Xbox Live Arcade titles coming to retail [update 1]
by Christopher Grant 
{ Jun 21st 2006 at 3:25PM }
Steam isn't the only digital distribution service offering games up in delicious digital bits; Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade has been selling kids Geometry Wars crack for $5 a hit ... just to get you started. So it should come as no surprise that, like many of Steam's games, some of Xbox Live Arcade's will be coming to retail as well. According to Next Generation, "Peter Moore is pushing to extend the Live Arcade brands to retail, arguing internally that original games like Geometry Wars, retro hits like Smash TV and casual games like Hardwood Hearts will extend Xbox 360's appeal to non-hardcore audiences."
I know where they're going with this: around half of the 360 owners aren't on XBL, yet they might want to jam on some Joust. Thing is, the whole idea is that some of these games, which had their retail heyday 20 years ago, made the jump online to cut distribution costs and bypass the limited retail interest. Ultimately, Microsoft will need to cherry pick games whose retail prospects would make the move worthwhile. That means more Geometry Wars, less Smash TV.
[Via Evil Avatar]
[Update 1: A tipster claims MS released the following info to retailers today. The $39.99 package, which will be dubbed Xbox Live Arcade Unplugged, will include XBLA superstar Geometry Wars, along with Texas Hold'em, Wik, Bejeweled 2, Outpost Kaloki X, Hardwood Backgammon, a free 1-month Gold membership, 100 free Microsoft bucks, and should be available in early September. Thanks, Loki.]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Justafan @ Jun 21st 2006 3:34PM
"DOUBLE FISTED ACTION"! :D
racco @ Jun 21st 2006 3:35PM
never played Smash TV, but i sure played a lot of 'Super' Smash TV back when the Snes was king. me and my mates loved that game, dont tell me we were the only ones!?!
KilgoreTrout XL @ Jun 21st 2006 3:36PM
True, but MS could circumvent somewhat the costs you've noted with bundled titles, e.g. "Best of XBLA", "XBLA action games", etc...
I think there's enough good press surrounding the arcade titles for a multi-game products like that to do reasonably well.
More importantly to me, gamers without broadband shouldn't be forced to miss out on gems like Geometry Wars.
MosquitoControl @ Jun 21st 2006 3:41PM
I just want to know why we have three similar games (Robotron, Smash TV and Geometry Wars) without any similar variant that is 4 player.
I'd kill, KILL for a 4 player Smash TV update. It would work better than Geometry Wars as it isn't as crazy.
Gauntlet is 4 player, but so dull 4 player, as it ends up being one guy charging and three people standing behind him. Smash TV 4 player, though, would be so much fun.
Someone develop a similar game, equally over-the-top bloody if possible, but capable of having multiple people on one couch play.
josh @ Jun 21st 2006 3:41PM
I agree with the above poster - a "Best of Xbox Live Arcade" seems like the way to go... and it might convince people to subscribe to XBL, too, which I'm sure MS would like.
Joe @ Jun 21st 2006 3:52PM
I'd welcome the ability to purchase XBLA titles in a retail shop as I'm not an XBL user. Not because I don't want to, but because it's impossible in the region I live. There is no high speed option suitable for gaming in this area, so I'm missing out on both arcade titles and all downloadable content. Frankly it sucks, so obviously I'd be for alternate means of acquiring such things.
You don't know how thankful I am that the BC games update is downloadable.
DG @ Jun 21st 2006 4:09PM
Seriously..."DOUBLE FISTED ACTION"! :D
I like to read this website at work, Joystiq, and I just can't continue coming here if that's the kind of trash you're peddling!
Felix Andrews @ Jun 21st 2006 4:15PM
SACRELIGE.
Smash TV is awesome. I played that as part of Midway Arcade Treasures more than pretty much anything else on my Xbox!
MORE MONEY! MORE PRIZES! I LOVE IT!
riffgod @ Jun 21st 2006 4:23PM
I am one of those 360 owners that is not on XBL. Not because I don't want to, but because I don't have a Broadband connection at home. For reasons I am passionate about, but will not bore you with the details of, I don't support the telecom industry and cable is too excessively expensive here.
I'm dying to try Geometry Wars to see what all of the hype is about, but unless I can get it without the internet connection, I'll just have to wonder.
I also agree that the XBL retail games should be bundled. They could probably actually sell a few discs if they put lots of games on a single disc. They could probably even get people on XBL to purchase the disc if the bundled price is cheaper than buying the games individually online.
Kefka @ Jun 21st 2006 5:13PM
Hey DG. Stop goofing off and get back to work!!!
sev4 pri1 @ Jun 21st 2006 5:14PM
My bro and I still play Super Smash TV at least once a year. Amazing that its held up soo well. The SNES version is much better than 360, a little easier and lots more prizes and powerups.
Derek @ Jun 21st 2006 6:19PM
It's interesting to want to bring Live Arcade titles to the retail arena. It seems like it's a bad idea to have a game cost $5 on Xbox Live, but in the retail store for it to be $15 because of the additional associated costs. Instead, maybe they should think about digitally distributing not only through Xbox live, but on the internet as well. Be able to burn a CD with the game, still purchased with MS points (since it's all intergrated with the .NET passport and the whole Windows Live initiative), and then copy the game to your Xbox 360. It of course will still be tied to your profile on the Xbox. There is a need to be able to secure the game though, maybe through some sort of profile/Xbox 360 registration process. Maybe lock the game down to a particular serial number of an 360, or somehow having to register your profile with MS (Maybe create a free Silver account through your PC and tie that to your 360 - just without the constant connectivity.) That info could also be uploaded to your Xbox 360 through a burned CD.
They already do the whole burn a CD thing with backwards compatible games. The technology is there to read from a burned disc in a format that the Xbox 360 can understand, now it's just implementing the copying and security to prevent pirating/sharing of the paid for game.
epobirs @ Jun 21st 2006 6:54PM
On one hand, you want to reach a huge number of people who don't find it convenient to give their 360 an online conenction. On the other hand, putting on game on a CD at retail loses a lot of the advantages, especially in pricing, that make XBLA attractive.
A 'Best of' is a good idea but perhaps it can be taken further. For XBLA stuff a DVD has a huge amount of space. Enough room for every single current item and all those schedule for the next year or so.
So, there could be a DVD in the style of the Xbox Exhibition series or Sony's Jam Packs. Inexpensive collections of add-on content, playable demos, and preview movies. Load up the DVD with 720p previews and you add some real value for those unable to normally download those to their Xbox 360.
Further, the XBLA demos could have the potential for being turned into the full version by calling an 800 number or going to a web site to purchase a code. I'd be willing to bet that most people who have a 360 but don't have it online do have some form of internet access like dial-up that would let them use a lightweight web site for purchase of activation codes. The trick is having a DRM system that both satisfies MS and doesn't overburden the user. They have to keep activation codes from being reused but thats hard if the host 360 cannot phone home during the process.
If the DVD is 'Geometry Wars II, All of XBLA and More' for a price of $20 or under it could even do some business with Xbox Live users whose broadband speed makes them very impatient on download times for the bigger items like preview movies.
The cost for packing a disc mainly with stuff you already give away is very low, so if Geometry Wars can make money at retail as a bargain title it can also be a trojan horse for getting the buyer to check out a lot of the other XBLA offerings and demos for regular 360 games.
Xbox Live Silver has largely eliminated the need for the Exhibition series for promoting 360 games but if there is a place at retail for XBLA games they might as well get the full use of the DVD. It costs the same to manufacture whether you use 10% or 100%.
KilgoreTrout XL @ Jun 22nd 2006 9:13AM
Called the bundle. oooooh yeah.
I'm going on break.