Lumines Live is lacking in modes

by Ross Miller { Oct 18th 2006 at 8:33PM }

So we paid the 1200 MS points ($15) for Lumines Live, knowing we will later have to purchase the Advanced Pack (600 MS points) to complete the deal. We load it up and play a couple of rounds in basic mode (we're proud of our 27,000 high score). We know advanced mode won't work yet for aforementioned reasons.

We play mission mode ... for five levels. The rest will cost extra.

We play puzzle mode ... for five levels. The rest will cost extra.

We play VS CPU ... for ten levels. The rest will cost extra.

According to the obnoxious messages, XBLM will soon be home to a Mission/Puzzle pack and a VS CPU pack. Assuming those cost about as much as the Advanced Pack (600 MS points apiece), we're looking at a total package of 3,000 MS points ($37.50). For reference, the Lumines II for PSP and Lumines Plus for PS2 are only $29.99 each. The Xbox Live version, then, is only worth it if you have no interest whatsoever in two of the extra packs.

Microtransactions and a la carte gaming are the new business models (one that EA has embraced with open wallets), but we don't always have to like it. Make up your own mind if $7.50 more is worth the Xbox Live experience.

Tags: lumines, lumines live, LuminesLive, xblm, xbox live, XboxLive

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Optimus Prime @ Oct 18th 2006 8:38PM

So, basically, you paid $15 for a glorified demo? Good job MS.

HoodOrnament @ Oct 18th 2006 8:42PM

Way to screw up a good thing, im glad I was holding out for Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

Anzollo @ Oct 18th 2006 8:43PM

Keep in mind this is not MS doing this. The cost structure is up to the developer.

MO @ Oct 18th 2006 8:44PM

I can't believe Microsoft greenlighted something like this. On second thought, I can. i just won't be buying this shit.

Jeff @ Oct 18th 2006 8:44PM

"So, basically, you paid $15 for a glorified demo?"

What's so glorified about it?

Seifer @ Oct 18th 2006 8:44PM

Ugh... so much for playing Lumines ever. No thanks to buying a glorified demo or a PSP just to play one puzzle game.

Core_12 @ Oct 18th 2006 8:46PM

Oh god, this is so friggin' hilarious xD

Where the HELL is today's gaming headed towards?

I cincerely hope Nintendo's white knight of a Wii will correct some rediculous distortions here.

MO @ Oct 18th 2006 8:49PM

#3. You are right, MS is not doing this, but they are allowing this to be done. And that makes them part of the problem. I know that microtransactions or something like them have been around for longer than Microsoft has been into games, but I can't help blaming MS for bringing them back.

From the moment Marketplace was announced, I knew the potential for its abuse was likely and some developer would try to nickel and dime us to death.

cheese @ Oct 18th 2006 8:52PM

but but... I thought SONY was teh EEEVILL ONE!!! lmfao

Miniboss @ Oct 18th 2006 8:56PM

BIAS! Oh wait... wrong post...

;) I am hoping this fails miserably. Maybe developers will stop this trend before it gets out of hand. I'm not paying any money for a demo. Package it all together, and put it up there for a reasonable price.

computer gamer @ Oct 18th 2006 8:58PM

It's an overated game anyway. His Meteos on DS was a far better/more interesting and addictive game. The control on the 360 also feels lacking, too sticky or too fast nothing in between.

The1 @ Oct 18th 2006 9:00PM

Tell me it aint so...
Joystiq said something negative about MS/XBOX 360 what will the PS3 people say?

MosquitoControl @ Oct 18th 2006 9:01PM

Wanted this game, to finally see what it was like, but now... no way. No way at all.

Screw this crap. Worthless.

BklynKid @ Oct 18th 2006 9:06PM

Speak with your wallets people!

I for one will not buy this.

Optimus Prime @ Oct 18th 2006 9:08PM

How is this MS' fault?

They put a cap on how much devs can charge for XBL games. The Lumines devs probably wanted to sell the complete game in the $25-30 range, but, MS: NO.. nada.. stick to the pricing cap please.

So, they broke it up into pieces. Charged the most for the basic piece, and gave you the 'choice' of assembling the complete game for the price that they would have asked in the first place.

The funny thing is; Lumines at say $25 would have probably brought in more money then this scheme they have now.

Andrew Yoon @ Oct 18th 2006 9:11PM

I'm a big believer in microtransactions, but I agree that this is ridiculous. It should provide a better value to the player, and charging that kind of money is NOT a good deal. Hopefully, companies will learn from gamers' complaints.

killr0y @ Oct 18th 2006 9:18PM

#1: Sony fanboys can STFU now, this has nothing to do w/ MS

#2: If you don't like it, don't buy it. Its a crap puzzle game for chrissake.

#3: The only people who care about crap rehash puzzle games like this are people who own portables starved of any good games (i.e. PSP).

#4: If anything, you should be upset with the lack of XBLA games in general. 50% of them are garbage 80's coin-op games (so-called classics), and another 40% are crap PC casual games. All the good games (castle crashers, small arms, roboblitz, etc) always seem to be way off in the distance from release.

Ezxra @ Oct 18th 2006 9:18PM

Thats what you get from obnoxious japanese trash developers...not Microsoft's fault..the developer chooses the price...and now they're trying to screw people over especially those who played and liked the psp version..and they are intimidating new commmers

zenprism @ Oct 18th 2006 9:24PM

Maybe Nintendo will follow suit and make us pay 600 coins to unlock Super Mario Bros. past world 5-2.

Or go the EA route and let us unlock the Master Sword for 400 coins, instead of working for it.

Gotta love freeform capitalism.

Sean @ Oct 18th 2006 9:33PM

Man, that's pretty lame. 5 levels of each mode, that should be the DEMO for the love of Christ, NOT the $15 "basic" package. Nothing on XBLA should be more than $10, and they want you to pay over $30 for this? I'm not supporting that. I was looking forward to this game, because I had heard it was such a fun game for PSP. Now I'm not even going to download the demo, I am so much against this. F U, Lumines developers.

Jeff P @ Oct 18th 2006 9:39PM

While the price is high, I'm sure plenty of people will pay it...my major problem is that it does not inform you that you are buying half a game

dan s. @ Oct 18th 2006 9:39PM

This is bad but constantly releasing crap retro games like Frogger and Dig Dug instead of offering several indie games like geo wars is the true failure. I know games are coming, but seriously, there should be 10-15 good indie games or classic, overlooked gems, on the
xbla. Not to mention monster hits (you know they would be) like PD or 007.

otakucode @ Oct 18th 2006 9:42PM

Like children, they'll test the limits. What any of you say has no relevance. What people buy does, and ONLY that.

I won't be buying it even though I really like the Arcade and have bought a lot of the games there (except a few which are overpriced and those crappy arcade ports).

Speaking my mind in the ONLY way they hear.

bdeluxe @ Oct 18th 2006 9:44PM

i'm disappointed that the devs broke it up into two pieces... but i'm just looking at it as paying 22.50(or whatever) for the full game. Since i payed 20 for the 2 yr old psp and love it... the price seems fine to me.

If this game was 25 on a disc ya'll think it was a bargin.

subVert @ Oct 18th 2006 9:49PM

I think that the solution to this issue is that it should have been in a retail box and not on XBLA. The pricing makes perfect sense to me. For my 1200 points, I got a game with no licensed music. If I want to see and hear Warner Bros artists in my skins then that bumps up the production costs of the game.

I don't mind the price, I just don't like the method. They should have had a demo available in the marketplace and then have the complete game with all of the modes fully playable with the licensed music in the stores for $39.99 to catch the people like me who would grab it even if it were full priced and then have it drop to a budget price when sales slowed down.

Guitar Hero for the XBOX 360 might be a real disaster if it turns up on XBLA with only the unsigned bands available for play.

bounchfx @ Oct 18th 2006 9:51PM

I like how people are taking it out on the game because they don't want to pay.

don't want it? don't buy it.

personally I think it's the best puzzle game in the past 5-10 years. Meteos was good, but it wasnt lumines.

Yes, I disagree with the game being as much as they are charging, hopefully they will see this, but if not... then I dont know.

but to say it's a 'crap puzzle game' is just fucking stupid. at least say 'i dont like it' or, ' I think..'

instead of stating what your opinion is as fact.

tard fucks

Duscrom @ Oct 18th 2006 9:58PM

"7. Oh god, this is so friggin' hilarious xD

Where the HELL is today's gaming headed towards?

I cincerely hope Nintendo's white knight of a Wii will correct some rediculous distortions here."

I love this.I mean, what are they doing, making us pay so much for all this content. Let's look for saftey by the company who just released Nintendogs, the same game as they released a year ago at $34.99. The company who published Zuma for $35 bucks and won't drop the price any time soon. The company that will STILL charge you $30 bucks for DS launch games. Pokemon Emerald is almost on 2 years old and still $34.99. I mean, what is Microsoft learning from Nintendo a company who sold you Super Mario DX for $30, Super mario bros on the DS at $20, and wants you to pay another $5 for it on the Wii. The company who is making you pay $60 for a controller on their "budget" console... or, if you wan the whole experince, you need another $60 nunchuck-remote combo, a #20 classic controller (The only way you can play Super Smash Bros Brawl) a $20 wired network adapter, OR a $20 WiFi extender.

Nintendo is NOT a white light for not reaming customer financially, Nintendo fans just bend over easier.

Spilt_Milk @ Oct 18th 2006 10:08PM

This fuck up is going to cost Microsoft more money than they can imagine.

Babylonian @ Oct 18th 2006 10:25PM

Wow, that's insulting. Those are the messages you expect to get in the demo version of an XBL game, not the paid-in-full $15 "full" versoin.

Eric @ Oct 18th 2006 10:26PM

The problem I have with it is that I paid for the "FULL GAME". It even says that when you pick between the trial and FULL version. I loved lumines on my PSP so I went ahead and attempted to download the FULL game. Problem is that it stops at 1% and tells me it can't download yet my MS Points have been deducted. Now that I know it's just a Demo with a pricetag, I can't get my points back or even play the demo or game.

ECUnlimited` @ Oct 18th 2006 10:44PM

Eric, I'm having the same problem. I emailed Microsoft about it so hopefully it can be fixed. I can't downlload anything off the Marketplace for some reason =

I'm disappointed though. I really am. I thought it would be simple. Lumines for 1200 points, and 600 points for the extra. But low and behold, there is three extra packs. Wow.

If I would've known I would'nt have bought it. I hope Q Entertainment sees all the angry and criticizing comments on every gaming board and blog about this.

dsub @ Oct 18th 2006 10:45PM

it sucks, but it's still no where near as bad as what Sony is doing with GTHD. That is like the mother of all microtransaction rip-offs to date.

The ZeroCorpse @ Oct 18th 2006 10:49PM

I was positively bored by the demo. I can't imagine throwing $15 at it would make the basic gameplay any less mundane.

Kendall @ Oct 18th 2006 10:52PM

If the game had clearly stated that it would be limited, then I would not have an issue. But it clearly says while playing the demo version that you can unlock the FULL game. This is false advertising, plain and simple.

L @ Oct 18th 2006 10:56PM

I can't download the demo for some reason. Can anyone tell me if multiplayer is included in the base version? Either Live or 2 players on the same 360?

Ethan @ Oct 18th 2006 11:00PM

Fool me once, shame on me...

Yeah, Microsoft got me on this one. I saw Major Nelson's post: "The full version of the game will be 1200 points. Plus an optional pack for 600 points will also be available that will allow gamers to change their music scene as well as choose from 22 new skins"

Got me to think (hmm, decieved me to think), that they went with the model that you would be buying the FULL GAME, and if I wanted extra eye candy and music, I'd be able to buy the OPTIONAL music/graphics as add on.
That seemed fair to me, play the game, if I like it, add on extra visual effects (which sounded cool, knowing this was a puzzle, music, graphics game).

Then getting it, playing VS CPU for 30 seconds and get the message 'Buy the X Pack to keep playing'. Play Puzzle mode for 2 minutes, get the message 'Buy the Y Pack to keep playing'. So really not all that much to play. Certainly feels like there's a lot more to not play than to play.

If I had known this, I'd have not bought. If you're thinking of buying this, be sure you know EXACTLY what you're getting. $15 Demo is pretty accurate.

Kendall @ Oct 18th 2006 11:19PM

http://www.qentertainment.com/contact_e/index.html

If you would like to file a complaint with Q Entertainment. I suggest we flood them with our dissatisfaction.

nick @ Oct 18th 2006 11:33PM

I bought Lumines but I have no intention of buying the advanced pack. Why should I? I'm satisfied with what I have. Just because I have the base product doesn't mean I have to buy any add-ons.

Why everyone is thinking the game can't be played without the advanced pack, or that you have to buy it, is beyond me.

jchensor @ Oct 18th 2006 11:44PM

I loved Dragon's Lair in the arcades when I was a kid. I played it all the time and could pass it on one credit no problem. It was a great way to spend my 50 cents.

One day, I went to a Chuck E. Cheese's and played the game. I was going along just fine, and then suddenly, in the MIDDLE of my game, a screen popped up that said:

"To continue playing, please insert another 50 cents."

I stared incredulously at the screen, laughed, and turned around and walked away. No way I was gonna fall for something as stupid as that. I swore to myself I would never, ever oblige such a ridiculous request.

Man, the more things change, the more they stay the same, huh?

Kendall @ Oct 18th 2006 11:44PM

It isn't that the game can't be played without the advance pack, it's the fact that people thought they were paying for a full version of the game (and the description gave every indication as such) and now we find that these "advance" packs aren't expansions, but necessary to make the game whole.

I mean hell you can find a used copy of the FULL game of Lumines on PSP for the price of the base product here. Not to mention Lumines is coming to the PS2 this year for 29 bucks, and it's the PSP version PLUS extras. But then that really isn't the issue here. If it was stated that the game were partially complete for the base fee of 1200 points, then I would have no problem with it. However, it said nothing of the sort.

Asz @ Oct 18th 2006 11:56PM

Just to clarify, there is only ONE vs. cpu stage. One lousy fucking stage.

EzKial Rage @ Oct 19th 2006 12:03AM

microtransactions like this are going to kill the gaming industry. i really would not have payed 15 bux for this game if i knew that it was going to be nerfed this much. and what makes it worse is that the advance pack has almost twice as much stuff and costs less.

my biggest gripe with this is that compared to the psp version of the game wich i played and loved, in my honest opinion, the music in the basic version which i just spent 15 bux on sux. it just doesnt hold a candle to the psp's. i dont think a bad music having, laggy live playing, 12 skin nerfed version of the great lumines is worth 15 dollars.

i will not be purchasing the extra "advance", "vs cpu" "mission" packs because i will not support the microtransaction philosophy of giving consumers half a game and making them pay for the second half of the game. basicly we are now paying double the price for games. same with pc games and their "addons" or expansions, (save for mmo's).

spend 50 bux on gears of war, then another 10 bux to enable grenades, 20 bux for the ability to fire your weapon, and another 15 bux to enable the ability to fight the final boss and the "advanced" multiplayer maps.

it could happen.

Steve @ Oct 19th 2006 12:06AM

Well, hopefully word will get out that this game is a piece of shit and nobody should buy it. I scincerely hope that it sells worse than any other xbla game and that the addons do worse than any other addon for any other game. Then people will realize that they will make more money by selling it at 1/2 the price and having 4 times as many people buying it. Douches. I'm definately not even downloading the demo after hearing this.

Eric @ Oct 19th 2006 1:08AM

It finally downloaded tonight. I just feel burnt. Where are videos in the background, where is the "FULL" game? It's like everyone is saying, $$$ to enable XYZ. Kinda like buying DLP/LCD Projection TV, getting it home to find out they give a 8 hour light bulb instead of the 5000 hour bulb. Shame on Microsoft and Q Entertainment for doing this. I guess there is a lesson to be learned here, don't jump on those XBLA games that quick without reading user comments on the interweb. If Microsoft and Q had any morals, they would release the full version patch for free or give me my points back.

BPM? @ Oct 19th 2006 1:34AM

The thing that really bugs me about this isn't how the game is broken into pieces (although, that does bug me)...

But, I just thought in the day and age of digital distribution, games would be CHEAPER. There's no manufacturing fees! No boxes to build, no manuals to print, and no discs to burn! And you don't need to pay to ship them to retailers, either! Just send them over a series of tubes on the Internet!

But if you want the TRUE full version of Lumines Live!, it's gonna cost you more than a physical version for PS2? Madness.

Burnt Meatloaf @ Oct 19th 2006 2:36AM

@Dan S.: My feelings exactly. I really hate this new trend where you have to buy new consoles to play old games. WTF? If I want puzzle games, I'll use a last-gen system or play them for FREE on my PC.

"Boycott" doesn't seem to register in people's heads these days.

And, yes, I still blame the developer for this micropayment BS, not Microsoft. I actually don't like the idea of MS telling the developers what they can and cannot do with regards to pricing -- only when it comes to compatibility and following programming guidelines. It's the consumer's decision how to react to this kind of garbage, and it always has been.

Ruku Takashii @ Oct 19th 2006 3:26AM

Im seething with anger, when was it that these money gobbling corporations began to think it was okay to charge extra for absolutely everything? i pay the price of the game ill play it. then done. Im not okay with this and anyone who is is simply an idiot.

Pince @ Oct 19th 2006 3:55AM

Dear Duscrom,

I realize that you, upon your high horse, likely believe that you are smarter than every Nintendo fan who buys rehashed mario games for $30. Good, for you, nice that you have confidence. But you seem to miss the point that EVERY company will "ream" the consumer and milk them for all they are worth if they can get away with it.

You also seem to forget that Nintendo's current consoles are cheaper, that the games remain at a high price because people WILL pay that price, and that they repackage and sell games that are hard to find now, which are on essentially dead consoles, but that there is still a high demand for. In fact, they'd be crazy not to resell mario titles on GBA, or not to sell different version of Nintendogs.

Speaking of companies that sell rehashed versions of the same thing, I refer you to...everyone. Maybe you havent seen the giant stream of games with the word "collection" appended to their title. The only difference is that Nintendo has more depth to their franchises that they can cash in on.

Everyone is out to ream the consumer, so if you are looking for someone to bitch about and you think it is dumb to pay $35 for pokemon (Ummm, I've seen it for less btw, look around) then blame the kids who still toss Nintendo/the eager retailer their allowance for the game.

For that matter, you may as well just jump on the bandwagon of people bitching about the price of the PS3, or, hell, the price of the PSP compared to Nintendo's DS, or bitch about the expensive accessories for the 360, the cost of XboxLive.

In fact, you know what else is overpriced and rehashed. Laundry. I pay $2 to do my damn laundry and every time it is the same. They had laundry back in the day and I remember it being cheaper back then. Why the hell am I paying for laundry. Umm, because I want clean clothes and this is the price offered to me.

Sorry for the tangent, anyways...every company out there wants your money. They neeeed it. The reason Nintendo impresses me is because they DO continue to sell such products, sometimes at a relatively high price, and even when their consoles, etc are at a lower price than the competition, they are profitable. That is good business.

So, go out and continue to get "reamed" as you put it, because no matter where you go, someone is gonna try to bleed you dry.