Content is being added to Xbox Live all weekend leading up to launch. Overnight, 15 trailers
were added, as we noted earlier. We also just found that
new Xbox Live Arcade titles have been launched. Here are some details.
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Titles available: Joust, Gauntlet, Geometry Wars, Bejeweled 2, Bigshot Billiards 2
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Cost each: free to try, cost varies from 400 MP (Microsoft Points) 1200 MP to buy the fully-featured version of each game. Remember, $1.00 USD purchases 80 MP, so that means these games will cost $5.00 to $15.00. (Will the Nintendo Revolution back-catalog be priced similarly?)
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File sizes: the downloadable versions of these games are generally in the neighborhood of 18 MB (for Joust) to 37 MB for Bigshot Billiards 2.
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Fun factor: awesome. Heck, you could even skip the launch lineup if there's nothing in it that really catches your eye. Some of these arcade titles will tide you over until, say, Oblivion comes out. Careful, though, you may find that the button-mashing nature of a game you formerly loved to be a tad much given modern design trends away from grueling tests of repetitive finger speed.
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Disruptive potential: We've noted it before, but we'll note it again: this is the new distribution model for games. All sorts of small-time developers will be clamoring to bring their titles to the Xbox Live Arcade. Initially, we'll only see small titles and demos of fully-fledged games. Eventually, however, this could become a major distribution channel for all kinds of new games.
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New hard drive please: We've had this Xbox only a few days, but we've already filled the 20 GB drive to half-full. We'll be looking for added capacity ASAP.
