say you shouldn't play things you 'found' on the internet, or in any way judging your morals, but rather, I'm saying it's a way to get the games on to XBox legally and fairly without Microsoft getting sued by the owners of the original copyrights.